Wire, mixed media....

Is this Marcia, really?

A recent stop at the Shepherdess presented this heart shaped blank, and a bottle of Lisa Pavelka's Magic Gloss, I couldn't resist. I am not typically a heart kind of girl, but love the elongated shape of this one. With a birthday near (my baby is 32 today!) I decided to try my hand at putting together a fun pendant. If you look really really carefully, there is a picture of daughter and boyfriend in the upper right. I was aiming for subtle and I think I may have over-accomplished the goal.

Look at those perfect little wire wraps, will ya? Kate and Janice both demonstrated a tight, clean, well planned wire wrap for me, and I think I excelled at the lesson.

Oh, and can you see that I threw in some seed beads, just for good measure! and the occasional crystal of course. I hope she likes it!

Ringlet kits for sale

I have three black and white ringlet kits left. These kits include five Heather Trimlett beads (did you know they were the original inspiration for the seed bead ringlets?) and enough supplies to make four of the seeded ringlets. All this for $95.00.



There will eventually be more, but for the time being there is only three and they are not on the website. Should you like one, click here and send me a note

Soul Clearing Sale II

You may want to check in with Kate and see what she's offering in her second soul clearing sale.....I foolishly hestitated on a most gorgeous necklace first time around and lost out, although I do have a substantial collection of Kate rings!

Beads of Colour

In my bead travels I am privileged to meet so many wonderful people and this year was no exception. I can't name names, because it would be incredibly long and I'd be bound to forget someone, but there are many many people that I hold in my thoughts as I contemplate how fortunate I am to have this 'job'.

As I write the blog I highlight many of these meetings as they happen. Back in August I wrote this , but I didn't tell you the whole story......it was a difficult show for me from a personal timing perspective, but also a wonderful one. On the first morning I met four gals including owner of Beads of Colour Debi Keir Nicholson. They invited me to breakfast with them and we became fast friends.

They visited the classroom at lunch, during which point I had discovered that all three samples for the class I was teaching had been left at my home studio. The gals promptly offered to bead up a sample from one of my kits. Which they graciously and expertly did before the next days class! We ran into one another several times during the course of the two days, and I know I love these girls.

I can see that I am not the only one as I discovered this blog entry from Cynful Musings I was fortunate enough to have Cynthia in my Bead and Button class this past year. She is a true delight who also lives in Toronto. So it is with great pleasure that I look forward to traveling to Beads of Colour to teach in July of 2010. I'll keep you all posted once I have dates and projects decided.

Screwts!

Yesterday I continued playing with Kate's Screwts, this one is double ended, with a second double ended one inside of the first.

This one is destined to be a bail, but I see other possibilities as well.

And on an unrelated note, tulips which grace the studio in all their tulipness and were a bright spot in yesterdays wild storm.



40 mph gusts resulted in six huge branches breaking off the pepper trees. Minutes before, I saw the possibility and moved my car to a safer location. I'm rather glad I had that foresight, as one very large branch rests directly where my car had been.

The most amazing weekend

Where beads 'soldiered up' students 'rocked on' and 'dew drops' were gifted.

Here's Kate looking her adorable self, and notice her fabulous felted brooch.




Kate was an amazing teacher who shares freely all her thoughtful learnings. She was generous with her kits and supplies providing each student with the making of a felted brooch, choice of kits, a handout for both projects and her project workbook, full of photos and instruction.

Nancy, a longtime student, shared her incredible version of the urchin,

Brilliantly strung together with this version of the 'Earth Sky' beads

Here is Linda and her constant companion Maya. Maya is a well loved little dog and she's considerably happy when her favorites come for an entire two days. Linda patiently beaded with Maya either sleeping contentedly behind her back on the chair or on her lap, with head poised on the table.


My felted brooch, which after noticing both Linda's and Kate's may require some editing...I wanted to put on everything....

I especially love the little lavender felted ball provided by Kate

And the sequin stack, and Michelle Goldstein lampwork and my spotted daggers, and let's not forget that excellent feather

And in class, I made a double bat ended screwt, attached a romantica medallion (an unlikely combination judging by name alone) ended with an unbelievably gorgeous dagger......I'm pretty much in love

Sunday's class was enriched by a visit from Jeannette Cook, the arrival 'home' of Janice Berkebile (she was teaching at the Shepherdess, but fortunately for me, accepted my invitation to stay with Mark and I) We spent a lovely, low key evening of visiting, laughter and friendship.

And then Janice updated my already owned dewdrop bangle and presented me with two more!

A pretty stellar weekend!

Everyone is on their way home and I am a treated to a cozy, stormy day, listening to rain and watching the wind. The perfect day to finish my second double batted screwted ended bail.

Beaded Bangles, in Stock!

A few unaccounted hours presented themselves yesterday and I caught up on all kitting and shipping, which means.....




Pink and Green beaded bangles are in stock! This has been my most popular kit and as of now I've exhausted all my current sources for that beautiful pink/medium vitral tiny dagger that I love so much. There are 8 kits left with this beautiful dagger until I find another source, so if you're contemplating one, now is the time.

Update...
As of Monday December 7th, There is only one kit left which contains the pretty pink/vitral dagger....that is not to say that pink green bangles are unavailable, they are, the the replacement dagger is also quite pretty, a paler pink with an ab coating, just not the one pictured. I hope to find more soon, but in the meantime if pink is your color, these bangles are still a great choice.