by Barbara | Dec 28, 2017 | An Aside, Beading, Beads and Materials, Components, Designer Patterns, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Polymer Clay, Techniques, Tools
If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I’ve been working with paper most recently. Well, Santa brought me a lot of new dies from which to create more tiny boxes, envelopes, bags, and if you look in the center of the photo, you’ll see a garland of tiny...
by Barbara | Dec 1, 2017 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beading, Beads and Materials, Designer Patterns, Handmade, Inspiration, Jewelry kits, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Seed Beads
This is my “Loch Ness Sea Dragon III” Wrap design (inspired by Contemporary Geometric Beadwork). I entered it in the Fire Mountain Gems 2017 Seed Bead Contest and the results have just been announced. Lucky me! This piece won a Bronze Medal Award in the Fashion...
by Barbara | Oct 29, 2017 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Cabochons and Gemstones, Components, Designer Patterns, Embellishments, Gemstones, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Resin, Rings
Last August while on vacation in California, I purchased some wonderful natural crystals from which I created molds. This collection of blue and teal faux crystals were created from those molds. I have a theory as to why some of the faux crystals come out crystal...
by Barbara | Oct 13, 2017 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Cabochons and Gemstones, Components, Designer Patterns, Embellishments, Gemstones, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, Mixed Media, One-of-a-Kind, Uncategorized
The deadline for latest Fire Mountain Gems contest featuring Swarovski Crystals was October 8 and I finished this neckpiece just in time to enter! I had been so busy finishing up my latest geometric beadwoven bracelet that I’d forgotten the contest was closing....
by Barbara | Oct 6, 2017 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Cabochons and Gemstones, Components, Designer Patterns, Gemstones, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Resin
I love Autumn! Daylight now has a different glow with the sun lower in the sky. The prairie is awash with brilliant shades of yellow as goldenrod, native sunflower, and black-eyed Susan are in full bloom. Trees are sporting leaves in shades of gold and crimson. The...
by Barbara | Sep 29, 2017 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beads and Materials, Bracelets, Components, Delica beads, Designer Patterns, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Seed Beads, Sterling Silver, Tutorials
Have you been eager to bead a project composed of Warped Squares, but didn’t know where to start? Then you might be interested in my Geometric “Staggered Warped Square Bracelet” design…it’s composed of six staggered warped squares (inspired by the...
by Barbara | Sep 16, 2017 | An Aside, Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Beading, Beads and Materials, Delica beads, Designer Patterns, Handmade, Inspiration, One-of-a-Kind, Resin, Tutorials
I’m on the “home stretch” with this “Staggered Geometric Warped Square and Triangle Bracelet”. Had I stopped with just the warped squares, it would be finished and ready to wear, but I wanted the design to be a bit more complex and...
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 | Aug 8, 2017 | Beading, Beads and Materials, Delica beads, Designer Patterns, Handmade, Seed Beads, Uncategorized
I had not intended to start my warped square project with a confetti-like design. I had carefully drawn out a mosaic-like colored graph, selected six colors, poured them into their respective containers, and placed them in my travel tin. My mistake was leaving the...
by Barbara | Jul 29, 2017 | Art Jewelry, Art to Wear, Cabochons and Gemstones, Classes, Components, Designer Patterns, Embellishments, Fine Silver, Gemstones, Handmade, Inspiration, Materials and Supplies, One-of-a-Kind, Patina, Resin, Rings, Sterling Silver, Techniques, Tools
I took a class taught by Richard Salley (great teacher BTW!!!) and learned to make the “Ketoh Bracelet”…typically a wrist guard worn by Navajo Indian archers to protect their forearms from the snap of their bowstrings when shooting arrows. It was a...
