Bead Table Wednesday 2/23/11

Good Morning,
Unfortunately I cannot show you all my bead table this morning because it has Bead Soup all over it. With the big reveal being this Saturday I have been feverishly working on my piece(s).

So here part of my table/kitchen island. I snapped this photo on my HTC EVO which I am in love with. These are beads patiently waiting to be put away. You see I bead in my kitchen but my beads are stored in a small bedroom down the hall. In that bedroom? Three of my four dogs beds and my cat. They don't like when I go in and out of their room too much when they are trying to sleep so I have been trying to grab a bunch of beads to take with me or to put away. That way I am not in and out too much.
I know that must sound strange to some but my dogs are very happy having their beds in the room because they are all female and this way there is no fighting over beds.
Just last night I started a 15 minute bead table clean up. I set the stove timer and took 15 minutes to sort and organize my beads. I swiped this mermaid plat from my daughter (she's 20 months) and put on it the beads I am finished with. This worked out great. In the 15 minutes I actually got a lot done and I was not overwhelmed. I know there is a ton more organizing to do but I will save that for tonight's 15 minutes ;-)
Hope you have a great day!
What's on your bead table?
~Shannon

Smoky Quartz Beads

I am always on the lookout for Smoky Quartz Briolettes.
I love their smoky gray/brown color because they work with so many other stones.
I have not had an easy time finding this shape and size of Smoky Quartz that haven't been too expensive or sold in a strand. I like to buy my beads in a strand, not sure why but I don't like to buy gemstones by the piece.
I was online this morning searching the Rings and Things Website and I found these 10mm Smoky Quartz Briolettes for only $15.25 a strand!

Check them out when you get a chance, just be sure to save me a strand or two!
~Shannon

Crochet

My blog got a makeover yesterday. What do you think?

About a 2 weeks ago I started making a crochet shawl with the most beautiful yarn I have ever felt. I worked on it about 30 minutes a night and a few times at work when I had a no show client. I am getting faster that's for sure. I am also addicted to crochet right now. I am loving it!

I am craving a new project so I think I will make another baby blanket (I made a pink one about 3 weeks ago) this time in cream. I am thinking of donating the pink one to Neal and Angie and The Calling All Angels project. I saw their you tube video about their son that was born premature and passed away. All they had from his time on earth was his prints and the blanket given to them in the hospital. Visit their blog to learn more: nealandangie.blogspot.com. I can see a mother cherishing the handmade pink crocheted blanket in memory of their child's life or placing the blanket over their healthy sleeping child for years to come.

My daughter loves all things crocheted and she promptly wrapped herself in the shawl I made.

The Girl

I hope you all will check out The Calling All Angel's Project and donate a blanket, handmade or not.

Yesterday my blog got a makeover. What do you think?

Have a wonderful Sunday!!!

~Shannon

Obsessed no more - Week 7

Everyone gets obsessed with a new technique, material, pattern,
inspiration, etc... everything we do is based on that obsession. Then, one day, you wake
up and you can’t stand the thought of continuing on the same path. Tell me about it!

The Girl and her favorite "banket"

When I read this weeks prompt I was thinking I would have nothing to write about because I don't feel that I have ever become obsessed with a technique only to end up not being able to stand it.
Then as the week progressed (I give myself the week to mull over the prompts) I started to think of all the mediums I have worked with and all the crafts I have worked on. One that I loved and lost came to mind painting on glass.

I loved painting on glass, I was good at it too. So what happened? I bit off more than I could chew. I decided because I was good at painting on glass I would paint glasses for my wedding favors. I wanted everyone to have their own figuring most of the people would be couples so they would leave with a set of 2. So I started the daunting task of painting over 150 wine glasses. I didn't stop there though I also painted vases and glass votive holders, several for each table. It took almost a whole year to get everything done. Then we filled the wine glasses with Hershey's kisses and placed them into handmade lunch bags tied with ribbons.  Thank God I have a wonderful husband who is very helpful, he tied all the bows and punched the holes.
After my wedding I put the paints in the spare room closet and didn't look at them again until we turned that room into The Girl's room at which time I threw them away, I think.
I have been thinking about painting glass again but not in a wine goblet sort of way, more of a how can I use this in my jewelry way.
Do you have a technique, material, medium you were obsessed with but now cannot stand?
Let me know by leaving a comment!
~Shannon

What's on your table?

What's on your table?

On Monday, because my daughter was a perfect angel,  I was able to use my Ice Resin.

I filled bezels I had prepared weeks ago, I coated tiles I had distressed and stamped. 

I even made something I am keeping a secret till Bead Soup.

In the upper left corner you can see a tiny piece of one of Nancy Schindler's hearts. 

