I finished up a couple of quick pieces as a break from writing final papers.  Graduate school is really taking away from my ability to get much beading done.  Then again, I am learning about all kinds of esoteric theater traditions, maybe at some point they will be an inspiration.  Meanwhile these will be up in my Etsy shop soon.

Making my own beads

For a long time I have been thinking about making my own beads.  Well over a decade ago I remember making some glass beads with a friend who had a kit.  However, for similar reasons that I am not pursuing soldering and silver work at home (i.e I live in a tiny NYC apartment with bad ventilation), glass didn't seem the way to go for the moment.
So I decided to start with polymer clay.  I started out by just playing around with some color mixing, but I like the result:

And then I decided to make a butterfly.  Not bad for a first day's try. 

Finally finishing something up

I started putting the seed bead circles together for this well over a year ago.  I knew I wanted to put them together and create some sort of central focus. I finally got around to finishing it and I love the simplicity of how the various circles go with the seed bead chain.

Bead Soup Reveal!

I was so excited to get to work with the beautiful beads that Noemi Baena sent me from Spain.  You can see what she came up with at her blog, fuego, metal, y color, from the materials that I sent.  She made so many of the elements that she sent me by hand and I am so impressed! It  really inspires me to want to go and start making more of my own components as well.   The focal bead she sent me was an enameled bead by Susan Kennedy.  I have never worked with this type of bead before or several of the metal components that she sent me and I tried a couple of different approaches before deciding that I needed to abandon my more usual approach of seed bead weaving and work with chain.  But I can't give up my seed beads completely, so I incorporated them into the dangles.  The clasp that she sent me was just absolutely beautiful and I didn't want to hide it away in the back, so I used it in the end to highlight the focal bead even more.  I loved the mixture of oxidized and non-oxidized pieces that she sent me and it really encouraged me to go back to a palette of various kinds of coppery colors, totally appropriate as autumn begins to approach here in New York (and with it my return to graduate school!).  I added some deep red beads from my own stash of beads as well as a couple of Czech glass beads that Noemi sent to highlight some of the red that can be seen in the enameled focus.  Sadly, I don't think my camera does the colors on this one enough justice but hopefully you get a good idea of how beautiful and vibrant this palette looks together!

There were a couple of Murano glass beads that I was sent as well, that didn't quite work with the earlier color scheme I was working with, but I just thought looked so beautiful with some of the other beads that I had been sent and so I decided to make just a simple bracelet and highlight some of the pale purple in the flowers on those beads and mix it with a few of the cream and tan beads that came in this soup.

You can see in this picture that I've stolen from Noemi in order to highlight some of the other handmade components she sent the adorable little spirals and pinwheel type of metal beads that I used a tiny bit in the main piece.  I absolutely loved these pieces but decided against making these pieces overly complicated by adding too much in one piece, but if you stay tuned I have a very special plan for these!

3rd Bead Soup Reveal!

The Bead Soup reveal is approaching in just a few hours!

Here is the list of everyone who will be showing their work!  

I can't wait to see everyone's creations!

Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Agi Kiss, Moonsafari Beads 
Alice Peterson, Alice Dreaming

Alison Sachs, Beads by Earthtones

Amanda Dittloff, Passion Smashin'

Andra Marasteanu, Bijoux de Monanage

Angie Szlovak, SweetBeads

Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

Ann Sherwood, Ann's Blog

Arlene Dean, A Glass Bash

Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution

Barb Solem, Vivi Magoo Presents

Barbara Blaszczyk, laboratorim Flory

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Beth Emery, Stories by Indigo Heart

Bianca Odenthal, Zydies Glasperlen

Birgit Klughardt, GitesBeads
Bobbie Rafferty, Beadsong Jewelry
Bonnie Coursolle,  Jasper Gems
Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini
Charlene Jacka, Clay Space
Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're
Cheryl Foiles, Get Your Bead On
Christie Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Christina Miles, Wings n Scales
Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design
Cindy Cima Edwards, Live to Design
CJ Bauschka, 4 His Glory Creations
Claire Smith, Embergrass Jewelry
Cynthia Riggs, Cynth's Blog
Dana Fowler, Trunk Full of Treasure
Dawn Pierro, Turtle Moon Designs
Dee Elgie, Cherry Obsidia
Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous

Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie
Eileen Snyder, Dorset Hill Beads
Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads
Eva Kovacs, Ewa gyongyos vilaga!
Evelyn Duberry, Sheba Makeda
Fay Wolfenden, Torch Fairy
Fen Li, Bead Flora Jewels
Gail Zwang, Angel Moose Enterprises
Geneva Collins, Torque Story
Grace Dorsey, Fan of the Flame
Gretchen Nation,  Art Food Lodging

Hannah Annear, Squintessential
Hajer Waheed, My Beaded World
Heather Goldsmith, As I Bead It
Heather Otto, The Craft Hopper
Heidi Kingman, My Bead Therapy
Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
Isolina Perez, Isolina Perez
Jacqueline Keller, CreARTelier
Jane Haag, Did You Make Something Today?
Janeen Sorensen, Wild Vanilla Designs
Jean Peter, Jean P. Designs

