Happy Thursday! I'm still playing with resin and I immortalized my dear mama in it. My father kept a pin up pic of her in his wallet and this is the picture I used! (not the original of course) I put it in a button, added the resin and then framed it with filigree. The resin used was magic-glos which is uv set and very easy to work with, except to get it to squeeze out of the bottle after the first use as it starts drying at the tip, like a glue does. It didn't pour as easily after this. I will be trying another brand next!

Another rainy day in the south. I think its a good day for some beadin'! Let's see what shall we do...bead weaving, wire work, stringing? I am going to take a class at Transformation Glass today on viking stitch. Love the look but have never learned. I'll let you know how it goes. We have anew lampwork artist's beads at My Garden of BEADin'. Lissa Juedemann and she can lay down some stringers to depict some whimsical folk art designs on her beads.

Have you entered any jewelry & desing contests lately? I submitted a necklace design to Vintaj.com this month. The theme was Orchard's Palette. I was inspired by our hometown Apple Festival and the vintage apple buttons I had just waiting for a special purpose. Check out all the entries at www.vintaj.com and don't forget to vote!

New Shopping cart at www.mygardenofbeadin.com .We've put a few of our best selling beads & findings on our website. Check it out, feedback appreciated! Watch for monthly specials starting in October!

Oh my, how did we get to another hump day so fast? Seems it was just yesterday I mentioned it in my last blog. Have I accomplished anything besides living another 7 days in those 7 days? Hmm, another day another dollar, another bottle of wine, maybe I need to get a life. I am working on Ndebele of graduated sizes, green, my favorite color, and this weekend is the Summer Jewelry Market to coincide with the Apple Festival and I am doing a beading demo at the Gem & Mineral Show on Labor Day! My Garden of BEADin' is closed Sunday & Monday for the holiday. Bead Creative!

Monday Morning and I am planning an earring day. I love making earrings from the many vintage beads I've had the pleasure of gathering. A girl can never have too many earbobs and one of the best selling items at the Summer Jewelry Market, September edition held this Saturday the 5th to coincide with the Apple Festival in Hendersonville NC. What do you think of these?

I used Magic-glos resin yesterday with much success since it was a sunny day! I love the domed effect it gives and it dries, fast clear and hard! I made a simple pendant with a bird print background and a small flying bird embellishment, no need to glue the embellishment in and the resin did not make the ink from the print bleed, it wasn't a photocopy though. I will move on to something bigger and better from here! I also had a beading friend bring me some Beadwork & Bead & Button from 10 years ago and I was amazed and thrilled to see how far the beading world has come! Of course some things remained the same, peyote is peyote, but what we can do with it has come a long way baby! It is wonderfully entertaining to read through these editions! If you can ever get your hands on old beading magazines, jump at the chance! Today we are finishing up St. Petersburg chain and learning to finish a knotted strand of pearls! Happy Thursday to all.

Happy Hump Day. Todays agenda...make altered jewelry workshop sample for October schedule. Shall we etch something, dap, hammer, bend, twist, solder, collage? Stay tuned and I'll share the finished sample. My favorite tool (right now) for use making trendy mixed media pieces is my hole punch! It will put a hole through most metals perfect for connecting to or hanging just the right trinket from. Sold at My Garden of BEADin' of course. Just $15 and if you're an altered art fan, you just gotta have one, for jewelry and otherwise.

Hello! I need to tell you about the experiences we've had with Bronz Clay. The first few times we've used the product it was difficult to enjoy because it was so different than the silver clay we love and were so used to. Now my taste in metals leans toward the antiqued and organic most of the time so jewelry from the warm bronz metal seemed really appealing. The first couple firings didn't result in many pieces we'd be proud of as the final effort ranged from thin & crispy to outright powder and a few in between. Going back to the drawing board and re-reading the firing techniques as they have changed from those techniques set out from the beginning and voila' we have a beautiful piece of finished bronzclay jewelry. My advice is to perservere if you love the product! Now, I can't wait to make more!!!

Watch for more Precious Metal Clay workshops to be held at My Garden of BEADin'.

Hello, hello! You may have noticed that the last blog was back in March! Well, a few things just got in the way of my blogging. But I mean to embrace it from now on! So stay tuned if you like. Today I am cooking 7 pieces of Bronz Clay. This is a new precious metal clay product that we haven't had alot of success with. It's similiar to the silver clay but the firing of the product is just more sensitive. I read the firing instructions from Cool Tools and I've set my kiln to ramp full speed to 1550 and hold for two hours because these pieces are less than 3mm thick and all equal in size. I will let you know how it went tomorrow. We've had some pieces overcook, some undercook and a few cook nicely so I am anxious to see if I "guessed" at all the variables correctly! We are having a UNICORNE glass trunk show until the 29th of this month. It is hand blown from borosillicate glass and it is yummy. I've made 2 pieces from Unicorne, a spiral rope to hand a glass donut pendant and cute flower earrings to treat my inner hippie!

