- May 2, 2012
- 1 min
Last week was really busy…
After working in the garden for several days, then traveling to Chicago for the weekend, I am once again back in the studio playing catch...
- Apr 25, 2012
- 1 min
I’m saving my pennies, nickels, and dimes…
Temptation abounds! I receive emails daily from various bead companies offering sale upon sale, but the Bead and Button show is...
- Apr 21, 2012
- 1 min
Like having two pieces of jewelry…
This mixed media one-of-a-kind reversible brooch gives a lot of fashion mileage! It is titled “Past time”. One side of this hammer...
- Apr 19, 2012
- 1 min
Working with Epoxy Resin Clay…
It’s something I should have done two years ago…that’s how long ago I bought this tube. Like many purchases I make at the Bead and...
- Apr 13, 2012
- 1 min
My “Princess Ananka’s Ring” is finished…
I’m very pleased with it! I have always loved the rich color of bronze. When I removed the ring from the kiln, the color was a...
- Apr 11, 2012
- 1 min
Have you tried carving clay?
This is something you can do with both metal clay and polymer clay. You can create original designs by rolling out and curing small...
- Apr 9, 2012
- 1 min
If you’re a pastry chef…
You may recognize these as helpful gadgets used to cut out puff pastry, but they are also marvelous for cutting out metal and polymer...
- Mar 29, 2012
- 1 min
Ready for the kiln…
These bronze metal clay embellishments are almost ready to be fired. I’ve dried them thoroughly on a thin sponge in a hydrator. The...
- Mar 23, 2012
- 1 min
Oh, what lovely colors and textures!
These beautiful leather pieces just arrived in my mailbox! I ordered them from BeadsEast.com and I’ll use them for the backing material...
- Jan 16, 2012
- 1 min
Repairing a beadwoven piece…
By their very nature, beadwoven pieces are delicate in comparison to metal jewelry. Thread is simply not as permanent. Yes, there are...
- Jan 14, 2012
- 1 min
Storage…
One never seems to have enough. I’ve already filled three jewelry boxes with pieces I’ve made over the last twenty years – pieces I can’t...
- Jan 11, 2012
- 1 min
My Bead&Button Classes are locked in!
It was a tough decision. I would like to have added more to my list, but I only have three free days in which to attend classes. Those...
- Dec 26, 2011
- 1 min
Look what Santa brought!
I must have been very good this year because Santa was extremely generous. I’m a very lucky gal – he brought almost everything I had on...
- Dec 13, 2011
- 1 min
The Bead and Button Show catalog has arrived!
And I’m perusing it in-depth trying to decide which classes I’d like to take. More than 600 classes are being offered June 1 through 10....
- Oct 8, 2011
- 1 min
New bronze metal clay seashell buttons and embellishments…
have been added to m y Etsy shop. I’ve had several orders for these petite treasures which make wonderful necklace and bracelet...
- Oct 5, 2011
- 1 min
These jewelry making DVDs…
from the Lapidary Journal/Jewelry Artist Metalsmith Essential series recently arrived in my mailbox and I’ll be watching them while I...
- Jun 12, 2011
- 1 min
Ooooohhh! What wonderful goodies…
I’ve returned home with! My s tash includes the tiniest seed pearls I’ve ever seen plus luscious, large keishi pearls in the most...
- Jun 9, 2011
- 1 min
I must admit…
that I love jewelry making t ools, especially these beautiful hammers made by Bill Fretz. In my eyes, they are works of art in...
- May 12, 2011
- 1 min
The Bead and Button Show…
is only weeks away! I’m already dreaming of the goodies I’ll pick up at the floor show. Every year I return home with my suitcase...
- May 6, 2011
- 1 min
One of the things I like most about beading…
is the portability factor. Unlike many creative endeavours, especially those that require heavy equipment like metalsmithing, beading...