Mood Altering Items

I mentioned yesterday that I went out on a bit of an adventure. Adventure may be a slight over statement. More like a hopeful errand. I got it in my head that I needed an at-home set of art supplies. Friday, I moved all my art supplies to the studio. Paint, paper, markers, pencils... everything is up there. I also decided that I needed some inspiration and a little pick-me-up. Naturally, I set off to my local bookstore and Starbucks. The inspiration came in the form of Art At The Speed Of Life by Pam Carriker and the latest issue of Art Journaling. (confession: there is a very slight chance that I already own a copy of this issue of this magazine... oops) The pick-me-up came in the form of a Cocoa Cappuccino. Toss in that red clown nosed man in the mix and my spirits were completely on the rise!!

After I browsed the very sadly, ever dwindling, down-to-a-single-shelf, jewelry book section at Barnes & Noble, I thought I might swing by the sketchbook section. Heck, I was on a roll right? Hot coffee, wonderful visual candy, clown nose induced smiles... why not grab a new sketchbook too? You really can't have too many sketchbooks. Oh what a treat I was in for! It would seem B&N now has just a handful of art supplies. I found a set of pastels (a medium I haven't worked with since high school) for just $7 and super cool set of colored pencils that fit perfectly into the jewel case for cds for only $5. Perfectly, perfect, perfectness.





Melancholy can be a powerful thing though. So, although my spirits were good, honestly, they grew gray again pretty quickly. As I sat in my living room, fire toasty behind me, the latest Script cd playing, blank page in front of me, I completely froze. What is it about the blank first page of a new journal or sketchbook that completely paralyzes me? I know I am not the only one this happens too. In fact, I was tweeting about it and Barbara Bechtel sent me this quote:

"It can be terrifying to confront a blank canvas- is it fear of destroying it? You are about to create a world in this pure and empty space, a world in which complex goals have been set. In one way, you have become God; in another way, you know you are not."
- Audrey Flack

Completely spot on. I put some seriously high goals in my mind for that blank page... that blank BOOK. How in the world could I fill it and do it justice? I swear I started and stopped and ripped out the first page at least 5 times. Then finally, with a heavy exhale, I just started writing. Actually, I started wishing. I wished I knew where to begin, I wished I knew what the possibilities are, I wished I knew how to pull things out of my heart and I wish I knew where to put them. On and on the wishes poured out. There isn't a spot of pastel or colored pencil on the page, but it is a start. And but the end of the writing, I felt a bit more at ease in my heart. Those wishes needed to get out and we'll save coloring the wishes for another day.

Watch Out... I Am Manipulating Metal

I had an absolutely ammmaayyzing night last night. Before I tell you about it though, you need two brief histories. First, the one between me and metal. Primarily, I am a cold connection kinda gal. I love wire, I love coming up with innovative ways to combine wire into links, I love color, I just love love love what I do. I have been know though, a time or two, to experiment with metals. I have taken classes in PMC, and I have done enameling on metal. But when I have tried to teach myself soldering, frankly, it has been a struggle. I blame the equipment really. I haven't ever had a proper soldering torch. I have always either used the creme brulee torches with solder that melts at too high a temperature for it or I try my hot head which it too bushy a flame and just melts things into oblivion. It was frustrating and it sucked. But I had plenty of cold connections to keep me busy, so I didn't fret too bad. I knew the skills were there, I just needed the right equipment!

Remember that huge bummer of a let down a couple whiles ago? At the core of it was these metalsmithing skills of mine. I am not gonna go into details, but it was one of the main reasons that I decided to sign up for Stephanie Lee's Homesteaders Metalsmithing e-course. (She is having a second session by the way!!) I wanted to expand those skills. I loved working on the class and learned a ton, but more on that another day.

