Bead Loot

Yesterday I had a great time at the Innovative Bead Expo here at the Allentown Fairgrounds.  I was happy that it wasn't too crowded, but disappointed that three of my favorite vendors were not in attendance.  That being said, I still managed to spend almost three hours browsing, dreaming of designs in my head, chatting with others...and of course buying!

Every time I thought I was ready to leave, I made another loop and found something else that interested me.  I managed to keep myself under budget and came home with some great finds.  I passed on buying any semi-precious gemstones, as they seemed to be priced fairly high.  The vendor I like to buy my gemstones from wasn't there...hoping they will be there in the spring!

Here's a sampling of what I got:

 

Ceramic pendants in perfect fall colors.  My plan is to combine them with textured copper plate, knotted waxed linen, leather cord and some beads. 

I purchased these from my favorite ceramic bead vendor.  I previously made a couple of pairs of earrings with the light teal ovals and they sold before I could list them on Etsy.  So, I am delighted that I was able to get them again.  I couldn't resist the patina'd, dark iridescent purple and the rainbow ovals...ideas are brewing. 

 

Handmade lampwork beads. I love the orange and purple beads, that have a cute little flower design on the sides.  The designer of these beads (PJBeads) was super friendly and very helpful...she turned me onto the lilac and green striped ones, wouldn't have found them without her.  From another vendor I found these gorgeous olive green and deep dark red, two of my favorite colors (oh no...the photo makes them look bright red, but they are really deep dark red!). Already know what I am going to make with them.

I just couldn't resist these tribal beads, handmade in a small village in Africa.  Love the striped deep green color mixed with red, brown, gold, cream, blue and some other colors.  These will make a nice necklace and knotted bracelet. 

Believe it or not, these are ceramic charms.  Aren't those fish and hands cute?  The neat thing is that the fish have a copper finish that you can oxidize and then burnish to shine.  My head was swirling with ideas!

 

These were a great find and a steal deal!  Cute little pewter charms (apparently I was a in a flower mood ~ I am missing the summer blooms)...I have plans to combine these with knotted macrame bracelets. 

 

I always save the best for last!  I'm am over the moon excited about finding Gilders Paste at the show - my local art shops have stopped carrying it and I really didn't want to pay the shipping to purchase online.  I was finally able to complete my color collection.  This one is a gorgeous iridescent olive green.  I also got silver, dark red, violet and aqua blue.  These are great to use on textured metal to give a little pop of color.


I got quite a few more beads, mostly some rustic Czech glass beads and a couple of grab bags with some great finds inside.  I came home excited to start making stuff...however, my brain was overloaded with ideas - and I just wasn't able to concentrate to make more than two pairs of earrings.  Will save those photos for another day.

Hope you all had a great weekend - the leaves are changing, the air is cool & fresh...may you all enjoy the beauty of FALL!

Live. Laugh. Love.

Blog Revival

So...I know, I know...my blog has been pretty much dead in the water for two years (WOW...how time flies!).  Not sure what happened, but somehow I think I lost my blogging mojo.  Well, maybe it wasn't a loss of mojo, but rather pure laziness lack of motivation.  After all, it's much more fun to make jewelry than to attempt to write a creative post on your blog.

Getting my blog up and running again has been on my bucket list of "things to do" f-o-r-e-v-e-r!! So on this lazy Sunday, I decided to whittle away at my bucket list: #1 was to work on my blog.  I spent three hours this morning, adding/ deleting/ tweaking & playing around with it (Note: I probably should have been cleaning the house, doing laundry, cutting the grass and whole lot of other things...that weren't nearly as much fun)

I think I am finally happy with it - for now - but that may all change tomorrow....I can be so indecisive at times.  I'm hoping this revival will last and I will keep to my own personal goal of posting weekly - I think I'm going to make it my Sunday morning while enjoying a hot cup of Java routine!

Now for some fun stuff..here's peek at what I've made this weekend.

Hand formed and soldered copper rings. Going to hammer texture some of them and then give them a colored patina coating. 

Etched copper plates.   I am always amazed at what a little ferric chloride can do to copper stamped with a design.  I cut out some disks and random shapes from them. 

Copper kidney ear wires.  I learned how to make these a few weeks ago and I've been addicted.  I like to embellish them with glass seed beads and wire wrapping. 

The Pièce de résistance from those findings...

Hand cut copper disks that I hand shaped into bead caps.  Paired them with yellow blue (they look kind of green) Czech glass rectangles and creamy pearlized seed beads.  Oh and my embellished kidney ear wires!

Large dark red quartz teardrops, topped off with handmade etched copper bead caps and paired with black onyx donuts.

