Fall Stringing Carnival...My Urban Escape

Welcome to this stop on your Carnival ride!  I'm happy to share a little bit about my piece from this Fall's Stringing Magazine...then you can hop on to the other 23 blog entries from other contributors.  The list of links is down below in this post.  Plus, Michelle Mach, the carnival master, has the rules for the giveaway--you can win stuff just by commenting--on her blog.

A little about my piece...Urban Escape...what does that mean?  ahhhhh...I see a big city all around me but I have a gorgeous, grounded piece of artwork around me neck that allows me to escape when I touch the silky knots or rub the smooth onion skin pendant.  Just makes me happy!  Moreso, I think of the afternoon when my bud, Stella, came over and I waved this necklace in front of her and asked her to name it...off the top of her head.  Copper, silk, clay...so much texture... the result was "Urban Escape."  In the middle of Alabama, we were looking for an escape, that's for sure!  haaaaaaaaaaa

Let me share some of the goods on the components for this piece:

First, there's the silk ribbon.  This is not just any old ribbon, it's a gorgeous hand-dyed and finished piece from Jamn Glass.  A while back, during the first Bead Soup Blog Party, I was lucky enough to be paired up with amazing glass artist Julie Nordine of Credit River Art Glass.  Well, as part of my "soup" she included a pretty ribbon and I immediately went to the JamnGlass Etsy shop and got a bunch for myself. it's the hoarder in me!  haaaaaaaaa Meeting Julie (virtually) and that whole Soup party was so much fun that I have great memories every time I see those ribbons.

Jamn Rustling Leaves Silk Ribbons
available at the JamnGlass Etsy shop

Next is the fired clay rectangle from Artisan Clay.  Kristie Roeder, the artisan of Artisan Clay, has become another "virtual" friend.  I found her work through the Beads of Clay blog while working through a set of creative challenges last fall and now I follow her blog, too.  Some of her signature pieces feature vibrantly colored recycled glass "pooled" in a disk, but this focal has a wonderful smoky finish.  I have a bunch of Artisan Clay in my collection right near the silk ribbons!  haaaaaaaaaaa  Oh, I should mention that Kristie's going to be exhibiting at BeadFest in Philly this weekend...so if you're gonna be there, go say hi!

Smoke Fired Large Square available at the Artisan Clay Etsy Shop

And finally, that red onion pendant came from a little bead shop with big personality in Occoquan, Virginia:  Off the Beading Path.  If you're ever up near DC, in Northern Virginia, stop by and say hi to Denise.  If you need an excuse to figure out where, exactly, Occoquan is, there's a great show there in the fall:  The Occoquan Craft Show is slated for September 25-26, 2010

So, enough about my little creation...this Carnival is full of goodness for fall...go see for yourself!
Click on the links below to go explore the other artists, designers, and contributors to this issue.  Comments are always appreciated and may be rewarded with prizes!!

- Autumn After Dark by Michelle Mach

- Autumn Jewels & The Love Letter by Lorelei Eurto 

           - She also authored a great "Sell & Tell" article!

- Afternoon Social & Cornucopia by Stephanie LaRosa

- The Who & Enchanted Forest by Heather Trudeau - The Peacock Fairy

- Give a Hoot  by Denise Yezbak Moore

- Hoot if you Love Fall  by Lisa Petrillo - Lucid Moon Studio

- Woodsy Owl & California Bungalow by Anne Perry

- Hint of Spice by Jen Zeiger - ZBeadz

- Urban Escape by Jennifer Judd Velasquez (Yeah, you're already here!)

- Clockwork Scarab by Melanie Brooks - Earthenwood Studio - Also in the Bead Beat!

- Kate by Tari Kahrs - Pearl and Pebble

- Mixed Metaphor & Smoke and Cognac by Erin Strother

- Wisdom & Memories of Tucson by Kelly Angeley - Beadologie

- Fertile Ground by Ruby Bayan - Ruby Beads

- Green with Love by Gaea Cannaday

- Incredible Things by Sharon Palac - Sharon's Jewelry Garden

- The Blackbird Sat by Erin Prais-Hintz - Treasures Found

- Fleur-De-Lis by Kristy Abner

- The Bamboo Cutter’s Wife & Dandelion Harvest by Molly Schaller

- This and That by Amy Haftkowycz - Artful Beads Studio

- Bronze Lotus by Kelly Morgan - Silver Parrot Designs

- Queen of the Nile by Marianne Baxter - Simply Seablime Jewelry

- Sunburst Necklace by Carrie Beckwith

- Beth Hemmila of Hint

Many thanks to Michelle for putting this even together and to all my beady friends, enjoy the Carnival!!

Tada!

