Beadweaving

Sigh....This is what I would like to grow into.  Actually, taking the time to do some beadweaving.  I will be doing the Lori Anderson bead soup blog hop coming up and just got my partner yesterday - Kristen Stevens.  She does some amazing beadweaving - just beautiful stuff.  Here's her blog - My Bead Journey.   We talked on the phone today - its so good to talk to someone else with a beading passion (my husband just doesn't cut it or qualify, and only lends a deaf hear to my beady topics).  And I have questions that I've liked to ask other beaders and now... I will finally have someone to talk to about.  So we were talking about beadweaving - here is my start to beadweaving - simple projects I have completed.  I hope that these are a beginning to more challenging pieces in the future....

 2 peyote stitch bracelets - the first two projects in Mastering Beadwork by Carol Huber Cypher.  I really like the triangle one and wear it frequently. 

And some beaded beads - the pattern is from Beadwork magazine.  Not sure what I am going to do with them yet - that's why there are still strings hanging from it.  I actually made another pair of these - but gave them as a gift. 

Valentine's Jewelry

I've been working on some new jewelry with a Valentine's Day twist.  Of course, I'm a little late to the bandwagon, and realize I should have had Valentine's Day stuff ready just as Christmas was ending. 
Well, they do look like they can be worn anytime, if I do say so myself (especially since I made one for me and have been wearing it for sometime!)....

Happy 2013!

This is as close as Joey will get to Santa.

We're finally back to some normal everyday life; after the holidays and parties and birthdays of the past month and a half.  Here's a look back with pictures.

 Daphne and I went to see the Nutcracker.

 New Year's - they both stayed awake until midnight!

 This guy's excited face - especially when he eats spaghetti.

 Kevin's birthday.

A surprise retirement party.

and back to crafting - learning a new technique for jewelry and finishing a wreath - which I actually started one year ago.   It is so cute - wish I would have finished it earlier to enjoy.

There's also lots more jewelry listed now and will be listed this week on my Etsy store.

Our Living Nativity

Daphne's getting ready for the Christmas season and pulling her brother along...
I really love her imagination, with all the animals (real and imaginary, including Alf and the Handy Manny measuring tape) she could find surrounding the pink-clothed baby Jesus in a shopping cart. 

Patina

So, as I said a few days ago, I finally got some supplies in for the Vintaj embossing and after the fun family-filled Thanksgiving holidays, really got down to work in creating some pieces as I have been wanting to do for awhile - again, nothing like a deadline to make me want to work.  This is so fun - embossing, painting and then finally figuring out what kind of sandpaper to use for reliefing the pieces.  They turned out beautiful!  Each piece is glazed on both sides. I know that the tutorials say you don't need to glaze the Vintaj pieces before or after you patina them, but I was especially worried about the pendants - didn't want the copper pieces to be causing any skin discoloration for those that would like to wear them.  These pieces will be at the 1305 Gallery soon...

 

Yuletide 2012

Guess what?  I have some jewelry items at a craft show in the 1305 Gallery.  A few artists put their items for sale at the Gallery's Annual Holiday Show and Kevin's cousin asked me to add some items for the Cindy Craft Cartel table.  So I was in - with about a week's notice, it was a pretty hectic deadline to get some jewelry items, but sometimes a deadline is good for creating those pieces I've had mulling about in my head for awhile and keep thinking, I'll get to but hardly take the time to.  Well, now is the time!  I worked and worked and probably neglected the kids a little while working on this.  I also recently got some supplies for some more pieces, which I will be posting about soon and getting to the show asap! 

The show runs from now (well, actually started on Black Friday) through January 5th.  Hours are:  Monday-Saturday:  11-7, & Sundays 12-5.

Here are some of my pieces that are currently at 1305 Gallery!:

Ears To You Blog Hop

Thank you CopperDiem for starting this hop and for letting me be a part of it.  Check here for the other's in the blog hop. 


My first blog hop....
I've certainly lurked on others and saw how cool it is to be a part of one - the networking, the feedback, seeing everyone's creativity when all are given the same directions. 
So here's the deal with this one.  These earrings were created to be donated to the Ears to You organization whose mission "is to provide earrings to lift the spirits of women undergoing chemotherapy for any type of cancer."  Pretty awesome idea, huh?  The organization is located in Hinkley, OH - which is just around the corner from where I grew up - thought that was kind of cool too.
And here are the earrings. 

The lampworked discs and stars in the first and last ones are from Jodie Marshall.  The pink pixies in the last earring set are from My Elements.  The purple flower Czech glass daisy beads in the second earrings are from Yashma Creations paired with some purple drops from Hobby Lobby.  The third pink and tiger's eye earrings are a pattern from a Beadwork magazine.
That's it - they have been shipped!

Thank you for looking.  Here are the other participants.  Take the time to look at all of theirs too!
 
Copper Diem
My Addictions
Beads, Tea and Sweets
Juls Beads
Fabric of my Life
Blogging Business Artisans
Jeannie's Blog
Lorelei's Blog
One Kiss Creations
Backstory Beads
According to Katie
Cherish Designs
Beads: Rolling Downhill
Falling Into The Sky
Garden Path Beads
Antiquity Travelers
Sissy and Jacks
Erin Siegel Jewelry/Art Bead Scene
Northwood Creative Studio
SilverRose Designs
Dreamin of Beads/SAS Jewelry Design
Cabe Woman  ** You are here**
Summers Studio
Honey from the Bee
Shaiha's Ramblings
Mama's Got to Doodle
Beads for Busy Gals
Tanya McGuire
Creative Atelier