Birdsong...

I've just finished another vessel - now that it's almost summer, I figured that I'd better get a spring project under way.  Awhile ago, I purchased these wonderful little clay bird beads from Heather Powers of Humble Beads. I knew that I would use them on some of my vessels, but I really didn't have anything specific in mind.  This vessel was not planned ahead of time - it evolved as I was making it.  With all these pastel colors, it really feels like spring to me!  The pastels are a bit of a departure for me - usually if I'm going to work with pastels, I incorporate some much darker contrast in there somewhere.  But I decided to keep this one light, and I'm really glad that I did.  Here's my latest piece... "Birdsong".  I put it up for sale in my Etsy shop, but I do plan on bringing it to the Bead & Button Show with me if it hasn't been grabbed before then.

I had birds on my mind a lot while I was working on this piece.  So while I was out on Etsy, I decided that I had to create a few treasuries.  I included a bird in the first treasury and was so enchanted with birds that I ended up creating a treasury that I called "Birdsong", like my vessel.

Rust... With a Touch of Patina Treasury

Birdsong Treasury

And now I am off to the torch.  I have to try and make beads today or else my trays at the Bead & Button Show will be completely empty!  Now you go and have yourselves a happy and creative day!

My Latest Pieces

I have a growing stash of clay beads, buttons, and cabochons - because I just love them!  I've been ruminating on what to do with them, and the ideas keep coming.  I finally had a bit of "free time" (precious these days), and I spent that time out in the wet lab and then in the bead lab.  Here are my latest pieces, both of which were made specifically for the button and bead that I used in each piece.

First is my poppy pin, made with a poppy button from Lisa Peters Art.

And, of course, another vessel - my favorite form to make in felt.  This piece was made specifically for the raku bead that I used as a handle - made by MAKUstudio.  Here are both sides of the vessel.

And now it is absolutely imperative that I head out to the torch.  The Bead & Button Show is just around the corner...
And it's time for YOU to go have a happy and creative day!

Still No Star

So once again, I made a vessel for the star button that was supposed to go on my tall blue vessel but didn't.  After trying that combo, I absolutely knew the right colors for that star!  This time I made a smaller vessel so the star wouldn't get lost.  Lo and behold, that darn star STILL doesn't work!  And it was my bad, not the fault of the star.  I mean gee whiz, I LOVE that star!  But because of the way the vessel shrunk and the way I laid out the colors, the star does get lost because of lack of contrast.  So I beaded up the vessel and have decided that the star is not going on a vessel at all.  I'll be making more felted brooches for the Bead & Button Show, and one of them will have that star on it.  I designed it on paper last night, and I can't wait to get out to the wet lab!

Here's the new vessel, sans star...

Now it's tech time for me - and YOU folks go have a happy and creative day!

Nothing To Bead For April...

I'm doing the happy dance because I finished beading my Bead Journal Project "page" for March - yay!  But that poses a dilemma - I have not made a vessel yet for April - or for May.  With so much work going on in my tech world and my Bead & Button Show prep, I have had much time to even think about what those vessels should be.  I do have a few very vague ideas floating around in my brain... I'd better write them down, because I'm afraid that by the time I get a chance to make the vessels I will have forgotten my inspiration.

In any case, here are pix of March.  As a reminder, my inspiration was the fact that I was freaked out because the Bead & Button Show is quickly approaching and I had no leaves in my inventory.  I started thinking about how many leaves I had to make, and the request from my friend Nanette of Scorpio Beads for about 100 smaller leaves for our jewelry kits, and I felt overwhelmed by leaves!

The beautiful cabochon that I used on this vessel was made by Kristie from sculptedwindows.

Regarding my leaf inventory?  Well... I'm still freaked out.  :-O
And now it's time for you to go have a happy and creative day!

Where's My Alter Ego?

As the Bead & Button Show approaches, and my deadlines in the high-tech world keep right up with it, I'm trying to figure out how I can split myself in two.  It would be marvelous if I could send my alter ego out to the glass lab, armed with my list of beads that I MUST make, those that I SHOULD make, and those that would be nice to have.  Then when I do get a chance to spend some creative time on the torch, I can let whim take over and see what happens.

This past weekend, I left my list of must- and should-makes in the house and let the wicked-expensive silver-laden glass guide my head and hands.  I had a rather tough time of it - the bead release (the stuff that coats the mandrels to keep the glass from permanently sticking) kept breaking every time I tried to make a normal-sized bead.  So I resigned myself to making long or larger beads, and I was pleased with what came from the kiln.  I'll put them into my Etsy shop soon - here's a look now to see what will be coming.

Yes, there's definitely a theme going on here.  When I look at my Etsy shop, I see mostly neutrals, blues, and greens - very earthy stuff.  One of these days I'm going to shock everyone and create some bright primary Crayola-colored beads!

On the fiber front, I've finished my March BJP vessel as well as another small vessel that will be for sale.  They're out getting photographed "as we speak".  More vessels will be coming, as well as some new brooches.  But for now, it's back to my high-tech job.  And YOU folks have yourselves a happy and creative day!