Art Bead Scene Sept Challenge

Maine Beach Cabin

Pendant handmade from earthenware clay by me. I found this seaweed on the beach when we were in Maine this summer and brought it home in a container of very cold seawater which I refrigerated until I could make the mold from it. This is the pendant I made. The lines of seaweed made me think of the log cabin quilt pattern in this month's ABS Challenge. I used several of the colors in the quilt that I like and made up this necklace. The wire wrapped beads are also made by me from ceramic clay.

                                                  Close up of the pendant on this necklace

Bead Table Wednesday I am Running Late

China buttons from a Flea Market in Maine

 I want to thank all of you who commented and wrote to me about my vacation happenings.  So nice to hear from all of you and to hear that I was missed.

I have several pics for my BeadTable Wednesday.  Some fun things I picked up in Maine at a cool Flea
These are some "china buttons" which I think means porcelain buttons that I found at the Maine flea market. I also found this set of quite small antique Victorian buttons. They all seem to have leaves and flowers. I love to use these on my free form peyote stitch bracelets. The porcelain ones I don't know what I will do with them but since I love to wire wrap I am looking forward to seeing where that will take me with them.

Victorian Metal Buttons

Some of the beads for the Lorelei and Shannon Lima Beads Challenge

the set is totally gorgeous (click the link above to see it all)

peyote stitch bracelet with my handmade copper button--just finished this and wanted show it off

                           the clasp is also a button I made, just much smaller and sewn on like a button

               this button which is in front is slightly domed so it has some slight movement which is fun

                         I am keeping this one for myself for now.  It is fun to wear. I will probably                            part with  it when the Studio Tour comes in November.

Back from a Nice Long Vacation

I have been on vacation for almost 3 weeks and have had a great time visiting with family, doing some Staycation activities at home and lastly a wonderful trip to the Beach in Maine where the weather was sunny and the water much warmer than usual. 

 Tree House My husband Jochen began  building  for the grandchildren--They helped put up the ladder stairs.

I made these fold form earrings

 All of us--parents, aunt, kids made these fold form leaves

we had never done it before--it was such fun and the results so exciting

Jochen redid our deck during this time.  You can see it under the outdoor fireplace my son and his wife are putting together for me --my birthday present.

We had such fun cooking hot dogs and makings Smores over the fire--even when it rained

Fishing was by far the favorite activity of the kids. They fished in the good weather, in the rain and in the dark.  They caught them and then put them back.  Never tired of it. 

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The roof on the new part of my studio was put on during the Staycation part of my vacation

I received my copy of Heather Powers' book and could show off my pieces in it to my family.   And later during the stay home part, I had time to write a review of it for Amazon.com and my Newsletter.  What a wonderful book.  I feel so honored to be a part of it.

Now my Etsy Shop is back open and I am preparing my September Newsletter and adding pieces to my website.  I am going to spend this week reading all those blog posts I missed.  I have quite a bit more traveling planned for September so I didn't participate in the Bead Soup Blog Hop but look

forward to seeing what all of you have made.

I am glad to be back.  It feels good to be blogging again after such a nice long vacation.  Thanks for stopping by.

I just love this picture, an illustration for American Cresent Cycles, 1899, by Frederick Winthrop Ramsdell. ,  which is the Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge inspiration for August.  I can't stop looking at the colors and how wonderfully they work together. Since I was so captivated by this painting I decided to try out some of the colors on a few pieces.  Here is what I came up with.  All 4 are in my Etsy Shop.

Art Nouveau Style Daisy Heart Pendant

This is such a wonderful color combo, I think,  inspired by the colors of her dress and hair.               

I can't resist putting in a mellow orange to the mix.  The thought of the lilies brings this color out in me!!

Here I added some red to the mix.  The hand made toggle bar reminds me of the bicycle in Ramsdell's illustration.

This toggle clasp has a hint of fern in a yellow gold and green.

Thank you for stopping by.

Copper and Clay

Hammered copper toggle clasps in progress

I have been doing some copper wire work and punching out disks in copper.  Really Fun Stuff.

Ceramic toggle clasp with my own hammered copper bar

in my Etsy Shop

Another ceramic toggle clasp with one of my hammered copper bars also in my Etsy Shop

I fused a copper swirl into the middle of this pendant. Now in my Etsy shop.

This is a bezel type connector bead with a copper swirl in the bezel.  In my Etsy shop

A hammered copper button bead.  Just practicing with these still. Thanks to Live Wire emag for directions on how to put the wire on a button.

New Etsy Shop SingingGlass

I have known Janet for a long time now and have been watching her progress with learning the art of lampwork bead making, as well as, enjoying her wonderful blog and fun FaceBook entries.   Now she has a new Etsy Shop called SingingGlass . I don't know how she got so good so fast but take a look at these lovelies.

As you can see she has a rich color palette.  I think she must be as into color as I am.  And truly, when I was once interested in making glass beads, it was the colors that attracted me to that art form.  I think that must be true for Janet as well.  She puts them together beautifully.

I hope you get a chance to pop over and help Janet celebrate the opening of her new shop.

New in my Etsy Shop Today

A pair of washed denim colored heart charms/pendants

An soft yellow orange Daisy Pendant

A set of rustic stoneware beads

All of these are new in my Etsy Shop today.  Also a few pieces have been put on sale.  Hope you can stop by.

Pictures from my Beading and Bracelet Classes

Now that I have my DSL back I can share some pictures from the two classes I taught last Friday, July 15 at the Thousand Islands Art Center.  The morning class was called Beaded Cabochon Pendant.  The students were very enthusiastic.  None of them knew how to do peyote stitch.  I did not expect them to.  The class was about learning to do peyote stitch and making a completed project in the 2 1/2 hours that we had.

They all did very well.  I think I should have made the class at least 3 hours, as a couple were not quite finished.  There were 7 students so I was busy.  They were wonderful, helpful to each other and very appreciate of my handmade ceramic cabochons.  I had a great time.

Student bead work around my wild grass cabochon

Student bead work around my wild leaves cabochon

Student bead work around my cluster daisy cabochon

Two of my students working  away and enjoying each other's company

It was quite a hot day and we were very happy that we were assigned the ceramics studio since there was cross ventilation and excellent light.

Copper Bracelet Class

From about 1:00PM to 5:00PM I  taught the copper bracelet class.  The above pic is a collage of the bracelets we made and my model.

Student bracelet. Love that detail around the edge of the disk with the "c" riveted to it.

I can't tell you how much the students loved hammering away on the blank pieces that were included in their kits.  I cut out all the copper disks myself and drilled holes in all of the washers.  I hand punched the holes in the copper disks since they were 22 gauge copper and soft enough for that punch.  But the washers were much harder and I had to use my drill press to make the holes.

Disc Cutter for the round  pieces

drill press for drilling the had copper washers.

Students working.  Tools everywhere.  The noise was incredible at times.  That is why we were in ceramics studio!!!

Student Bracelet.  You can see how individualized they are. Gorgeous original stampings on the round disk with the "e" riveted to it.  Everyone did a rivet, dapped, use patina, use a screw rivet, textured, hammered and were very creative.

She domed the toggle clasp.  A very nice touch.

She put a flower on the toggle clasp and made lots of wild stampings.  And she had on some incredible jewelry she had made.

I love it that she stamped "River" on her bracelet.  Clayton is such a beautiful river town and has such a wonderful vacation feel to it.  I love coming here.

This was the model from which I made the kits for the  class.  I love how the students worked their own individual magic on these components.