Featured Designer: Martha Thomas

I love seeing what my customers make with their Humblebeads! Please don't let your art beads stay hidden away in boxes, pull those treasures out and make something to wear or to give as a gift.  

Art beads are happiest in fresh air being admired by all!

I thoroughly enjoy seeing jewelry show up in my Facebook feed that feature my beads! I'm always thrilled at how clever designers are and love seeing all the different ways my beads are used. If you share something on Facebook make sure you tag me either as Heather Powers or Humblebeads. Or share your creations directly on my Facebook page. 

Martha Thomas of Martha's Ruby Acorn is one such designer who brightens my day every time I see one of her jewelry creations sporting a Humblebead! So much so, that I just had to share some of my favorites with you.  Enjoy the eye candy! 

A bright and sunny Van Gogh Sunflower Long bead is paired up with lampwork glass and lush silk ribbon.

 

Humblebeads Bittersweet disk beads are paired with pearls. I love the little touches here like the bead caps on the bottom of the pearls and the pieces of wire curled into tendrils.

One of my favorite pieces from Martha pairs up my Peacock bracelet cuff with a few peacock Humblebeads disks and complemented by a rustic bit of silk ribbon for a very bohemian effect.

Martha is really strutting her stuff with the peacock theme - I love it! Here the peacock pendant is paired with lampwork beads, peanut seed beads and accents of Czech glass. Isn't using the waxed linen a great way to showcase those lampwork beads.

This necklace exudes happiness! The Humblebeads Rainbow Butterfly is set among Czech glass flowers and lampwork spacers in this colorful creation. Notice the colorway on of the peanut seed beads? I love that little touch!

This pair of earrings really caught my attention. What a great way to make tiny charms get noticed! Great mix of materials with the leather, waxed linen and metal findings. 

 Martha used a few beads from one of my Blooms & Birds sets to create this fun bracelet. Very clever asymentrical design here using the bead color to unite the three larger elements and even though they are very different they have have the same visual weight which makes this bracelet a very pleasing design.

H: Martha how long have you been making jewelry and what's the story behind your business name?

M: I've been making jewelry for about eight and a half years now. I never tire of playing with textures and colors. The name for my shop came about like this . . . I love the simplicity of acorns, as well as the saying: inside every acorn is an entire forest. To round out the name I included my birthstone: ruby. And voila! Ruby Acorn was born!

 You can find Martha's shop at Martha's Ruby Acorn on Etsy.

Thank you Martha for sharing your creations with us!

Humblebeads In Action

Finally got my jewelry making mojo back after Bead Fest, I found time this weekend to make a few pieces with new Humblebeads and beads that I picked up at the show.

The iris bracelet above pairs up my new beads with a new instant favorite - White Clover Kiln! Mary makes beautiful round ceramic beads in colors that look like we sat down and made beads together. Humblebeads and White Clover Kiln - they were made for each other! The bracelet is knotted on metallic colored leather cord. 

  Iris Beads

I painted these new leaves to look like weathered patina. I paired them up with a faceted bead from Firefly Designs, a raven from Diane Hawkey and a round bead from White Clover Kiln. This stacked totem pendant was also created by knotting beads on leather cord. (Notice a theme?)

Patina Leaf Pendants

And finally I took the Art Bead Scene's monthly challenge. You can see all three pieces that I made here and read about the art beads featured.

Falling Leaves Disk Beads

My Etsy shop is filled with new beads from Bead Fest, be sure to stop by and see if something catches your attention.

Lots of new adventures on the horizon, including moving into a new house with a bigger studio. Yeah! It's only about 10 minutes away, but a move is a move.  Boo! Hmm, I need to hire someone that could pack, they would know exactly how to organize my random junk and could weed out all the things we don't really need. Oh wait, that's like a fairy godmother, not a mover.  Well, that would work too!

My fall is crazy with creative goodness:
HumbleHoliday - Pet ornaments, decor and holiday cards coming soon.
Polymer Clay Cane Design Bootcamp - starting this week!
Inspired by Nature Fall Retreat - I have two openings due to a cancellation.
Baltimore Bead Society Workshop and Presentation in November. Details soon.

Clever You!

I love seeing what you guys do with your Humblebeads.  You can share you links or photos on my Facebook page.  Today my friend Rose Noble sent me the link to this necklace - she totally rocked my tiny charm into an eye-catching pendant.  Love lemon and teal!

Fellow ABS blogger Rebbecca Anderson created this garden-inspired bracelet with one of my dogwood beads.  Love the tiny wisps of threaded knots between the beads.

My dear friend Erin Prais-Hintz used my beads in this FABU tutorial and feature on the B'Sue Boutiques website.  This is going to be an ongoing series with Erin using art beads paired up with the product line from B'Sue Boutiques, so it's one to watch.  Erin always inspires me and amazes me with what she can create.  Now, the sad news is I don't make these pendants anymore.  I couldn't get consistent results even with using the exact same materials - but I think this bracelet would be pretty fantastic with my new Hibiscus pendants or even the dogwood pendants above.  You can find the tutorial here.

My final show and tell today is a fun pair of earrings from the talented designer and long time bead buddy Lorelei Eurto.  She makes it looks so effortless.  She paired up my disks with some ceramic charms from Elaine Ray.

You know what I would love to see? Your projects inspired by my book or the projects in there.  Have you made something inspired by Jewelry Designs from Nature? 

Now I have you all worked up to pull out your Humblebeads right?  Heck yeah!  So guess what I'm also offering 20% off in my Etsy shop for today and tomorrow.  Sweet inspiration sent right to your door.  Use discount code BLOOMING when you check out.

Happy Creating!