Featured: Christine Kemp my 100th Follower

I have been blogging now since Christmas, so just 7 months. At 14,000 page views, 84 posts and 100+ follows ... I'm really starting to get the hang of this blogging thing. I have enjoyed meeting so many new people in the blogosphere, reading about their lives, seeing how they create, and well just getting a wonderful daily dose of encouragement.


Last week I hit my 100th follower, which is a milestone for me. And to celebrate, I thought I'd highlight the follower who clicked the button. Thank you Christine Kemp of Golden Lilly Crafts! Now let me tell you a little about Christine. 


She writes a blog about her art journey from her home in Australia. She has been doing a course with Tamara Laporte from Willowing Arts Arts called Fabulous Faces. And the picture to the left is her recent piece. Isn't it amazing. I'd say those classes are paying off. Christine has many forms of art on her blog that she's been learning through online courses. I love that you can learn through the internet like this! She is learning to draw, paint, collage, art journal and letter. But Christine also likes to experiment with fabric, buttons and beads. Perhaps we can get her to join one of our beady blog hops!? What do you say Christine!

Blog Hop: Bead Soup

This is the first reveal date of several that Lori is hosting for the next Bead Soup Blog Hop. There are over 350 participants, so Lori has been one busy lady setting this up and coordinating the hosting of 3 separate reveals.


My partner is Cindy over at Mommy's Dream who sent me a beautiful stash of beads to work with back in the beginning of July. I didn't quite get through all of the beads she sent, but I did make it through most! I made four separate pieces starting with the pretty shell focal she sent me. I created a simple helix chain for the base of a choker and added a peyote stitch loop to hang the shell from. I used peyote again in the back to create the triple button closure where I used some antique mother-of-pearl buttons. The necklace is very light weight as I used wood beads and small seed beads, so it is very comfortable to wear. 


Next I got to work using the silver toggle. I recently found some pretty black & brown agates, which I had never used before. Their color is somewhere between carnelian and amber. Very pretty. I decided to use a simple macrame knot bracelet so the focus remains on the stones and the toggle. I used black waxed linen which brought out the veining in the stone. 


Cindy also sent me some really pretty Venetian foil beads that I love. I wanted to use these as a focal and decided that I'd use them in a hoop drop earring design. I used several of the seed beads she included in my package to create a fun pair to wear with you hair pulled up.


The last piece I made used some pretty amber and blue beads that were included. I love this color of blue and wanted to pull the color out by using come cord to braid a bracelet and weave in the beads. I also stitched on another row of beads and finished it with a robin's egg blue wood button. Very comfortable and light weight to wear, and quite Boho.


I pushed myself with this blog hop to try all different types of beading. I used beadweaving, wire wrapping, stringing, sewing and macrame. Perhaps I can come up with a few more ways to challenge myself since I still have beads left. Thanks Cindy for a lovely bead soup! 


Check out all the other beaders (here) participating in this first reveal.

Freedom Fridays: Peyote with Spirit Bead

Recently I received a large hat-full of beach glass from my sister-in-law who had been visiting the Maine Coast. She pulled out a small aqua piece of glass and asked if I could make something with it? Hmm, it is pretty small. So this might take some creativity to figure out how to include this.


At the time I had been working on a beaded bracelet and she commented on how much she liked the blue colors of the beads. So I thought I'd try to combine the two. Originally I tried a beaded bezel around the piece of glass, but it is simply too small and left very little of the glass to see once complete. Ok, so scratch that. I also considered gluing a silver piece with a loop on the glass that I had used recently on beach glass pendants. The only problem was that the leaf design on the piece would have covered the entire surface of the glass. So I created my own hammered silver to wrap around the glass and glue into place. I decided to use it as a charm hanging off a custom hammered silver toggle. I wanted to create a special piece for her to remember her trip back East this summer that she could wear and remind her of her time both at the Maine shore and her time with us up in the Adirondacks.