Chain, chain, chain

I am a member of our local gem & mineral group and have met great, creative people through this venue. Jacolyn & Roger Campbell, both members as well, are a jewelry making couple! She specializes in wire wrapping and Roger is a champion at chain maille. Jacolyn teaches for us here, (her next scheduled class in April 18th) and Roger usually comes along and this last time he brought me some chain maille beads from brass. I was anxious to create something fabulous from them and here is my creation. I love chain and I love a brass finish. I also love to layer my vintage jewelry and this is the perfect piece to do this with. If you'd like to learn chain maille, Roger is a willing and able teacher too, just let us know and we will schedule a class.

If there is a Gem & Mineral group near you, I'd recommend it.

I guess I'm an addict....

Funny thing, these beads. Yesterday, I went on a bead buying trip to a local vendor and came home with 3 large Ziploc bags full of beads. My son, who is home on spring break this week said, "Where did you go to buy all those beads?" I said, "This vendor sells from the basement in her home." He laughed and said it sounded like some kinda drug buy! Yeah, it's weighed in grams & kilos, it packaged in Ziploc bags, it cost a few bills, I went to the secret basement to buy.....and it's highly addictive! Yeah, you could classify it as a drug. Yeah, I'm a bead junkie, an addict. Too funny, but you know us obsessive compulsive types. I'm always looking for my next fix...gees it really IS like a drug! I wouldn't have it any other way! So to all you bead addicts out there, keep on beadin'. Last I checked you can't get arrested for it.

Why I like fuchsia....

Well now I know why I like fuchsia...(or magenta, as I called it, but will never refer to it again by that name) it eludes luxury, it has texture, it's a color of nature that seduces. I'm seductive! Did you hear that? Ha ha, maybe my beads think so....as I seduce them in to another jewelry design! I do love color, it does evoke texture and I prefer to layer it. I like monochromatic designs but they must have texture in size, shape, hue and feel. Color is so much a part of your design but...once you have that decided on the color, how does it all go together? This is what I lovingly refer to bead logistics. For example, I've been comissioned to design a triple strand pearl necklace for a bride. It needs to be simple as the dress is beaded too. We are using 4mm white swarovski pearls spaced by silver lined crystal seed beads and interspersed with bicone crystals! She will wear it twisted for the wedding but it can be worn untwisted as well. My logistic problem arouse when I found the perfect vintage rhinestone clasp, a 2 strand rhinestone clasp. Now how could I use this 2 strand clasp for a three strand necklace I asked myself. The solution: attach a chain of 5 jump rings the the rings of the clasp and then attach my clam shells to the 3 center jump rings. I used 4mm OD (outside diameter) jump rings and the bit of extra finishing hardly shows. Today's bead problem solved but fear not, there will be more to come.

What's your Color?

Color, what does it say? Moods, trends, desires, strengths? I have never liked purple, but I love magenta and I can't get enough of sea glass blue and any shade of green. (pretty obvious, huh) I was reading the 2009 color trends at www.pantone.com and it was suggested that the color for 2009 is Mimosa. Check it out..... is it your color for 2009?

Love still prevails....

Yesterday, near the close of business, a gentleman ventured in the store with a Valentine request. He informed me he was going to pop the question on this special Valentines Day and had purchased 2 crystal champagne glasses to share a toast with his intended bride. What does this have to do with beads you're asking? Well, fortunatley for me the proprietor of the Purple Sage kitchen store on Main St could not offer wine glass charms fit for this ocassion but knew of this great little bead store just one block over that may be able to help. So the request...Michael, the groom, made wine glass charms (with a little help) all in Swarovski crystals and pearls in valentiny colors complete with a rose pink heart dangle. They were perfect. This is my Valentine Story for you. It put a smile on my face and I hope it has for you too. Now, if you're in need of wine glass charms for a special ocassion or really for no ocassion at all you know where to come! My Garden of BEADin'

We're so excited! I just talked to Barbara McGuire, THEE Barbara McGuire and she is coming to teach here! Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 25th. I have been interested in learning how to transfer an image to polymer and this is just what she is going to show us! Check out her website, www.barbaramcguire.com and check out just what she is doing with this exciting technique.

Blog, blog, blog

Happy Spring? Er, for a little while anyway. I'll take what I can get, but spring fever has already kicked in. The feeling of renewal and a fresh spirit and chance for a new perspective on lots of things! It encourages me to try new things in the beading world too! In the last blog I mentioned some new fun jewelry making findings, mainly the screened items. Screen for jewelry is old school but we can make new fun designs with these old school pieces. Check out this Spring Ring!

A bit of twisted wire crystals and voila'. Make a Ring Statement!

Beating the winter Blahs....

If you're like me your a bit tired of the COLD!I am ready for warmer temps and ready to get outside! I hope you are finding time to beat the winter doldrums with your beading projects in the mean time though. Sunday (before the game) I spent some time soldering with paste solder and my Bernzomatic! I like found object jewelry and will be able to do some soldering with these pieces. Holly and Reilly spent the day (before the game) shopping the local hardware store and came up with some of the cutest earrings from cabinets parts! Check them out.

Some Hobbies overlap!

