Clay and Lampwork Blog Hop



Recently Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures sent out the call for another blog hop.  This one is a Clay and/or Lampwork Blog Hop.  We signed up and received either a Clay or Lampwork set of beads to work with.  I received some wonderful Lampwork beads from Bastille Bleu.  Again, I forgot to take a picture of the beads before starting, but later in the pictures I'll pinpoint the 3 wonderful beads I received.  I knew I wanted to do something that would either be a multi-strand necklace or have the appearance of multi-strands.  And as I played around with the beads, I didn't like the looks of the small blue bead in between the 2 larger lovely flower beads.  So I decided they should be the focal for the lower strand of the necklace.  But I wasn't sure I had enough beads to make 2 or 3 full strands.  So I started playing around with one main strand, done with 2 strands of beading wire and then splitting right at the center to use the 2 larger beads as the focal and the smaller blue bead above it in a shorter strand to make it appear to be 2 strands.  The more I played with it, the more I liked it.  I had just received all the glass pearls and faceted beads I'd won from ZNETshows and their last challenge I was in.  It was great, since I'm not much of a blue person and don't usually have much blue in my stash.  There was some wonderful blue beads along with the greens, clear, yellow faceted glass beads that matched the colors that were in the larger lampwork flower beads along with some white glass pearls. I also bought some pink round and faceted round glass/shell beads to bring out the pinks.  I wanted this to be a very 'blingy' necklace to make the Lampwork flower beads shine.  Then I had to make sure 2 strands of beading wire would fit through all the beads I was using.  And finally I had to figure out how to finish off the strands.  I had this lovely Silver colored leaf toggle bar clasp that came in my winnings from ZNET and thought it would go well with the 'flower' beads.  But I couldn't get the crimp beads to take both strands of wire up through around the jump ring and back down through the crimps.  It was too much. So I had to divide the 2 strands on the one main strand and crimp them both to a jump ring.  Then I made another strand to make the necklace appear as 3 strands in the center and had to crimp them to another jump ring and attach the 2 jump rings to the leaf toggle bar clasp.  It was a little more difficult than I had imagined, but I finally got them all crimped and attached.  I love the way they turned out.  And of course I had to have earrings to match.  So I hope you enjoy what I made with my lampwork beads.  In the first picture the 2 larger flower lampwork beads and the small blue lampwork bead in the short strand just above are the three beads I received.  Let me know what you think.


Lampwork Beads



Lampwork Beads Necklace



Lampwork Beads earrings



Lampwork Beads Necklace 2

Then, because I got done so quick with this set, I asked for another set and got these gorgeous lampwork beads fromStudioJuls along with the small pink/orange seed beads. And as usual, forgot the pictures, but if you look close at my bracelet, they're the large round lampwork beads.  There's 4 of them in this bracelet.  I paired them with some great Jasper I had, some gold glass pearls from ZNETshows, the small pink/orange seed beads and some small black seed beads I had.  This was my first go at a memory wire bracelet and I knew I wanted it to be 3 strands.  It took me 3 times of stringing, removing and restringing the beads to get enough on the memory wire.  I had laid them all out and thought I had enough, but NOT!  LOL.  But I think it turned out great for my first Memory Wire bracelet.  Hope you enjoy it.

 And if you're looking for more of my Beaded or Wire-wrapped jewelry or Stained Glass, Mosaics or Fused Glass Kreationz for your home or garden, check out KayzKreationz.
Also, be sure to check out what everyone else made with their Clay or Lampwork sets. 

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

 

Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry

Annette Rivers, MamaOwl's Mess

Karin King, The Sparkle Things Blog

Shaiha Williams,   Shaiha's Ramblings

Mimi Gardner, Baubles, Beads and Other Curiosities

Dee Alcalde, Agape Creations Jewelry

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Lori Jean Poppe, Lorillijean Creative Corner

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Leah Mifflin Tees, My Beady Little Eyes

Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, Sharyl's Jewelry

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Linda Aspenson Bergstrom, TBD

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Judy Turner, Silver Rains

Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs

Kathleen Douglas, Washoe Kat's

Connie Tipton, TBD

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations

Michele Dotson, Star Jewels

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Jennifer Clifford, TBD

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me

Loretta, Loretta's Boutique

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyns Creations

Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread

Bonnie Coursolle, Jasper's Gems

Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles
If the links don't work, check out A Grateful Artist for the master list.  Thanks.

