More Old Going New

This is my second post to show a little bit of Artbeads.com goodness with a project of turning oldness into newness.  

What's old here?  Tin.  I've been enamored with all the tin bead caps going on around here in blog world (Donna & Lorelei are just two who are using them lots lately) so while on a recent road trip I convinced Curt to stop at a couple of antique shops so I could look for some interesting tins to repurpose.  Then I was on the hunt for a disk cutter and as luck would have it, Jeanette's shop, Fundametals, had the primo Swanstrom cutter on sale.  It was still expensive but I'm taking credit for it as a birthday contribution (albeit a month or so early.)  So, that little yellow circle there in the middle was cut by my own two hands (and a few cool tools and a big hammer).  It came from a little Rich's Canton Ginger tin.

The Artbeads.com piece comes in with the silver-plated charm.  It has a nice smooth finish and was easy to punch a whole into so I could add my little yellow bit. I used a little tiny screw and nut to connect the disk to the pendant and included a little flower...just because.  Then I went with my new fave design and made up a memory wire loop to create a little frame that's highlighted with some Swarovski crystals, pearls, and some metal beads.

This piece is now listed for sale in my Etsy shop. 

Another thing I worked on this project is the clasp that I made especially for this piece.  The other day I was wandering around Lori's newly organized Pretty Things blog and came across a DIY project from Cindy Wimmer about creating spiral clasps.  Cindy's wirework is phenomenal so I was excited to try this special little bit for this piece.  It only took a couple of tries to get it to work...thank goodness for cheap steel wire!  I know it looks like the wire is too thin for a clasp, but it's steel and hardened up nicely.  You can see more of Cindy's work at her Sweet Bead Studio blog.

Disclosure:  I received the following product free of charge from Artbeads and I am honestly reviewing them:  Nunn silver-plated charm pendant.  I have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received.   The post above represents only my personal opinion.

Thinking About Fall Already...It's an ArtBLISS thing...

I got my registration in for the cool workshops being held up in Northern Virginia the weekend of September 25th & 26th.

If you're like me and could spend hours in B&N browsing the mixed media craft books, then you have to check out this event.  It's gonna be a good one!

Click here for more info:  ArtBLISS Workshops!

Thinking about September Already? It's an ArtBLISS thing!

First off, I have to call out two great ladies I'm happy to call teachers, mentors, and friends:   Cindy Wimmer & Jeanette Ryan.  Jeanette gave me my very first wire lessons!  It feels like forever ago, but it's just been a couple of years.  She and Cindy are on the forefront of bringing new learning opportunities for jewelry and mixed-media artists to the DC area.  And, their latest announcement is a big one!!!

It's all about ArtBLISS!

The brand new ArtBLISS website has all the details on upcoming workshops including the Inaugural Event coming up in September in Washington, DC.  I'm so glad I'll be back close to the area so I can get my jewelry-making bead nerd on with these fantastic ladies and the full agenda of amazing instructors they've put together!!  Whoo hoo!

But, for now, it's Sunday evening and the only blissful thing I get to do is fold laundry.  I tried to bliss out by removing paint from an old dresser, but it didn't go all that well, so I'll have to try more paint-removing bliss tomorrow after class.  Lovely.

Bead Fest Wire - New Friends and Old

I'm recovering from my weekend in King of Prussia at Bead Fest Wire.  It was a fantastic weekend...well worth the flight up there even though airports aren't my favorite places.  This post is all about the people...there'll be another one for beads later.  :)

First, I spent Saturday in class with Kerry Bogert and fellow fan Bev.  We worked out a bunch of different chains focusing on Kerry's glass beads.  I felt like a random stalker chick when I showed up with my book in hand knowing all the details of her life from her blog.  But, luckily, I'm not her only fan...Bev and I were lucky enough to have Kerry all to ourselves for a great class.  Kerry's really down-to-earth, so we ended up gabbing like old beading buds all day long.  The class--and the project--exceeded my expectations.  :)  Here's a pic of us from midway through the day...

One of the best parts of any Bead Fest is the shopping.  :)  Curt called in the middle of my browsing and we got to have a nice long chat.  I actually happened to be right next to the table of goods from Afghanistan.  He was a little stressed out about his job, so I offered to distract him by telling him how much I was spending and what I was getting.  He declined with a laugh because he'd rather leave those numbers a mystery...what a great husband!  haaaaaaaaaa

Because this post isn't really about the beads, but about the people, I'm just showing this little bit of goodness from Na Bo Row...

I had the most fun shopping experience at their booth...must've been there for an hour!  And, when I needed help, Ms. Lynne was there for my...we laughed and laughed because I made fun of her hand-written nametag.  I promised her that she'd get a great mention because that was one of the highlights of my weekend.  She even wrote me a note on my reciept to "make it good."  haaaaaaaaaaaaa  So, for Lynne I'm sending out a huge laugh, a hug and a recommendation for amazing clasps and silver at Na Bo Row.

Last but not least, it was a great meetup weekend.  My old Air Force bud, Elisabeth, came up from DC to share some beady goodness.  She just opened up her own Etsy shop.  :)  Plus, we had dinner with Jeanette Ryan and Cindy Wimmer...lots of great bead and family chatting as I look forward to moving back to Virginia in a couple of months.  Whoo hoo!!!