Saturday, April 30, 2016

April Challenge Recap


I really gravitated to the soft soothing colors of this month's challenge painting, Jacob's Ladder by Helen Frankenthaler. I had to think about why I liked this so...and I realized that these colors really remind me of my mother, who just celebrated her 70th birthday last week! I got to spend the afternoon with her, bringing her a cake to have for dinner and seeing the flowers we sent.

Visiting my beautiful mother Gail on her 70th birthday
I know that she would have loved this piece of art, not only for the color palette (that were well represented in her clothes closet), but because she was an art history major in college. I guess I get my love of art from her! The soft sages and the juicy peach and earthy terra cotta on the sun dappled beige background are so delicately refreshing, much like the gently warming sun and the cool breezes of this season. I hope you enjoyed this month's challenge as much as I did! Let's see what you did!
 

If you have a blog post of your own, please add that to the InLinkz below.

Get the InLinkz code for your blog! 

Friday, April 29, 2016

Inside the Studio with Tari of Creative Impressions In Clay

Inside the Studio: Tari Sasser :: Creative Impressions In Clay

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 prize each week to encourage you to use that keyboard and tell us what you think. The following week a winner is chosen at random from all eligible entries. And here are the results from last week!

Congratulations to Terri you have won a set of Earring Sticks from Michelle McCarthy of Firefly Design Studio. Please contact Michelle with your pertinent information so she can mail your prize.


You may or may not have noticed I have been on hiatus. I started a new job working at my local Pinot's Palette (premier paint & sip studio) as an instructor. 5 minute commute to work, WOOT! I love this job!!
I needed to concentrate on that along with family. I did keep up with the monthly challenge posts. I needed a break from juggling. Hopefully I can keep the balls in the air now!
Sorry for the late post. It was participating in Grandparents Day at my grandchildrens school, so I have been gone all day.
Here is my apron I painted last year for the opening of our location. Of course my apron no longer looks so neat and pristine. I've had to go back in and parts recognizable. It's covered in paint now.

I made earrings and a pin for all the artists, owner and studio manager. I get comments all the time on these! I love them!!

A necklace for myself. I ran out of time to make more.

I first made the prototype. Glued them to to bottom of the container with Elmer's Glue so they don't float when you pour in the plaster.

 

This is the slow pour of the plaster. Slower means fewer bubbles...at least we hope. 
I was pretty happy with the results.

For the Bead Cruise I made Lady Liberty Coin Buttons  from my Coin Button Collection for the goody bags. 
This is my latest project that I managed to ship Monday.

My question is: 
How many balls are you juggling these days? 
Have you found a balance or had to cut things out to keep a bit of sanity?

Answer the question in the comments below and you could be the lucky winner of a set of 4 Lady Liberty Buttons.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Perfect Pairings :: WinterBird Studios + Lisa Peters Art + Elukka + Helen Chalmers + Mia Only Beads


[Okay! April is a tough month for me to do anything that is not dance performance/prom related, so I messed up last week and missed picking someone for the Perfect Pairings. So today, you get TWO!]

As soon as I saw this pretty necklace I knew that this was the one. The color palette is so perfectly spot on to the inspiration painting. I love the subtle details that are placed just perfectly... the dragonfly emerging from the pendant...the blooming florals...the leaf...the house. It is elegant with the beautiful gemstone rounds in soft shifting colors. This evokes a fairy garden complete with a home for a gnome! 

Featured Designer :: WinterBird Studios
+

And see the other post for today for
a second helping of Perfect Pairings!


We are now using Pinterest! 
You can find more details in this post about the exciting new changes
,
including a board devoted to art beads inspired by the monthly challenge!
(Ooh! Look! More pretty beads to lust after!)

Pretty please make sure that you post a link in your Pinterest description
so that I have someplace to attribute the picture! 
And don't forget to tell us about those art beads - providing links to bead makers is appreciated!

Deadline April 28th to get your pictures posted to the Pinterest boards for the creation of the Monthly Challenge Recap post for April 30th.

