My Bags Are Packed. I'm Ready to Go...

I'm all packed up and ready to go to Art Bliss.  Can you hear my screams of joy through the computer?  Quite a few of my beading buddies are all a buzz about this weekend.  Good times with great people.  I hope to see you there.

My two partners in crime are Shelby Foxwell from Sundown Bead Designs and Sue Kennedy from Sue Beads.  I am blessed to spend my time with such lovely ladies.  Please check out their work when you have a chance.  You won't be disappointed!

And now for a few pieces I've made for my mom and big sis.

My sister requested a necklace made with some gorgeous amazonite stones I acquired recently.  I love these stones!  Lots of character and great color.

Unfortunately, my picture really didn't do this stone justice.  Some stones just have to be seen in person I guess.  This is quite simple but that's the type of jewelry my sis prefers.

But I felt like the necklace was just too easy to make so I had to try something else with the same colors.  Yeah, I've been making these bracelets a lot lately.  I really like their bulkiness and weight.  Plus, hammering the copper washers really relieves a lot of stress ;)

 My mom on the other hand likes things a little more funky and crazy.  She was admiring some copper face beads in my stash when I saw her last.  She just loved their cute expressions and asked if I could put something together in peaches and orange.  I added in the seashell and beach stone since she's a beach lover.

 This guy reminds me of a wise old owl with a mustache :)

 And this one reminds me of a scrawny looking scarecrow trying his best to keep away those pesky crows in the garden.

Ok, that's it for me.  I wish you all the best weekend and safe travels to my friends visiting Art Bliss :)

Newbies for GalleriE CHIZ

A few new bracelets for GalleriE CHIZ in Shadyside!

New Pretties in the Shop

New Creations for the Etsy Bei Mondi shop!

Moonstone Copper/Silver Free Form Necklace

Striking Blue Kyanite Slab Dangle Earrings

Copper Creativeness Lampwork Bracelet 

Chaos Bracelet #2

Bamboo Agate Dangle Earrings

Ocean Jasper Keishi Pearl Necklace

Moonstone Copper/Silver Free Form Necklace

Some of these haven't made it into the shop just yet but should be there shortly.  I hope all my friends are having a wonderful weekend with their families this wonderful Sunday!

Copper Creations

Yes, I've been neglecting Blogger lately.  :(  I do have a few new pieces to show off and these are in copper (my fav).

Copper, copper, copper with Norma Brink lampwork and a few Swarovski thrown in for added color.  Can't decide if I like that wire wrapped piece in the middle or not but for now it stays.

I had the "Love is the Key" pewter piece from Green Girl Studios that I was dying to play with.  I added some leftover lampwork from the Bead Swap Party and some others I had lying around with, once again, Swarovski crystals.  

I'm working on a giveaway that I hope to be blogging about shortly so stay tuned for that and enjoy your Monday!  :)  

More Goodies to Show Off

More goodies for the Bei Mondi shop and the I Made It! Mine show in February.

 Lampwork from Java Bead and Norma Brink with lots of Bali silver.  This one has the color changing Swarovski crystals that go from soft pink to gray to light green which are all colors that compliment the bracelet.

Amber onyx rounds with lots of oxidized copper

More lampwork with Swarovski crystals.  Are you seeing a pattern here?  I guess it's what I love to do.  Mostly blues in this one with just a touch of purple.

Ok, I'm spending the day with the kiddo and working on some artsy stuff.  I hope to have a little tutorial for you by tomorrow.  You girls enjoy your Friday!

Changing Things Up a Bit

As I stated at the end of the year, I want to change things a bit for Bei Mondi.  I am hoping to go with a more simplistic style.  When I first got excited about beading it was because of the gemstones.  I'm not talking about the fancy stuff, just a simple jasper or agate.  These stones hold more interest to me than the AAA grade sapphire or a huge crystal clear diamond.  They show character.  They show nature's real beauty.  I want to do work that highlights that beauty within the stone and doesn't take too much away from it.

I also have a love for charms.  They add that little message or certain features to a piece.  If I want you to feel a certain way when you look at a necklace with a single stone attached I could add the word "Spicy" or maybe go in the opposite direction with a calming lotus charm.  These both capture very different emotions without overdoing anything.  Simplistic! 

So, here is the start of some new pieces that I hope will gain some attention.

Kawarimono's Pond Moonstone Necklace

 

Siren Song Opal Necklace

Oh, I still love my copper and I still love to experiment with wire.  Here's obvious attempts at that.

My Heart is In Knots For You Copper Necklace

 

Hot Mess Wire Cuff

My new camera and I are having a love/hate relationship right now.  The white balance is all off so more experimenting is needed on my part before great pictures are made.  I'm still making my way through the very thick manual.

Oh, and it looks like my partner in crime for the Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Party is Julie Vallejo.  She has a blog by the name of Rocker Jewlz.  Wow!  What a name!  I can't wait to learn more about her and to swap out some goodies.