Now, to the second brief history. Rewind to a strange conversation with my husband about a month ago. It went something like this Ron: "Randy at work told his wife about your book and she makes jewelry and wants to talk to you about it. Is it okay if she calls you?" Me: "Of course she can call me." And that is how I met the amazing, Anna Sprague. Anna has been teaching jewelry making (specifically metalsmithing) for 18 years at both the high school and college levels. She is taking a year off from teaching formal classes though to get reacquainted with creating because she *loves* it without being drained by the *have to* creating and exhaustion that can come from teaching. So we chatted for about an hour one nice evening about how to get her jewelry business of the ground online. I was so happy to help! I told her all about my metalsmithing woes and she offered to teach me. It was to be an exchange of sorts, my knowledge for her's. Personally, I think I have the better end of the bargin :)

I had my first class with Anna last night. OH, MY, STARS!!! It was amazing. I couldn't dream of a better instructor in the world and look at the freaking incredible things I was able to create!! I knew that, with the right equipment and getting to see the solder flow for someone, I would be able to do it. I am over the moon I tell ya! I can't thank Anna enough. Next time, we are gonna sweat solder. But first, I told her she needs to work on getting her designs ready to launch an etsy shop and blog!! So, hopefully, in a few weeks, I will have a link to share with you. I got to see some work in progress pieces in person and they are just beautiful. I can't wait to share it with you.

(ps... man my hands need lotion. they look like granny hands magnified!)

Newsstand Goodies

There are a couple of new magazines on newsstands right now that I want to point y'all to. Both feature my work, as well as the work of a few of my beady friends.

First up is the latest issue of Step By Step Wire Jewelry, Aug/Sept 2010. There is a special earring project of mine in this issue, but I will tell you more about that next week on Twisted Tuesday. Besides little ole me, you will can find a gorgeous mixed media project by my pal, Mary Jane Dodd. I also love Cindy Gimbrone's (of Art Bead Scene) lampwork glass headpin ring project. Flipping through this issue, I couldn't help but feel inspired by the overall look and feel of things. The colors are fantastic and the projects have been photographed beautifully.






Also out now is the annual special issue, Creative Jewelry. This 2010 issue holds 4 projects from me, each using simple stringing techniques with my glass beads. I love the flip-through quality of a special issue like this. When ever you feel like you have hit an idea brick wall, you can flip through this and, no doubt, you will be whacked upside the head with new things to make. Seriously. It is whack-up-side-the-head good!!

Later this afternoon, I will be listing the 4 necklace designs in Creative Jewelry on my website.

Twisted Tuesdays - TV Appearances

I am combining Random Monday & Twisted Tuesdays into one post this week!


:: I drove to Cleveland OH Sunday afternoon to shoot another appearance on Beads Baubles and Jewels.
:: I ordered room service and watched The Princess Diaries on cable. I also treated myself to a piece of chocolate cake that ended up being the size of a football.
:: I brought the cake home for the kids :)
:: I didn't sleep a wink, can you tell?
:: Confession: coffee is my friend again.



:: I got to hang out back stage with three fabulous ladies. Katie Hacker (the new host!), Candie Cooper, and Susan Lenart Kazmer.
:: I was a big girl and dressed myself this year. Both the knit shell in dark teal and the gray wrap were found at TJ Maxx, cheap. (Remember picking my outfit last year?)
:: And my stars, my hair has grown! Check out details from last year's taping HERE and HERE
:: It was such a delight to see all the projects that will be shown this season and peek at the things people are working on. I even got to see Susan's new Industrial Chic line in person.



:: Yes, there really is an "on air" light that goes on.
:: Thankfully, my nerves weren't terrible this time around. I just got flutters when I was setting up my stuff on set.
:: I did what is called a Show & Tell segment rather than a Demo, and it was 7mins 15secs.
:: New to wireworking and wondering what wire is good for which jewelry application? Tune into Season 1300, Episode 11 to have all your questions answered!
:: I consider 13 my lucky number.




