Spice things up with a challenge!

Although it's the start of the holiday busy season, you may start feeling like you've exhausted all beady endeavors and need a bit of a challenge. Something fun to boost your creativity. Why not host a blog challenge?

My new friend Kelly of Silver Parrot just hosted a Bug inspired bracelet challenge and I got to participate and it was JUST the thing I needed to spark some inspiration!

She showed 5 colorful pictures of different bug species, and the challenge was to pick one and create a bracelet in the same color palette. She had readers blog their photos and leave links to their posts in her blog post. Then Kelly went back to her blog and showed off each of the submissions. She is picking a random winner, and that winner will receive some bead goodness and a couple of cool beading books!
It's an easy way to also increase your blog reader participation. I guarantee you'll have a blast doing it.

Join us tomorrow for a holiday shopping event with the Art Bead Scene editors!

Jewelry Ideas: Art Pendants and Links, Jump Rings, and Wooden Connectors

I have been busy this fall, developing a new line of pendants and links like the dragonflies shown above. Along with designing new beads comes designing jewelry made with them! This season, for my holiday shows, I wanted to do something simple, using basic materials that are attractive and easy to assemble. Here are a few of my ideas.

For this necklace design, I used raw brass jump rings and hammered circles from Vintaj as the metal element. I paired the Dragonfly Rising focal pendant with some beautiful Wooden Connectors from Rings and Things. I love these connectors with my art pendants, because they have a similar artsy feeling, but are an inexpensive way to accent the necklace and add interest. I also love the warmth of the wood with the raw brass and my earthy porcelain glazes. I finished this necklace off with some silk cord, which I think adds to the earthy, woodland effect of the necklace.

I wanted to make a shorter and more delicate necklace with a similar feeling to the one above, so I used one of the smaller Dragonfly links and linked them together with some smaller Wooden Components (I love this branch design!) paired with gunmetal jumprings and beautiful pewter oakleaf designed rings.

To finishe the necklace, I used a gunmetal toggle and some pearl and gunmetal beaded chain. I think this would make a great bracelet, too! I am really pleased with how easy these were to make, and so elegant, despite being so simple in design.

The wooden components in the previous post, specifically referenced as from Rings and Things, were provided as promotional gifts by for review or design partnership purposes.

Melanie Brooks is the ceramic beadmaker behind Earthenwood Studio, who blogs from her Metro Detroit, Michigan home.

Designer of the Week - Andrew Thornton

NovABS
Originally uploaded by ardenttie

Each Monday we feature the Designer of the Week. One of our editors pick their favorite from the Monthly Challenge entries.

This week Lynn Davis picked Andrew Thornton's necklace.

Lynn notes, "I love this filegree piece by Andrew Thornton - it's mysterious and exotic, like the fairyland people are peeking out at us through a keyhole into their world."

Visit Andrew's blog to see more of his work.

Sundays with Cindy

Good morning, Beady Readers! Wondering what's going on in the bead and jewelry world? Take a peek at our links and see.....

A Bead A Day
Do pearls go with everything? Lisa pairs glass pearls with chain and interesting findings. What do you think?

About.com Jewelrymaking
What do you do with a weird piece of chain made from wood? How about making a fabulous necklace out of it.

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene gives you the scoop on findings worth finding - check it out!

Barbe Saint John
I've been a bad blogger!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi makes a brooch with a cameo and other odds and ends.

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy has a new shop on Etsy - the bleeding heart. Check it out!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie shows the piece she made for the new book Chain Style, and talks about her struggles with letting go of her published jewelry pieces.

Jewelry & Beading
Gather up some little beaded flowers and turn them into a very special necklace!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Lorelei's annual craft fair adventure is over and she share's some photos of the Aftermath.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Artbeads teamed up with Nintendo DS to create a fantastic virtual learning game for jewelry lovers! Style Lab! Jean shows it off in a youtube clip! FUN for the HOLIDAYS!

Strands of Beads
Melissa discusses the virtue of buttons in jewelry-making

Best of Studio Saturday-Countless Blessing

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.

This week's very lucky winner is PeacockFairy! Congratulations! You win 3 Pendants from Melanie's new line, Now Showing. Please send your postal address to the Melanie at Earthenwood!


Originally Posted by Lynn Davis

December 6, 2008
 

Swapping Blessings and Stories on Studio Saturday

Today we're in the studio of Lynn Davis, who just finished a group project of an engaging, exchanging kind!

