Raindrops - Bracelet Photo Tutorial

Copper wire from www.justwire.etsy.com ceramic mini beads from www.gaea.cc

Studio Saturday with Gaea Handmade

Studio Saturday with Gaea Handmade

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 weeks winner is Kristi.  Congratulations! You have won £14 gift voucher (plus free postage) to spend in either of Rebecca Andersons shops Songbeads.

Send Rebecca an e-mail with and she will get you the details.

This week we visit the studio of Gaea Cannaday at Gaea.cc.

Time Flies.

Can you believe that this year is half over? I can almost see the start of the school year which means that fall is within our sights and the summer is nearly over, gone in a flash! I am trying to cram in every little bit of fun, a promise I made to Robert. We haven't had a proper beach day yet for a swim in the ocean, but truth be told, I am happy to stay out of the sun and not have sand find it's way... well you can imagine. (The beach photos were taken at Muir State Beach where we did not get wet, so it doesn't really count!) Reflecting on the last six months... The vacation to Hearst Castle we had planned but had to cancel. The trip to my cousins wedding in San Francisco, we took, but was oh so quick. The movies we haven't seen yet. The back-to-school frenzy that is about to happen. The work still needing to be done. Here is a recap of what has been a beautiful 6 months.... 

Put a bird on it! Bird rock at Muir State Beach. Beautiful hanging lanterns in San Francisco. Clementines new fur do (I didn't think they would shave her entire body!) Happy Ketchup at Johnny Rockets. My cool 'stash. Doesn't every body have one? The kids Easter eggs.

Pyewacket keeping things warm. More Muir Beach. Crazy pink. Monterey Bay Aquarium. Gem beads. Wavy disk beads.

Golden Gate Bridge in the fog. Entranced by the "waves" at MBA. The Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at Golden Gate Park. Ojai on a bad day.

Garden bounty. Co-op butterfly. Cats care not for your work problems. Rocks. Sunset! Copper framed ceramic pendants. Papa Lennon's patio.

View from the aquarium. Japanese tea gardens. Inspiration design cards.

Thankfully a little time flying has provided some creative ideas...

From design to glazed piece...

Leave a comment on this post with one word to describe your last six months and one word to hope for in the next six months to win a Time Flies pendant. Next week one person will be chosen.

A work at home mom and jewelry designer, Gaea is hoping to take a much needed vacation before the year is out! You can see more of her work here... gaeabeads.blogspot.com or here... gaea.cc and sometimes here... gaea.etsy.com

Art Bead Color Palette :: Gaea Ceramic Beads

I'm drawn to mediums that I can't really do. Like last month's art bead color palettes, with metal patinas from Miss Ficklemedia, this month, Gaea's ceramic beads caught my eye.

I tried ceramics for several years with little success, so I'm always amazed with the work ceramic artists do. From the creating to the shaping, sanding, firing, glazing, refiring - work from artists like Gaea are truly labors of love!

And aren't they gorgeous? Gaea's already put together little color stories, so creating color palettes was so easy this month. With spring coming to the northern hemisphere, I'm loving the bright colors of Gaea's beads the best.

What about you? Have you worked with ceramics before? What colors are you loving right now?

Want to connect with Gaea? You can visit her blog, her Etsy shop, and her website.

I Spy With My Bead-y Eye -- Fabrics and Beads

I recently wrote a post on my personal blog about shoes.  I probably could have gone into shoe sales from the number of posts and emails I received about this particular pair of shoes and how many people decided to buy a pair...

(photo via Zappos.com)

The point of my post that day was finding inspiration in the wild colors of my favorite shoes and using that as a springboard out of beader's block.  The idea is to find something (like shoes) with a design, and then search out beads to match it, thus hopefully triggering your imagination in a different way.

So I thought I'd try that again, but this time, with fabrics from Spoonflower.com.  If you're not familiar with Spoonflower, you're in for a treat.  You can have your OWN custom designs printed onto fabric!  How cool is that?