Happy Monday Beading friends!

Pity Party Train has left town

Hey gals!  No negativity and self pity today.  I'm dusting myself off and getting down to business.  You girls have set me straight and I thank you for it.  Seriously though, I appreciate all of your kind words and advice.  I'm so glad we can all help each other out when it's needed.  You girls ROCK!

Did you know there is only 16 days left until Christmas?  I hope you're on track with your gift buying and merriment.  I've seen lots of beautiful trees on everyone's blogs and such creative decorations.  Does anyone celebrate Chanukkah or Kwanzaa?  Let's see those decorations too.  We've got our tree and decorations up so I'll try to take a picture soon.

And speaking of Christmas, I finally saw the animated "Christmas Carol" in 3D.  I really enjoyed it although it is a very dark movie.  The story was the same as the original but this one was quite spooky.  The little kid sitting behind me in the theater kept saying, "Daddy, this is scary."  A bit different for a Christmas movie but the message was there.  And the 3D effects were great.  I felt like the snow was actually coming down on my head.

I'll wrap this up with what I've been working on.  Here goes!

Oh yes, if you are a Sharilyn Miller fan then you recognize this bracelet.  Which, by the way, she has a new book out that Mary Jane and I are totally stoked about.  Although I could never do wirework like the Queen (she is the best), this bracelet is just for me and serves as more wirework practice.  I wanted something lightweight (used 16 gauge rather than 14) with that beautiful copper glow to it.  This definitely fits my personality and we all need to give ourselves something every now and then, right?

 

Trying to get creative with the use of copper with lampwork beads.  This is Norma Brink's lampwork once again and the details are amazing.  I didn't have any copper headpins so I made my own with a little swirl at the end.  Oh, and look at the light bulb clasp.  I learned how to make that from Miss Cindy at Sweet Bead Studios.  The tutorial was in the recent Easy Wire magazine.  Thanks, Cindy!

More Norma Brink lampwork with sterling silver beads and wire this time.  I didn't oxidize this piece.  I like the bright silver with these colors.  I tried to bring out the purple and greens in the lampwork with all the Swarovski.  I hope I didn't over do it.

And last but not least is a sweet little pair of lampwork and sterling silver swirly earrings.  Do you recognize these beads?  These are from the wonderful Miss Sue from Sue Beads.  Love the tiny silver specks trailing around each bead.  Oh, and I do believe Sue is having another sale.  She's had a different sale like every couple of days.  If you need lampwork check her out.

Words, Words, Words and Cyber Monday Sale!

I'm going through blogging withdrawals.  I need to blog but I have another busy day planned.  First, painting pottery.  Miss Lauren will be painting a Christmas present for me with my husband's help and vice versa.  Then we're off to see "The Christmas Carol" in 3D.  I'm so excited about this movie.  I'm a sucker for Christmas flicks.

I thought I'd show you gals what I've been working on lately.  I'm sure you've heard me and others talk about the Charmsters group.  We all make charms for a specific theme and swap them.  It's always such a surprise to see what will be in your package when it arrives.  So the swap I am currently working on is called "Words, words, words!"  And here's my charms.

  

These charms were first metal etched and then I used a torch to add some color.  I used some oil on them before the torch and it made a tie dye effect.  They are a bit hard to capture in the photo if the light is not just right.  I then had my assistant (Lauren) cut out newspaper that we folded into envelope shapes (gotta keep with that word theme).  I like the way each one is unique and they all have an old look to them.  Hope the group likes them!  

I also wanted to tell everyone that I'll be having a big Cyber Monday Sale!  I'm taking 20% off half the items in the Bei Mondi shop.  There will be lots of goodies to choose from and if there is something you've had your eye on please let me know so I can make sure to add it to the list.

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and a killer Black Friday!  Enjoy your weekend!

Pins Make Me Happy

Oh yeah, the crazy pin lady is at it again!  They are just so easy and each one has it's own unique style.  They don't have to be a certain length like bracelets and you can add as much or as little as you please.  And use just about anything to pin them on.  It doesn't have to be a scarf.  At least no one knows you used curtains or a blanket in photos.  :)

 

 

So yes, here is more.  I do have to say that the last set I made sold quick so hopefully I will have the same luck with some of these.  Except for the music notes of course, those I made just for fun.

More Projects and Happy Veteran's Day!

I had to add music today.  Have you heard this song "Fireflies"?  I love it!  Listen for a bit.

Have I told you lately how much I love copper?  Here's proof.

 

The pins got their bath in the liver of sulfur.

If anyone knows where I can find a pin tutorial online I would greatly appreciate it.  I've been looking for Veronique and I can't find one anywhere.

And I tried to take another picture of the banana/peach slice.  If you are wondering what this is about then check the blog post from yesterday. 

All of this beautiful beadiness will be put into the Bei Mondi Etsy shop soon.

Enjoy your Veteran's Day!  We are so proud of the Veterans that have risked their lives to make ours better!