Jennifer Judd, Jen Judd Rocks
Jennifer L Justman, Soul's Fire Designs
Joanna Matuszczyk, Bizuteria z filcu
Joanne Brown, Jo's Jewels
Joanne Lockwood, Jo Bunkum
Joyce Becker, Joyce's Joyful Gems
Judy Riley, Three Red Beads
Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design
Karen Williams, Baublicious
Karin von Hoeren, Creative Ideen

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Kashmira Patel, Sadafule .. always in bloom!
Kate Richbourg, We Can Make That at Home

Katrin Lembke, AllesPerle
Kathy Combs, Torched in Texas
Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Kelley Fogle, My Life, One Bead at at Time
Kelly Hosford Patterson, Traveling Side Show

Klaudette Koon, Only Road
Lara Lutrick, Lampwork Beads by Lara
Laura Guenther, Blue Antiquities

Laurie Lalonde, Simply Mod Jewelry
Lilik Kristiani, Soul of My Embodiment
Linda Younkman, Lindy's Designs
Lisa Chapman, Beach Cat Beads
Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures
Loretta Carstensen, Designs by Loretta
Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design
Lori Dorrington, Lori's Adventures in Etsy Land
Lupe Meter, Gem's PC Corner
Lynn Davis, LLYYNN

Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin
Mandi Effron, Craft-o-licious
Mandy Williamson, Mimi's Beading
Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter
Maria Rosa Sharrow, Willow Street Shops
Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry
Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre
Marjolein Trewavas, Room for Change
Marelene Cupo, Amazing Designs
Marsha Neal, Marsha Neal Studio

Marta Kaczerowska, uhuhu
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry Blog
Michelle Burnett, Reverie and Revival
Michelle Escano-Caballero, The Cabby Crafter
Miko Wiropati, Uniquely Yunikua
Milla Hope,  LB Creative Arts and Crafts
Mimi Gardner, Other Curiosities
Miranda Ackerley, MirandackArts
Natalie McKenna, grubbi

Noemi Baena, fuego, metal, y color
Pam Ferrari, Ferrari Originals
Pam Sears, Crazy Creative Corner
Penny Neville, Copper Penny
Rachel Baron, R. Baron Designs
Rachel Myers, Rockabead Jewelry
Rana Wilson, Definitive Designs by R. Wilson
Rebecca Anderson, Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place
Riki Schumacher, Riki Jewelry

Rose Binoya, Ahtee's Blog
Rossana De Gaspari, Rdegas Blog
Sally Anderson, Wild Sally Road
Sandi James, Do Be Do Bead Do
Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe
Sandra Wollberg, City of Brass Stories
Sarah Goode, Pookledo

Sarah Small, blog by salla
Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings
Shawn Mills, Shawn Marie Designs with Bent Wire
Sheila Davis, Stone Designs by Sheila

Sheryl Stephens, Babble Bead
Shiraz Biggie, Secret Song Designs
Solange Collin,  Ahowin Handcrafted Jewelry
Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads
Stephanie Dixon, The Dixon Chick
Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads
Susan Sheehan, Strands of Thought
Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria
Sweet Freedom, Sweet Freedom Designs
Tabatha Dinger, Modernly Created
Tania Hagen, Pelima Jewellery Design

Tanya Boden, Fusion Muse
Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas
Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo
Tracy Stillman, Tracy Stillman Designs

Bead Soup Blog Party

I signed up for the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party back at the beginning of the summer just before I went on vacation.  I received a beautiful package of beads form my partner, Noemi Baena (fuego, metal, y color) that involves a lot of different pieces that I'm not used to working with.  There's a lot more metal beads and the focal is an enameled bead in a shape I have never worked with before.  I'm excited as that's what I like about this blog hop, the challenge of working with materials that I am not used to.  I'm hoping that I sent her an assortment that is challenging and interesting as well. 
    Stay tuned for a reveal of what I create on August 25th.  Meanwhile, why not visit some of the other participants? One group is revealing this Saturday.  The participants list can be found here on Lori Anderson, the fabulous hostess' blog.

Twirly netting

I originally aimed for this to lie flat like some of the other netted necklaces I make, but it ended up getting this really funny twisty thing happening that I decided to encourage.

New beads!

I got a bunch of new beads for my birthday last month, which was partly why I was inspired to start beading again. That and the whole having time again thing (even if there is a thesis hanging over my head that I have to edit!).

Finishing up something else

Again, something I started some time ago, but finally finished while on vacation. The colors haven't photographed here as well I like, but a netted piece in browns and green and cream.   This will probably end up for sale some time in the near future.

Vacation!

It's been an extremely long year between graduate school and work and a lot of other things that came up.  I'm on vacation at the moment though in Israel visiting family so I've finally had time to work on some new things.   I'll try to post something every few days while I'm here!

 This one I had started probably two years ago when playing with seed bead circles, but I finally put it all together.  It's simple and different.

And since I am in Israel, a shot of Tel Aviv, taken from the top floor of Habima's new renovated theater complex.