Of Friendship and Blogs

C'est Moi :-D wearing an absolutely gorgeous necklace made by Erin at Elysian Studios. She made this for The Colors of Spring Blog Hop Hosted by Sally at The Studio Sublime. Sally also enameled all the beads for the Hop (check out Sally's Hop tomorrow called One Crayon Color Challenge. I couldn't sign up for it, but I can't wait to cruise all the sites on Monday over coffee). But back to the necklace and to Erin. Erin took Sally's beads and strung them with her own bright and beautiful polymer beads from her handmade Gypsy Trade Beads line. Then she continued the necklace with micro-macrame and seed beads and finished it off with a pretty handmade hook clasp that has another gypsy trade bead on it. Just stunning! There were two necklaces in that particular Hop that I wanted~that I quite literally drooled over. And this was one of them. So to have this gently and comfortably draped around my neck is a little dream come true :-) Erin's jewelry, handmade components, and paintings are something special and something beautiful and something you should go over and see. She has been such a positive influence in my life since we met in the blogging world. She is a friend and confidant and someone I can bounce ideas off of and rant to when I am frustrated, someone I can share stories with, laugh with, text when I am tipsy or just plain happy. Her being in my life has forced me to re-examine how I get work done and how I procrastinate and how to better utilize my time. And it has made me think differently about friendship. A couple years ago, I never would believe I could literally be friends with people I only knew from the internet. The people I mention in this post have become friends. I look forward to posts and comments and facebook updates and e-mails and texts from them. And miss them on the days when life is too hectic and there is silence out here in cyberspace.

A big shout out to Susan over at Windrock Studio(go over and look at her leather bags, mudhuts, fabric frames, and her husband's ceramics....so much talent and so much to love at Windrock!)...She has been wanting so see my grey hair. Hair it is. A bad hair day...High Humidity. I started out the day looking like the love child of Don King and the Heat Miser. It took a lot of mousse to get it tamed. But the Grey remains...always :-)

On a final note before I am out of here and caught up in the crazy chaos this weekend promises to bring~Therese from Therese's Treasures and I will be announcing a Blog Hop on Monday. I was very honored and surprised that Therese asked me to co-host the Hop with her. She is someone who I have gravitated toward since the moment we found each other out here. Just go over and take a look at her jewelry! Her execution is beautiful and her talent shines through in everything she makes. And she stays on task. I admire that. I think I have bead ADD and I look to disciplined people and wonder "HOW?!?" I want that focus! So Monday, please tune in to Therese's Blog or mine and we will give details for the Hop we are Co-Hosting.

Oh, one more final note (can you tell I am the reigning Queen of long goodbyes?!)...all these friendships and goodies and connections were made possible because Sally pushed and pushed and pushed me to start a Blog. I resisted for a year before I finally gave in. I am glad I allowed myself to jump on this ride. Thanks to all you ladies :-) Love you!!!

Using the Raku Beads (Part 1)

I took this Raku Bead I made...

...and made this with it.

Something Fine

Now that I officially have the magazine in hand, I can proudly say my Something Fine Bracelet

is in the April 2012 issue of Bead Trends on pages 94-95.

YAY!!! Now I have to get back to work! Hope you are having a good day and a great week :-)

Hands in Clay

I took my first clay class this week at Moscow Clayworks.  It was taught by visiting Haitian Ceramics Artist, Lissa Jeannot and Moscow Clayworks owner, Frank Goryl.  I was a fish out of water and still do not have the jargon to describe the process.  But I will try. 

Saturday, we worked with the clay to make beads to decorate our home with.  It wasn't long before I scaled down the bead size to make them wearable for the homeowner instead.  I couldn't help myself.  It was just a natural progression for me.  And honestly, it being my first clay experience, I wasn't so sure I would make anything suitable for the home or body!  If is it not a Size 11 Delica and I don't have a needle, I am at a loss. 

Last night we went back for the glazing and raku firing.  So here's what I made!

This first picture are the beads out of the first kiln.  I left them white and will apply acrylic paints to them and see how that looks. 

These next beads were raku fired without glaze.

And finally, raku fire with glaze.

I could get into this :-) 

High Lonesome

Spending the day alone with my beads and that good ol' High Lonesome music on my Pandora station. My mind is blank except for a question banging around my head: Why isn't the coffee working today?! Guess I may have to pop a few dark chocolate covered espresso beans too.

What are your thoughts for today?

Colors of Spring Blog Hop

I opened up the little package sent to me by Sally of The Studio Sublime and old memories from deep in my past danced their way to the front of my brain...Jimmy Buffett concerts...lots of them! Boat Drinks, Margaritas, frosty liquid fun, groovin' with all those boys at the shows. Not sure why that sprang to mind, but I stuck with the theme. Why question it?

The beads are the ones Sally enameled for all us Hoppers. The color I picked was cabaret. Sally also sent me orange and olive green beads. I added orange picasso rounds, wooden spacers, a wooden button, bamboo cord, and those dark brown thingies. I got those thingies in Michigan this past summer. I asked the bead store owner what they were. He didn't know. We both started speculating-wood, bone, coconut shell? The price was right and I wanted them regardless of what they were. He asked what I had in mind for them and I said "Nothing. I just like them."
Strung together like this they make a great sound when the clank together. Movement and Sound---Wish I had this to wear at all those concerts!







Thanks Sally~for the eye candy and for inadvertently bring some memories back to me!

Hop on over to see more Colors of Spring pouring from the hands and minds of these talented people:

Host: Sally Russick

Margarita
Theresa Frank
Kim Bender
Cabaret
JLynn Jewels
Christine Altmiller
Sweet Lilac
Cherrie Fick
Jenny Vidberg
Driftwood
Sabine Dittrich
Hope Smitherman
Solar Power
Nicole Rennell
Erin Fickert-Rowland
Bell Flower
Patti Vanderbloemen
Kristi Bowman
Starfish
Shannon Chomanczuk
Elisabeth Auld
Cockatoo
Alice Peterson
Donna Bradley
Sodalite Blue
Kristi Harrison
Cilla Watkins
Tangerine Tango
Lesley Watt
Maryanne Gross
Susan Kennedy
Courtney White Breul

Bead Simplicity

I used this stitch in the Challenge of Music Blog Hop that was hosted by the incredibly talented Miss Erin at Treasures Found.
I fell instantly in love with it! I made 5 bracelets in one day and will be making chains to use with some rocks and beaded pendants I am working on. I am also going to make some anklets for the upcoming warm seasons.







I love the Simplicity and the Strength in this style.








And I love the Rhythm in making this chain. It is very soothing and mindless.
Nothing wrong with a little mindlessness every now and then!


What is your current favorite technique, style, stitch, pattern, texture?