Featured Designer of the Week: Stories They Tell

Each Monday the Art Bead Scene features the Designer of the Week. One of our editors picks her favorite from the Monthly Challenge entries. This week's featured designer is Stories They Tell!

Here is what ABS editor, Heather Powers had to say about this design;

"This focal pendant has me rather speechless.  It's an amazing mix of textures and colors and feels like a found ancient artifact. I love the design of the necklace, the asymmetry works perfectly with the double strand of beads playing off the brass medallions."

View more of her work here at her blog and at her shop.

Want to see your work here next week? Enter our monthly challenge for a chance to be featured! Be sure to add ABS April as a tag to your photo and make sure you allow us to download your photo so we can prepare our posts that feature you.

Sundays with Cindy

Good Sunday to you!  Let's see what the bead bloggers have been up to this week....

A Bead A Day
Are you a crafter AND a beader? Do you ever give in to mixing craft supplies into jewelry pieces? Stop by A Bead A Day to see Lisa's latest arts and crafts jewelry.

About.com Jewelry Making
Pets and children are wonderful, but they can make jewelry making very challenging!

Art Bead Scene
The Art Bead Scene shows off this month's challenge. Come take a look!

Beading Arts
The final chapter of Cyndi's e-book is now available! "Fibers, Fabrics, and Beads" challenges you to integrate all the fiber arts that you already love with your bead embroidery!

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy shares one of her free projects.

Earthenwood Studio Blog
Melanie introduces a new egg themed design and wonders what the Earthenwood Design Team will hatch up in jewelry designs.

Strands of Beads
Melissa is back and is wondering if anyone else has trouble using materials that are "too special" in their projects?

The Bead Dreamer
A vintage belt buckle takes center stage in a bold necklace designed by Charlene

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew debuts his new filigree bezels filled with vintage stamps coated in resin. Check them out!

Fit To Print Review -- Chain and Bead Jewelry Soldering Connections by Scott David Plumlee

Well, David Plumlee has done it again!  Another of his beautiful books landed on my doorstep but this time there's a twist -- he teaches us to solder!

The book covers twenty simple projects using sterling silver, bronze, copper, and gold jump rings.  I love that he shows how to solder rings, many using a butane torch, such as this Blazer torch:

The beginning of the book covers the basics, which includes a handy and complete demonstration on making ear wires, a magnetic clasp, and a hammered S-clasp.  He also covers the finishing process, which I found very informative, particularly when he talked about a second pickling process.  I've run into the same technical issues he discussed, and when I tried his solution, it cleared my problem right up.  

The projects are fantastic, and many of them don't require you to solder.  Earrings can be solder-free, due to their nature, and some of the bracelets are able to be made without firing up a torch.  However, David's explanations and diagrams are so easy to follow, you'll be able to whip out that torch and become an expert in no time.

The designs are fresh and creative.  The Beaded Triad earrings above prepare you for the Beaded Triad bracelet and the Beaded Star key fob and earrings.  He also shows you how to make a stunning mobius pair of earrings (shown below) and a bracelet.

One of the things I love about Scott David Plumlee's book is it's not all chain maille -- it goes into forging as well.  The other beauty is the projects are accessible and doable for all skill levels.  It's a terrific book with a lot of places for you to jump off and run with your own creative variations.

Highly recommended!!!!

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site lorianderson.net.  She writes the blog Pretty Things.  She lives in Maryland.

Of Finches & Bamboo: April Challenge Inspiration

I have not yet started going through my stash of things that might work for this month's challenge, but chances are I will need a little retail therapy to get me going. Sometimes the right bead, pendant, charm or component is not apparent in my stash. I thought that I would share a few things that I found online to inspire you, too!

First, if you are in the mood to win an art bead that was created specifically with this month's challenge in mind, head over to Jeannie's blog to sign up. Winner will get this lovely little birdie pendant and some coordinating beads. But hurry! The deadline to enter is Thursday, April 14th! Just go leave a comment! Easy-peasy!

But even if you don't win, you can still snap up some great beads, pendants, charms and findings that suit the Finches and Bamboo theme perfectly.

Look at this cute little Zen Leaf charm from Beth Hemmila of Hint Jewelry! Her charms delight me as much as the thought she puts into describing them. Beth writes of this one, "Wear Zen Leaf to bring awareness to purpose and transformation. Leaves grow, nourish life, gradually decay, and quietly float down to earth. Their life may be short, but its glorious transformation and honorable existence reminds us to continually celebrate life and all its seasons." I couldn't have said it better myself!