:: The make-up artist, Karen, is a miracle worker. Unfortunately, I am wicked allergic and was halfway to hives about 20mins after getting dolled up.
:: Season 1400 will be filming in December, and I really really hope to be invited back again. Wouldn't I make a fab-regularly-appearing-wire-guru? LOL.
:: Lots of hugs went round when it was time to head home. Even though this was the first time meeting Katie, it was like we have always known each other!
:: The drive home was uneventful as I listened to Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse on CD.
:: I was happy to see my family when I got home, but really should NOT have checked my email. That, as they say, is a story for another day though.

One Thing Leads To Another

When I first pulled these colors into this combination, what I imagined they would be as beads was completely different than what they turned out to be. When you scroll down to view this post and you see the beads, I am imagining that you are going to shake your head saying "no way are those the same colors". But they are! Granted, I didn't stick to just these four colors. I added ivory as well, and transparent ink violet and transparent straw yellow too. Those colors really enhanced the others though, they weren't the color combo deal breaker. Just one color did that.

See that color second from the left? Yeah, the one that looks as if it could be a hollow tube. That is a beautiful new color called "Streaky Pink". When I saw it I thought "ooohhh streaks of pink, I bet that is really pretty." I think I thought it would do a little sumthin' sumthin' like my cotton candy headpins. I found the color so intriguing and tempting that I decided it would be the first color I used when methodically working my way through all those 30+ color combos I shared. (Do you know how delighted my OCD alter ego, Carrie, was when I told her we would do that? Very very happy, indeed.) So, Sunday morning, first thing, I locked myself in the studio feeling that it had been far far too long since I last torched. I pulled the rods above and the extras I mentioned. Then, set to work.

The minute the streaky pink hit my torch flame I knew we weren't going to get along. I knew this color... it is that color. E.D.P. Yeah, evil defecating purple. It craps on all other colors and doesn't care. It ruins beautiful beads and doesn't feel remorse. NO, it has nothing to do with the skills of the artist using it. It is the glass. This glass sucks. OH, and what is that color in the center? Rubino Oro. You can't get too more opposite glasses in my opinion. EDP needs a near reduction flame (propane heavy, cold flame). For me, that brings a film of metal to the surface that I can easily etch off to reveal a lovely rich purple. The rubino oro needs a hot oxygen rich flame, but not too hot or you burn off the gold in it. A reduction flame turns rubino oro black. Insert frustrated grumbling and table kicking and a couple of choice swear words under my breath when I put this rod in the flame and it frosted the transparent ink it was next to and went a funky bleached out purple.

Okay okay, I am a professional glass artist. I can handle this. I refuse to let EDP get the best of me. I could to make this work. So I just went for it. I came up from the studio 2 and a half hours later with a dozen hollows soaking in the kiln. I had the feeling that they would come out as some of the prettiest beads I ever made, or the ugliest.

drum roll please,







Oh. My. Stars. I am so glad I made these beads! I didn't know how much I wanted/needed them, not how I saw in my head, but just like this. They are perfect and I love them. And they have already been wired up into and amazing necklace for my book two pitch. I called them "Swiftly Bound". I think they turned out pretty-ugly. The kind of ugly that is actually pretty and insanely hot right now. I love their random streaky goodness. They are rustic and hearty. I thought I wanted them to look like a fantastically viberant sunset but this works just as well.

Any happy/annoying/delightful/frustrating accidents happening in your studio these days?

Holiday Weekend Fun

We have had a rather delightful weekend around these parts. Ron had an extra long four day holiday weekend that extended through Tuesday. The heat is being oppressive (as it is all over the country, right) but we have kept busy and cool. On the 4th, we spent a few hours in the creek at Webster Park. On the 5th we rented movies and stayed inside with just short bursts out in the backyard to pick garden goodies and mowing the yard. Yesterday was my favorite though, we hung out all day in my studio!! Ron was finally ready to finish tackling the metalsmithing desk he started back in January. It couldn't come at a better time, but more on that another day. Not only did we do all of this, but I was also able to make beads and finish three more samples to pitch my second book. I couldn't be more excited.

