8th Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal!

Today is the big reveal of the 8^th Bead Soup Blog Party.

First I have to give a big thank you to Lori Anderson, the host and creator of this fantastic event.

Second, thank you to my awesome partner Kristin Oppold of Yay Jewelry. This is her 2^nd hop.  Her designs are amazing! I can not wait to see what she created!

Learn more about Kristen here.

YaYJewelry.etsy.com

yayjewelry.blogspot.com

facebook.com/YaYJewelry.com

The soup I sent Kristen. I threw in some sheet aluminum I ran through an embossing machine and some recycled discs and gears for fun.

Lampwork beads and focal I made for the hop.

Fused glass bowl made with recycled float glass and enamel powders that I drew the design in with a stylus.

My soup from Kristen.

The cool focals she sent.

This piece is made with a basalt clasp 9 I did change the toggle from the copper one to a blackened steel to match) and heart that was very special to Kristen and she asked that I please use it. This first piece pretty much came together as I was photographing my soup. I used blackened steel in varying gauges, the sponge coral, carnelian, and craved onyx beads she sent.I also used my jeweler’s saw to cut one of the pieces of coral in half for earrings. 

A close up of the clasp and earrings.

This piece was made around a fabulous focal made by Lisa Peters. I made some round lampwork beads of varying size and one for the toggle in a orange black red mix to match the focal. I also made a couple black spacers and etched them all for a soft and silky matte finish.

Bracelet made with crackle agate from Kristin and copper that I cut, punched holes in, hammered, sanded with very coarse grit, and antiqued. I love the texture and it has sort of an ocean feel to it. 

Copper, sari silk, and quarts necklace and matching earrings. The neck piece is made with heavy gauge copper wire that I hammered flat and wired on these gorgeous quarts Kristin sent. I made matching triangles to attach the sari silk; one the is the clasp.

The fourth was a pair of earrings that used some of the faux beach glass (by TF Bead Store on Etsy) and recycled roofing copper I ran through my embossing machine and heat patina. I think they go along great with the bracelet!

I had a few ideas for some of the other beads Kristen sent…but none panned out. I also tried a little micro macramé…need practice, lot's and lot's of practice! This was great fun and a bit of a challenge. My soup had very natural items and orange, not a color I ran to but I have a whole new love for it! 

Thank you so much Kristen for taking me outside my box!

This is my 3^rd hop. They have all been great fun and I have met some fantastic people with every one!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

A link to the list of Bead Soupers!!

http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2014/05/welcome-to-8th-bead-soup-blog-party.html

Happy Hopping!

Soups On! What My Partner Sent Me.

A big thank you to Lori Anderson! Another excellent job pairing people up! Also a big thank you to my Partner Kristin Oppold of Yay Jewelry.
She sent me just an amazing soup, and so much of it I feel a little guilty.
Natural and unique pieces mixed with some spunk and great colors that are so her style. These are very different from my norm and quite the challenge for me....which I just love. That is the whole point of bead soup and what I really love about this hop!
She wrapped it up all pretty with a identifying tag on each item, she even included ordering info for the really cool pieces. All with a nice note...very thoughtful. Poor Kristin got mine with no pretty packaging no nice descriptions and even some beads that got left behind. I had been really under the weather, so my husband and daughter packed it up for me. It wasn't the package I had wanted to send...but I am so thankful for the help.

To learn more about my partner and see her amazing work...
www.YaYJewelry.etsy.com
www.yayjewelry.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/YaYJewelry

Here is the soup I received.

Each all nicely labeled and identified including artist a ordering information...so sweet!

Basalt heart by TF Beadstore on Etsy.

Basalt heart by TF Beadstore on Etsy. Polymer focal by Lisa Peters.

Copper etched by Kristin

Polymer head pins by Numosity. Beach glass by TF Beadstore.

The whole soup!

And so it begins!

The 8th Bead Soup Blog Party is here! Meet My Partner!

The 8^th Bead Soup Blog Party is here! Created & hosted by Lori Anderson of Lori Anderson Designs.

The hop started out as a few friends trading beads and sharing the designs they made with the bead soup they received. The hop has become so big it is now a once a year event.

Lori pairs up partners who will swap a mix of beads called bead soups. The soups have to consist of a focal, a special clasp and coordinating beads. Something you would be proud to give to your best friend. We then create something using both the focal and the clasp and mix in any of the beads sent and anything else you would like to add. 

This year the big reveal is one date. Like previous soups we all will post pictures and a little blurb about our soups and finished piece. Then we visit each other’s blog.

This is my 3rd hop. This time around my partner is Kristin Oppold of Yay Jewelry. Wife, mother, published artist, past gymnast, magician...not really, she just makes it seem that way. This is her second hop. I had the pleasure of meeting Kristin at the last hop and was just blown away by her designs. Very exciting to choose a soup for someone who's work you know and admire. Also a little nerve wracking as she buy's some big name beads. :)
We both have been busy learning new techniques and have a lot of the same wants on our big bucket lists. 

To learn more about Kristin and her incredible journey.... 

http://www.yayjewelry.etsy.com/

http://www.facebook.com/YaYJewelry

http://www.yayjewelry.blogspot.com/

Here are a few of Kristins gorgeous designs.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be posting our bead soups soon!

Where oh where have all my posts been!

Well once again I have neglected my poor blog. So I thought over the next few weeks I would try to fill in the spaces with lot's of pretty eye candy and what I have been up to these last few months. I told myself I was not going to make excuses but, at least a bit of an explanation.

