Janet's New Etsy Shop

Look what I see in Janet McDonald's new Etsy Shop. She has debuted her selection with a necklace she made from one of my wild harvest heart pendants!! What a beauty. You can see more of what she has here. I love the way she used the chain and glass beads. Wonderful textures and colors. You are making me look good Janet. Thank you so much. You can see more of the lovely necklaces in her shop here.

Beads of Clay Swap

Here is a short video I made of the pieces I received from the Beads of Clay swap. I apologize for the lack of sound but I had some technical problems. Hope you enjoy this. I want to thank all of you who sent me such lovely pieces. And an especial thanks to Marti Conrad who set this up.
It takes a few minutes for the pictures to come up, please be patient. Thanks.



A list of the swappers in my Group. There were so many there was another group as well.
Marti Conrad
Yolanda
Gerry Lee Cruthird
Vera Romoda
Lynn Barnett
Shaterra Clay Studio
Mossy Hill Studio
Laughing Lion Products
Melinda Orr
Vanessa Gilkes
LadyBrook Beads
Captain's Clay
Gail Barnett
Summers Studio
Susan Rouleau
Mary Harding

Beads of Clay Bead Swap Goodies

At last I have time to share with you some of the goodies from our Beads-of-Clay Bead Swap. Are they ever wonderful!! I am including some pics here. I hope you will check back tomorrow here or on the Beads-of-Clay Blog and see my video of all of the pieces I received.

Valentine's Day Sale NOW

I am having a 40% off sale in my Etsy Shop to celebrate Valentine's Day and the Presidents' Day Weekend. The sale prices are already marked down in my shop. The sale runs from now until Midnight Tuesday February 16. I also have a special on shipping charges for the US: $2.0o for the first item and no charge for others. I hope you will stop by and see all the hearts I have made. They are hand painted in one of a kind color combos. I enjoyed just letting it happen and didn't keep any notes. Every piece in the Etsy shop is ready to ship.

Bead Soup Now Being Served

Today is the DAY. Below are photos of the piece I made with Lisa Oram's beads. She sent me those lovely deep burgundy red hand made glass beads, the fabulous pink, burgundy and black button and all those delicate tiny purple, pink and black disk beads, as well as the purple flowers. I have enjoyed working with these lovelies and making the free form peyote stitch necklace below. It has been a pleasure to work the beads you sent me. Thanks you so much. Be sure to visit Lisa Oram and see what she made with the beads I sent her. And click on this link, Bead Soup Party to see all of the other 83 participants in this fabulous event organized by Lori Anderson. Thank you Lori for all your work and wonderful posts about this event. It has been a great experience.

Here are the beads Lisa Oram sent to me.

Here is the necklace I made with them.

Close up of a ceramic bead I made and the beading around it.

Close up photo of the clasp that I made with one of Lisa's handmade glass beads.

Close up of two of Lisa's handmade glass beads ( the deep rust red and white and the deep burgundy red on the strand above. The deep red rounds are beach glass type beads from the Beadin' Path. I also used some Tourmaline chips, similar to one that I sent Lisa, so that we would have a bead in common.

Another close up of Lisa's handmade glass bead. You can also see the lavender purple disks and some of the pink disks.

Bead Soup Blog Party Sneak Peak

Tomorrow, Feb. 10th is day every one's bead soup will be served. Here is a sneak peak of what I am serving with Lisa Oram's bead soup ingredients. This is the clasp of the necklace I made featuring one of her lovely handmade glass beads. I just love that color and shape. Fits in well as you will see tomorrow. And don't forget to visit Lisa's blog to see what she made with my beads and to visit all the other Bead Soup Chef's. I am looking forward to the party. Hope to see you there.

Making Ceramic Pendants: Naming

I made this video on my cell phone, a Droid. This is a first for me. Went very smoothly. Lots of fun to do.

Beginnings: Hands at work

Beginnings: hands at work

I recently volunteered to be part of the ArtBeadScene new adventure called Carnival Bloggers. The theme that we are using for this month is Beginnings. I have been thinking about this a lot and decided to use the idea of hands as a source of beginnings. Currently I am part of a photo exhibition called Hands at Work in the North Country. The photographer, Hanna Stevens, chose 8 artists/craftsmen in the North Country and photographed their hands at work. I was photographed doing beading. This later turned out to be a wonderful necklace, but at the time I was just beading along.

Those ceramic flower beads are some that I made.

In any case, since I attended that opening exhibit on Saturday, I have been thinking about how hands are a common thread, a beginning, in the making of art beads.

I make beads out of clay, and my hands are there first, wedging the clay, forming the bead or pendant, smoothing out the pendant, staining the pendant and finally handpainiting and glazing the pendant. This is the case in most handmade ceramic pendants.

Ceramic pendants by Mary Harding


Ceramic Raku heart beads by Maku Studio

Ceramic Pendant by Barbara Lewis

Although I don't make flameworked beads, I have tried it on occasion, and here the hands are doing something different. These beads have their beginnings on a steel rod that the artists has to skillfully manipulate until the bead is finished. These hands are very different from what clay hands do. But in the beginning the hands are what make it happen.

My friend Kim Klatt demonstrating how to start a bead

Beads by Radiant Mind
Working in polymer clay, hands do many things that ceramic bead artists' hands do, but I think that it isn't so messy. The beginnings of many polymer clay beads involves mixing and cutting the clay. Something that is slightly different. Here is an incredible set of polymer clay hand beads by SaraJaneHelm. You can see more of her work on her website and in her Etsy shop.

Polymer clay beads by SaraJaneHelm

Beginnings of art beads start with hands but it is what the mind and the heart do with these fabulous materials that makes them art. Often my hands tell me that it is time to create. They seem restless and ill at ease until I let them put me to work making. I have learned over the years to trust my hands and let them bring me inspiration.

Posted by Mary Harding