Getting ready for a big class...guilty pleasure

We have artists in from time-to-time. We don't do it as often as some stores, mostly because it is a out of our routine and so requires a lot of extra thought. By nature, an out-of-town artist isn't used to the store and how our classroom is set up. They don't know their way around town, they don't have their own bed to go home to. It's extra, for us, to host them.

That said, I always enjoy doing this. I only book folks who I really want to take a class from. There, that's my dirty little secret. I book artists I want to learn from. Because of that, I only book maybe two a year, well spread out. It is hard for me to take a whole day 'off' and just enjoy a class. We have had a double-bounty lately, with Marcia DeCoster last weekend at Panopolie and Candie Cooper tomorrow at Ornamentea. I wasn't able to take Marcia's class as it fell on Cleo's birthday (sorry, honey, I can't be home all day 'cause I am gonna go bead! ooh, BAD mommy!) I am able to take Candie's class and I am inordinately excited. I can't help it. People think that if you have a bead store you must just spend all your time beading and making handmade clasps and earwires and chains. Whatever you want, whenever you want. Well, not true. Sad to burst the bubble but I hardly ever make anything that is not for an article or tutorial or book. I don't have time to play. Now, I am not complaining. Really, how could I? I make jewelry for a living and show folks how to do what I just did. I get to figure out new ideas, try new materials and mess up with impunity. No complaints here. The only thing I don't get to do very often is take classes. That, I miss. I love sitting in a class and just devoting myself to a project without thinking all those thoughts like 'this would be a great tutorial' or 'this is perfect for the next class session.' It's so freeing and fun to make something fun and for me!

Right now I am distracting my children with an enticing playmate and new markers so I can pack my bag for tomorrow. Loads of roving? check. Big jar of seed beads? check. Bizzare collection of old tins? check? Gloves? Tin snips? Copper wire? check. I am getting ready to enjoy a guilty pleasure, please excuse the giggling while I pack my tools.

Steampunk Jewelry Contest At Art Bead Scene

Are you Steampunk? Do you use art beads? Enter the Art Bead Scene's contest for November and you could win big. I have THREE projects on my work table right now that may be entered in this contest, if and when I get them past the 'beads in a row' stage. Go read the details and enter by the end of the month.

What beads am I thinking about using? I have some buttons by Terri Sasser , some ceramic beads from Elaine Ray that I have collaged text on the edges of (look for a blog post on this, soon!), the pendants pictured here AND Melanie's goodies! Cripes, can I enter four times?


(btw those bezels are here and I filled them with watch faces, do dads and ICE resin...)

Vintage Bits Trunk Show at Ornamentea Nov. 29th

Are you a Tag Sale person? I am, or, should I say, I was. Lately I seem to get there a bit too late and everything is gone except the tattered sofa, the forty-year-old mattresses and the boxes of old 45s. I want to get there early and buy the big tin of buttons and the shoe box of old Girl Scout medals, but I miss it.

Not my friend, Stacy. She must get up at the crack of dawn. She finds the very best stuff like Art Deco buckles, or a medal for the 1935 National Marble Championship. This stuff is just begging to be added to some tremendous mixed-media jewelry. Stacy will be selling selected goodies from her collection at Ornamentea on Saturday, November 29nd. We haven't ever had a trunk show quite like this one, I am pretty excited. That's also the day of the Designer's Downtown Market in our parking lot, so there will be plenty to see.


NOTE I originally posted this at happening on the 22nd because I cannot use a calendar. It is happening on the 29th.

Collaged Crystal Contest

I love these large, ultra clear pendant crystals we got in. They are BIG and look like glass but they are light, light, light. I am working on some projects for the new book using them as prisms. I use resin to attach the paper to the back of the crystal. I am thinking of a necklace for the book, but somehow when I sat down to work on this project I got a pair of earrings, instead.

What ingredients did I use?
2 large faceted pear pendants
dictionary paper
Diamond Glaze resin
2 olive green Swarovski crystals, 6 mm
2 antique tiny petal bead caps
2 fancy jump rings
2 antique brass simple ear loops
2 antique brass head pins

What tools did I use?
1 small paint brush
1 craft knife
1 emery board
2 chain nose pliers
1 round nose pliers

How do I do this?
1. Select the section of paper you wish to apply to the crystal. Using resin and a small paint brush, coat the front of the crystal. Place the crystal on the paper.

2. Using sharp scissors cut a series of slits perpendicular with the edge, creating flaps all the way around the crystal. Smooth the paper down onto the wet resin, overlapping the paper as needed. Allow to dry.
3. Using a sharp craft knife trim the excess paper from the edge of the crystal. Use an emery board to sand any glue or bits of paper left around the edge of the crystal, creating a matte finish.
4. Flip the crystal over and coat the back of the paper with resin to seal the surface. Allow to dry.
5. Thread a head pin with one crystal and one bead cap. Create a wrapped loop above the bead cap. Repeat with remaining headpin, crystal and bead cap.
6. Using chain nose pliers, thread a large jump ring through one of the crystals, adding the looped bead dangle. Close securely. Using the decorative jump ring, attach the large jump ring to the ear wire. Repeat to assemble other earring.
The Contest!
These earrings feature the words Clarify and Decisive. They'll help the wearer make up her mind. Make your own collaged crystal jewelry and send me a picture by November 30th. I will don these earrings and randomly draw one name from a hat. The winner will get a fabulous bag of goodies from me! Tell your friends...