Video of the Day

I thought I might occasionally post a link to a video of a beading technique or something beady.  Today's video is from ArtBeads via YouTube.  Learn how to make a wrapped loop - always useful in jewelry making for earrings or clasps.

Hope you learned something new!

Happy New Year!

Hello lovely Blog Readers - how's the New Year going for you?  I mentioned a week or so ago that I am going to try to keep up more with my blog, so here I am, at it again.

Today I thought I'd venture into some of my recent Etsy finds.  Etsy is a crafter's dream, full of delicious eye candy.  Here are some of the things I keep in my Favorites.

I find these Enameled Head Pins delightful in the oddest way.  I have no idea what I would do with them, but I want them.  The photo is really engaging too.  Made by SueBeads.  For those into Steampunk, check out her gears and sprockets.

 

I really like this Peace Sign Dichroic Cab by Leslie Dana Designs.  I think it would make a great centerpiece for one of my beaded bracelets.  The Peace Sign itself in this piece is particularly cool to me.

My last pick of the day is this set of Hand Decorated Paper Beads by Doodlage.   

I really enjoy this artist's work and think these beads are interesting and attractive.  Her work is funky and edgy, sure to amuse.  Check out all three artists for even more engaging work.

That's it for today folks - see you in the funny papers!

A New Start in Beading

After a number of month's hiatus, I've returned to beading on a more or less regular basis.  I haven't been idle; I've worked on other art projects and developed a new bead technique of my own.  I also made a beaded cuff for my Aunt for Christmas.  I'll show you some of the work I did on that in a future post.


This is my newest project, a 1/2 inch bangle bracelet with a molded Czech glass button as the centerpiece.  This is a first for me, as I have never done a piece where the center cabochon stuck out from the edges of the bangle.  I'm a little nervous about it but I think it will turn out ok.

After a long hiatus, I also plan to put some pieces up on Etsy again, under my shop DancingHandDesigns.  I'll have some links there and some photos of pieces available next time around.  See you soon!

Haven't seen me in awhile, have you?

Sorry I've been gone so long.  I am an uncommitted blogger, much to my shame.  I thought I'd share something I came across some time ago and found delightful.  Check out this flickr pic from spider lily.  Great colors and composition.  Makes me want to go buy some beads!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Next Year I'll Do the Whole Tree

In December, I posted pics of the bracelet I made for my sister for Christmas. (She really seemed to like it, by the way).  Here is a photo of the leaf brooch I made for my mother for Christmas.  I traced a real oak leaf (it was tiny) onto ultrasuede, beaded the middle vein with back stitch, and then filled in along the vein with picot stitch in a variety of colors.  I then finished the lobes of the leaf with more backstitch, in a variety of colors.  The hardest part was finishing the piece, because I had to stitch the edging beads in some tight places between the lobes of the leaf.  I feel pretty good about the outcome, and Mom loves it.

Bead Journal Project - January's done!

This is my first year participating in the Bead Journal Project, a group challenge for beaders that consists of a few simple guidelines.  The basics are: make a piece for each month of the year; choose the same size and shape for each piece; each piece must have some beads on it.  Outside of those guidelines, anything goes.  This year, there are over 300 participants from around the world.

My first piece for the year is called January Melt.  It's a 4 inch square of batik cotton.  I used glass seed beads and some small flower beads (and a fish!).  The work went pretty smoothly and I enjoyed doing it.  I think this will be a good project for me.  I tend to lack discipline in my artwork, so this will impose a few easy rules that might help me in that regard.

A Treasure Hunt at the Trove

There's a wonderful fabric and bead store in Cincinnati, Ohio that is going out of business.  St. Theresa Textile Trove is a delightful nook that seems to have been around forever.  You can get some of the most unusual beads, buttons, and fabrics from around the world there.  It is about an hour's drive from my home, so a friend and I made a trip down there yesterday to say goodbye and take advantage of the deeply discounted treasures there.

I caught lots of fish (10, count 'em):

I found some really nice milagros:

And also four very nice buttons:

Of course, there had to be at least one silly over-sized charm and a whole mess of other beads, cabochons, and other trinkets:

 

It was a fun day.

Shh... Completed Christmas Gift

I've finished the bracelet/cuff that I've been working on for my sister's Christmas present, and I just couldn't wait to post the pictures.  You saw other photos of this earlier in my blog when I was in the early stages of making it.  I finally finished it after many, many hours of work and agonizing over it.  Honestly, there were times when I was afraid to approach it, as I feared making a mistake or not liking the final product.

Turns out that I'm pretty satisfied.  I don't think my sister reads this blog, so she's not likely to see it before Christmas.  Nobody better tell her... Dennis, that means you!

Dia de Los Muertos Final

Just a couple more skulls to end my Day of the Dead/Halloween count down.  Here is a handsome lampworked bead from Susan Lambert on Etsy:

I found this beautiful pillow by eklektick on flickr:

She is quite the artist.  Check out her other work at the flickr link above.

More Skulls - because you can never eat just one.

Here are some Day of the Dead Sugar(less) Skulls that I made from polymer clay and painted:

Happy Halloween!