by Barbara | Nov 27, 2018 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Bead Embroidery, Beading, Beads and Materials, Bronze, Components, Designer Patterns, Earrings, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Metal Clay, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques, Uncategorized
Because I’m incapable of doing nothing and was unable to bead while my left hand recovered from surgery, I took time to play with Bronze Metal Clay. Rolling narrow strips of clay out with my right hand, I decided to create tiny components that could be used in...
by Barbara | Oct 22, 2018 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art Supplies, Art to Wear, Bead Embroidery, Beading, Beads and Materials, Bracelets, Components, Designer Patterns, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Jewelry kits, Materials and Supplies, Multi-Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Techniques, Tutorials
The results I’ve been waiting for are in! I entered my “Fleurs et Papillons” Bead-Embroidered Cuff in the Fire Mountain Gems and Beads 2018 Creative Clays Contest last February and this past week the package I had been eagerly awaiting arrived!...
by Barbara | Jun 25, 2018 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art Supplies, Art to Wear, Bead Embroidery, Beading, Beads and Materials, Delica beads, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Seed Beads, Sterling Silver
Aside from intense heat and far more rain than wanted or needed, June has certainly been an excellent month for me! Not only did I spend two relaxing weeks on the west coast of Ireland, but upon my return home, a package from Fire Mountain Gems and Beads that I had...
by Barbara | Nov 3, 2017 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Bead Embroidery, Beading, Classes, Handmade, Inspiration, Jewelry kits, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Techniques, Tutorials, Uncategorized
I had a dream in which I was teaching a bead embroidery class and as in so many dreams one has, it was fraught with problems that must be solved. In this dream (perhaps I should call it a nightmare!), I was teaching my “Six Petal Bloom” project. So far, so good, but I...
by Barbara | Sep 2, 2017 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Bead Embroidery, Beading, Beads and Materials, Components, Embellishments, Jewelry kits, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Seed Beads, Techniques, Tutorials
I am so excited!!! In early March I entered my bead-embroidered neckpiece featuring polymer clay flowers and butterflies in Fire Mountain Gems and Beads “Creative Clays” contest. I’ve been eagerly awaiting results of the contest and winners have...
by Barbara | Aug 16, 2017 | An Aside, Bead Embroidery, Beading, Beads and Materials, Designer Patterns, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, One-of-a-Kind, Seed Beads, Techniques, Tools, Tutorials
Some of the best finds are in antique stores. I am always on the lookout for items I can repurpose and up-cycle! Recently, I came across two small, very flat wooden cigar boxes that I’ve utilized as portable bead cases that I can toss in a bag at a...
by Barbara | Jul 2, 2017 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Bead Embroidery, Beads and Materials, Cabochons and Gemstones, Components, Designer Patterns, Earrings, Embellishments, Gemstones, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Resin, Rings, Sterling Silver, Techniques, Tutorials
I’ve been playing with resin. These faux resin crystals don’t look like much just out of the mold, but after I clean them up and buff them on my JoolTool they’ll be really beautiful! I have many uses for them in my work…employing them as focal...
by Barbara | Jun 10, 2017 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Bead Embroidery, Beading, Beads and Materials, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Seed Beads, Techniques
It was a whirlwind trip to the Bead&Button Show…a four hour drive to Milwaukee on Thursday and a repeat back home on Friday. I solely went to just do some floor show shopping and to take a class with Susan Lenart Kazmer (more about the class in my next...
by Barbara | Apr 30, 2017 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Bead Embroidery, Beads and Materials, Components, Designer Patterns, Earrings, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Jewelry kits, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Techniques, Tutorials
After months of winter gray and white I needed some color in my life! Polymer clay came to the rescue as I made colorful flowers and used them in a bead-embroidered collar, which I entered in Fire Mountain Gems “Creative Clays” contest (thus far it has...
by Barbara | Apr 19, 2017 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Bead Embroidery, Beading, Beads and Materials, Bracelets, Components, Embellishments, Handmade, Inspiration, Jewelry kits, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Seed Beads, Techniques, Tutorials, Uncategorized
I’ve just finished the tutorial for my “Fleurs et Papillons” Cuff! While proofreading the tutorial it occurred to me that there are so many possibilities for making the cuff! Although I used Metallic Iris Brown seed beads, it could be embellished with all manner of...