Love these carved wooden beads, periwinkle blue flower beads dangle below.  I like how these beads look hanging from kidney ear wires.  I wire wrapped the ear wires so the beads are secure and won't fall off.

When you etch copper the edges that don't have any stamping on them gets this neat little wrinkly pattern.  Not wanting to waste any metal, I decided to turn the edges into these sweet rectangle swings.  I riveted the rectangles together, so the copper ovals are secure.  Sweet little amber and gold flower beads and unakite rounds dangle below. 

I hope you've enjoyed my blog revival and will follow along with me in future posts!  Have a great day!

Best - 

Metalwork Creations

I’ve been slacking on my blog, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.  I think if I had 36 hours in the day, I might be able to get most of it done.  With spring being here, more work has been added.  Looking forward to all of the yard work and re-doing my flower beds.  They definitely need a make-over.   In the meantime, when I’m not outside playing….I’ve been inside  playing around with sterling silver, copper, and brass sheet plate.   I’m excited to work with the sheet and see what new and fun designs I can come up with.  Wanted to share some of my latest metalwork creations, now available in my Etsy shop.

        
        
        
        

Sunshine Award!

 
Great things happened yesterday! Celebrated the first day of Spring with wonderful weather.  The temperature was 74 degrees, and sunny! I opened all the windows and almost got all of my spring cleaning done. My purple and white winter crocus sprouted into the world, what a pretty site to see!  Check out  the pictures on my Facebook Fanpage. 
More importantly I was delighted to find out I was nominated for the Sunshine Award by Odin's Bead Hall.  I am honored, flattered and would like to say a big thank you!  Please stop by her Etsy Shop and check out her beautiful  jewelry, there is something there for everyone!

For the Sunshine Award the rules are:
1. Place the logo within your blog or post
2. Pass the award on to 12 other bloggers
3. Link the nominees within the post
4. Let the nominees know they have won by commenting on their blog
5. Share the love by linking to the person from whom you received the award

The nominees are:
1. Demure Artistic Designs
2. Dean Designs
3. TJB Designs
4. Fruits Of The Bloom
5. Faerie Moon Creations
6. Fat Bottom Bags
7. The Pine Cone Tea Cup
8. JKA Designs
9. Goody Goody Tutus
10. CinLynn Boutique
11. Lean Dog Pottery
12. Classic Keepsakes

Where I Do My Designing....

Are you ever curious as to what other artisans/ designers work areas look like? I am!  I wonder are they neat, tidy & organized or messy & disorganized....or maybe they are little bit of both!  I think I fall under the last one, neat and tidy...but then watch out disorganization will come quickly.  I don't have a studio per se, I only live in a three bedroom house.  That leaves a room for me to sleep in, a spare bedroom (for those out-of-town guests...mainly my niece and nephew!) and the other room doubles as my office and studio. Although, I'd like a bigger space, it works for me.  This way I design my jewelry and play online at the same time.  Ok sometimes I play online more than I design jewelry.

Here take a look (psst...it's looking pretty neat & tidy right now):

Now look what happens when my creative mind opens up....woosh! I think an explosion may have occured...LOL!!

Well I hope you all enjoyed checking out my little designer space. Have a great weekend, we're half-way there!

Awesome Give-a-way by Twillypop!

Check out this awesome give-a-way by Twillypop....such pretty items in her Etsy Shop.  Why not take a look around...take your time....browse a bit and when you've decided please enter her give-a-way!
Contest ends on January 24th at 6 p.m.....so go run along...you know you want to enter! :-)

Here's one of my favorites!

Sweetheart & Tweethearts Etsy Treasury

I'm so excited, I was lucky enough to snag a Treasury today on Etsy. I've included some wonderful people I've met throughout my Etsy and Twitter journey!  I have so many more that I wanted to include, but you only get so many spaces...so I'll catch the rest of you on the next treasury! Below the photo, I've listed the shops so you can check them out!  Wonderful artisans and people!  ENJOY!

Shop listings are left to right starting with the top row:

My Attics Treasures

Dean Custom Designs

Jennifer Dickerson Photography 

CinLynn Boutique

Demure Artistic Design

Val Vanias Art

GreenStar Jewellry

Wuglyees

Jennifer Lynn Studio

TJB Designs

Glass River Jewelry

Everyday Diamonds

SqueakyBug Specialties

Dutch Felt Art

Classic Keepsakes

88 Links

Favorite Fellow Etsians & Tweethearts...Dean Custom Designs

Today I'm featuring another favorite fellow Etsian and Twitter friend~~ Dean Custom Designs ! So I bet you want to know what she designs, huh? Well, she designs "Purskeys"....what's a purskey you say? As quoted from her webshop: "- A Purse Charm, Keychain, or Zipper pull!!-"  So, you see a purskey has many uses, she'll even customize them for you, change out the the attachment at no extra cost to a lobster claw clasp, keyring or a lanyard.  It gets even better, she also makes very pretty earrings and bracelets....want your purskey to match? No problem, custom orders are always welcome! Go ahead, you know you want to visit her shop, you never know...you might find that your purse could use a little bling!  ENJOY!! Here are some of my favorites from her Etsy Shop:

Perfect for Valentine's Day!