So let's start.

My first fabric choice is "Supahero" by hamburgerliebe.

Not your common inspiration, is it?  It's not floral, or an Oriental rug, but let's push ourselves a bit and see what beads we can find....

Photo by Flying Corgi

First, the colors worked for me.  Second, there was a slightly goofy, irreverent, fun spirit in this bead that I just couldn't pass up.  I think it's just a perfect jump from fabric to bead.  It doesn't have to match perfectly to be a perfect fit.

Next, we have "Umbrellas" by natalie

I like this.  I want an umbrella made with this umbrella fabric.  But let's find beads that match up with this, m'k?

bead by Gaea

These ceramic beads by Gaea picked up the slightly muted colors of the turquoise, red, lime, and orange umbrellas.  How about using leather with this one, or wire-linking each bead to keep it airy?

My last fabric choice is "Cherry Blue" by cottageindustrialist.

How about this borosilicate focal?  Isn't it perfect?  Now it's up to you to add in the rest -- Thai silver flowers, perhaps?  Wood beads to pick up on the branches? The sky's the limit.

Boro focal by uvanomos

I hope you've enjoyed this new way to find inspiration and get out of the rut we all fall into from time to time.  But what if you have a huge stash of beads and don't need to buy new ones?  Pull out a drawer of beads, set it by your computer, and surf through Spoonflower.  You might find a fabric that triggers a memory ("Oh yeah, I have a bead kind of like that!) and awaaaaay you go!

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for Lori Anderson Designs.  She writes the blogs Pretty Things and An Artist's Year Off. 

A Virtual Interview with Kylie Parry

I sat down (alright, not really, just virtually) with Kylie Parry, ceramic bead artist. Here's the answers to some questions I had regarding her talent in ceramics! Enjoy!

Who are you, and what do you create?

Hello there! My name is Kylie Parry and my latest obsession is creating ceramic pendants.

How long have you been working in this medium? What lead you to this craft?

I took my first ceramics class in college. I fell in love with the “magic” of the process. Creating pendants was a compromise between the 2-D and 3-D sides of my brain. Creating them allows me to work with my hands (the messy, tactile clay experience) without ignoring my love for drawing and painting. I get the best of both worlds. I have been going non-stop for the past 5 years. 

Who has had the strongest influence on your development as an artist?

I was born into a creative, hardworking and stubborn family. For better or worse, these traits are me and have definitely influenced my development as an artist.

 What are your goals for your art for the future?

 I hope to continue to find ways to incorporate my drawings into ceramic forms. The idea that my drawings can exist on something that is functional, something that is used or worn in everyday life, by common folks, appeals to me.  

I also have a new series of mosaics that I am working on. Im building them into old crumbling dresser drawers. This is completely different from anything I have done before and I am excited about how they are turning out!

Someday, I would love to be an artist “full time”. I want to be my own boss. I hope to exhibit in larger shows and get into more publications. 

What do you consider to be the one thing that makes you stand out from your peers or help you be more successful?

I think my background in illustration helps me stand out among other ceramic artists. I view each pendant as a tiny canvas. Each one turns out different and special.

For fun:  What is something that most people don't know about you?

I am an aspiring children’s book illustrator and am currently working with an author on a book about a boy with a wild imagination and a pair of red goggles.

Thank you Kylie, for a great interview. I know that Art Bead Scene readers will love to know more about you! 

You can read Kylie's blog for more behind the scene looks at her art!

Findings Worth Finding - Viva Mexicana

TierraCast has a new line of beads, charms and findings called Viva Mexicana!  The line is inspired by Day of the Dead, Mexican Milagros (Miracles) & Religious Iconography and Talavera pottery designs.

I'm lovin' the Paloma connectors and beads! 

You can view the entire line at Rings & Things.

Match this collection with your favorite sugar skull and flower art beads for a Fiesta inspired creation.

Ceramic beads from Gaea