Bead Table Wednesday 3-30-11

                                           

It is Bead Table Wednesday today.  I am showing two photos of some beads I am making out of two different clay bodies.  The photo above is a tray of stoneware beads that have been bisque fired.  The flowers were inspired by the ArtBeadScene monthly challenge painting by Paul Gauguin.  I just love his work and that painting.  I especially like the blues and greens and his wonderful intense reds.  I am going to try to make these flowers a red color that is deep and rich.  If it were my usual earthenware clay body and glazes I would probably not have any difficulty doing that.  But I am going to try to make the red with the cone5 glazes that I have.  In any case, I won't be ready to enter the challenge.  But the inspiration is has been great.  I am happy is I finish the work by next month.  I just love the opportunity to try out new colors and beads.

This picture is of a tray of bisque fired Frost Porcelain beads.  I found this clay great for stamping and cutting out with a cutter.  But to cut with a knife as I tried to do with the leaves, I found it to be sticky and very difficult to work with.  The stoneware in the first tray is so much easier to work with.  The small white buttons on the top left are made by my friend Cait. 

I hope you will visit all of the offerings on today's Bead Table.  You can get there easily by clicking on the BTW button on my sidebar.

Thank you for look and feasting on beads today.

Bead Table Wedesday 3-23-2011

This week I have been making some peyote bracelets with some of my new stoneware beads.  The table is full of seed beads and a tangle of bracelets.  I love all  these colors entwined and mixed together.  I have been so inspired I ordered some more seed beads.  My favorite online shop is Whimbeads.  When I arrived at their site I found out that About.com readers think so too!!  This shop won the 2011 Reader's Choice Award for best online source of seed beads. To me they have the best choice of colors, especially in the matte and metallic category. So I am looking forward to a very special package in the mail this week.  I'll share a photo when they come.
If you click on the BTW Button on the right you will be taken to all the other Bead Tables participating.  Hope you will check them out.

Works of Art

These beautiful onions were grown last summer by my friend Isis. They are a treat to the eye and palette. 

Finished by Friday

Shortly after the New Year I began writing a weekly blog post titled Finished By Friday.  I managed to continue this through February 4th.  Not  too good for a New Year's Resolution.  I was quite distracted by a number of wonderful and fun blog hops.  But now I am back and I am going to continue with the original plan which was to finish up all my unfinished pieces. (MIAS)

This week I am starting off with two favorites that I had not quite finished before I took them up again to let them participate in my FBF posts.  I especially like this peyote bracelet because of the colors and the simplicity.  I am totally unwilling to part with it, despite our local Arts Council wanting it for their shop.  So I am going to try to make another simple peyote bracelet and see if that makes it easier to part with one of them.

Simple flat peyote stitch with 3 of my stoneware stained and tumbled beads

This poppy seed head button is also one of my stoneware stained and tumbled beads.

This bracelet is done in Right Angle Weave stitch.  A simple pattern I developed after taking a basic course.  The clasp is from Fusion Beads.

All of the ceramic beads are my stained and tumbled stoneware

2nd Saturday State of Your Studio--Cait and Mary are back in the Studio EXPLORING

Yes, Cait and Mary are back in the studio exploring different clays.  This time we are trying out some Frost Porcelain clay.  My first impression is that it is so sticky compared to stoneware.  But as we move along during our session, Cait discovers that she can make very thin buttons with it, that it takes a super good impression and that it is fun to bend and mold.

Some of Cait's buttons.  You can see the fabulous impression from her mold on the ones in the foreground.  And look how thin the little squares are and how nicely they bend.

I am finding too that it bends and molds well.  We have just gotten to the first step in learning about this highly regarded porcelain.  I am going to try a few more ways of working with it before I make a final judgement.

These are leaves, hearts, birds and butterflies  If you get in close on the photo you can see how the clay crumbles around the cuts.  It seems sticky.  When these dry I will see how they sponge up.  And then bisque firing and the exciting part  THE GLAZE.

And to get back to our button and glaze adventure, I just have to share another photo of another one of Cait's scarves with buttons.  These beauties are glazed in Coyote Pam's Blue.  What a lovely old fashioned blue that is.  Kind of a pewter blue, I guess. It sure looks great on this scarf.  You can see a pic of it in Cait's Etsy shop here.

And the Winner of the 2nd Giveaway is....

And the winner of my 2nd Giveaway is....Lisa Godfrey. 
Hi Lisa, Pleas send me your address and I will put your Butterfly Pendant in the mail. 

Thank you all for your great comments today.  I so appreciate you visiting me.  This has been a great way to think about the newness of Spring and the wonderful days of summer that follow closely behind.  And to think about gardens and summer vegetables:

Hope you will check out my Etsy store for my special sale today.  And be sure to visit all of the other blogs that are having sales.  You can see them here.

