Art Bead Scene Challenge for September

I feel so bad that I didn't get my challenge piece completed for the August challenge that I stepped it up this month to finish early. Here is our challenge piece.

It is called Persia by George Barbier (1882-1932). I wanted to capture that sense of lightness with a touch of the exotic. Here is the piece I am submitting. I originally thought I would make some of the lace tree fronds but found this chain maile chain in copper that evokes that same feeling.

I just lucked out in finding some of the most perfect copper charms that are butterflies and flowers that match the flowers of the woman's dress. The glass art beads (blue and white with a reddish orange background and the reddish orange glass beads) were made by Kathy Lowe of All Fired Up Glass Beads. I decided at the last minute that the copper really didn't give the same orange feeling as the woman's dress so I added the carnelian briolettes for a little more color. I really like this piece and it's going to be hard to put it up for sale....humm maybe I'll keep it around for awhile.

If you are interested in participating in the monthly challenges you can check out the Art Bead Scene blog by clicking on the icon in the right hand column and then just go to Current Monthly Challenge.

Have a great Labor Day weekend and play safe.

New Project

It seems like I'm always starting something new but as a promise to myself I am trying to enter more jewelry design challenges. I find that they make me think in new directions and use new materials or techniques. This month the Art Bead Scene Challenge is to create something using the inspiration of "Sunrise" a folk art painting by John "Jack" Savitsky (1910-1991) painted in 1964.

I find imagery such as a painting hard to transfer to a three dimensional object but that is what a challenge is all about. So far I have a pendant that is almost there. I still want to put some citrine in it or something more yellow as it is depicting the sun, but I decided to stop and let it grow on me first before I mix it up. Still not sure about the rest of the necklace yet but since it is a folk painting I wanted to keep it pretty simple and something I would actually wear.

The house is finally getting back together... one room at a time. I've been trying to take one room a day and throughly clean and organize. Just two more rooms to go and we will be back to a clean house. We are loving our new kitchen and dining room and now can't wait to pull up the carpet in the living room and refinish those floors....okay maybe I can wait a bit more. I would like to live with a clean house for a few months before it gets dust ridden again.

We celebrated my dad's birthday tonight with my aunts that were in town from St. Louis, MO and Sherman, TX. It was great seeing them again. I don't think I had seen my Aunt Carolee since my grandfathers funeral which was a long time ago. I'm so glad they decided to come out and spend a couple of days with my dad. I know he really enjoyed it. They are leaving tomorrow and headed up to Victoria, BC for a couple of days before heading back home. Here I am with my aunts and dad. I think he looks pretty good for 74.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

It's Good to be Me

Sometimes I moan and groan about the messy remodeling house or the cold weather in the middle of Summer but I really do have a good life, good husband, family, dogs, friends and everything else I can think of. Then today I find out that my Art Bead Scene challenge piece was featured on their blog today. Yes, I am a happy camper.  The link to the blog is on the right of you can click it HERE. 

Since we are still in the remodeling phase I decided to do a little promoting of some of the local businesses that we purchased some of our supplies from. This one is the hand blown art glass pendant light. It was made by Tacoma Glassblowers Studio. They had so many to choose from but the green complimented the colors in our kitchen better than the rest.

They also offer glass blowing classes and another option for a group is the glass blowing experience. My husband and I have organized a couple of family outings to blow glass with an instructor and everyone had a great time and came away with a wonderful art glass piece. They are offering a new class on garden art in August that I may have to consider. Here is a picture of what they look like from inside their studio. What a colorful display...now if my garden looked better this would be the perfect compliment.

I hope everyone is having a lovely week so far. I'm off to work on some artwork in the craft room.

Simply Amazing

I had the best time last night teaching 10 wonderful people how to make gem trees. Everyone finished their tree (although it wasn't dry from gluing it on the base) and I think they all enjoyed themselves. Here is a picture of all their wonderful creations.

So, if you want to learn how to make these wonderful trees, you might just get your chance at the Bellevue Bead Show in November. I'll let you know how that turns out.

I did have a chance to visit the bead show yesterday before class and was able to find the focal bead for the necklace I designed for the July ABS Challenge. It's the orange disk if you couldn't tell. Isn't it great?

These great disk beads are made out of recycled art glass that would have landed in the land fill. Now you want to know where you can get your own LOOT?  Okay, okay I'll tell you. The name of the company is called LOOT. Genevieve Church is the artist that reclaims all the broken art glass and uses it to create these great little treasures. If you are interested here is here e-mail: info@recycledloot.com.

Aren't all these beads yummy! That's all for now peeps. Have a great rest of your weekend.

Gem Tree Gone Wild

Today was just one of those days. I don't feel that I accomplished anything. I do have everything organized for the class I'm teaching later this week, but it isn't packed yet. I still have time. Oh wait, I think I said that yesterday. Okay tomorrow everything will get packed.

In my quest to get all the gem tree supplies and kits ready for the class I went to a major fabric store today....yes it is a bit of an obsession and I do go there more than once a week, but I just couldn't help myself. So, while I was waiting on my number to be called to get some interfacing cut, I wandered the store. 30 minutes later and my number wasn't even close to being called but I found myself in the scrapbook area. I love looking for unusual items to use in my jewelry or on my gem trees or in this case you could call it a wire tree sculpture. So to give my students a look at what they can create with something not a gemstone, I used these little metal tags. They were even on sale for .99 a pack so I bought several. It definitely makes a different little tree. A little black wire and some crystals and it has a little bling, just my kind of tree.

I've really started thinking about joining in on the monthly ABS (Art Bead Scene) Challenge. This month the challenge is to create a piece based on a sculpture by Alexander Calder called Blue Feather circa 1948.

Humm, do you see a resemblance between the swing arm and my tree branches? I'm thinking some beautiful teardrop briolettes dangling from one side and dark pearls or maybe some black onyx rondells at the top. Now I just have to figure out how to bring in the other elements of the structure into a necklace design. It's very futuristic with hard edges and geometric shapes.

Check out the ABS blog for some of the prizes that could be won and rules to joining.

Have a great week.