A little bit of bling and a whole lotta luv!

Great for all occasions, comes with matching bracelet!

Reminds me of a calm day at the beach!

Matching earrings in her shop!

Sold & Relisted!

Relisted with new photos...pretty little things for your special Valentine! Visit my Etsy Shop!

Favorite Fellow Etsians & Tweethearts...Demure Artistic Designs

I've decided to share with all of you some of my favorite fellow Etsians & Twitter friends.  Today's feature is Demure Artistic Designs.  Amazingly creative in a variety of venues: sewing (cozy warm fleece hats & scarves), adorable bags you can take anywhere, treasure pouches to hold all of your pretties, awesome chainmaille bracelets, pretty pretty earrings and necklace and my favorite...her message in a bottle! She is passionate about her designs and each every piece is created to invoke a "feeling~expression~reaction" in the buyer. <--I stole that line from her webshop profile! :-) You can visit her second Etsy shop Mystic Messages for personalized "message in the bottle" items. Here are some of her fantastic creations! Why not take a look around her shop, you're sure to find something you will like. Here are some of my favorites from her shops! ENJOY!

In honor of the New Year I'm having a sale! 15% off all items in my Etsy Shop until Midnight January 3rd! Stop on over and take a look around. Lots of nice items for your Valentine Sweetheart! Wishing everyone a Happy New Year...may you all have good health, happiness, peace and many moments of pure joy!

DreamBelle Designs on Etsy!

Treasury Feature

A big shout out and thank you to Val Vanias Art for featuring my earrings in her very pretty treasury! Please check out her Etsy Shop, she does some amazing one-of-kind artwork and jewelry.

Earring Give-a-way Winner

Chosen by random.org and the winner of my earring give-a-way is Twillypop (Sara).  She also has an Etsy shop that can be viewed here: Twillypop and her awesome blog can be read here: Twillypop Blog.  Thank you to all the others that entered!  May you all have a wonderful holiday and a joyous New Year!

These are the earrings I gave away! Made just for Twillypop!! Gold wash pink Czech glass super faceted beads paired with handmade rosy copper bead pins and hand forged sterling silver ear wires!

TIP--Handmade Tools

I posted before about the cost of tools for jewelry making , so I made some of my own. Like I said in my last post, I still  like to find household objects that will work for me. I had in my mind that I wanted something very sturdy and solid to make earring hoops and large soldered rings. I searched around and came up with nothing, well not really....there was always the broom stick.  But I couldn't find a variety of sizes.  So off to Home Depot I went.  I purchased four larger dowel rods in the following sizes: 7/8 inch, 1 inch, 1.25 inches, 1.5 inches, all in hard oak.  Cost about $12!! I came home and sawed off a 9 inch piece...drilled a large hole to accomodate up to 10 gauge wire for use with wire wrapping for rings. Here's what the dowels look like:

So far they are working out great, I just put them in my bench vice and start wrapping and hammering! Here's a sneak peak at what I made, to be listed in my Etsy Shop soon!

Not bad for not using conventional tools~hope you enjoyed this post and it will be useful to you or someone you know! Have a great day!

Marvelous Monday...well only because I had the day off!!

I was blessed to have today off...the weather was unseasonably warm for November! Temps in the high 60's, sunny and not a cloud in the sky...just perfect.  I spent the majority of  my day indoors, taking photos. I get my best shots when the sun is shining and the natural light filters in through the windows.  So, although I would have rather traversed the land today, I am so happy that I got all my jewelry photos taken.  Now the long process of uploading and listing. Will save a few for each day!  I'd love to have at least 100 items in my shop before the holiday season arrives. Here's two fresh listings for you all to enjoy!  Hoping to post my "featured facebook fan #4" in the next few days...all depends on how the day goes!

Pia: Deep purple quartz is snuggled next to a gorgeous iridescent coppery purple rondelle, the focal pendant hangs from an antiqued flower chain!

Simplistic: Vintage acrylic grey nugget bead, perfect for everyday wear, goes with everything...very simple!