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.

Pantone Spring Colors

Before the holidays I mixed up these colors inspired by Pantone's Spring 2015 picks. I always find their palette inspiring. 

I finally made some time this week to make beads with these colors. 

For this collection I pulled the custard yellow, classic blue, strawberry ice, toasted almond, lucite green, glacier gray and tiny touches of tangerine. The looks so fresh and happy! 

My inspirations were lace patterns, butterfly wings, entwined vines and birds, lots and lots of birds. 

I find as soon as the world turns winter white and gray I am ravenous for color. Thankfully my bead table is quite the color feast!

So which spring hues are you digging? 

Inspiring Bead Shops: Perfectly Paired

I thought I would try something fun today and feature a few online bead shops that are worth a visit. These are friends of mine, but this is just me saying "oh, look here at what they've got" because these three hardworking beady women sure do inspire me! I've paired up their beads with a few of my Humblebeads Bead Mixes. Enjoy!

Ornamentea + Humblebeads
Ornamentea is a brick and mortar bead shop located in Raleigh, North Carolina run by Cynthia Deis. Ornametea has a super inspiring website with lots of free projects from trendy designers. They offer an eclectic array of mixed media and jewelry making supplies.Cynthia works with several different bead artists to round out her collection, which I love to see!

Humblebeads: Wild Bird Bead Mix

Ornamentea: Chexx Beads, Beveled Bayong Wood Beads, Green Girl Shibuichi Bird, Antique Brass Metal Spacers,  Harvest Gold Dupioni Silk
 

Stinky Dog Beads + Humblebeads
Kitty Bozzini has carved out quite the bead inspiring beauty of a website at Stinky Dog Beads. This is an online only bead shop that offers a beautifully curated collection of beads with photographs that just make you want to shop! Stinky Dog Beads offers lots of unique items that have my nature-lovin' heart going pitter-patter. Must shop the clasps.

Humblebeads: Woodland Bead Mix

Stinky Dog Beads: Central cut Picasso Czech glass beads, Double link chain, antique brass, Mykonos Peace dove, twig connector, Halo Heavens English cut Czech beads

The Curious Bead Shop + Humblebeads
Rebecca Anderson is the curious bead propieter behind The Curious Bead Shop. Rebecca's popular Etsy shop is run from home in Scotland! You may have seen Rebecca's jewelry featured here on my blog, she has a way with Humblebeads.  Rebecca's shop offers mainly Czech glass in so many yummy colors and styles but she is also branching out with findings, metal spacers, waxed linen and leather.

Humblebeads: Tribal Pattern Bead Mix

The Curious Bead Shop: Copper faceted cornerless cube, Orange Evening Ember Faceted Rondelles, Royal Blue Faceted Glass Bicones, Violet Opal Petals, Burnished Pink Leaves

Grab Bag Project Inspiration

Happy Saturday!!! My weekend is going to be filled with three things: beads, blueberries and birthdays. 

Beads because every spare minute is now crunch time for Bead Fest. (Booth 559A) Oh my, oh my, do I have some amazing things for this show. I'll be posting tons of picks next week. Follow me on Instagram for a behind the scene peak at prepping for a national bead show. (@humblebeads)

The other two B's - it's Blueberry Festival in my hometown and I love playing tourist. Checking out the craft show in the park, sidewalk sales, eatin' some berries, etc, etc. And birthdays, well for my nephew and my bday is on Monday and I like to celebrate it for a good 2-3 days!!! 

Back to beads - that's why you are here right? I'm having a huge clearance sale making way for all my new goodies. 

You can find 40% off grab bags in my Etsy shop. They are bright and cheerful and start at $25!!! 

It's a great way to stock up on focals and find some rare Humblebeads. 

Here is a free project as an example of what to do with those round focals: 

Dahila Necklace

Check out all the grab bags in my Etsy shop: 

Have an awesome weekend!!!

Bead Table Wednesday

So this is how I started my morning: working on a few pendants to take with those bracelets from yesterday down to my local art center.