The other design element I used was the Native American tradition of peyote and a spirit bead. I've been enjoying reading a book I recently picked up by David Dean called Beading in the Native American Tradition. It is a fabulous book that takes you through all of the various bead stitches used by the American Indian tribes like: gourd stitch (peyote), the Comanche stitch (brick), lane stitch (from the Cheyenne, Crow and Sioux) and loop stitch (Cheyenne), running stitch (Crow). Just to name a few.


Specifically he talks about Peyote and the origin of the stitch. The stitch is also called the Church design. Native American's used beaded feathers (gourd stitch that wrapped around the handles) as part of the peyote ceremony that involved prayer and the peyote cactus as sacrament. The bead stitch associated with their 'church' rituals was said to be done in the 'peyote' style. 


The other tradition used by Native American beaders was to include a 'spirit bead.'  This tradition dates as far back as 800 A.D. and served as talismans against threat.  The spirit bead is one that stands apart from the rest of the pattern; sometimes a bead of a different color. Native Americans believed that each piece should contain an intentional mistake (or spirit bead) somewhere within the pattern because humans cannot achieve perfection. If we attempt perfection it could be bad luck. And the spirit world would not enter into anything that was flawless. So a spirit bead was sewn in among the others to provide a flaw where the spirit could enter and flow through the beadwork. A spirit bead is a reminder anything created by human hands cannot be perfect. These Native American beaders would intentionally include a wrong colored bead as a way to honor the Great Spirit and express humility. 

Thursday Favorites: Nielloware From Mom

When I was a girl my mother had a necklace that I always loved. It was of a dancing lady that I found so pretty and exotic. Years later my mother gave me the piece and I noticed that it said "Siam Sterling" on the back. I new that it came from Thailand, and that it must have come from the Mid Century time frame given the silver stamping. But that was all that I really knew about it. 

A quick search online identified it as Nielloware. Specifically it is vintage sterling silver (c. 1940s, Siam). The process involves first engraving the silver design, then carving out background areas which are then filled in with a sulfur power mixture. The piece is baked at very high temperatures and then polished. The final step is to re-engrave the silver. In Thailand it is call khruang thom. This process dates back hundreds of years, and was especially popular in the 13th and 15th centuries in places like Russia, India, Japan as well as Thailand. 

Nielloware became popular in the US from the 1950s to 1970s when it was introduced by US servicemen during the Vietnam war who sent jewelry home to their sweethearts. My father was in the Airforce during this time, and no doubt how it ended up in my mom's jewelry box.

The woman on the piece from my mother is known as Mekkala, the Goddess of Lightning (an atmospheric diva whose power comes from the gem in her hand which creates lightning) ... one of the many mythological characters that show up on Nielloware. Mekkala plays an important role In Thai's version of The Ramakien (Hindu legend of Ramayama). The story is told through dancers with elaborate costumes and masks. It is about a prince, his wife, his parents (the King and Queen of Siam) and the evil King of Ceylon. The prince struggles with mortal flaws to endeavor to find the right path. Mekkala steps in and helps the young prince at one point in the story when he is struggling in the waves after the wreck of his ship. She carries him in her arms back to his home. Your usual epic. 

For me this piece of jewelry reminds me of being a young girl and sneaking into my mother's jewelry to marvel at the things inside the box.

BTW: Herringbone

I have been on a bead weaving kick lately. After joining the 'Time to Stitch' blog hop, I've been pushing myself to do more bead weaving, and one stitch that I've been avoiding is herringbone. I had tried it a few times, but couldn't quite get the hang of it. But this time around I pushed myself to just keep going, and found that this is actually a fun stitch once you get going. 


I got hung up on how to finish the bracelet. I wanted to use a ribbon clamp, but that is tricky with glass beads. While of course I tried it, I broke several beads in the process. Sigh. Right, rip out, restring a couple of rows, and start again. Yes, a clamp with glass beads is a bad idea.


I decided that perhaps if I stitched some suede at the end of each side of the bracelet it just might work with the crimps. Okay, now we're talking. But I didn't like how the thread stitching looked on the suede, and so I added florets of beads just at the edge.


The other hurdle I found was trying to keep the toggle short. Given the size of the crimps; I thought it would look too awkward with a large, or long toggle. I decided to create my own eye and hook closure. It was easy to make, and turned out to work quite well. So, that is what is on my bead table this week.

