Upcoming Events

I am teaching two workshops in Baltimore next month. If you've wanted to attend my annual retreat this is the next best thing for you East Coast girls! 

The workshops are March 7 & 8 and you can find all the details and sign up here: 

http://www.baltimorebead.org/weekend-workshops/

I am teaching the Metal Sketches workshop pictured above. Learn how to sketch on metal and create unique clasps and findings to use in your jewelry designs.

I'm also teaching a beadmaking workshop sharing how to create the Hibiscus Flower Pendant featured below. That will be a full day polymer clay beadmaking, wire and metalwork - yeah mixed media!!! 

I'm about to go down the rabbit hole and venture off on Bead Cruise 2015. Our 10th anniversary has a fun Alice in Wonderland theme that I am loving! 

My Etsy shop will be closed until 2/23. You may still place orders at Humblebeads.com but orders won't be filled until after I return. 

Poppies

I created new poppy pendants to go with this month's Art Bead Scene challenge. Be sure to stop by the ABS this month and play along! 

I created them in a few colors to match some silk I picked up for the Bead Cruise. Most of these are going with me on the cruise but I added a few in my Etsy shop.

My shop will close tonight at midnight and will reopen when I return from my travels on the 23rd. 

Wedgwood Inspired Beads

I've been working on some new beads inspired by Wedgwood Pottery. The type of pottery is actually called Jasperware. It has a white raised relief sculpture on a matte background. 

I whipped these up in spring colors and paired them with birds and leafy disk beads.

You can find a few of them in my Etsy shop.

Flamenco Bird Pendant Free Project

I love the way these tiny glass lentils and flowers dance under this trio of colorful birds. Free feel to make your own version of this fun pendant.

Supplies:

3 polymer clay birds

5 8mm Czech glass lentil beads

3 Czech glass flower beads

4mm fire polished glass bead

2 8mm copper spacers

1 5mm copper spacer

2 15mm Arte Metal jump rings

5 7mm gunmetal jump rings

2 4mm gunmetal jump rings

26" gunmetal cable chain

3 1" brass headpins

8" 22 gauge steel wire.

1. Attach a 7mm jump ring to the lentil bead, repeat 4 times. Set aside.

2. Add a flower bead to a headpin, create a simple loop. Repeat 2 more times.

3. At 2" from the bottom of the wire, create a large loop with round nose pliers. Open the loop the chain nose pliers and add the 3 flower dangles. Close the loop and and wrap the remaining tail of the wire above the loop to create a wrapped loop.

3. String on a bird, 8mm spacer, bird, 8mm spacer, bird, 4mm spacer, fire polished beads.

4. Create a wrapped loop on above the last bead.

5. Open a 15mm jump ring, string on the 5 lentil dangles and the bottom of the bird pendant, close the jump ring.

6. Attach the 4mm jump rings to each end of the chain.

7. Open a 15mm jump ring, string on the top of the bird pendant and two jump rings on the end of the chain. Close jump ring.

Resources: Birds: www.humblebeads.etsy.com. Glass beads: www.fusionbeads.com. Spacers: www.rings-things.com. Headpins, chain and jump rings: www.hobbylobby.com. Steel wire: www.acehardware.com. 

Valentine Inspirations

How is it February already? Well, I guess that just means we are all that much closer to Spring! And I'm ready for it. Right. Now. 

So Valentines Day is in 10 days, it also happens to be the day I set sail for Bead Cruise 2015. We are celebrating our 10th anniversary. The sari silk above is my inspiration color palette for beads I'm making for the cruise. 

My favorite heart pendants capture those colors too. 

I snapped this sunrise a few weeks ago. Those colors have been on my bead table ever since. It was the perfect break from January's monochromatic gray and snowy white. A little slice of heaven was captured that morning. This world is filled with wonder! 

In fact, that very day I sat down and made these birds inspired by the sunrise! Loving peachy/pink hues this year. 

Need more Valentines inspiration? Check out this wire heart tutorial that I shared on the Art Bead Scene last year. 

http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2014/02/tutorial-tuesday-wire-heart-pendant.html

What helps you cope with the mid-winter blahs?