Along the way, through the weekend, I have had my camera at my side for the Picture Summer project. (Today is the last day to sign up!!) I am love love loving the daily email prompts, the classroom discussions, the feedback from fellow students, and how I am getting to know my camera better. I am going to have fun on August 1st making a mosaic of the month!!

How did you spend your holiday weekend? And what are you doing to stay cool?

Twisted Tuesdays - Color Talk :: Inspired Combos

I think it is easy to see my love of color without ever having to actually hear me babble on about it. You look at my photos or my work and it is obvious. I.Love.Color. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Yesterday, I opened up a new shipment of glass rods, died, and went to glass/color heaven. I spent hours just sorting, playing, combining, photographing, and arranging rods. Time never flew by faster, I tell ya. I hope you enjoy the color collections I am made and find a few of them inspiring!! Dash over to your bead stash, pull out some goodies to match your favorite, and I would love for you to share your creations.









To see any of these images on there own, just pop on over to my Color Combos Flickr Gallery. What colors are inspiring you these days?

Low Fat Picnic Quilt

Way way back in August of 2009, I bought myself a couple of Anna Maria Horner's Fabric Stack Palette Piles. Instantly, I knew I couldn't bring myself to cut up those lovely fat quarters. So, I spent an afternoon piecing fat quarters together building a sweet and colorful facing for a new family quilt. You might remember the couple of photos I posted on Flickr here and here. I took that nicely ironed facing and tucked it away in my yarn stash suitcase where it sat through the start of the school year, the 2009 Fine Craft Show prep, the holidays, a blustery winter that saw the release of my book (Totally Twisted, of course!), my first experience teaching nationally, and one of the warmest springs on record. This week, prompted by the word "Picnic" from the Creativity Boot Camp, I finally pulled that facing back out to finish it up. The plan in mind being it will be our family picnic quilt.


Monday morning I was feeling different about cutting the fat quarters. Time didn't make my heart grow fonder, LOL... I still love love love every pattern, but I was okay with cutting them this time around. I took each one, and this time, cut it in half. LOL... now it is a "low fat", half a fat quarter, get it? Hee, hee, I kill me. Anywho, I laid them all out and sewed them up. I was giddy about how they were all coming together. When I squint at this picture, I see orange, yellow, and seafoam green. Doesn't that combo sound delish?




Yesterday was a rainy cold nasty day, and I am fighting this nasty head cold, so I didn't have a whole lot of energy to "work". But, I didn't mind sitting at my sewing machine and stitching a few straight lines. Now, this beautiful diddy will be folded up and tucked in the back of my van ready to serve as the best-ever-color-butt-kicking-coolest family picnic blanket. I am looking forward to spotting it in the background of photos from trips to the park, sitting on the sidelines at the kids' sports, and finding warmth under it when outside adventures get a little chilly.

Do you and yours have a favorite family picnic quilt/blanket? Maybe you ought to make one...

Pink Thinking

There has been some new developments with my secret project. So, I have to be a bit of an ostrich and stick my head in the sand. I am hoping to placate you with yummy photos of the pink beads I made yesterday. These are going to make some mighty pertty bangles. And check out those yummy cotton candy headpins!! Oh wait a second, is that a SQUARE, etched, EDP bead I see in the background? Yes, yes it is!

Good News, Bad News

Which do you want to hear first? The good or the bad? Not that you are actually going to answer me, but I thought I should at least ask. I think I will hit you with the bad news first...


Bad News: Bead Box beads just aren't happening this week. I had really hoped I could cast a magical spell and the beads would make themselves, photograph each other, and write up lovely descriptions about how you would love them, but *sigh* I lost my magic wand. I kinda had an inkling on Tuesday and Wednesday that I wasn't going to pull it off, but I was trying to be hopeful. Now, with all the secret happenings (eeekkk!!) I know that it won't happen this weekend either, but hopefully, HOPEFULLY, the end of next week. Y'all know I love ya, and want you to have pretty beads to play with, thank you for being patient with me.