In this season and time of the year, it's quite easy to get distracted with the 'doing' of things, going places and enjoying events. It's been such a good year for me in so many ways, and challenging in others, that I want to be sure to remember to count my blessings and not let them slip away unnoticed.

So I offered to do a charm / clasp / bead swap even though I've never done it before, and some very talented and lovely people joined in with me.

I want to share the wealth of the art beads and charms created and the beautiful and clever results with you here. The theme was 'Counting Your Blessings' and the swap item could be a clasp, a charm or a bead, but it had to be handmade and in the spirit of the theme. The packaging was as lovely as the beads inside!

These little Humblebeads are from Heather Powers. The colors on the bead are so beautiful and seasonal, and the owl charm seems so knowing and wise. The card says 'Wisdom is the beginning of all blessings. Wear this little owl as a reminder' - isn't that wonderful?

The skeleton key charms with stamped copper tags that say 'HOME' were made by Lorelei Eurto, with a beautiful dangle on each one. They are so tiny and special, a unique remembrance of the warmth and coziness of the hearth and home anytime, but especially at this time of year.

Mary Harding created several different charms and beads, with a natural world theme and such beautiful colors. I was fortunate to see all the unique charms in the swap before they went to their new homes. On my blog I'll put more photos of all the different ones, I don't want to take too much space here. This sneak peek will give you a good idea of the variety and beauty of the swap items.

If you've never done a swap you should give it a try, it's a great way to get to know some people better and make new friends. And oh! the goodies!

It was interesting that many of the swap items used words as well as images to tell the story of counting blessings. These little beads and charms were made by Cristi Clothier. She used the words 'Be Blessed' and number circles, very clever and colorful.


Others used only symbols of blessed icons, these lovely raku hearts were made by Gaea Cannaday. I love the rustic and organic look of them, under the smooth shiny surface glaze. Sometimes blessings do appear rough on the outside but have wonderful things to bring to a life! With a heart icon you can tell your own story, make up your personal meaning. I like that about them.

Another organic, natural world symbol was used by Erin Siegel, in her glazed leaf shapes. As the leaves fall from the trees in the circle of the seasons, we count ourselves fortunate in this world to be able to sense the changes in life. The colors are so glorious and each one so unique, just like real natural world leaves. Just like each one of us, too.


The images used in the art beads and charms weren't coordinated by me in any way, but there were recurring symbols, icons and words. About home. Leaves. Hearts.

These charming houses were made by Lisa Harrington. The colors are harmonious with the other swap items, and the little house shape goes well with Lorelei's key charm and has a similar message. We treasure our family, our homes and hearths, at this season. There's a tiny beautiful butterfly inside, the most colorful and transient creatures in nature, to remind us that time is fleeting. And the dangle under the little house charm with the word 'HOME' on the roof is a tiny puppy dog - the most faithful and entertaining of creatures that share our hearths.

My own charms have some of the same ideas and spirit. I made a fused glass heart connector because the heart connects us all, a leaf charm to show the constancy of change, and a small corked glass vial filled with golden flakes with the words 'GOOD' and 'BLISS', 'PEACE' and 'MERCY' on them.

I want make a single wearable piece like a necklace or charm bracelet that includes everything from the swap, to remind me through all next year to count my blessings daily.

Maybe you count these end of year days using an advent calendar, or celebrate with special family events. Or perhaps there's certain music, a book or tradition that you re-visit every year, to close out the special days every winter as each year wanes away.

In the meantime, here's the question for you to ponder! Reply to this post and you will win a suprise prize!

How do you creatively count your blessings at this time of year? and what special words or symbols remind you of your most treasured memories, events and celebrations? 
Family and friends, home and hearth, traditions and customs across time, boundaries and cultures, share how they influence your ideas and creativity.

Post your answer, share your story, join with us in counting our blessings!

Twilight Jewelry

An ode to my favorite vampire/werewolf love triangle!

Tesori Trovati

2nd Hand Rose

The Venerable Bead

The Bleeding Heart - Aka Cindy Gimbrone

Sentimental Journey

Pendants from Sentiment Redesigned, a new shop on Etsy. 

Artist Sue Reiten describes her process:
I first draw the image, and then refine it on the computer. Then I make a photopolymer plate of the image and transfer that to PMC. From there, I shape and carve and shape additional elements into the design. The result is a collection that is called Sentiment Redesigned. I have had a number of the designs cast in bronze and in sterling silver. Each pendant is given a patina with liver of sulphur to bring out the depth of the details.