TIP: If you upload your photo rather than pin it from your blog or shop, edit the pin (the little pencil button) and add your link as the source. Save your edits. This will allow us to click directly on your photo and go to your blog or shop to read more about your entry. If you don't, I might not be able to access the photo to share it.


Perfect Pairings :: Shaiha + SueBeads + StudioJuls


[Okay! April is a tough month for me to do anything that is not dance performance/prom related, so I messed up last week and missed picking someone for the Perfect Pairings. So today, you get TWO!]

I am a great lover of orphan beads. Not just because I have a lot of singles that are just hanging out with me after their brothers and sisters were destined for another design, but I also make no secret that I can't resist a sale on orphans from ANY bead maker. Shaiha seems to have the same vibe and she picked up this stunning tube bead from Sue Kennedy recently in a destash. Sweet serendipity that the design and colors work perfectly with this month's painting! I also like to pair up art beads from different artists. It is always satisfying to see how well you all play together! This is a great use of those orphans and a simple design style that would make quick jewelry for all palettes and occasions!

Featured Designer :: Shaiha's Ramblings
+
Featured Bead Artist :: SueBeads + StudioJuls


And see the other post for today for
a second helping of Perfect Pairings!


We are now using Pinterest! 
You can find more details in this post about the exciting new changes
,
including a board devoted to art beads inspired by the monthly challenge!
(Ooh! Look! More pretty beads to lust after!)

Pretty please make sure that you post a link in your Pinterest description
so that I have someplace to attribute the picture! 
And don't forget to tell us about those art beads - providing links to bead makers is appreciated!

Deadline April 28th to get your pictures posted to the Pinterest boards for the creation of the Monthly Challenge Recap post for April 30th.

TIP: If you upload your photo rather than pin it from your blog or shop, edit the pin (the little pencil button) and add your link as the source. Save your edits. This will allow us to click directly on your photo and go to your blog or shop to read more about your entry. If you don't, I might not be able to access the photo to share it.


Monday, April 25, 2016

Monday Muse and Bead Link Party

Hello! Kind of a late start to Monday, but that's okay. I'm busy getting ready to set sail on the Bead Cruise next Monday so today I'm sharing more sea inspirations.

I love sea urchin shells and have quite a collection of them. I also love their bumpy textures as  inspiration for beads. So let's see how these bead artists have tackled sea urchins as their muse.

This looks like an ancient treasure from the sea, lampwork by Stone Designs by Shelia.

I love the tiny bits of silver dots on these lampwork beads from NaOs Glass.

Gorgeous hollow lampwork beads with a magical silvered finish by IrinaS. Pretty sure a mermaid would have these in her collection. 

A fun shape with the urchin texture in copper by Kristi Bowman Design.

A very pale blue rendition offers a cottage shabby chic feel to these ceramic pieces by Firefly Design Studio.

Aren't these amazing? The color and texture just make me want a million of them! Porcelain beads by Earth Elements.

And a pair of knobby sea urchins from little ol' me. I'm digging tiny charms lately, clustering them together for fun pendants. You can find these in my Humblebeads Etsy shop.

Bead Link Party

New for Mondays! I've love visiting your blogs.

We invite our readers to share their blog post links with us each week. As long as they feature jewelry or beads, share your favorite post from last week with us. We hope this will inspire you to blog a little more often and bring our community closer together.

1. Please only post blog new links each week. *

2. Visit at least two other blog links and leave a comment. We want to grow our blogging community and encourage you connect with each other.

3. You have until Wednesday each week to share your blog post.

We want to connect more with our readers! Join the party and share you latest beady blog link.

Haven't blogged in a while? It's the perfect time to share what you have been up to, what you find inspiring, your creative process, interview a favorite beadmaker, review a beady book - get creative and get blogging!

The beady link party is open to jewelry designers, beadmakers and group bead blogs.

Share you link using the "Add a Link" Inlinkz button below.

*We ask for fresh links, if you have a post that you haven't shared with us yet but it's a few weeks old, that's cool.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

8 Blogging Tips for Jewelry Designers


Since we are starting our new weekly Beady Link Party, I thought I'd share a few blogging tips with our readers.