First, my botched shoulder surgery has made typing and a ton of other things frustratingly difficult and it seems everything takes twice as long. I was using Dragon speaking software which was fantastic but, my poor old computer could not handle it. My honey set me up with a newer better version but for some reason it won't let me install it...time to have my hubby's tech buddy over for dinner! :)

Second, I have been having quite a bit of trouble with my auto immune disorders. My rheumatoid levels have been way up for months on end. I ache all over and have a general feeling of a touch of the flu, not to mention the rashes and troubling hair loss. But I have been able to avoid the steroids and rounds of antibiotics...well, only because I refuse to take them. I have been avoiding GMO's and buying meat and veggies directly from local farms.I have also been trying some natural remedies and I do seem to be improving some, although slower than I had hoped.

Third, Things have not been going well with my son-in-law. None of the treatments, not round after round of chemo, not radiation, not a stem cell transplant, not vitamin therapy...nothing has worked...and he is now out of options. It has been hard to come to grips with. He is so young and they were just starting out...it all seems so cruel and unfair. Not to mention the absolute horrors I have discovered in the medical system. Rockefeller constructed and controlled. Don't believe me...do a search. Not to mention the nightmare that is Obama Care. We are all just besides ourselves.

Ok, enough of that. On the glass and jewelry end I have been working more and more with sheet metal and trying all sorts of new things. One new technique I dabbled with was torch enameling. Very cool and I plan to do a lot more playing with it in the future. Here are a few pieces I did.

Torch enamels on copper.

I also received a Cuttle Bug embossing machine as a gift. An amazing little machine with so many possibilities I can't wait to explore. Here are a few different metals I ran through the machine, examples of torch coloring,  soldering and some fold forming.

24 gauge sheet run through Cuttle Bug machine.

Flame patina n more metal.

My bench after a few days work.

Prong setting and bezel setting attempts.


I have also been playing with some glass enamels and paint on recycled glass from home printers. I have been working on a line of small upcycled bowls. These are from color and firing schedule tests...more later.

Here are a few shots of finished jewelry.

Copper with soldered sterling spirals. Not bad for a first attempt.

Bracelet with one of my dichroic cabs and lampwork beads. 

Fold formed copper with heavy gauge wire and Citrine nuggets.

Thanks for stopping by! I do hope you enjoyed your visit. I do have more to share. Hopefully I will get my Dragon software working and you will see a lot more of me. 

First Friday Artwalk on Etsy: November First Friday Art Walk On Etsy.com

First Friday Artwalk on Etsy: November First Friday Art Walk On Etsy.com: Welcome to the November post for the AWETeam's First Friday Art Walk Weekend on Etsy.com! This monthly event allows Etsians that ar...

Customers Work - Mary Harding.

I love seeing what my customers make with my glass and recycled supplies. This time I am sharing a piece made by one of my favorite ceramic artists Mary Harding. I am just in awe of her work, especially her naturals. They are to die for.  Her pendants and beads are favorites of many artists and have graced the pages of many magazines. 

To learn more about this incredible artist. 

http://www.maryhardingjewelry.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/maryhardingjewelry

The piece she made is inspired by the book...The cookbook collector. From the comments left by other members, it seems Mary did a fantastic job bringing this book to life. This is a book I will have to read.

First I thought I would share the components in the piece. This is what she purchased from me.

Orange Capacitors.  These are still available along with lots of other colors.

.

Some tiny light bulbs and some spools of fine gauge colored copper wire. ( no longer available.) 

She altered the pieces to make these cool little beads.

She also made these fantastic realistic looking ceramic beads. I loved reading about her process on her blog.

She also soldered a copper bezel that she filled with capacitors and jewelers resin and dangled some more capacitors and a little light bulb.

Here is the completed piece...I just love it! 

Mary can tell the story better than anyone...here is a link to her blog post...Please stop by and tell her what you think!

http://maryhardingjewelrybeadblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/inspired-by-reading-book-club-cookbook.html

A few pieces of Mary's work...just to tease! :)

To learn more about this incredible artist. Here are links to her shops so you can check her out.

http://www.maryhardingjewelry.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/maryhardingjewelry

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please leave a comment...I would love to hear from you!

Resin and Recycled Computer Parts Tutorial.

As you know I have been having lots of fun using all the recycled computer parts I snag from my honey. I have also started selling these great pieces in my shops.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PLJohnsonGlassArt?section_id=11562125

I wanted to show you how great these pieces work with resin and how fun and easy it is to make sweet little pendants.

I am using Ice Resin epoxy doming resin by artist Susan Lenart Kasmer.

They are very easy to use…have great clarity and dome nicely.

You can order kits and Susan has tons of great ideas and tutorials on her sites and blog.

http://slkindustrialchic.com/

http://slkartmechanic.com/

http://www.susanlenartkazmer.net/gallery.htm

http://susan-lenart-kazmer.blogspot.com/

First I gathered together some aluminum rings and discs to use as bezels.

                               

These are open so they need to have box tape put on the back to hold in the resin. Make sure to burnish for a tight seal.

The resin is mixed with 2 equal parts. Stir gently till mixture turns clear 1-2 min being careful not to mix in bubbles. Let the resin sit and rest for 5min.

The Popsicle sticks are used to slowly drip the resin into the bezel. I put a small layer on the bottom add my flowers or whatever then fill to the top of the bezel.

When I am finished pouring I cover these with a box to keep the dust out and let sit for 24 hours. Then I pour the second dome layer. Then cover and let sit for 48hrs. I also used the resin as glue for the bails…some great little parts also from computers. I just mix a small amount and brush it on the pieces secure the 2 together and let sit 24hrs.

A great tip from Susan…pour in 2 steps to avoid run over and get a nice domed effect.

Another little tip I found is the aluminum pieces shine brightly using pro polish pads.

I hope you will try resin. It is great fun and there are so many things you can do.