Good news: I had about an hour yesterday between appointments I was able to sneak into the studio to whip up these bangles. I have had bangles on the brain lately. I love them! Besides my secret happenings, I am also working on a collection of designs to pitch my second book. Bangles are going to be a big part of the pitch, me thinks. Back to these ones though, I should share the inspiration that sent me into the studio yesterday. I ordered myself a set of bangles from Etsy seller: Bullfinch & Barbury. I love the rustic charm these have and, needless to say, the colors. It got me thinking, how would *I* do a continuous, slip-over-your-wrist bangle were I to give it a go? Why, I would use colored wire and glass, naturally. I wore these all afternoon, running around to appointments for the kids. They were a huge hit. They feel great on your wrist, they have just the right play-ability factor, they are colorful, and they turned out totally me. Oh, and see, I told ya that ledger would make a fantastic photo prop!

Artistic Interpretation

I was recently asked by Erin Prais-Hintz if I might want to take part in a special collaborative project with her. I won't ruin the surprise and spoil her plans before she has gotten to share the details with you. I can tell you this, for my part, she asked me if I would make her set of beads inspired by the painting on the left. The piece is called "Loose Goose" by artist Brenda Wenberg. (Sorry, no link available, Erin tells me Brenda isn't online.)

If I am being completely honest with you, I must tell you, this was the project last week causing "Creative Constipation". Of course, the minute I saw the pieces I was to interpret, my mind thought of a million things. Then I had to wait and wait and wait though mass kit production, and Bead Fest, and Spring break, before I finally had the opportunity to get into the studio and play around with ideas. Once finally able to play, I had no idea what I wanted to make anymore!! Should I do discs, should I do rounds, should I do hollows, what colors should I focus on, what shapes come at me the most? After 2 1/2 hours, I literally had all of four beads in the kiln, 2 of which were simple solid color spacer discs. Yeah, the ideas were stuck in my head and none wanted to come out.

So, I sent Erin an email requesting some more boundaries. This is where I separate "art" and "design". For me, an artist can look a blank slate and know just what they want to bring to the canvas. They are frustrated by boundaries and wants and needs of the people who will view their work. To me, designers have the opposite problem, give them a blank slate and they don't know what to do with it. BUT, give them some want (make it red!) or needs (for a bedroom) and watch out! Those designers can go nuts with ideas. When being asked to visual interpret another artist's work, I am acting as a designer, not an artist (even thought the end result is a work of art). That is just how my mind works. Once I had a few more "client guidelines", lol, OH OH OH was I excited about what ended up coming from the flame of my torch.

Check them out:




Not to toot toot my own horn, but aren't these FREAKIN' STINKIN' AMAZING?!?! Oh my stars, I am thrilled with them. I didn't want to put them in the mail and send them away I was so in love. Okay, here is what I thought... I noticed in Brenda's work, no inch of canvas is left on colored. There is something happening on every inch of the piece. There as just so many layers. So, I started to think about my classic "Mod Dot" style beads. What if, I filled all the empty space between the initial layer of dots? Then.. instead of dot on top of dots, let's go with them askew, and ivory. I wondered how I would add more interest and texture like the inspiration has. I decided to make plunged dots in the ivory. Then, I made it all pop with the coral dots that are sprinkled every where. To get an size canvas I needed to make these, I went with a large hollow bead as my base. Any lampworker will tell ya, making a plunged dot on a hollow bead is no easy task. You risk completely collapsing the hollow when you poke in the spot where you will trap the little bubble. I held my breath through so many moments of these beads! And each one took 30-45 mins to make.

It will be fun to see what comes of these beads in Erin's special project.