They teach yoga classes there and I have these lovely zen-inspired word beads that I made earlier this summer. I'm hoping these speak to those ladies who are there each week to unwind.

I had the pendants at Bead & Button, but just added them to my Etsy shop today.  Maybe you'd like to make necklace that speaks to you!

So what's on your bead table today? 
Share in the InLinkz tool below for Bead Table Wednesday or on Instagram by using #BeadTableWednesday

An InLinkz Link-up

Birds, Butterflies and Retreat Sneak Peek

It's 5 o'clock on Friday. It's been a week. Crazy. Busy. Not at the top of my game kind of week. But orders are going out the door. Deadlines are being met.  New ideas are churning.  But I'm tired today and should have something witty and awesome to say about these little birds, but I will let them and the poets do the talking instead.

"A bird doesn't sing a song because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song." - Maya Angelou

"Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best."  - Author unknown

"Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings." - Victor Hugo

Blooms and Birds Sets on Etsy

BIG SNEAK PEEK!!!!

So what is this bit of amazing butterfly action about? Oh, just a little fantastic mixed media class I will be teaching at my Inspired by Nature Fall Retreat this year.  Mark the dates, this year it's going to be October 17-19th here in South Haven, MI.  I will only have 17 spots this time around so if you have been dreaming about attending for the last 3 years - don't miss out this year.  Tomorrow I will have the complete details on the blog and registration will open.  No early bird registration this year.  

"Just as the bird sings or the butterfly soars, because it is his natural characteristic, so the artist works." - Alma Gluck

For the Love of Color

It's all about the color, color, color! Loving playing with color palettes each morning before I start working on bead orders. It's been so much fun to go crazy with mixing colors. I'm squirreling away beads for Bead & Button but also putting some in my shop for those who won't be able to attend the show.  

I may have to make a set of these for myself.  Wouldn't a little family of birds make a fun necklace or bracelet?

Inspired by my Totem Earrings last week I made a few sets of tiny disk beads that would be fun to stack together in an earring design.  These are also cute paired with charms for fast and easy earrings.

Yes, these were definitely inspired by my latest island visits on the Bead Cruise! Loving these bright, tropical colors!

You can find the new beads in my Etsy shop.  If you loving all these posts on color and would like to learn my tricks for color mixing and making beads check out my upcoming workshop.

Willam Morris Beads

You know when an artist just speaks your language?  Their images just make your soul sing?  Designer William Morris speaks my language - loud and clear.  Mr. Morris was a textile designer who was part of the Arts & Crafts Movement which celebrated the marriage of nature, design and the handmade. The Arts and Crafts Movement was from the 1860s-1910's.

"It stood for traditional craftsmanship using simple forms and often applied medieval, romantic or folk styles of decoration." - Wikipedia

That my kind of movement!   Inpsired by William Morris' designs and colors I created three sets of pendants and beads in a few of my favorite styles.

Above is Honeysuckle.  Oh my gosh, I loved tasting honeysuckle as a kid and every time I smell those sweet blossoms it takes me right back to my childhood.

This set is called Willow Bough inspired by the branches of a Weeping Willow tree.  I love, love this design. Jess made me the most spectacular jewelry box with the pattern on the front of it.  It's definitely near and dear to my heart.

And the last design is called Windrush.  I've seen it in several colorways over the years but decided to go with a blue/teal monochromatic design.

You can find these in my Etsy shop.  I only have a few sets available now. These are some of the new styles I will have at Bead & Button this year as I'm working on a series of Art Inspired beads.  Which ones are your favorite?

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!

Winter Whites

I was inspired this month to work up some Art Deco inspired gingkos and a necklace fit for a roaring 20's flapper.  Boy did they have amazing style back in the day.  We are having a 1920's costume party on the Bead Cruise in a few months, so I'm sure you'll see several designs influenced by this time period as I work up something to wear.  I pulled in some muted colors to accent my shabby chic white gingko leaf.  The Czech glass in teal and bronze are accented by a ceramic bead from Gaea.  I love the little touches of sparkle the faceted brass beads add to the beaded links.  I'm so glad I bought several strands of those at the last show!  Although now I wish I had bought them in bulk.  You can never buy too many of favorite beads. 

