December Monthly Challenge

The time has just flown by this month. I have scarcely had a chance to play around with beads and clay to come up with my design based on the monthly challenge here at Art Bead Scene (sorry, Simple Truth Samplers have been delayed by a holiday storm of cookies, wrapping and a flurry of family!). I do so love the deep colors of the glass in these windows. I imagine that they are very restful in person, sort of like swimming under the ocean.

I adore the colors and the random shapes in the windows. There is a really calming sense in looking at these. I noticed in the pieces that texture, like the lines of lead in the windows, is something that defined what was made. See what you think...

A pretty talented bunch we are!

Now it is your turn. If you made something and blogged about it, please add your link below. And stay tuned here for the winners of our monthly giveaways!

Earring Design Challenge Sneak Peek

This year at the Bead and Button Show, I was surrounded by some of my favorite bead artists.
One is fellow contributor and friend Anne from Gardanne.  Anne makes some of the most yummy
enameled jewelry components I have seen.  We were visiting each other at our booths and thought it would be fun to take home the exact pieces and each come up with an earring design and show you how different, or similar, two artists creative minds can be!

Anne started us out with the surf board shaped earring pieces.  They are a beautiful tropical blue with specks of orange, gold and lilac.  I found some 15mm round discs and 5mm spacer beads that coordinated nicely with the enamel colors.  I made these out of white earthenware ceramic clay.  Here is our collection:

The first thing I reach for when designing jewelry is waxed linen.  I also love 20g wire, so I have
some fun ideas brewing.  We'll have to see if I can bring my ideas to life!

You will be hearing from Anne about the challenge before our big reveal, which is scheduled for
Tuesday, July 26th.  I am excited to see the finished designs!

Michelle McCarthy/Firefly Design Studio

January Monthly Challenge Recap

What a way to kick off the new year creatively! There was an abundance of awesome entries this month....some inspired by the colors....others by the stars or the landscape....all with a great reference to the art by Henri-Edmund Cross. Doesn't it just pulsate and shimmer like the night sky?

January 2016 Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge - Kizoa Online Movie Maker

Now it is your turn! Add your link to the InLinkz code below and be entered to win some great prizes! Thank you for lending your talents to this wonderful world-wide party!

An InLinkz Link-up

Get the InLinkz code for your blog!

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Down by the River - Free Earring Tutorial

Meadow Walk :: Etsy Inspiration

'Meadow Walk :: Etsy Inspiration for the April 2013 Art Bead Scene Challenge' by TesoriTrovati

Join us on a walk in the meadow at Argenteuil with Monet filled with blossoms, bunnies, butterflies & birds. Spring has sprung! www.artbeadscene.com

Chrys.... organic lampwork t... GrowingEdgeGla... $26.95	bunny scouts - spring simple... TesoriTrovati $17	Hand Dyed Silk Ribbon - Pai... Quintess $12.99	Set of 10 handmade beads - 6... CreArtistEleme... $7.5
Beatrix Potter Mix Waxed Lin... JewelryAccord $8	Yellow Wildflowers House Bea... humblebeads $14	Lampwork Beads - SueBeads - ... suebeads $30	Handmade Toggle Clasp Cerami... maryhardingjew... $22
Lampwork Bead Set (13) &qu... BeadThursdays $45	Wildflower Heart- handmade r... SlateStudiosSu... $14	Handmade Raku House Bead oscarcrow $8	Burnt Saffron- Handmade cera... kylieparry $14
Hummingbird Polymer Clay Pen... Distlefunk2 $8.99	MINI FLOWER RING Kit LisaPetersArt $20	Green Etched Lampwork Glass... SpawnOfFlame $15.1	Small flower pendant, handma... THEAtoo $9.5

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Art Bead Palette :: Shades of Blue

Glass Lampwork Focal Bead by CapricornDancer

Ghost Flames Iridescent Blue Lampwork Boro Set by Firelily

Blue Dot Bead by MichaelBarley on Etsy

Blue Poppy Pendant by humblebeads

Extra Large 5 Petal Indigo Patina Metal Flower by MissFickleMedia

Since we're focusing on shades of blue this month, in honor of the 7000 Bracelets for Hope Project, I thought I'd feature a few blue art beads I've come across recently. All mimic or match the shades you can find in July's Challenge Palette, and I think they're all just lovely. But then again, I haven't met a blue I don't like!