1. Photos are super important. Make them big and beautiful. Shoot in diffused natural daylight whenever possible.  I like to have my photos on the x-large size here on blogger or 600 pixels wide.


2. Break up the same ol', same ol' and style your photos. Get creative and style those photos for your blog. Add some personality into your photos. Consider showing your jewelry styled on your work table, on a dresser with props that match your jewelry, or on a model (doesn't have to be a professional model). Tell a story with your photos.

We have an excellent article on styling your jewelry photos here.


3. Talk to us like we are over for a cup of tea and visiting in your studio. Share with us the creative process, your inspirations, why you created a piece or a story behind it.

If I sat in your studio and you only told me a list of what went into each piece, I'd have some questions. Oh, who made that bead, what's that stone? Does it have any symbolism or fabled mystical properties? Did something about that piece of jewelry remind you of poem or photo you took? Share stories with us. We all love a good story.


4. K.I.S.S. - Keep It Short Sweetie. We love stories, but we are also all crazy busy and your stories should be right at the heart of the tale and not too meandering.

Also, make things easier to read. Break up longer piece of text with photos or shorten paragraphs. We skim more than we read on blogs, make it easy to digest for your visitors.

You don't have to write a book when you write a blog post. Make it easy on yourself too, the more fun you are having the more like you are to keep at it.

5. Blog consistently. That may be weekly or bi-weekly but don't neglect your blog anymore! Dust it off, spruce it up and get ready for company. Don't write the "sorry, I've been gone or neglected my blog," posts, no need - just start up again and blog when you can. I recommend making it part of your weekly schedule, make time for it. If you are going to be busy, write them up in advance and schedule your posts throughout the month.


6. Have fun and connect with your fellow bead bloggers. You took the time to make the tea, put some flowers in a vase and now it's time to invite us over. Participate in the weekly Beady Link Party. Share your blog post on Facebook. Visit your fellow bloggers and leave thoughtful comments. Visit those who leave comments on your blog. When you read a great blog post share it on Facebook.


7. Use blogging as part of your creative process. Share your inspirations, behind the scenes, do-overs and outakes, Ultimately write the blog for yourself and as record of your brave, creative explorations! We will happily travel along on your journey.


8. Blog content is found by search engines and doesn't get lost in the noise of social media. Do you feel like your Facebook posts get lost in the sea of feeds?I have more stories to tell and want more than a thumbs up communication when I'm sharing my work and process. And if I'm creating content and sharing, it's nice for them to have a home instead of disappearing into the endless scroll of a feed! Blogging gives you original content to share on social media and offer something of value to your followers. And search engines still love blogs.


Let's bring back old school blogging and work on building a fun and strong community of beady bloggers! Make sure to share your blog posts with us every Monday here on the Art Bead Scene!

Monday, April 18, 2016

Monday Muse & Beady Link Party

Hello Art Bead Scene friends and a happy Monday to you! Let's start the week off with a big dose of beach-inspired beads. My annual Bead Cruise sets sail in 2 weeks so I'm all about the sea at the moment. 

And...and...and...registration for the 2017 Bead Cruise opens today. Yeah!!! Our early bird registration filled up 1/2 the spaces over the weekend so if the Bead Cruise has been on your bucket list head over to beadcruise.com to read all about our next adventure! 



Now on to the beads! 

This little crab makes feel so smiley, I can't help but think I need one! This cutie is from Captured Moments

And wouldn't he be adorable with earrings made from my crabby charms? You can find them in Humblebeads Etsy shop. 

I love the simplicity and delicate look of these tiny lampwork sand dollars Lori Bergmann.

 These funky lampwork sucker beads are so much quirky, Nikki from Thornburg Bead Studio is always coming up with something fun!

And I love this cuff from Suzie Q Beads, appeals to the wanderlust in my heart as I prepare for my next adventure.

And look at these wonderfully clay charms from our sponsor Areto Beads. She captured the look of aged bronze covered in sea salt. Love them!