The soft earthy tones in this ceramic pendant from ClayDesignsbyGlee would look lovely with some silk ribbon and tiny mint green glass beads, don't you think?

I found a new-to-me Etsy seller with beautiful silver charms. I love the highly detailed and polished pendants, charms and finished jewelry in this shop. This one references the painting this month spot on and is called New Day. Check out SilverWishes for more lovelies!

Ooh! I so want this set of carved polymer clay beads from Floridity! I love their rich golden and rust color that would perfectly complement the colors in this month's painting.
 

This "Remembrance" leaf pendant from BlockPartyPress - in any of the three available colors of green, rust red or mustard - really works well with this painting. I love the hand carved original stamps that she uses to create these whimsical looks. While you are browsing her Etsy shop, I am certain you will find other things to love. She is one of my new Etsy crushes.
 
Ooh pretty! Decorated head pins are all the rage these days. Check out these beauties:



Green and amber colored glass headpins from SueBeads on Etsy

  


Fancy raku leaf head pins from HavanaBeads on Etsy



Love these brass leaf head pins from WickelyWired on Etsy

 I am thinking that some jade beads are in order here to go with the restful zen feel of this painting and the minty green leaves. How about this selection?



Carved melon jade from BeadFrenz on Etsy

 


Carved jade leaves! Also from BeadFrenZ on Etsy

    

 
And how about some bead caps to go with those totally awesome jade beads? I found these heat patinaed and chiseled bead caps that reminded me of the bamboo branches at HigherChakraSupply.
 

 
And of course, you need the perfect clasp. I just so happened upon one in Mary Harding's shop in rich tones of orange and plum with the cutest little branch toggle. Sweet!

Now I have no excuse but to go out and create something awesome for this month's challenge. And don't forget to post your link to your blog entry in the comments of this post. That will help me when I put together the ABS Challenge blog hop for April 29th (deadline is April 28th)!

Trending: April Showers

I'm completely crushing on all things rainy, cloudy and umbrella-y!

Brass umbrella charms from CM Vision. Cloudy Days pendant from Jade Scott. Ceramic drops from Gaea. Aqua blue chalcedony teardrops from The Designers Gem.

Ceramic clouds from Gaea.  Vintage Japanese lampwork beads from Smart Bird's Studio. Moonstone briolettes from Soms Studio Supplies. A Green Girl Studios clasp from Beadaholique.

Check out the Etsy Merchandising trend report for April for more ideas while you are designing your spring-inspired jewelry.

Garden Gate Clasp Tutorial

Create a wire hook and eye clasp to use with a multi-strand design.  I think this would look great on a bracelet with some floral inspired art beads.  Ah, spring - so glad you are here!

Supplies:

9" 18 gauge half hard sterling silver wire

4" 22 gauge copper wire

Tools: Round and chain nose pliers, flush wire cutters, chasing hammer, bench block

Directions:

1. Cut the silver wire into two 4.5" lengths.  Bend the wires around a tube of beads (or a Sharpie Marker), form into two circles. 

2. Use your fingers to bend and form one circle into a slightly oval shape, a little thinner than the circle.  This part of the clasp will need to fit inside the circle. 

3. Create spirals on the end of wires with round nose pliers, keeping the spirals as uniform as possible.

4. Hammer the ends of the spirals with the chasing hammer on a bench block.  Hammer the circle on the round clasp and the end of the oval.  Don't hammer on the part of the wires that crosses over each other. 

5. With the chain nose pliers, bend the oval clasp section in half to form the hook.

6. Cut the copper wire into two 2" lengths and wrap around the center of the clasps.

The last two photos show the clasp in it's natural state and antiqued with liver of sulphur.

Designers note: Use brass or copper wire to practice this design before trying it in silver wire.

Designer of the Week - BeeTree by m.e.

Each Monday the Art Bead Scene features the Designer of the Week. One of our editors picks her favorite from the Monthly Challenge entries. This week's featured designer is Beetreebyme!

Here is what ABS editor, Shannon LeVart had to say about this design;

"What a stunning, fantastical statement necklace! Once again artist m.e. has pieced together a wire and polymer clay creation that pushes the boundary of design. This necklace matches the sweeping movement of the leaves in the Finches and Bamboo piece so well with the curves of the wire I could almost feel the breeze. She pulls the red from the inked chops and adds it to her polymer clay flowers to match the same emotion in the painting. It's amazing!"

View more of her work here at her flickr stream and at her shop.

Want to see your work here next week? Enter our monthly challenge for a chance to be featured! Be sure to add ABS April as a tag to your photo and make sure you allow us to download your photo so we can prepare our posts that feature you.