March 19, 2014

Bead Table Wednesday

Finishing up some last minute Bead Cruise beads before I head out tomorrow. These are my hibiscus flower pendants in process.

See you all March 31st when I return with the Mojo Challenge. You have two weeks to catch up or revisit your favorite challenges so far.


So what's on your Bead Table today? Share the good, the bad or the truely messy!

March 16, 2014

Vintaj Art Bead Partner

I'm so excited to announce today that I'm the next Vintaj Art Bead Partner!

Vintaj and Humblebeads go together like peas and carrots.  Their earthy natural brass, copper and arte metal findings are the perfect compliment to my nature-inspired designs.  Last year the Vintaj team assigned me the theme of field journal and I could have been more pleased with such a sweet theme. 

You can win that big pile of Vintaj and Humblebeads above - click here to enter.

The Vintaj team has put together a Pinterst board with my beads, their components, jewelry they made for the theme and a few tutorials. They will be featuring the Field Journal theme on their website this month and on their blog.  


The Vintaj Partner beads will be in my Etsy shop while I'm on the Bead Cruise.  My assistant will be shipping out Etsy orders while I'm gone.  Poor guy, I go on vacation for a week - he gets to go to the Post Office.  


If you are quick you can still use the discount code SAILAWAY for 25% off your Etsy order today.  

March 12, 2014

Bead Table Wednesday


There may be 6" of new fallen snow outside my window, but in my mind I'm already lazing on tropical beaches in the Bahamas.  My bead table this week is filled with prep work for the Bead Cruise.

On the Bead Cruise we have a costume party every year and this year the theme is Disco.  So I needed some crazy, long golden and big ol' hoop earrings to go with my ensemble! Check out my Disco Dance Fever Pinterest Board for some fun.

I also made a starfish bracelet that was going to go in the Bead Cruise booklet but got chopped due to space limits. I will write up the tutorial for the Art Bead Scene when I get back from the cruise.  It features a sweet pendant from my friend Erin (Tesori Travoti). There are also beads from Genea and BlueberriBeads. The back of the starfish says, "Refresh Your Soul." That's just what the sun, sand and surf will do, that and hanging out with 50 amazing bead-obsessed cruise buddies. Nothing like kindred spirits to refresh the soul.

And then, we are working our tails off on orders and stocking up for the cruise.  Yep, that's my Wednesday.  You can't even SEE the table tops around here - don't be fooled by my neat and tidy presentation above.


Bead Table Wednesday is a fun way to connect with other beady creatives. You can share your bead table or work in progress - messy or staged. There are no rules! Share your post  below or on Instagram. Use the hashtag #beadtablewednesday. 

So what's on your bead table?

Use the Inlinkz button to share your blog link and connect with other bead and jewelry artists.


March 11, 2014

Big Sale and March Schedule

Hello Friends!

March is whizzing by and I'm making my final Bead Cruise preparations which means winding down my production schedule and putting my shops on vacay next week.

I will traveling on the Bead Cruise from the 20th until the 28th. (Don't hate me!)


Humblebeads will be open until March 18th. 


Shipping Schedule:

Etsy
Etsy orders will ship daily until March 18th.

Website
Website orders placed before Thursday 3/13 will ship out by Monday 3/17. 

Please note: website orders placed after the 13th will ship April 2nd.

Stock Up Sale - Click on over to my Etsy shop and save 25% off your order with code SAILAWAY until Friday.  This includes new items, sales and bead bundles - everything! These items are in stock and ready to ship.

Shop the Sale Now! www.humblebeads.etsy.com

March 10, 2014

Mojo Challenge Week 4: Findings

It's week 4 of the Jewelry Making Mojo Challenge! I hope you've had a chance to jump in and have been inspired to create some amazing jewelry over the last three weeks. I love seeing and reading about your creative adventures in our Facebook group.

Your Assignment:
Make some findings and use them in your jewelry.  It can be earwires, clasps or chain.  You can make them out of anything - anything.  Wire, metal, beads, seed beads, polymer clay, metal clay - whatever is calling your name, jump in and give it a try!

Get creative, have fun and don't forget to share your work with us.


