Spring Inspiration...

Some new pieces inspired by the colors of spring.

ceramic beads; Elaine Ray

Swarovski pearls in coral

antiqued brass

Antiqued brass

lime quartz

silk yarn

Focusing On Life: 52 Photos - All Wrapped Up

The theme for week 10 of Focusing on Life - 52 Photos is "All Wrapped Up". Sally asked us to visually show what we were wrapped up in last week. With spring approaching, craft show season is right around the corner and that means getting on the ball and creating jewelry so that I will have enough inventory! I also create collections for three shops that sell my jewelry. I send them new collections every two months, with April 1st as my next deadline. So last week, I worked on creating new designs. Oh, how I love when I can devote an entire day to creating jewelry!

This is one of the pieces I created...

This is a cuff design that fell into place while playing with different components on my bead table last week. 

Simply Cindy sent me a box of ruffled lampwork discs that she created in coral and gray. They are really beautiful and unique; the colors make me think of summer. The center of the flower is a green enameled copper headpin from Sue Beads. I created the copper disc from 24 gauge copper sheet, using a Pepe disc cutter and a doming block. I then textured it with a hammer. The brass cuff is from Orrtec. I used a Miland Tools sand texture hammer to give it some dimension, then sanded it to a matte finish. I glued 5mm brown leather from Lima Beads to the inside of the cuff to make it more comfortable to wear. It wraps around the wrist beautifully and feels wonderful on! 

My studio is very organized, but this is the state of my bead table!

Focusing On Life: 52 Photos - Knock, Knock

For week nine of Focusing on Life - 52 Photos, Sally sent us a prompt titled knock, knock: 

"let's open some doors and see what awaits us on the other side". 

Is it a door that holds opportunity?

A door that holds a story?

Is it a door you have been hesitating to open?

Is a gate to a new life?

A door to a new adventure?

Is it a door that holds a memory?

Is it the perfect door for a simple picture?

I spotted this door while visiting The Old Lucketts Store in Lucketts, Virginia. 

It grasped my attention because of the many possibilities it holds. 

It is for sale, so it has opportunity. 

It tells a story of the past. 

The possibility of adventure awaits the new owner. 

It holds memories, perhaps of the person who once owned it. 

It also is a unique door that makes a simple, beautiful photograph.

Inspired By Snowflakes

While the spring season is just around the corner, winter still lingers here in northern Virginia. I for one have decided to embrace the beauty of winter a little bit longer! One of my favorite aspects of the winter season is snow or more specifically, snowflakes. Amazing ice crystals that take on beautiful shapes, no two alike.

Ceramic snowflake pendant: Classic Bead, silver plated brass spacers, navy blue Chinese crystal, bronze peanut seed beads: Veni Vidi Beadi, Vintaj ladder chain: Lima Beads.

Focusing On Life: 52 Photos - Monochromatic

The theme for week eight of Focusing on Life - 52 Photos is monochromatic. The idea was to tell a story through a single color. When I think of the word monochromatic, my mind always takes me to images of a bygone era. 

I have a small collection of vintage books and buttons. The books in the photograph are titled "The Charm School" published in 1919 and "Familiar Features of the Roadside" published in 1898. The buttons are from a collection that I have attained over the years from yard sales and antique shops. The key was a gift from Lorelei Eurto.

When I look at these items, I wonder about the people who first owned them. Did they enjoy reading and have a collection of books lining a book case? Were they a seamstress whom worked in a factory and made all of their own clothes? Did the key open the door to their home or was it to a secret room only they had access to? I will never know the actual answers to these questions or who the people were that once owned these items, but I can create my own unique stories with my imagination! 

A Birthday Gift For My Mom...

My mom's birthday is in February, so I thought a necklace with her birthstone, amethyst, would make a perfect gift! While shopping at the International Gem and Jewelry Show at the Dulles Expo Center back in December, 

I came across a beautiful strand of 13mm faceted amethyst.

The vendor HIJ and Co., whom I have purchased from before, told me this strand is aaa grade amethyst. He insisted that they are natural amethyst that have been heat treated. They were shaped and faceted by a 70 year old man who is retiring as his eyes are no longer as good as they once were. As many of you may or may not know, 

heat treatment is common in gemstones to bring out color and clarity. 

While my style is bold and modern inspired by nature, my mother's style is more classic. 

With that in mind I created a simple, classic design that would focus on the beautiful amethyst beads.

I added in Tierra Cast silver spacers and a sterling silver adjustable toggle.

Presentation is everything and this necklace deserved extra special packaging! I decided to make a keepsake box for it. I upcycled a jewelry presentation box that was in brand new condition. The photo, of ferns, was taken in the Adirondack mountains two summers ago while on vacation.

I created a label insert for the inside, set the necklace in place, gift wrapped it and shipped it off to my mother via USPS Priority Mail, insured! She was stunned upon receiving it and has apparently worn it everyday since!

Bead Soup. The Ingredients Have Arrived!

This is my fourth time signing up for the fantastic Bead Soup Block Party hosted by Lori Anderson. 

This year, there are over 500 participants from all over the world!

Lori partnered me up with the ultra talented Julie Panusis of Petaluma, California. She has a blog titled Cat's Meow Co that has an entertaining photo of a cat or cats at the end of each post. Some of them really crack me up! She is a very creative lady who seems like she is a blast to hang out with! Her recent interests include matalwork and wirework.

A girl after my own heart as I too have been exploring both mediums, thanks to some fantastic classes I took at Bead Fest with Eva Sherman and Brenda Schweder. Lori Anderson really is a genius at pairing people up!

Just as exciting as finding out who my partner would be for this round of Bead Soup, was receiving my bead soup ingredients in the mail! Julie sent me a fantastic assortment of beads and findings in this cool plastic box...

This is the soup that I sent Julie...

I am very excited to dive into the fantastic ingredients that Julie sent me. I wonder what I will create this time around. Stop back on April 6th to see where my creative imagination takes me!

Focusing On Life: 52 Photos - Beauty Of Flowers...

For week seven of Focusing on Life - 52 Photos, Sally asked us to explore the beauty of flowers with our camera. Being as how it is still winter, there aren't any flowers growing around here just yet.

There are however some pale yellow daisies left from the beautiful flower arrangement my husband surprised me with several weeks ago. They are starting to wilt, but still beautiful in their own way. 

Focusing On Life: 52 Photos - Feel The Love

For week six of Focusing On Life: 52 Photos, Sally asked us to capture love in a photo...

Well that was an easy one for me! There is nothing that makes me smile or fill my heart with joy like my husband Brenton and our dog Twila. They are my true love!  I love that Twila is a lover-she loves to snuggle. I love that my husband makes me breakfast each weekend. This morning he made me blueberry pancakes and I love him for it! 

Focusing On Life: 52 Photos - Capture Our Hearts

For week five of Focusing On Life: 52 Photos and in a very fitting way to start out the month of February, Sally asked us to pay attention to our surroundings; that hearts are everywhere from the scrolling pattern in an iron fence to designs on clothing. Our mission this week was to observe and capture a heart in a photograph.

Last weekend, I started working on a new jewelry collection. I created these necklaces with beautiful stoneware and ceramic pendants from Suburban Girl Studio.

I like hearts and love the meaning behind them, but I rarely design with them. Or so I thought. This week, I finished a ten piece collection with five of those pieces having hearts in them! I didn't realize how many of my designs had hearts in them until I stopped and looked. Perhaps it was just Valentine's Day in the back of my mind. Or perhaps Sally was right, hearts really are everywhere!