Sunday, June 7, 2009

Sunday with Cindy



Lots of news today. Let's take a look-see.....

About.com Jewelry Making
Are you a Tweep? Do you Tweet? Find out about the fun of networking with other jewelry folks via Twitter.

Art Bead Scene
Trying to figure out how to use those swatches of trendy colors? Check out The Color Report for Beaders for help.

Barbe Saint John - New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts
Barbe opens up about a new venture.

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi recycles the images of an old calender for her new gold bezel necklace.

Jewelry & Beading
Cyndi is concentrating on metal clay for the month of June. Come meet some amazing metal clay artists!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
How simply sunny! A focal Celestial Crystal will encourage your love of the summer sun!

Strands of Beads
Melissa shows off beads by Andrew Thornton and plays tag this week

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Last month's Art Bead Scene's theme, Monet's Water Lilies, inspires Andrew to create a new necklace.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Studio Saturday Casting About


Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

Last weeks winner is Alice at BlissGuild! Congratulations! You have won an urchin bead from Heather Powers at Humblebeads, you're the very lucky one! Click on the photo of the Suggestion Box in the left sidebar of the blog to send us an e-mail with your contact information, most importantly your mailing address, and we will get it right out to you.


This week we're peeking into the studio of Lynn Davis, where metal has taken over the studio in a big new way.

Hi! Welcome to my studio, where I'm embarking on a long-held so dear wish to work with metal, my dream is finally coming true! I've always wanted to work in cast pewter, but didn't have the experience, supplies or equipment. Slowly I gathered them! Now the research and development phase is going on and the results are being tested, but I'm so excited about working with hand cast pewter! I want to show you some of the newest pieces.




Several years ago I traveled to Ireland and saw such beautiful celtic crosses and other iconic designs that I loved. I went in serious search of antique metal jewelry, medallions and medals, but had no luck finding the genuine old ones. I found some Italian style religious medals that I brought back as keepsakes, but I was sad that I didn't find the ones I truly wanted. I had the images in my mind, but I couldn't lay my hands on them then.


I've been studying, researching, testing and playing with casting the pewter, and now finally I'm able to create my own faux replica antiques in beautiful, soft metal with that old, worn look. To my eye some look french or possibly german, but they all have that sweet, old-fashioned feeling and a rustic patina that makes them feel very ancient.


I'm so very, very happy! I can also combine the metal designs with the other faux-tiques I make and get closer to that antique, worn and well-loved look I've been wanting. It's great, and I'm enjoying it so very much. I want to make hair gems, and belt buckles, clasps, ornaments and many more things right away!

Answer this question by posting a comment here, you may be the one chosen to win one of my new cast pewter bead components!

Do you have a technique or material you've been longing to try, something you want to learn? Have you started yet, are you waiting still? Or did you master something that you've had a long-time interest in learning - How do you know when you've found "that one thing" that you love to do and how did you find it?


Post your comments here, do tell, I'm so anxious to hear all your stories!


Posted by dainty metalcaster Lynn Davis who looks oh-so-quaint in her closed-toe shoes, heavy leather apron, long insulated gloves, respirator, safety goggles and headscarf! SCARY CUTE!

Bead & Button

Whether you are headed to Bead & Button this weekend or attending an upcoming local bead show, Ms. Bead-it-all offers some great tips for surviving a big bead show.

If you are headed to the show, be sure to stop in and say hello to a few ABS editors, past and present!

Jangles -booth #1113
Humblebeads - represented by Bello Modo at booth #957
Former ABS editor, Earthenwood Studio -booth #1227

Our guest editor this month, Erin Prais-Hintz, will be reporting back on show as a student and a shopper.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

June Monthly Challenge Prizes

This month's prizes for the Monthly Challenge are by 3 clay/ceramic artists.
The winner of this months challenge really hauls the in clay booty with prizes worth over $100!

Artisan Clay
This wonderful stoneware pendant is by Kristie Roeder of Artisan Clay. Kristie has mastered the art of firing recycled glass onto earth clay. She uses different colors of stoneware and glass for her fused masterpieces.

Creative Impressions In Clay
Tie Dye! I love it! This Dog Tag style Pendant was created by Tari Sasser of
Creative Impressions In Clay
. A special technique is used to create the Tie Dye effect. Labor intensive but well worth the time and the results are fantastic!