Which shade of blue is your favorite? What colors are you working with for this month's challenge?

ABS July Challenge: Inspired by Blue...

'Art Bead Scene - July Challenge' by gaea

A celebration of blue and gold for the July ABS Challenge!

edenartglass $8.00	TunbridgeWells $19.00	graphixoutpost $9.25	JenniluOrigina... $15.00
SupplyDiva $7.00	Jamnglass $14.50	SantaMeSilver $8.00	BeadSwedeSuppl... $9.00
ZudaGay $17.00	buttonsandtile... $5.00	BellaRegaloFEA... $4.75	MoonsafariBead... $6.50
UnkamenSupplie... $5.00	clinejewels $3.85	NKPbeads $18.00	hilltopcloud $2.00

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Etsy Inspiration: Feeling Blue

With the emphasis on blue this month, I created two treasuries to show some options to consider for your creations this month. Can we get to 200 bracelets? Will there be that many submissions for the end of the month blog tour? Whew! That is a lot but I am up to the challenge if you are! So get crackin' with these bluesy treasuries as your guide.

First up... supplies: beads, cord, ribbon, clasps. All with a blue and harlequin twist.

' Feeling Blue: Inspiration from the July 2012 Art Bead Scene Challenge, Blue Beads' by TesoriTrovati

Pull out all the blue beads you can find inspired by Picasso's Two Acrobats with a Dog and in honor of the 7,000 Bracelet challenge to support those who care for loved ones with a genetic disease.

Silk Ribbons: Stormy Waters ... MarshaNealStud... $20.00	4 Highfired Blue Beads TheCraftyBead $6.95	Sterling Silver Clasp Filig... desertfiresupp... $11.95	13mm Blue Kyanite Diamond Be... royalmetals $8.95
Czech Glass Blue Diamond Sha... cosmicheart $5.00	Brass Ox Plated Harlequin Fi... dimestoreempor... $2.75	14mm LAPIS LAZULI Genuine Ge... BelieveJewelry... $12.00	Woven -1 meter- Imported met... SilkRoute $4.50
Clasp toggle Aged Copper Dia... jwlrywrkroom $8.50	Czech Glass 9 Table cut 12mm... jjmjewelry $2.98	Blue suede cord 6.0 mm x 1.0... thesecretG $1.90	Paraiba Tourmaline Blue Quar... extremebeads $19.99
Mother of Pearl and Buffalo ... abundantearths... $24.00	Diamond pond Metallic Jacqua... TrimKo $4.20	Bali Sterling Silver Large O... BeadingHeartCo $11.07	Czech Bohemian 5x8mm Glass S... BeadsToWeave $2.50

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Second... art beads: lampwork, ceramic, pewter, PMC, etched metal. Just look at all the beautiful beads! 

'Feeling Blue: Inspiration from the July 2012 Art Bead Scene Challenge, Art Beads' by TesoriTrovati

Pull out all the art beads you can find inspired by Picasso's Two Acrobats with a Dog and in honor of the 7,000 Bracelet challenge to support those who care for loved ones with a genetic disease.

Tiny Copper Happy Dog Pendan... KDemARTe $10.00	Ceramic Diamond Drop Charms ... JeraLunaDesign... $12.00	Flowers & Grooves - 24 mm Et... ParadoxArtGlas... $5.40	Toggle Clasp Diamond Shape B... edenartglass $9.00
DESTASH - SRA Handmade Lamp... JadjusJewelry $10.99	Pewter Dog Pendant - Pewter ... handknitpalett... $8.50	Harlequin Dot Bead michaelbarley $50.00	Lampwork Glass Beads Blue Pe... WatkinsStudio $28.50
Lampwork Bead Set -Turquoise... PowersArtStudi... $55.00	Green Girl Studios New Harle... BeadLady $8.00	Swirl Pod- Hypnosis- handmad... Genea $30.00	Glass Bead Lampwork Focal Be... CapricornDance... $25.00
PMC Geometric Pure Silver Cl... KCMisMe $35.00	Porcelain Harlequin Design i... marlasmud $14.00	Artisan PMC Jewelry, Handmad... SilverWishes $38.00	Wavy Line Grid Ceramic Penda... MarshaNealStud... $29.00

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Let's see what you can create!