Selling is Sharing

Here is a photo of my jewelry booth at a market day in San Antonio with my mom from a few years ago. I haven't sold my jewelry much lately. I mostly sell around the holidays and to a small gallery here in town. Of course, I'm too busy making beads for all of you to work on jewelry! After the cruise I am going to work on a new line of jewelry that I've been thinking and dreaming about for a few years.

Elaine Ray has written a nice article on "conversational selling" over at our new blog, the Art Bead Scene. Go check it out. We have lots of fun planned for this group blog.

The cruise sets sail on Monday, I can not wait! Now there will be some jewelry to oohh and ahhh over.

Bracelets

I haven't had time to make anything new, other than filling orders.

So here are a few bracelets from the files that are a variation on a theme. Read Robin Atkins blog entry about working in a series. Good food for thought. Can't wait to start working on new beads, new jewelry...where is that 25th hour?

My Beading Instructor

You are the beads beneath my wings...

She's my best friend, my partner in crime, Lucy to my Ethel. Well some days I'm Lucy and she's Ethel, either way we are in trouble. Oh yeah and she's my Mom. She is my biggest cheerleader and supports me in all my crazy ideas. Thank goodness!

The bead doesn't roll far from the table.

You can see her beady talent at No Easy Beads. I've learned all my beading skills from her. One Thanksgiving it was the peyote stitch, 4th of July was Bead Crochet, last Spring it was bead embroidery. Every time we get together she has something new to teach me.

Here are the examples of the Mayan Cuff bracelet that she taught me last year. This is the sold out class she is teaching on the cruise. Mine is on the left, the right one is Mom's. I'm counting down the days until the Bead Cruise. I can't wait to hang out with my Mom for a whole week, beading our little hearts out!

Spring Beads

Okay, so I guess wishes are beads because my table is now full. Rings & Things shows are always filled with tons of semi-precious stones. So that's what I stocked up on and findings, but you didn't want to see pictures of headpins, did you? Oh, I did get all sorts of copper and blackened brass findings. Here is the new bead stash burning a whole into my table, just waiting for me to come bead.

Stones, pearls, wood and copper beads.

A HUGE carved jade pendant, 3 inches wide.

Various stone pendants


Yes I did find some birds, at the local stamp/paper arts store. They were bright brass and I blackened them with Silver/Black Patina. They are so tiny. Won't they look cute with these?


Here are some beads with the branches theme that I made last week.
So that's my bead table. Show me what's on your table awaiting some of your creative flair. Post about it on your blog and put a link in my comments section.

Beadmakers Blog Ring

If you make beads and blog, join the ring!

Bead Shopping List

Tomorrow Rings & Things will be in town for a bead show. Here is what's on my wish list:
Bird charms
bronze colored shell beads
pearls, big and imperfect
copper colored glass beads
faceted stone rectangles of some kind
smoky quartz in a faceted shape
amazonite
some chain, maybe? (sterling or brass)
bronze castings, if they have any.
The basics:
crimp beads
sterling silver earwires
okay, now I'm off to experiment with some beaded crocheted elements. Don't you love vague descriptions?
May all your beady wishes come true this weekend!

Advice for Artists

Here is a sneak peek at the samples I made for an upcoming event. Gee, what could that be? But no color for you - I have to save some surprises for my Bead Cruise folks.

Bead-arts.com has featured me on their blog today:

BA: What is your best piece of advice for those who would like to rise in their level of artistry?

HP: I would say discover your own visual language. Find what images and symbols inspire you and let that be the starting point of your own creative process. Never copy, learn from others and translate basic techniques into something new. Also experiment, try new techniques or other mediums, you’ll grow as an artist. Always be willing to take risks and follow your own path.

Read the rest of the interview here.

Trivia: Why is my business named Humblebeads? A free bead for the first person that posts the answer in my comments section!

Free Bracelet Project

Thanks to the good folks at Beads, Baubles and Jewels, you can download my cuff bracelet project, right here. (it's a pdf)

Carla of Cobweb Corner shared a wonderful tip with me. You can use a bead spinner to put the seed beads directly on the memory wire! She said it saved her lots of time, since stringing seed beads can be tedious work.

You can find bead spinners here.

Or if you are feeling crafty, here are directions to make your own bead spinners.

I offer kits for this bracelet in purple, teal, olive, blue, copper or black/silver.

I want to thank Polymer Clay Daily for featuring me on their website yesterday. What a thrill!

Spring Hues

Copper and olive are in high demand at humblebeads.com right now. Wouldn't they be perfect with the new brass and copper findings & charms?

Here are some beads in colors that sing of tiger lilies, new growth and give an edge to Spring fashion neutrals. Think natural linen with olive green and bronze. Khaki with copper accessories.

Spacers in copper, bronze and metallic olive, great for accents or earrings.

6-hole cuff beads in metallic olive and copper.

Copper Lariat, a long tube bead. Use them together in a necklace or separately as pendants.

Here is a bracelet that I made for myself a while ago using disk beads in copper.

Trends

Oh please bead world, don't let natural brass elements in jewelry be a passing trend. I'm so in love with the look of natural brass. I can't wait to mix it in with some of my jewelry designs. It appeals to my art deco sensibility.

I have a few ideas floating around in my head. Like a series of square branch beads to compliment the bird charms that are popping up everywhere.

Need some inspiration? Check out Vintaj's project page. Also the latest issue of Beadwork's Stringing is wonderful eyecandy and then there is Belle Armoire's Jewelry issue. That should get your designer wheels turning.

(photo from the Vintaj website.)

Under the Sea

You must go look at this jewelry. Robyn Gordon's polymer clay and mixed media jewelry inspired by the sea is just amazing.

And here are a few of my jewelry creations inspired by the mysterious world beneath the blue.

Needle-felted forms embellished by beads.


Polymer clay beads inspired by various sea urchins. I can't wait to go snorkeling again in Cozumel, only 23 days to go!

Marching Ahead

Okay, let's start this blog off by renewing my monthly to-do list.

This is the big month, the Bead Cruise is on the 26th! So lots of things to do before we set sail.

1. Write new instructions for 1 class.

2. Complete samples for gift bags.

3. Put together gift bags.

4. Write content for Bead Cruise Program.

5. Design Bead Cruise Program.

6. Stock up on inventory

This is along with filling orders. The goal is to have everything done two weeks before the cruise. I want to be relaxed and enjoy every minute of my working vacation!