Beady Link Party

New for Mondays! I've been loving visiting your blogs.

We invite our readers to share their blog post links with us each week. As long as they feature jewelry or beads, share your favorite post from last week with us. We hope this will inspire you to blog a little more often and bring our community closer together.

1. Please only post blog new links each week. *

2. Visit at least two other blog links and leave a comment. We want to grow our blogging community and encourage you connect with each other.

3. You have until Wednesday each week to share your blog post.

We want to connect more with our readers! Join the party and share you latest beady blog link.

Haven't blogged in a while? It's the perfect time to share what you have been up to, what you find inspiring, your creative process, interview a favorite beadmaker, review a beady book - get creative and get blogging!

The beady link party is open to jewelry designers, beadmakers and group bead blogs.

Share you link using the "Add a Link" Inlinkz button below.

*We ask for fresh links, if you have a post that you haven't shared with us yet but it's a few weeks old, that's cool.


Friday, April 15, 2016

Inside the Studio with Michelle McCarthy

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 prize each week to encourage you to use that keyboard and tell us what you think. The following week a winner is chosen at random from all eligible entries. And here are the results from last week!

In our last Inside the Studio post, Mary Harding asked, "What kinds of textures do you like to use in your work and where do you find them?"

There were all kinds of wonderful answers.  I used random .org to choose lucky #4
Malin de Konig.  Malin has won a sea shell textured set of charms from Mary.  Please contact Mary to claim your prize!

This week my studio activities have been all about making beads and marketing them.  I am so excited to be going on Heather Powers Bead Cruise 2016, which sets sail May 1st.  I have been donating goodie bags to the cruise participants for a few years now.  So I decided to make ceramic stick earring sets for the 65 cruisers this year.  I glazed them in a beachy color combination of brown, teal and specks of black.  OK...black is not beachy, but I love this glaze!

This is what they looked like before they went in the kiln.  Not so pretty....
But after the heat of the kiln, the glaze turned these sticks into this.....

I paired them up, placed them in a bag with my business card and they are now ready for goodie bags!

The next thing I have going on this week is making the kits for my second Firefly Design Studio Designers Challenge.  There is a Facebook group to join if you are interested in learning more.  The timeline is pinned at the top of the group, and there are a few kits left. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1670109743205467/
Summer means beach time, so I designed a starfish on the beach pendant.  Everyone will work with the same pendant, but they can choose side beads in sandy brown or sea blue.  Here are the 2 kits...



Designers will make a necklace, bracelet and earring set with any beading technique.  They will add whatever else they want from their personal stash.  Cory Tompkins is my guest artist for this round. She made a fun polymer clay component that must be used.  It's a mystery component, so I can't show you it yet.

So all these beads will be introduced to new and existing customers of mine.  Marketing yourself can be challenging, but it's necessary for success.  For an artist, getting your beads in the hands of a designer is the best marketing out there.  Hopefully everyone will enjoy their earring sticks and the challenge beads!

This weeks question is this...what kinds of marketing activities have you tried with success?  It's OK if it is a tip from a different business other than jewelry design.  The winner will receive a set of earring sticks...and I will even throw in a business card and free plastic bag.  WooHoo!



Thursday, April 14, 2016

What's New frome the Art Bead Scene Team

Now we are in the 2nd month of presenting What's New from the Art Bead Scene Team to share with you what we have been up to and what we have been making.  Due to the many commitments of our Team members it is possible that not all of us will have something new to share.  This month we have the work of 3 of us.  I will start today with Anne from Gardanne Beads and her new collection of Silvered Enamels.  These beauties are a mix of fine silver and enamel.

Don't you just love the way the enamels mix with the silver and explode into such wonderful shades of all sorts of color.
From Gardanne Beads  Silvered Enamel collection
For more purchasing options check out Anne's Facebook Group  Gardanne Handcrafted Enamel
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Michelle McCarthy has announced her 2nd Jewelry Designer Challenge with a sea side theme and lovely kit .  There are two color options for the coordinating beads.
                 2nd Jewelry Designer Challenge Kit by Michelle McCarthy  in blue
Another option is the sandy brown kit  in Michelle McCarthy's Jewelry Designer Challenge
You can participate in this event by purchasing a kit in Michelle's Etsy shop. FireFly DesignStudio
and joining her Facebook Group called Firefly Design Studio Designer Challenge
You will find all the information you need there to participate.