Here is a close up of the gingko leaf.  I've wanted to make one forever, I don't know what it took so long.  These were first created for the December Bead of the Month Club. 

These beaded links are so fun and easy to make.  Cut 10" of 22 gauge brass wire, fold it in half and create a wrapped loop in the center of the wire.  String on the peanut seed beads on both sides and them create a wrapped loop with one wire and then wrap the other wire around the bottom of the loop.  Trim of the excess wire and tuck in the edges.  

I created these earrings to match the necklace but they are flying off to a good home now!  I used tiny pewter beads from Green Girl Studio with my Birch disk beads.  

 

Teen Stocking Stuffers

As daughters of a jewelry maker, my girls kind of luck out in the stocking stuffer department.  I always make them a few special pieces of jewelry that I tuck in with the bath stuff, hair do-dads, cosmetics and art supplies.  In fact, shopping for those stockings are one of my favorite holiday customs. 

I put together three collections of stocking stuffers based on three new types of tiny charm pendants I'm offering in my Etsy shop.  All the items below are from indie Etsy artists and there is plenty of time to order things for delivery before the big day.  Click on the tiny thumbnails below each collage for links to the products.

Nature Girl Stocking Stuffers by humblebeads 

First up the Nature Girl Collection featuring my Charmed Nest Tiny Pendants.  This teen is delicate and reserved.  She loves birds, trees and nests, walks in the woods, poems by Emily Dickinson.  Sweet vanilla, lavender and fresh citrus are her favorite fragrances.  She keeps her face natural and fresh with just a hint of color.  You'll find her in soft sweaters, cozy scarves and woolen mittens during the winter months.  She is a dreamer, filled with hope - she keeps a notebook nearby to write poetry. 

Flower Girl Stocking Stuffers by humblebeads

The second collection is for the Flower Girl featuring my Charmed Tiny Pendants in my willow design.  She's feminine and bubbly with a little boho flavor.  She loves floral prints, skirts and her favorite pair of jeans.  She's drawn towards natural floral fragrances like honeysuckle and lilac.  She likes her florals bold and graphic for a modern look.  She loves to tie her back into romantic twists or swept up. Petal soft colors are her favorites for her eyes with lips and checks stained with a blush of rose. Her day dreams are of true love and she's sure to keep a journal to make sense of the world. 

Artsy Girl Stocking Stuffers by humblebeads featuring hair accessories

This set is for the Artsy Girl.  She is wild and carefree and completely creative.  Who knows what she'll wear. It could be a t-shirt with a saying you don't get with striped tights and mini-skirt one day.  Or maybe an owl t-shirt with bright teal jeans and a leather jacket the next day.  Her wardrobe is an adventure.  Look for cute, irreverent items for her that are a bit trendy, like my Charmed Tiny Pendant in an owl or mushroom design.  She needs lots of notebooks because her brain in hard to contain.  Pencils that say it all will be a big hit.  Go adventurous with cosmetics - bright and funky nail polish, lip gloss in purple and bath supplies that look like baked goods will keep her happy. 

My Charmed Tiny Pendants are hand painted polymer clay charms on waxed linen cord, they are packaged on cardstock and ready to give!  I have been giving these as gifts since the summer and all of my nieces, cousins and yes, even my daughters have loved them.  I get such a thrill when I see them sporting them - it's like yes, I rate with a teen - is there is a bigger compliment!

I'm feeling all McGifty today, so let's do a giveaway between now and Saturday for one of my Charmed Tiny Pendants of your choice.

Take a minute to leave a comment to let me know which type of girl you are shopping for this holiday season.  Not shopping for girls?  Let me know which girl you are then!  You'll get a second entry if you Pin one of the collages above.  Make sure to let me know you did in a comment below.