Book Review-Irina's Inspirations

I was recently sent the book Irina's Inspirations by Irina Miech.  It is published by Kalmbach Books.  It is a fascinating book. I had never seen any of her designs or jewelry, but from the cover to the end of the book I was hooked. She takes her inspiration from everything.  She starts out with how to recognize inspiration, then moves into Materials and Design, then the Tools and Techniques you'll need.  And finally the projects.  It is amazing.  As I looked at the photos of her inspiration and then the pieces she made I was just in awe.  She also talks about how to achieve balance and then watching the trends to know what is or will be in fashion. 
After that comes the projects.  I love the fact that with each project she posts the photo or inspiration behind it.  It really helped me to see how to see the inspiration and then how to draw from it to make a design.  She starts with simpler projects/inspiration and moves on into harder, more difficult ones towards the back of the book.  She outlines each tip/technique very well, so you can understand exactly what she's doing.  She also includes step by step photos to help.
There's something for everyone in the book.  But my 2 favorite projects would have to be the Hawaiian Isles bracelet, made with Wire mesh (which I have not been able to find yet) on page 64.  It is a contrast (with the mesh) of the lava fields of Hawaii and the tropical flowers you find there.  Even the clasp carries out the theme, since it is a floral clasp. I love it. 
My other favorite piece is the Botanical Tiles bracelet on page 88.  I love metal and she uses copper square discs that she textures as the background 'tile' for the botanical 'focal' pieces on top of them.  She uses a variety of components to achieve those botanical pieces.  It is wonderful. In fact, both of my favorite pieces can be seen in the photo of the cover of the book at the top of this post.
So if you're looking for a way to kick up your inspiration a notch, or just some wonderful designs, check out Kalmbach books and get this book.  You'll love it.

Working in the Yard-Finally!

After being gone for so long, my yard really went to pot.  Most of the plants died and everything grew over.  Since I've been back, I've been working mainly in the house, trying to get it back in shape.  But I finally couldn't stand it anymore.  And even though the temps been 100 and over and the heat index has been anywhere from 105-110, I braved the sun and heat to go work in the yard.  My first project was to get the bed around my miniature crepe myrtle all weeded out, the fire ants gone (got bit several times for that effort), plastic down around everything and remulched.  Then I found a great RED Lantana and my little pot from Mexico that lays on it's side, which I planted with some Blue Daze and Rose Moss.  Finally, got my hubby to go with me to the Landfill, which now has compost and mulch for sale and got a load on the trailer to bring home and mulch everything.  And Voila!  At least one bed is done.  Now to get the rest of the 1-acre yard redone!  But I love it.  Hope you enjoy the pics.

And if you're looking for some great Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden be sure to check out KayzKreationz for that unique addition.

Purple Baroque Etched Flower Stained Glass Panel-Saturday Blog Shopping

It's that time again.  And this week I'm featuring a brand new Stained Glass panel just listed in my shop, KayzKreationz.  It is Purple Baroque Glass with an Etched Flower Bevel right in the center of the panel.  It ties in with my love for flowers and gardening.  And purple is such a royal color.  The center has decorative soldering around the Flower Etched Bevel.  And the edge is brass ball chain soldered to the edge and then patinad to match the rest of the soldering.  If you love flowers, stained glass or just want a unique gift for yourself or a loved one be sure to check this one out. 
And don't forget to check the rest of the Blogs participating in our Saturday Blog Shopping network by clicking on the button to the right.

Poinsettia's and Saturday Blog Shoppers and a Sale!