Two toggle clasps that I created - making your own findings takes your jewelry to the next level! 

Tips for Making Your Own Findings:
Practice, practice, practice.  Plan to make several pieces before you have one that is ready to use in your jewelry.  Practice with copper wire if you are making wire findings before moving on to silver.  Copper is a very soft metal, brass is much harder - keep that in mind when working.

Finding Inspiration:





Share your progress!
If you write a blog post about your Week 4 Challenge share the link by clicking on the blue button below.  If you don't have a blog leave a comment here to let me know you participated in the Facebook group this week.

What is the Jewelry Mojo Challenge? Click here to read all about it.  Can you still join? Yes! You can follow along and do all 12 weeks or pick and choose the ones you find inspiring.  


March 5, 2014

Bead Table Wednesday

Today it's all about filling orders and creating inventory. Yep, we live and work in a bead factory and from now until the Bead Cruise we pretty much eat, sleep and breathe beads. Nothing makes me more creative than a deadline!

These are my lovely birch and nest disk beads, so sweet for Spring. Hurry Spring!!! 


Bead Table Wednesday is a fun way to connect with other beady creatives. You can share your bead table or work in progress - messy or staged. There are no rules! Share your post in the link below or on Instagram. Use the hashtag #beadtablewednesday. 

So what's on your bead table?

March 3, 2014

Mojo Challenge Week 3: Back to School

Welcome to week 3 of the Jewelry Making Mojo Challenge. It's been so much fun to see all those bead soup and challenge projects. 

Your Assignment:
It's time to go back to school! Learning something new is a super way to get your jewelry making mojo kicked into high gear. 

Find a project in a book, magazine or online (tutorials and videos are perfect for this challenge) and create a piece of jewelry inspired by the project.

If you blog about your assignment, be sure to share the link to the tutorial or book.

(I can't talk about books without showing mine!!!!)

Back to School Tips:
Pick a project that you already have the materials on hand or can easily get them, since this is a weekly challenge! Substitute beads that you already have on hand rather than going on a shopping expedition. 

Don't spend too much time searching for the project. I'm sure you already have one you've pinned or bookmarked that you have been wanting to try but haven't had the time.

Schedule your "class" on your calendar this week so that you actually make the time to do this challenge.

Memory Wire Cuff Bracelet Tutorial
The Library:
Humblebeads Projects (40 free projects)
Bead Cruise Program - this is my annual mini-magazine I create for the Bead Cruise.
Art Bead Scene Free Projects
Vintaj Projects
B'Sue Boutique Videos
Beading Daily Projects
Fusion Bead Projects 
Lima Beads Projects 
Nunn Designs
Beaducation
Ornamentea

Share your progress!
If you write a blog post about your Week 3 Challenge share the link by clicking on the blue button below.  If you don't have a blog leave a comment here to let me know you participated in the Facebook group this week.

What is the Jewelry Mojo Challenge? Click here to read all about it.  Can you still join? Yes! You can follow along and do all 12 weeks or pick and choose the ones you find inspiring. 
 

March 2, 2014

Garden Patina - Inspirations

I've been spending a few hours this week playing with some new ideas and styles inspired by my trend research.  Loving metallic accents, patina and geometric shapes like daggers, triangles and coins. 

Here is another version on my ginkgo, I'm slightly obsessed with them for some odd reason.  I think I like the art nouveau feel of them.

I'm finding this shape incredibly inspiring and plan on working up an earring tutorial for the Bead Cruise program booklet - you'll be able to see that at the end of March when I get back from the cruise. 

I'm dreaming of old weathered garden gates, the patina on aged copper, walking in warm places and feeling a connection to the past.  Yep, that's all wrapped up into my beads this week.  It's been a long time since I've just played with clay and made one-of-a-kind pieces.  Some of these beads may become part of my regular line, but getting a handle on the patina to make it do what I want every time is a little tricky.  So enjoy them while they are around!

This is a tutorial I did for the Art Bead Scene a few years ago, I could see it in copper and patina to match these beads!  Hmm, I may have to give that a try.  Click here for the tutorial.

The whole collection went in my Etsy shop today.  Stop on by to see what's left, they are already flying out the door!