Wednesday, June 20, 2012

My Beads Came!!!!

They came!!
I am so excited, and I love each and every one of them!
I joined a bead exchange on Lampworketc called
You Pick!
Each of us submitted a picture for inspiration and everyone in our group made a bead based on our photo for inspiration.
Wow!  The results were spectacular!
Take a look at what I received.
The only thing I forgot to do was to show you a copy of my picture.
It came from a JC Penney Catalog, but you'll get the idea.

It's a group photo!
Now for some more organized ones.

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3!
and you might want to check out Marcy Lamberson's blog!
She was in this one, too.
Click 

This was really fun and challenging.
The creative juices were flowing!
 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The Classes - Part 2 - Melissa Manley

Metals and Enameling
Fun!
I met Melissa as we sat down to lunch at a table at the Bead and Button Show.
We start to talk about bifocals, trifocals, and the problems we had working on our crafts with them.
Melissa mentioned that she had an opening in a couple of her classes.
As soon as we left the table, I was registering for her metal and enameling class scheduled for the next day!
AM I EVER GLAD THAT I TOOK HER CLASS!!!
I finally learned how to enamel metals!
At last!  I am waiting to get some time to try them here at home!
Before I forget, here's a link to Melissa's Etsy store.
She's a fantastic metal smith!

We made puffy hearts.
Then, we enameled them.

Here are the results!

 
The colors didn't turn out exactly as I hoped on this one, but I plan to add a lampwork heart to it.
I'll wire the heart into place.
I think it's going to look great!


This heart is my favorite!!
I love the way the colors interacted and blended.  I also love wearing it!

This is another artist I would recommend that, if you ever have the chance,
TAKE HER CLASS!
You will not regret it!
Our chance meeting was a true blessing!
Stay tuned for more!

Monday, June 18, 2012

The Classes - Part 1 - Christie Friesen and Polymer Clay

This was the first class that I have taken from Christie Friesen,
and
I LOVED IT!
Not only is Christie an amazing artist in clay,
she is FUN!
I learned a lot from her.  She let me make many pieces in her class.
Then, she taught us how to use certain chemicals and make polymer clay look like metals.
I hate the word chemical, but it's the only one I can think of to describe liquid metals, patinas and dyes.
Fun!
Here's what came out of my class!

I need to listen more carefully to directions.  
I thought we were adding more items to the heart after baking.
Whooops!
The green urchin was an experiment using a mold.
It will get better as we go!

I decided that I like the heart the was it was and didn't add metals to it.
The cat is a "lump" cat from one of Christie's books!
More cats will find their way into my Etsy store once I make some eyes.

Octopus on a raft
That was fun!
This was all play!
Thank you, Christie, for showing me how to make this octopus!

Now, on to the metals!

I'm not happy with this, but the great thing is, that as soon as my kit arrives, I can work on it again and improve the look. 
It will be much better later, I promise.

Believe it or not, this urchin started out green.  I added bronze and copper metals.
I added a verdigris patina.
It was then topped off with brass!
Cool, isn't it!

I love this!
The mold is perfect!
The polymer clay looks like a piece of metal that has sat out in the rain and snow for many years!
This is my favorite.
I plan to make more!
Wow!

Stay tuned!
Another class will follow this blog tomorrow.
And,
if you ever have an opportunity to take a class from Christie,
I urge you to do it!
It's a class you will never regret!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

I Heart Macro - The Life of a Milkweed Plant

I Heart Macro!
The life of a MilkWeed Plant

Buds

 Flowers

Fading

The End
We wait for the pods!

I Heart Macro!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Aftermath from the Bead and Button Show

Everyone is way ahead of me!
They've posted and shown what their shopping cruise netted at the Bead and Button Show.
Well, I'm finally home,
and
I finally took pictures, so 
HERE
WE
GO!

I decided that this year, I would treat myself to a bit of  Jennifer Jangles,
Aren't these beads fun?
I can hardly wait to get to work on them!
 
 
These flower discs were made by Susan Sheehan.
Aren't they pretty?
These will make fun earrings or a bracelet!
They will be fun!
 
 Isn't this bird cute?
It was made by Amy Walman-Smith.
I thought he was so cute!

Wow!
My Holly Cooper bead!
Love it!

Trade Beads!
From Left to Right
Darcy York,
Amy Singleton Kuczewski
Sharon Driscoll.
Cool, huh?
 
 
Look at this sweet bag from Lori Anderson!  
Lori hosted a get together for those of us who had participated in her previous Bead Soup Blog hops.
It was fun!

Look at the wonderful goodies in the bag!!
Thank you, Lori!

We had a mini bead soup trade.
We all put our "soups" in a basket.  Lori walked around the room with all the "soups" in a basket,
and we got to choose our "soups" from the basket held above our heads.
This is what I received!
Love it!!!

Coming soon!
Classes!
They were fun, too!