My first sale!  I've never offered a sale before, but I figured for this week I'd offer something special.  I love Poinsettia's and this panel reminds me of my Poinsettia's all year round.  I always get one every fall/winter.  Only one has made it through the rest of the year, and it looks a little straggly.  But I love my little Poinsettia.  I figure there are many others out there that love Poinsettia's as much as I do and love Stained Glass too.  So I'm offering my Stained Glass Poinsettia Panel on sale for 10% off for this weekend only for Saturday Blog Shoppers.  That way anyone that loves Poinsettia's as much as I do and would like to have one year round (by the way, it's maintenance free!) could have the opportunity to do just that.  So if you're looking for a care-free Poinsettia that will stay with you year-round, or just looking for a great Stained Glass piece to hang in your window or on your wall, now is the time to purchase this panel.  After Sunday, it will go back to it's normal price.  If you decide to purchase, just convo me and mention "Saturday Blog Shoppers special" in the convo.  That way I can adjust the price for you before you buy or send you an ammended invoice.  Please convo me first so I can adjust the price.  And if you're looking for some other great Stained Glass, Mosaics or Fused Glass items for your home or garden, or as gifts for someone, be sure to check out my Etsy shop: KayzKreationz.  I know you'll find something there you love.  (By the way, the Texas Kiln-Fired suncatchers are going fast!)  And be sure to click on the link to the right to check out all the other great Saturday Blog Shoppers Blogs and shops.  They're all great artists.

New Listings coming to Etsy for spring

I love spring. The grass is getting green, the trees and flowers are budding and blooming. The birds, butterflies and bees are returning. And I get the urge to get my garden weeded, back in shape, planted, etc. My grandmother had a green thumb and was always working in her yard and garden. She loved having feeders out for the birds. My grandfather even managed to tame/train a wild squirrel to come down out of the trees, come up on his porch and eat right out of his hands. I guess that's where I get it. So with my glass, I have a tendency to create things that decorate my yard and garden or help the wildlife in some way. In both my shops on Etsy and Artfire, I have things for just that purpose. My plant stakes decorate your garden and your potted plants. My birdfeeders can be used for that purpose or even as shallow bird baths or butterfly baths. Butterflies need shallow baths and these small terra cotta feeders are just right for that purpose, too. My windchimes decorate, twist and chime in the wind for your enjoyment. Even my garden twirlers add a touch of whimsy to your garden. So keep and eye out for some great new items for your yard and garden coming soon to KayzKreationz.

Why don't we write anymore? Shop of the Day

In browsing through the shop of the day yesterday to pick some items to feature, I realized, most people don't write anymore. I think that's sad. Even though it's nice to get e-mails/instant messages, because they're quick and keep us in touch faster, it's still so much nicer to get a letter or card. I love the anticipation of walking up to the mailbox (mine's about 1/4 mile away-I'm in the country) and wondering if I got a letter or card today. And it's so exciting when you do. You can't wait to get it open and read what the sender has written. I realize we're all much busier than we used to be, but writing cards and letters is so calming and therapeutic. And it MAKES us slow down a little and maybe remember good things again. My mom, sister and I regularly send each other cards, "just because". Cards that are cute, funny, sentimental. And I love them all. My sister loves cats, so whenever I see a cute/funny cat card I just have to get it and send it. My mom loves vintage type things. Even my brother sends cards every one in a while. It just makes someone's day. So with that in mind, check out today's shop PaintedMemoriesByRos. She has some fine, unique note cards, in singles and boxed sets featuring her original artwork. They're great. Get yourself one or two or a whole box and set out to make someone's day by sending a card. There's 2 examples of her cards in the box to the right, but check out her shop and find many more great cards.

Wildlife-fawns, flowers and the shop of the Day

If you love wildlife, (deer, fawns, songbirds, squirrels), flowers, and stationery, calenders, gift cards and tags, then this shop of the day is for you. They have some of the sweetest animal and flowers artwork, stationery and such. You'll hate to write on them or use them. Check out their items either in the box on the right or at BlueTricycle. They have prints like these little fawns, too.

And if you want to really help out some wildlife, check out my glass shop for my mosaic birdfeeder and other great glass gifts. And if jewelry is your thing, check out this great newbie shop, STRINGandSTONES for sterling silver and gemstone jewelry.