In the upper left are 2 of the beautiful beads Marie-Noel from MoreSkyJewels.etsy.com sent me

and above my ruler are 2 of her tiles.

What's on your table? 

What projects are you working on?

Happy Wednesday!

~Shannon

Winter Enchantment

I was thrilled when I was asked to be part of Artbeads Winter Enchantment Blog program. I love Artbeads.com they have great coupons and I never met a bead or bead coupon I didn't like. Let me tell you a secret-coupons make me shop-if you give me a freebie or coupon to your etsy shop, I'm there. Now don't tell anyone okay?!

 

I live in NY right near the Hudson River. We have had snow and lots of it this winter so when I was given the task of creating something that I found beautiful or inspirational about winter the only thing I could think to design with was a beautiful Swarovski Crystal Snowflake. 

Image from Artbeads.com

 Most people here in NY would say they are sick of snow and I am in the business closing, yucky brown, road messing up, freezing cold kind of way. But, I love the view of the snow out my back door just after it has snowed. The sky is bright blue, there is fluffy snow on the lawn and coating the tree branches. Everything is white, sparkling, and quiet. Oh the quiet. Have you ever stood outside during a really bad snow storm? There is no noise (at least at my house there isn't) no cars, no birds, no neighbor's yelling. Its so peaceful and with 4 dogs, a cat and a 19 month old I need some peace and quiet. 

 

Okay back to what I did with that snowflake. I ordered these Matte White Lampwork Beads, you get 7 beads in your order. They are so pretty. I love the matte quality to them, very icy feeling. I also ordered a TierraCast hook and eye clasp (Love!) and Light Sapphire AB 6mm Bicones.

TierraCast Clasp

My initial thought was to use all 7 in a bracelet but that felt boring. Then I was going to use 6 of them in a necklace and save the 7th flowery one for another day. Then, in a dream, I knew what I wanted. Crystals, crystals, and more crystals.

My first necklace, the one I saw in my dream!

My second necklace

Pendant

 

I was able to make 2 necklaces and a pendant with my 7 beads. I added some sterling silver chain, head pins, wire, a Swarovski crystal briolette, silver rounds, a toggle clasp,  4 mm Swarovski crystals, and TierraCast spacers I bought from Artbeads around Christmas.

So what do you think? Do they feel like an enchanted winter snowstorm to you? They do to me!

 

~Shannon

The materials above were provided as part of the Artbeads blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.

Another Question - Week 6

How did you fall in love with the process of creating? Did you have a mentor?

I have a wonderful mentor, my mom. She can make anything I think.
She can sew, crochet, cook, craft and bake. She used to make wedding cakes, and taught me to make roses when I worked at the Price Chopper bakery. When I was little she made me a Big Bird cake for one of my birthdays, it was awesome.
I can remember her making clothes, corn husk dolls, wreathes, and Christmas tree ornaments.
My dad is very creative too, he can pretty much do anything too. He has worked with wood, electronics, and cars, just to name a few things.
I don't specifically remember when I started crafting or creating art - I suppose I always have - but I do remember being in an art class in High School using oil pastels and not hearing anything else going on in the classroom. I was in total bliss at that moment. Nothing and no one could touch me, I was in another world. It was wonderful.
I have crafting ADD though and jump from craft to craft, medium to medium. I enjoy pastels, drawing, photography, making jewelry, crochet, and working with fire and metal. I should probably try to combine all these and do mixed media art, maybe someday.

My handmade jewelry display, combining my love of wood, paper and jewelry design.

So now I ask you:
How did you fall in love with the process of creating?
Did you have a mentor or take a class?

Questions - Week 5

Hello and welcome to week 5 of my 52 weeks of blogging. The prompt for this week was to ask my readers a question. I am posting very late this week because I couldn't think of just the right question to ask everyone.

The hawk that visited us this summer. So beautiful.

I think I finally came up with one:
Why do you blog?

and if you don't have a blog or read blogs:
why do you facebook?

I started blogging because I wanted to share pictures of my daughter with my family that don't live locally. Then I found it to be a great place to journal about or life together and to save some of those moments that pass to quickly. Then as I found other blogs I started to blog to meet other people and to follow other bloggers, artists and friends. I have "met" some of the most wonderful people through blogging. They encourage me, support me, lift me up and push me forward. Thanks to those women, I hope they know who they are.

Would you like to play along? Visit 52 weeks of blogging your passion.

Smile!

 

I thought you all could use a smile. 

I am stuck inside for the 2nd day in a row due to snow and I think we are all going a little stir crazy.

Be careful out there tomorrow because if there is school there will be a whole bunch of crazy women on the loose, finally. giggle