There's a thing about bead people...we just have a sort of sense and can seek each other out.  Then we can go on and on over little bits of stone and glass as though they're the greatest things on earth.  It's pretty cool...non-bead people just don't understand!  haaaaaaaaa

With the move to Hampton, I've been discovering new bead people left and right.  This weekend I had another great visit with Tammy at Tada Artisans Boutique!  We found each other via Facebook and then I visited her Chesapeake gallery and bead shop...it's easy to see how her passion has taken over her life by the racks and racks of beads that extend all the way into her office space.  There were truly some "tada!" moments as  I browsed for about an hour during that first visit!

Another thing about bead people is how much of a giving and sharing community there is around the craftiness.  Back on Facebook, when Tammy saw my Dad was raising money for another MS150 bicycle ride up in Pennsylvania, she stepped up and pledged a portion of the day's sales to his efforts.  How cool is that?!

Here's a photo of Dad and my sister, April, from their MS150 adventure in 2008.  

This year the rain and storms were crazy, but they successfully completed the course again!

I just wanted to say congratulations to the cyclists of Team Teeter and send a big thank you to my fellow bead girl, Tammy and Tada Artisans Boutique for the generous donation!

Fall Stringing Carnival...Tomorrow!

The Fall issue of Stringing Magazine is out and it's fab...and I'm not just saying that because I have a design in there!  Autumn colors are my fave, so this is my season.  Seriously...does it get any better than crunchy yellow, orange, red and brown leaves all over the sidewalk??

On Tuesday, August 17th, there'll be a little bloggity celebration of this issue with a big "Carnival" post featuring 24 of this issue's contributors!  Michelle Mach, who's one of the featured designers as well as a big-time bead and craft writer, gathered us all together for this event, so tomorrow her blog will be hosting the party.

My post will center on the "Urban Escape" from page 27 where there's a feature on using ribbon in designs.  You'll hear about my special sources...okay, they're really just special to me and I want to share the love.  Plus, I'm honored to share a two-page spread with some fantastic designers...which you can hear about tomorrow!

Here's a little peek at my pretty (because I loooooove me some Picnik!)

Oh, but more importantly, there are giveaways.  :)  Michelle will have more details in tomorrow morning's post, but the basics:  hop around to the various Carnival posts, leave your comments, and you could win!

Pic Me Up: Yorktown's Tomatoes

Took a little trip up to Yorktown with my Ma today while Dad went on a bike ride.  I did some bead shopping, but want to share some Picnik adventures with some of the fresh tomatoes from Saturday's Farmer's Market...

I am loving on these colors!!

 

And here's what I started with...luscious and juicy...we had some with supper!

Wishin' on Etsy...

I couldn't sleep this morning.  That rarely happens to me, so I decided to see how productive I could be this morning.  So far I've gotten a workout in, prepped some stuff for mailing, cleaned out the cats' bathroom, and finished off half a pot of coffee!  So, now I'm enjoying some blog time.  Well, more realistically, I'm enjoying some Etsy browsing. 

While skipping through some of my fave blogs I came across this Craft Gossip giveaway.  They love handmade lovelies as much as the next, so they're sharing the love with Etsy gift certificates.  It was a challenge to put together a "wish list" of bits and baubles under $100, but I enjoyed every minute of it! 

Here are my picks:

Cherryfield Lampwork set by Lisa New - $42.00 - I just love the rich, warm color combinations and, of course, Lisa's one of my go-to faves.

Handmade Porcelain Poppy Pendant by Beadfreaky - $10.00 - I just love the flowers

Blue Raku Lampwork Rondelles from HMB Studio - $9.95 - Aren't they just the best colors?

And, finally, Larkspur...Vintage Enamel Flowers from Sleeping Dog Studios - $28.50 - I'm not sure why I'm so obsessed with these vintage flowery bits, but I want more!

Whoo hoo...now off for a day of "real" work.  :)

Got My Bead Groove Back!

It's all thanks to the Bead Haven August Challenge kit.  This is a local dealio, but I loooooove it and want to share!!  My new LBSO (local bead store owner) hero, Joanne, and I were talking the other day about creative blocks.  I have had zero crafty energy lately.  My new job is much more stressful than I thought it would be and I've had a headache for about six days now.  Massages, medicine and some exercise are helping, but I really felt the best this weekend when I sat down and got my bead groove back!!!!

Here's what came in the kit...picture jasper, abalone, gold-tone spacers, and Swarovski bicones in "purple velvet."

I first went for this focal...

The photo's from the Fundamental Findings Etsy shop where I got this fantastic Pamela Wolfersberger lampwork tab bead back in the fall.

But, I started finding a lot more brown and purple around my table so I got to the point where I laid out five different "focal" arrangements.  There's

lepidolite (a purpley stone),

 coconut shell (from my Hawaii trip in 2007!),

lampwork from Sue Beads (that I got in a bead swap),

and a dark wood floral disk.

I decided to go with one long piece that could be worn with any of those "focals" all around.  I added lots of purple Swarovski crystals and pearls, vintage glass, and brass accents to separate each section.  I'm so thrilled!

If you're in my local area, please go into the Bead Haven shop here in Peninsula Town Center in Hampton and vote for my piece!