Round Rabbit
"Will it go round in circles..." Nancy Schindler is the Muse behind Round Rabbit. These porcelain rings go so well with the Challenge this month. These colorful rings can be used in multiple ways, such as a pendant, a component, a clasp...they are just yummy!

Get your Art Beads, Buttons, Charms or Pendants out and start creating!
Kandinsky's Farbstudie Quadrate is such a colorful inspiration for your creations!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

The Bead Economist tells you how to get FREE handcrafted art beads

The economy has gone sour and our readers want to know what they can do to to economize. Enter, The Bead Economist, who will weigh in on what beads and findings are worth investing your hard earned cash in. Today, The Bead Economist has some advice on how to get those high quality handmade art beads for FREE.


Contests: Enter enter enter! Often the prizes are art beads and supplies such as the ABS Monthly Challenge and larger competitions like Bead Star. Here are a few links to recent contests:

Jennifer Jangles Blog

ABS Monthly Challenge

Newsletters: Sign up for newsletters from your favorite beadmaker. Special sales and discounts are offered to newsletter subscribers.

Comments on Blogs: Follow your favorite beadmaker blogs. Beadmakers like me and many others will have give aways for comments. ABS Editors have given away beads on their blogs here are links to the most recent giveaways:

Humblebeads Blog

Lampwork Diva

Lynn of Expedition D

Don't forget to check back on the blogs too. Some art beads go unclaimed because commenters don't check back to find out they won!

(Photo Credit - thank you!)

(written by The Bead Economist and glass beadmaker, Cindy Gimbrone.)

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Monthly Challenge

The inspiration for this month's challenge is from one of my favorite artists and paintings, Wassily Kandinsky, Farbstudie Quadrate (Color Study of Squares).
Kandinsky was a Russian-born artist, one of the first creators of pure abstraction in modern painting and is regarded as one of the originators of abstract painting, or abstract expressionism. His forms evolved from fluid and organic to geometric and, finally, to pictographic. Kandinsky, an accomplished musician, once said `Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.'
Have fun with this vibrant color palette of reds, yellows, blues, purples and greens. Pull out the abstract art beads, grab a few brightly colored charms and let's see what you can come up with for this challenge!

Your entry this month can be influenced by the colors, pattern or whatever you choose to focus on for your creation. Just remember to include at least one art bead in your design.

The Prizes:
A winner will be randomly chosen from all the qualifying entries on July 1st.
Our sponsors this month are 3 Ceramic Artists Artisan Clay, Creative Impressions In Clay and Round Rabbit, please visit us tomorrow to see the prizes!

Featured Designer of the Week!
From all the entries during the month, an editor is going to pick their favorite design to be featured every Monday here on the ABS. We want to give our participants more time in the spotlight! Our Featured Designer will be this Monday, so get those entries in soon.

How to enter the Monthly Challenge:
1. Create something using an art bead that fits within our monthly theme. This challenge is open to jewelry-makers, fiber artists, collage artist, etc. The art bead can be created by you or someone else. The challenge is to inspire those who use art beads and to see all the different ways art beads can be incorporated into your handiwork.

***Beads by themselves and beads simply strung on a chain or cord will not be accepted.***

2. Upload your photo to our flickr group. Detailed instructions can be found here and click here for a tutorial for sending your picture to the group. If you can't upload to Flickr, send your entry and information to Heather.

Please add the tag or title JUNEABS to your photos. Include a short description, who created the art beads and a link to your blog, if you have one.

Deadline is June 30th. Photos are approved by our moderators, if a photo hasn't followed the guidelines it will not be approved. You may upload 2 photos a day.

What is an Art Bead?
An art bead is a bead, charm, button or finding made by an independent artist. Art beads are the vision and handiwork of an individual artist. You can read more about art beads here.

*** A bead that is handmade is not necessarily an art bead. Hill Tribe Silver, Kazuri ceramic beads or lampwork beads made in factories are examples of handmade beads that are not considered art beads.

p.s. If you have a blog, post your entry and a link to the ABS challenge to spread the beady goodness.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Monthly Challenge Winner!

Congratulations to HoneyBead! You are the winner for this month's challenge. This entry was randomly chosen from all the qualifying entries this month. HoneyBead has won beads from Mary Harding, Chinook Jewelry and Humblebeads!

Join us tomorrow for our next monthly challenge with new sponsors and prizes!