A Greenie Bead Giveaway!

Big kitty boy, Brando, my one-eyed honey, and I were sitting around this afternoon thinking about  new projects.  I told him that I really wanted to blog this afternoon.  He says, "Why don't you celebrate your big magazine achievements with a giveaway?"  Great idea, buddy!

I decided to dig through my stash and go with a green theme because the pieces in Stringing have green influences.  I started the bunch below with simple cut aquamarine nuggets, turquoise-colored resin disks, and recycled glass that's featured in those necklaces.

Then, I just started addingfrom the green drawer.  Let's see...on the stone side, there's prehnite, turtle turquoise, dyed bright green magnesite, ocean jasper, crazy lace agate, and green garnet and probably some other bits.  I threw in some felted beads, recycled glass, vintage glass and Czech glass.  On the handmade side, there's a pretty Artisan Clay ceramic link, a recycled bottle ring from Art by the Case, a sparkly glass green bead from Linden Avenue Designs, and a funky recycled glass bead by HMB Studios.  Oh, and there are polymer clay pendants that I made, too.  :)

I broke everything into two little boxes as the pile got high, so I'll pick two winners.

Help me celebrate having seven pieces published this summer and win some greenie bead nerd goodness!!

 All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me what your favorite color is to work with.  I always tend towards orange, or I thought so, until I realized how much green I have!

I'll randomly select two names from my commentators, so if you don't have a blog, please leave your address so I can track you down to send you the goods. Plus, if you blog about the giveaway, leave me a comment and I'll give you another shot in the drawing!

I'll draw winners on Sunday, 18 July at noon, so I look forward to hearing from you!

Whoo hoo!!!

When Does Collecting Turn Into Hoarding?

Someone in my house has been hoarding handmade lampwork art beads.  Can you even imagine?  haaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I guess my collecting all started when I was in middle school and had to have all the latest cool stickers.  Remember Lisa Frank?  How about Mrs. Grossman's? I still have that sticker book...yes, it has moved with me eight times!  haaaaaaaaaaaa  But, of course I have actually expanded the sticker collection into a whole nightmare (okay, it's actually a daydream) of crafty paper, adornments, glue, more paper and, yes, even more stickers.  I can't even tell you how many plastic containers (with lovely printed labels) I have filled with my artsy-crafty life supplies.

When I fell in love with making jewelry a few years back, my joy of hoarding spread to beautiful beads.  I should probably feel guilty that these pretties are only my treats to look at, sorted out in color-specific drawers with lovely printed labels.  Since I don't feel guilty at all about my collection I figure it's a safe time for me to start actually using them.  If you're a bead afficionado, then you know that handmade beads aren't inexpensive, so these bracelets aren't either. But, since they're a little gallery all on their own, I think it's totally worth using them all up!!

That Bracelet is Singing the Blues Like an Art Bead Dream

Lampwork glass discs from HMB Studios

Lampwork rondelles from Lisa New

Plus...beans from South America, a bit of Javanese
glass (which is so appropriate because we studied

Indonesia today in class), and a few ceramic pieces.

Fresh Mowed Grass and Sunshine Art Bead Bangle

Lampwork disks from HMB Studios

Lampwork rondelles from Lisa New

A lampwork rondelle from Cindy Craig

Plus...beans from South America, some Javanese

 glass, and a few ceramic pieces.

So what sort of collection do you have?  Are you keeping it just for yourself?  What are you saving all those beads for?  haaaaaaaaaa

A Sunny Sunday...

Some of my most awesomest fave lampwork disks by HMB Studios and Linden Avenue Designs are the sunshine behind this sweet bangle.  Celebrate some sunny art beads with some shopping at JenJuddRocks on Etsy.

p.s. don't you love my photo trick of putting the focus on the back instead of the front?  haaaaaaaaaaaaaa  I will have to learn how to take pictures someday.  :)

It Started With The Little Spotted Beads

I went through a phase probably about a year ago that I felt like I just had to have all these spotted "peacock beads."  There's just something about the color and fun and dottiness of them that makes me happy.  But, alas, they were sitting undiscovered in one of my various workshop drawers.  So, they're out and about, now, and playing well with others....

Yellow peacock beads from Artbeads.com

Light blue lampwork glass from SueBeads

Mykonos Greek ceramic square disks from LindenAvenueDesigns

Little yellow beans from my friend's trip to Brazil :)

Red peacock glass beads from Artbeads.com

Red & turquoise ruffled lampwork glass disks from HMB Studios

Blue textured lampwork glass from Blue Seraphim

Little red beans from my friend's trip to Brazil

Feel free to get your shopping on...these pairs are listed in my Etsy shop.  :)

It's a Carnival Bead Giveaway!!

It's officially Art Bead Scene Carnival time so as promised on my Beginnings post a few days ago, it's time for a bit of a giveaway! No cotton candy or free ride tickets here, but I do have some great glass beads to share. Lisa New's beads helped start my passion for handmade glass, so I want to give a little of that fun to you!

There are four different sets, so there'll be four different winners....

And, not only are there Lisa's beads, I've rounded out the selections with some bits from HMB Studios, Linden Avenue Designs, and Blue Heeler Glass. There's also a really cool ceramic bead (the big blue one) that I got from a guy at a craft show in North Carolina and I don't know his name because he talked so much I couldn't ask! haaaaaaaaa

How can you get some of these goodies? All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me who your favorite bead artists are...and if you are a bead artist, then make sure you share the love! Feel free to include links to websites or etsy shops of the beads you love...or that you make yourself!!

I'll randomly select four names from my commentators, so if you don't have a blog, please leave your address so I can track you down to send you the goods. Plus, if you blog about my Carnival giveaway, leave me a comment and I'll give you another shot in the drawing!

I'll draw numbers on Sunday, 20 February (I meant the 21st...haaaaaaaa nice, it took a week for someone to realize I don't have a calendar!! haaaaaa)...enjoy the Carnival!!!