You all are so positive and make doing this so worthwhile. Thank you, Thank you Thank you.

2nd Giveaway

Ceramic butterfly pendant  by Mary Harding

Now it is time for you to take a chance on my 2nd Giveaway for the afternoon. Here is it. Please leave a comment below and the winner will be announced at 3:30 PM

Although this event has the wonderful title of Signs of Spring, I have not seen any yet here in the Northeast except for slightly longer days.  As I mentioned earlier and you may have seen the pic I took early this morning, we are in the middle of a snow storm.  But I have some lovely signs of Spring pics from last year that I will share with you.

The first shoots of the raspberry plant

Chives breaking through the newly thawed soil

See you at 3:30 for the announcement of this Giveaway!!  Thanks so much for stopping by.

And the Winner is........2:15

And ther Winner of my stoneware ceramic Butterfly Toggle Clasp is Penny  by random number generator.  Thank you all who stopped and visited and left me such wonderful comments about my work.  I so appreciate it.



I am glad you are back!!  Here are a few pictures of my studio which is part of an old barn built around 1850.  We are fixing it up.  Here is a picture of the beginnings of fixing the outside:

New siding from pine trees in our woods.  We are grateful for the help from our Amish neighbors.

Inside my studio.  Close up is the area where I hand paint and glaze my pieces.  In the back is the area where I roll out the clay and dry my pieces.  My husband recently put in all new long fluourescent lights.  Now I can really see well and hardly any shadows.  Such a help for all that hand painting I do.

Click here to get back to the Beads-of-Clay blog to see others work

Beads of Clay Spring Open Studio Blog Event

GIVEAWAY TIME 

Here is the photo of my first Giveaway for this afternoon's Beads of Clay Spring Open Studio Event.
This is a stonoeware ceramic clay butterfly toggle clasp in a honey brown and denin color glaze.  I just love these colors together and can see that it will be a versatile toggle for many color palettes.  You can win this toggle clasp by entering a comment below.  What colors would you use with this toggle clasp?

Welcome to My Blog and the Beads-of-Clay Open Studio Blog Event

Shadow of trees on a Sunny Winter Day 

           Welcome to my Blog and to the Beads of Clay Spring Open Studio Blog Event!!  I am so happy that you are here.  We have called this event Signs of Spring but actually right this moment we are in the middle of a Nor'Easter Snow Storm.

I am a ceramic bead maker and jewelry artist.  I am inspired by nature and color. I also love to explore and experiment with clay and metal.  Below is an example of some of my recent ceramic bead work.

Recent ceramic toggle clasps, charms, pendants

My peyote stitch bead work

A free form peyote stitch bracelet

Freeform peyote stitch necklace with my handmade raku fired ceramic beads

Some of my metal toggle bars and bead caps

At 1:45 pm  I will post a picture of my first Giveaway today.  Meanwhile you can visit my Etsy Shop where pieces are on sale  25% off ( a few at 20%).

Welcome to the Beads of Clay Spring Open Studio Blog Event

                           Welcome to the Beads-of-Clay Spring Open Studio Blog Event
We go Live at 1:00 PM EST today!!.  Please come back for my 2 Giveaways and a Sale in my Etsy Store.
Heres a preview of one Here is a preview of one of my giveaways this afternoon.

Stoneware Butterfly toggle clasp

Today's Schedule of Events

1pm: Welcome to the Artists Studios - an Introduction to each artist.

1:45pm: 1st Giveaway Post (30 minutes to comment for your chance to win).

2:15pm: Winner for 1st Giveway Picked & Intro to the artist studio space.

3pm: 2nd Giveaway Post (30 minutes to comment for your chance to win).

3:30pm: Winner for 2nd Giveaway Picked & Thoughts about Spring from the Artist.

4pm: Thank You for visiting! Remember to leave your comments about the Open Studio on this BOC Open Studio Blog post for your chance at winning the beads above

I hope you will go to the Beads-of-Clay Blog and enter a comment to win a wonderful collection of artist made ceramic beads.  See picture below. 

I look forward to seeing you back at 1:00 PM tody.

Bead Table Wednesday March 2, 2011

New stoneware butterfly toggles getting ready for my Etsy Shop 20% off Sale on Sunday as part of the Beads of Clay blog Spring Open Studio Event.  Hope you will stop by and join all the fun and excitement of sales, giveaways and inside studio looks.  See you then.

BTW Feb 23, 2011

It's Bead Table Wednesday Today.  I have been busy making signs of spring for the upcoming Beads-of-Clay Open studio event March 6.  There is still time to sign up to participate if you are a ceramic bead maker.   Here are some of the pieces I have been working with.  And I have been continuing to experiment with Coyote Glazes--the disk beads and leaves.
 I love the Shino and mottled blue combo on these.  The others are gun metal green and blue.