Polyvore: Spanish Flare

I keep hearing about Polyvore, and I decided that I needed to figure out what this was all about. So I played around with the site, loaded up some images of my jewelry, sifting through various outfits and 'clipped' a Hobo clutch for my first collage. The earrings are ones that I made in reverse colors. The first is with white amethyst and pearls, and the second is onyx. Both use a marcasite connector.

Clearly I'm going to need some practice before they start looking like some of the amazing ones I've seen on people's blogs. And obviously I'll have to change my jewelry photography to a white background. But this could be kinda fun. Any tips for a newbie to Polyvore? Let me know ....

Spanish Flare by antiquity-travelers featuring christian louboutin sandals

Blog Hop: Wizard of Oz

One of my favorite movies when I was a kid was the Wizard of Oz. I would beg my parents to let me stay up and watch the whole thing. Oh, the days before we had VCRs, DVRs or VOD. I loved Munchkinland and those lollypop guys, Glenda the good witch and the guy that popped his head out the door when they arrived at the Emerald City. And I would scream every time those flying monkeys showed up, or when the wicked witch would shake those bony fingers at Dorothy. I had nightmares for weeks about witches outside my window. But there was a large tree beside the house whose branches would scratch at the window during a storm. Great sound effects for nightmares.


A few weeks ago Linda at Old Baggs 'n Stuffed Shirts asked people to join in a blog hop and tell people what we love about the Wizard of Oz. I had to think about that for awhile since it would be hard to narrow it down to just one thing to use as inspiration. But I realized that my absolute favorite part of the movie was when Glenda told Dorothy "you've always had the power to go home, just tap your heels together three times..." Those ruby slippers were amazing and I wanted a pair. The whole movie is dripping with morals, but the one that hit me between the eyes is that life is all about what lens you choose to look through. Kinda deep for me... when I was eight.


So for my project I decided to make something that was ruby red and sparkly. I found some faceted garnets that I paired with small hematite rounds. I finished the piece with a gorgeous marcasite clasp. I love working with marcasite... it just says deco-vintage style to me (the movie was made c. 1939). What girl wouldn't want to wear this bracelet with a pair of those ruby slippers?


My youngest agreed to model my sparkly bracelet for you all. She even put on her special party dress that flares up when she twirls. And who doesn't love a good twirl in a dress?! She also decided to show off our rose of sharon which is going bananas in this heat. She noticed that the inside color matched the bracelet perfectly. I'm guessing that this bracelet makes its way onto her dresser in the near future.


Check out all the other bloggers talking about the Wizard of Oz today. You can find them here on Linda's blog:

BTW: Playing with String

I have seen lots of tutorials lately for fun wrap, or slide bracelets. And as I looked through the patterns, it seemed like it should be pretty easy to make any one of of these styles. At least that is what I thought before I got started. As easy as it looks, I think it is going to take more practice before I really get the hang of it! 


I decided to give a couple of the patterns a try. I started with medium sized wooden beads. I like this pattern with the darker twine becoming part of the pattern itself. My tension needed practice, and so I decided that maybe I should try a slightly larger bead. I moved on to porcelain flat rounds. While I like the look of this, when it is lying flat, it is tricky to keep the beads flat when beading. This also can make the pattern uneven.


I did try various types of twine or thread ranging from stiff twine, to pliable cord to waxed beading thread. I think I prefer the later to work with, which is what I used on the final slide knot style. While I had more luck with this pattern, I will say I ripped out the slide knot at least 3-4 times before I felt like I understood how to make this closure. I used to do a lot of macrame when I was a kid, and this pattern reminds me of some of the classic knots and wraps. So that's what's on my beading table at the moment. Just some practice pieces. I'd love any tips or tricks from the 'stacked and wrapped' crowd out there!

Shop Talk: Working with Beach Glass

My brother and his family recently spent a few days on the coast of Maine relaxing, swimming in the ocean and beach combing. When they arrived at our place I was handed a hat-full of beach glass they found along the Atlantic Ocean. Literally in a hat. 