Michelle makes 30 kits available for purchase and has only a few kits, it any left.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I have been working on a free form peyote stitch bracelet lately since I won't be able to get into my ceramic and metal studio for another 2 months due to a broken ankle.
 The ceramic beads are made by me and were fired at the Thousand Islands Art Center Community Raku Day last October.  The blue glaze is one of the many raku glazes that their resident potter, Serena Buchanan, mixes up and provides participants from the community.  It is an exciting and fun event.  I especially like the bumpy blue glaze that is on some of the beads and the sides of the snail focal.
       A work in Progress--Snail shell free form peyote stitch bracelet by Mary Harding.

Well that does it for this month.  Hope to see you in May with more new work from the Art Bead Scene Team. 
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Mary

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Perfect Pairings :: Precious Violet + Helen Backhouse



These great organic pod shaped earrings really caught my eye. I love the texture and the color and the shape. I love the soft swirls that seem to feel like cocoons coming to life with the warmer spring weather. The embellishment on the top with the wire work gives it a sense of movement and life and is a beautiful detail that could easily be overlooked. 


Featured Designer :: Precious Violet
+
Featured Bead Artist :: Helen Backhouse


We are now using Pinterest! 
You can find more details in this post about the exciting new changes
,
including a board devoted to art beads inspired by the monthly challenge!
(Ooh! Look! More pretty beads to lust after!)

Pretty please make sure that you post a link in your Pinterest description
so that I have someplace to attribute the picture! 
And don't forget to tell us about those art beads - providing links to bead makers is appreciated!

Deadline April 28th to get your pictures posted to the Pinterest boards for the creation of the Monthly Challenge Recap post for April 30th.

TIP: If you upload your photo rather than pin it from your blog or shop, edit the pin (the little pencil button) and add your link as the source. Save your edits. This will allow us to click directly on your photo and go to your blog or shop to read more about your entry. If you don't, I might not be able to access the photo to share it.


Monday, April 11, 2016

Monday Muse & Bead Link Party

Happy Monday! Let's start this week with a little eye-candy from my fellow ABS team members. This month I'm looking for sea/beach inspired art beads.

Help me pick next week's featured beadmakers - leave a comment to share an artisan beachy bead. 

Who doesn't need adorable charms for earrings like these cheery starfish from Firefly Design Studio.


Here I used Tari's Heart House charm a free bracelet project featured in last year's Bead Cruise program

If the sea makes you feel poetic, tap into your inner wordsmith at Swoondimples.

Anne has us enchanted with these mythical mermaids that you can find in her Facebook group today: Gardanne Beads

Erin created sea inspired treasures with these textural beads that you can find at Tesori Trovati.


A modern take on the sea urchin in ceramic by Mary Harding.

And finally, head to the briney deep with urchin bracelet cuff Humblebeads.

New Beady Link Party

New for Mondays! We invite our readers to share their blog post links with us each week. As long as they feature jewelry or beads, share your favorite post from last week with us. We hope this will inspire you to blog a little more often and bring our community closer together.

1. Please only post blog new links each week. *

2. Visit at least two other blog links and leave a comment. We want to grow our blogging community and encourage you connect with each other.

3. You have until Wednesday each week to share your blog post.

We want to connect more with our readers! Join the party and share you latest beady blog link.

Haven't blogged in a while? It's the perfect time to share what you have been up to, what you find inspiring, your creative process, interview a favorite beadmaker, review a beady book - get creative and get blogging!

The beady link party is open to jewelry designers, beadmakers and group bead blogs.

Share you link using the "Add a Link" Inlinkz button below.

*We ask for fresh links, if you have a post that you haven't shared with us yet but it's a few weeks old, that's cool.