But most of my bead table is still involved in the big Bead Soup Blog Party coming up Saturday!!  I have been having a great time working with Genea's beads.   No sneak peaks yet. 

ABS Feb Challenge

This month's Art Bead Scene Challenge  is to be inspired by John Singer Sargent's painting Carnation, Lily,  Lily, Rose.  I just love the colors and warmth of this painting and built a necklace around similar colors.  Luckily I had just completed a pendant and toggle clasp that evoked the same color feeling.  I build the necklace around them.  I used Lapis Lazuli sticks and silver lantern beads to make the chain.  I warmed up the palette cooled off by the silver by adding a copper bee, and a piece of copper chain to attach the toggle clasp.  Oh, and  the bar on the toggle clasp is also a copper hue.

Thank you for looking in on me today.

Glaze Testing Cone 6 Coyote Sample Pack Best Selling Colors

Ever since Marsha Minutella of MarshaNeal Studio began writing her 3rd Friday Cone 6 Glazing blog for Beads-of-Clay, I have been feeling like I would like to try some myself.

The occasion presented itself when my friend Cait Throop wanted to make some buttons.  She thought she would like to glaze them in colors.  Since they were made with a white stoneware clay, what other choice was there than to get some of those cool Coyote Glazes.  I chose the Best Selling  Sample Set #3, Coyote’s 12 best selling glazes in 4 oz jars

Shino, Gun Metal Green, Really Red, Desert Sage, Archie’s Base, Red Gold, Mottled Blue, Oasis Blue, Black, Eggplant, Pam’s Blue and Pam’s Green ( which were on sale at the time).

About 2 weeks ago I glazed up some test pieces.  I dutifully wrote on the back in underglaze pencil the name of each glaze I painted onto the clay pieces. ( per Marsha's instructions)  I am not usually a good record keeper but glaze testing has to be the exception.  I fired the test strips at Cone 5 Speed Fast Hold 16 minutes in my  Caldera Kiln.

I made my test pieces with a deeply stamped pattern so that I would be sure to see how the glaze "breaks." The two pics above are of my samples.  Now that I have seen how they came out, I may have coated them too thickly.

But the day of the first glazing of the buttons we took that into account.  This is the Shino with 2 coats.  It turned a wonderful rich and golden brown.  A real keeper.  That beautiful fibre is Cait's handwoven scarf that the buttons are being made for.In her Etsy Shop now.

Here is the Mottled Blue on 3 of Cait's buttons.  I love this one also. Not sure if it has 1 or 2 coats of the Mottled Blue.

The green beads in this picture have 1 coat of Gun Metal Green.  I wet the beads first since the glaze got so powdery.  I think some may actually have more than 1 coat but certainly not a full 2nd coat.

This picture shows the test piece for both Oasis Blue--3 coats and Shino 2 coats.  The three coats looks too heavy to me.  I know that I am a heavy glazer so I am cutting back to 2 coats in the future.

Some of Cait's buttons being glazed.  This is our 2nd session and they have not been fired yet.  These are not as heavily coated as the first try.  We will see if it makes a good difference.

Gun Metal Green and Desert Sage

Our first try using the glazes on buttons.  They came out quite true to the test strips.  We learned the hard way that the holes fill up easily even if you clean them.  We were able to salvage almost all of the beads from the rods.  I redrilled some of the holes with a diamond drill and water.

Hope you could find some useful info in this first run of Cone6 glaze testing.

Bead Table Wednesday New Stoneware Beads

This Wednesday I added this picture of my new stoneware beads to the Bead Table Wednesday Flickr! Group.  I have been having a great time exploring stoneware ceramic clay finishes.  On my table are beads glazed with a Cone6 Coyote Glaze ( those are the slightly shiny ones) and the teal stained and tumbled finished disk beads.  I had to mix two stain colors to get this color since I am out of my favorite teal stain and can't seem to find it anywhere.  I just love how these colors go with that Ornamentea brass chain in the background.  I am hoping to try out some more Coyote glazes on beads tomorrow with my button and glazing buddy Cait Throop ( BarefootWeaver).  We are having such fun discovering the range of colors possible with these incredible glazes.

Bead Table Wednesday Genea Beads

It's Bead Table Wednesday!!  Here is what I am doing.  I hope you will stop over to the Flickr Group and see what everyone else is up to. 

I am trying out seed bead colors with some of the beauties sent to me by my BeadSoupParty partner Genea Beads.  Aren't they gorgeous!!! I want to use  dark color beads for the background beading so that her beads show up really well.  Here I have her gorgeous disks coupled with an Iris Green size 6 seed bead.  I really like this combination.  You can see hints in the back of the photo of some tiny delicas that perfectly match some of her bead colors.  Yum!! Yum!!

This combo works but I don't like it as well.  Seems like to many colors competing for attention..

In any case I am diving in despite some trepidations.  Let the journey begin!!!