Sue Beads' Challenge

I was one of the lucky 5 to be chose to participate in Sue Beads Challenge.  She gave each of us a set of these lovely enameled flowers.  I got the purple ones in the upper right hand corner.  She sent us a very generous amount.

When they first arrived I thought that I would use them in a seed bead creation.  But as time went on I did not think this would work out so well as the flowers need bigger beads to show off their great colors. Then I matched them up with some of my own handmade beads and decided that they looked great with these matte turquoise porcelain beads that I had made recently.

  And better yet they looked great with these ball head end pins that I made last weekend.  The copper turned this wonderful pink red color that also looked great with Sue's flowers. 

So I decided to make a rather long pendant that could be added to a variety of stringing materials. I used a Vintaj black flower that I lightened slightly with Gilder's Paste, lots of my turquoise matte porcelain beads, and a butterfly pendant that I had made.  It was also touched up with some Gilder's Paste.

And  I attached this long pendant to a kind of fancy chain that I had.  But it looked a little bare so I wove a piece of turquoise roving that I had into the chain and this is what I got.

 Thank you Sue for such a fun Challenge and wonderful enameled flowers to play with.  Be sure to visit Sue's blog for the others who participated in this challenge

Bead Table Wednesday 6-22-11

Yesterday was Bead Table Wednesday, but I couldn't get any photos to load to my blog.  Now I am trying again and they are loading just fine.

I am posting a pic of some of the cabs I just got out of the kiln.  I am making these for a class I am teaching in July.  We will be making a beaded cabochon pendant like the one in the photo below.  I am teaching this class at the Thousand Islands Art Center in a nearby town. 

Beaded Cabochon pendant

I made 15 cabs for a class of  possibly 10.  I made several of this pine bough since that is the one pictured in the class catalogue.  Now to pick out the seed beads, adhere the backing to the cabs ( I am doing this ahead because of the drying time)  and package all the kits up.  I actually enjoy putting together kits.

Thank you all who wrote such nice and enthusiastic comments about these cabs!!



You can check out all the other goings on on BTW by clicking my BTW button in the right margin.

Enjoy looking.

Color Inspiration

 Mary Harding  Heart pendant Colors inspired by Redon and Hockney

Ophelia by Odilon Redon

David Hockney Pool in 3 Blues

I have long been a fan of David Hockney's paintings.  It wasn't until I made the pendant above based, I thought on the colors in the Ophelia painting by Odilon  Redon, that I realized in my mind's eye I was seeing the luminous blues and yellows from a Hockney painting, as well. 

And now I have even more Hockney's to marvel at since he has been drawing almost daily on his iphone and ipad.

Here is one of his ipad paintings that I just love:

If you think you would like to try this you can use the ipad app brushes, just like David Hockney. It is available for the ipad and the iphone. I don't this it is available yet for the Droid.

Wild Thunderstorm Yesterday

My studio is in that barn!!  No harm done, luckily

My husband is up there cutting it up for firewood right now.  Our tractor is under all those branches, safe and sound.

And I can still get inside.  We feel very lucky!!

Bead Table Wednesday 06-08-11

It is Bead Table Wednesday.  I missed last week because I was out of town.  This week I have some porcelain leaves and round beads and  some earthenware hearts (on the left.)

These porcelain leaves are connector beads with a slight arch for bracelets.  I have tried out 3 different colors and they all came out well.  The center top is a cappuccino and is a matte finish.  Kind of nice.  The round beads are the same color as a previous BTW but because they are on this pure pure white porcelain clay body the turquoise blue color is more blue.  I think it is so interesting that the stoneware clay body has the slightest tint of yellow brown in it and colors this same glaze a slightly green blue turquoise.  I just love this turquoise on this very white clay porcelain clay.

I hope you will click on my sidebar BTW button and visit all the other bead tables today.  Some, I imagine are at the Bead and Button Show!!  Have much fun and success Ladies!!

Belle Armoire Jewelry, Summer 2011 Leafy Links by Shannon LeVart

Colorful Clover Pendant by Mary Harding

Shannon LeVart, Miss Ficklemedia, has a super wonderful article in Belle Armoire Jewelry,  Summer 2011 which just got on the newsstands on June 1.  In her article titled Leafy Links, Shannon LeVart has written a poetic interpretation of my ceramic pendants by creating 3 magnificent necklaces.   These pendants of mine are  beautifully set off by Miss Ficklemedia's patinaed drenched with color chain and pearls-- a unique mix of rustic and cultivated--  and her exquisite sense of style and flow.  If you would want to make one of these for yourself, she has detailed, extremely clear instructions on how to do it.  You can purchase the pendants from my website at a special sale price for the month of June.  I am celebrating later in the month with a Giveaway of one of these pendants.

The Necklaces, made and

 photographed by Shannon LeVart

Wild Pasture Flower Pendant by Mary Harding

Willow Leaf Pendant by Mary Harding