Hi again! Are you a jack of all hobbies but just a master of one? Have you noticed how a lot of art overlaps in style, technique and even supplies? We meet many from Altered Book artists, knitters, mosaic artists, quilters, scrapbookers of course who need embellishment choices! This morning a knitter was making stitch markers from toggles dangling with beads! Now, I don't know a lot about knitting, but when I grow up I will learn but it is always interesting on how these hobbies overlap. We got shipment yesterday, fun findings for embellishing. New bracelet blanks and rings for gluing, oval & teardrop brass stamping pendants, some screen parts just waiting for beads including a box clasp, a butterfly and a crescent moon and a ring! If you're wondering what you might do with these items, stop in and we'll through some ideas around with ya!

CROWS, what do they have to do with beading?

We have been thinking about starting a local beaders group! Perhaps just one night a month for some beading and socializing. I had though about naming it the Crows Club because I amongst others have an affinity for sparkle, glitz and glamour! Now mind you, not the "old" crows club as some have suggested we will be called by not so friendly sorts perhaps...but the Can't Resist Objects With Sparkle or C.R.O.W.S club...much better! If you have any thoughts on this please comment! Finished my pearl bracelet yesterday. I am a pearl girl at heart too. I like pearls in any shape or form or color they come and they encompasses alot of beads you'll know if you're a pearl girl too. Check it out....

So many beads, so little time...

Wow, it is so exciting to visit other bead stores and "see how they do it"! Yesterday Peggy, Katherine and I went on our road trip through Forest City and Charlotte. What I've noticed is that there are so many different beads and materials out there it would be quite impossible to actually duplicate what another store carries. This is GREAT for store owners and beaders alike because the possibilites for you projects and designs are truly endless. It also creates the desire in us to continue to search for just the greatest bead out there in case it is better that the last "find" we made our favorite jewelry with! Isn't this one of the things we love about beading? FYI too, Kim St. Jean will be back in March to teach us etching and we will be making an etched pendant from a book! This class will include some cold connecting so for all you altered art junkies be sure and sign ASAP as this class will definately fill up fast.

It's a good Monday morning here in beadland! We've had a wonderfully successful trunk show in fact the vendor was so excited about our success, she wants us to keep it a week longer! We will have semi-precious strands at fantasatic prices through Saturday Feb 3! If you haven't had a chance to stop in, make the moment! This weeks Thursday night class is such a fun one, and just in time for Valentines day. If you've always wondered about wire wrapping and coiling come join us and make and adorable sterling silver coiled heart pendant! Tomorrow I am on the road to Charlotte and will be stopping at Off the Beaded Path in Forest City to say hi to Kelly, then on the Expressive Impressions in Charlotte to stock up on some tooling for our cold connecting and soldering junkies! Hope you have a great day and Happy BEADin'!

Good Wednesday morning! What's happening in the beadin' world? Let's see, had some snow yesterday so we didn't get the store opened until 1p, good timing, we got to watch history being made! I did get a new beading book read and I highly recommend it. Beadwork Inspired by Art, Art Nouveau Jewelry and Accessories by Judith Durant and Jean Campbell. Sherron P has already made the Villa Igeia Palermo necklace featured on page 68. It is here for sale at the store and would be a fabulous addition to your spring wardrobe! It's delicate and fresh. So many beading books offer tips and techniques and this one will not disappoint. I finished my peyote button bracelet, you can view it at www.mygardenofbeadin.com. We will teach this technique on February 28th and we'd love to have you! This morning I am headed out to pick up our semi-precious trunk show! The event will run tomorrow through Saturday! One thing that excites me about this new vendor is they offer 8" strands, long enough for a bracelet and earrings, buy 2 if your designing a necklace too! Be sure and stop in and if you heard about the trunk show from this blog, just mention it to Holly or me and get 10% beads from the show! Happy BEADin'..Abbie

Happy Hump Day! Let's see what will we be BEADin' today? Didn't finish the button bracelet but I should today. I attached each button with peyote too. It needed to be flexible so as to be comfortable to wear, while I might have prefered a "harder" connector by design, it needs to function. Do you think of your designs in this way? It can't just be beautiful it does need to function. Sometimes this "bead logistics" as I call it, has more control over the finished design than we'd like. But, if it steers me in another beading direction and I learn something from it I'm good! We also have some repairs to do today, then I'll be working on the March workshop calendar!

Time Flys!

Good morning! It is January my least favorite month, it's always cold and grey. The excitement of the holidays are over, but what I do like is the feeling of looking forward to the new. New ideas, new opportunities for growth, things to look forward to. As I'm typing they are putting in a new sidewalk in front of the store! It will look so fresh and clean. Think they'll let me put some beads in it? Today I will be finishing my peyote button bracelet. Watch for a picture on the website as it is a class scheduled in February. We are also looking forward to Kim St. Jeans Steam Punk class Saturday! We'll be packing heat too girls and soldering old watch parts! Next week, Thursday-Saturday come check out our semi-precious trunk show! Lots of variety, and when it's over it's gone. We are also looking forward to attending the Bead & Button show in Milwaukee this year! Will we see you there? Have a great Tuesday! Happy BEADin'.