Some of the more interesting pieces are full bottoms to bottles, which help identify where the glass came from. However it is far to heavy for me to use for jewelry even as a pendant for a necklace. So I was focused to the smaller shards in the bottom of the hat. 

I had a chat with several shops to try to figure out how to use the beach glass. I explored the option of drilling the glass, but decided that it sounded like quite an operation to set up a drill station. I was told I'd need to do the drilling with flowing water. There just isn't any place in my house where I could set that up; not without taking over a bathroom.

A bead store suggested I try a specialized glue (E-6000; industrial strength craft adhesive). I also picked up a silver leaf pendant loop, which are designed specifically for gluing as they have a grid pattern on the back to hold the glue in place. After one day the glue is set. 

Lastly, I polished the glass. Some people prefer the rough look of the tumbled beach glass, but I had a tip that if I used just a dab of mineral oil it would give the glass a bit of luster. You can see above 2 pieces of the same glass: one with mineral oil (the finished pendant) and one without. Also in the 3 necklaces; the center aqua blue glass is not polished. I think I'm going to do this one as well ... once the glue sets. I took the picture while it was still drying, but you can see it is very sturdy glue. So how do you prefer to work with beach glass? Wire wrapping or gluing? Polished or rough and tumbled?

Thursday Favorites Blog Hop: African Opal

I know I've written about African Opal before, but I can't help mention it again as one of my favorites. The color patterns and ability to match this stone seem endless. The bracelet highlighted is paired with black freshwater pearls and hematite. But I have also paired this stone with sandstone and coral. Each pattern has a completely different feel ... the sandstone version was warm, and this one has almost a cool marble look to it.

I made this bracelet a while back for a friend and I had barely finished tying up the last knot when she had claimed it and stuck it in her bag. Close friends do that sometimes. I always try to get a nice picture of each project, but in this case ... well. However, she asked me the other day if I would swap out the clasp. She isn't liking the magnetic closure for some reason. So I'll play around with another closure. But in the meantime this piece is back on my bead table, and getting it's chance to be photographed.


THE MEANING OF THE STONE:

Energy: ease the process of change (or perhaps 'the' change)  
Mystical Property: opal is a stone of inspiration that enhances imagination and creativity (note to self: must get more of this stone)
Divinatory Meaning: said to help one be 'invisible' in situations where you'd prefer not to be noticed (feeling a tad Harry Potter with his invisibility cloak)
Zodiac: (water signs) Opal is a silicate, containing water, which correlates to emotions: it clarifies by mirroring feelings, frees visualization, clears imagination and provides vivid dreams. I'm a Pisces, which I guess explains my love of this stone.

Inspiration Board: Adirondacks

We've just returned from our time in the Adirondacks, or as we call it 'camp.' It is a wonderful place to unplug and forget about all the things that stress you out at home. One of the favorite places is sitting on the dock watching the water and the kids swim. It is just stunning.

I did get the chance to work on quite a few projects, so I'll be posting them over the next week or two. This is the first one, Antique Pearl Cuff, which is finally completed. The pearls in the cuff were my Mom's. Nothing too fancy, just nice glass pearls. I finished up the pearl cuff with antique mother-of-pearl buttons. I found these in a forgotten sewing machine drawer at my mother-in-law's. I'll bet they were there for 50+ years! So they were a nice finish to the bracelet. I added a simple beaded loop to hold it in place and it seemed to come together nicely. 








I thought I'd leave a little Adirondack inspiration board for anyone stuck at work in this heat! It's Monday, I'm back and work, and will be thinking of sitting at the dock.


What patterns do you dream when you've got the luxury of a lazy day?

Kreativ Blogger

Thank you to Marcela at FASHIONADICTAS for giving me this award! I was so surprised to get this from Marcela as I regularly visit her blog and think - "WOW! how does she come up with such inspiration?" Her blog is one of my 'must stop' to visit each week. It is an amazing mash up of gorgeous art and inspiring fashion that blends into one amazing exhibit. If you haven't seen her blog; you are missing a truly unique art form.


When you receive this award, there are a few rules:
1. Post a link to the person who awarded you 
2. Share 7 well-thought out random things about yourself
3. Award to 10 other deserving bloggers and let them know


So first, the 7 random things about me:
1. I prefer to go to the beach when the wind blows sideways. I grew up on the Oregon Coast and always had to throw on a sweater to go down to the beach.
2. I love the rain. Yes, Oregon is a part of that, but I find it so relaxing and a perfect excuse to bead.
3. My favorite tea is Russian Caravan. It has a smoky flavor to it and it reminds me of being at camp.
4. I went to the CCA (California Culinary Academy) so I could learn how to cook international cuisines. I do love to cook. 
5. I prefer the winter, even tho I don't ski. But I love to walk in the fresh snow and hear only the crunch of the snow and clean smell of the cold air.
6. I love to make jewelry, but I rarely wear any of it. Strange I know.
7. Some day I want to sell my house and just travel with my husband. 


It was hard for me to narrow it down to just 10 other bloggers, but this is my list and a brief reason why I am passing the award to you (alphabetical because I could not possibly put these in order!):


1. ALL THE PRETTY THINGS I am a huge collector of patterns, and I've enjoyed Alicia's tutorials
2. BEADED TAIL I get such a giggle out of this blog. We get to see life through the eyes of pets, which us readers have come to love. The outpouring for Sadie was amazing. While I never met Sadie; I sure wish I had because I'm convinced we would have got on famously.
3. BIKBIK & RORO Janice's treasuries are simply gorgeous. They are beautifully done, and always give me great ideas. And she makes the cutest kid toys!
4. DUNI'S STUDIO Just a lovely blog to visit each week and see what she's been sewing, or teaching, or setting up for a tea party! It makes me smile each time.
5. FASHION THRILL This is one of my favorite fashion blogs. Palmi has a great perspective on life, fashion, travel and living. It all seems to come through in her sunny attitude!
6. MISS VAL'S CREATIONS Val's posts are a great wrap up to the week. We see her garden, her travels, new recipes and always a lovely beading project ... and the occasional commentary on celeb garb!
7. NEW END STUDIO Gloria writes about pretty much anything and everything. She's got a great journalistic style that I love to read. A must stop for me.
8. PRETTY THINGS Not only is Lori an amazing beader, but she is one of those people out there setting up events, encouraging you to just try and making us newbies a little more comfortable around all that talent. I also was truly amazed by Lori's ability to talk about some difficult stuff that we all go through. Thanks for letting us in Lori.

9. THERESE'S TREASURES Theresa is the equivalent of a huge hug in the blogoshere. She is always encouraging people to just get out there and bead. And bead she does - beautifully!

10. THE STUDIO SUBLIME I have been blown away by the shear talent of Sally's beadwork. It is unique and stunning.

Bead Soup: The Beads are Here

Lori Anderson is hosting her 6th Bead Soup Party, and everyone is sending out beads to their partners. Mine came over the weekend while I was up in Montreal for Canada Day.  When I got back I saw the package on the table. I was so excited to open it up. I mean who doesn't love getting a package; and one full of beads! 


Lori had paired me up with Cindy Wilson over at Mommy's Dream. When I got Lori's notice, I promptly went over to Cindy's Etsy site and discovered, much to my delight, that she works with shells and seaglass. I recently brought home a number of shells from New Zealand and wanted to send a few of those to her. I also got a stash of seaglass from a cousin stationed down in Cuba. So I knew that I wanted to send a few pieces of these to her as well.


I got the note from Lori hours before heading out the door for our annual family trip up to 'North Country' where we go every summer to spend time in the Adirondacks. No TV. Just swimming, kayaking and hiking. So I grabbed my stash for Cindy and headed out the door. I mailed it from the Adirondacks, and happily she mailed mine to me in the Adirondacks! This way I didn't have to wait until getting back home. So very thoughtful of her!   


What a gorgeous bead soup to work with! She included this pretty inlay shell pendant with rich browns, which I LOVE. 


And seaglass! I particularly like the larger ones as they are thin and will be great to work with. 


I've already started thinking through patterns. And I wanted to give just a super quick, sneak peak ... here is just the start of the piece I'm working on. More to come when we reveal our projects, so check back in a week or two.