It's Time to Create!

The weekend has arrived, yay! I hope everyone is able to set aside time to create.

I know for me it's important to "escape" through the creative process for a little while each week.

Here's some great inspiration to kick things off starting with a ring Andrew made using a new wire jig! How fun!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Using Now That's a Jig!, Andrew creates a fun ring!

Beading Arts
Cyndi has her March pieces completed for the Bead Journal Project, and they feature an embroidered form of the Cellini spiral!

About.com Jewelry Making
Make a cutie patootie little bunny charm bracelet.

Art Bead Scene
Erin takes us through this month's inspiring challenge entries! 

Resin Crafts
Resin Crafts has a week of how-to's featuring Nunn Design and a great give-a-way for the winter Nunn Design collection.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean discovered a great offer from Jewelry Making Daily and wants to share it with her readers! 

Butterfly is Back by Popular Demand!

Alright everyone...guess who is making an appearance tomorrow...

That's right, the butterfly bracelet that I made last April. How funny that I was talking summertime bracelets in April and this year it's almost April and still feels like winter.

So, as the post from last year mentions, this is a variation of the rock star bracelet from my book.

If you want to make this fun, simple and crafty bracelet but don't have the book, leave a comment with your email address and I will send you instructions. :)

We just need more embroidered butterfly bracelets in the world!

Bring on the Butterflies!

Bring on the butterflies! I am SO ready for spring, but it continues to be in the 30 degree range with no sunshine...It's just a matter of time! (Right? Please someone confirm that for me...)

I thought I'd look around for some springy/summery beads to get excited about and found this cool butterfly! I didn't even know Primabead had a clearance section online, so that was also a nice find!

What do you think? It has a crafty feel to it, I think it's the stained glass vibe. It also reminds me of those paint kits you can get at the craft store, where you fill in the sections and bake it to look like stained glass.

That would be so fun! However, the description indicates this is an enamel butterfly pendant. Oh, so pretty. Makes me wish I had it right here perched on my arm.

Yeah, if the sun doesn't shine soon, I could venture further into my make-believe land where the sun shines on necklaces and enamel butterflies land on your arm...

Join me? :)

Sparkly Memory...I'll Take It!

Man, I'm a pushover for a little sparkle...at least I am aware of it, right? :)

Just add sparkle and I'll take it!

Okay, that prompted this song in my head and I had to go searching YouTube for the version that matched the one stuck in my memory bank.


Wrap it up...Sam & Dave...Nice!

There are several versions out there including the Fabulous Thunderbirds...even a unique version by the Eurythmics!

This is the one in my head though...

Thanks sparkle! You are not only fabulous in your sparkliness, you also triggered a great memory.

College...blues bar...ALWAYS played on the jukebox before the band started.

Ah, just wish I could transport myself back in time for a bit. The good news is, if that ever happened, my hubby would be there too. Aww. :)

Creativity in Snippets

We're winding down the weekend and if you don't have time to actually BE creative, it's always fun reading about other people's creations.

Sometimes all I need is to ready a blog or two, visit a crafty website or hold a few beads. I get my fix and a flood of creative ideas.

Pictured here is a color palette over on the Art Bead Scene blog. Have fun!

Art Bead Scene
Brandi pulls out some delicious colour palettes from some of ChelleV2's beautiful handmade ceramic beads.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Tammy Powley has a super giveaway going on on her blog! Read all about it on Jean's!

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy takes another look at Jewelry Stringing magazine.

Beading Arts 

Cyndi has some process shots from a bead embroidered necklace that she made looooooong ago, and never got around to sharing before!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew started a book club... with a twist! "Inspired by Reading Book Club" is a fun, interactive way to explore literature and create!

Resin Crafts!
Making a mold and then working with the duplicated item can create stunning new wearable art!

Let the Sun Shine Down on You Pendant

A very sweet sentiment...especially considering in central Ohio, 4 days into spring, we are under a winter weather watch.

I love the yellowy tone that shines through the sun pendant when placed behind it.

So, would you cover the saying with the sun and have it be sort of hidden and mysterious? OR, would you link them side by side or top to bottom in the same piece?

All good questions, I'm just not sure of the answer. :) Any thoughts?

Bead Surprise Winner Announced!!

Thank you all so much for stopping by and for all the great comments on the surprise bead giveaway post!

I guess we should get right to it...thanks to the random number generator at Random.org, the winner is Norma Turvey of the blog, Moonlit Fantaseas. :)

I didn't want to put photos up yet so it remains a surprise until she gets her package.

So, in the mean time, here are some mirror beads to gush over!

I wish you could see these in real life, they are so shiny and watery and yep, yummy!

Fun Trip to Ben Franklin Crafts

Here are a couple pics from our trip last weekend. We stopped into one of our favorite stores, Ben Franklin Crafts & Frames!

We have escaped home a couple times recently because we're grieving the loss of our last remaining, almost 19 year old, furry child a few weeks ago. I'll share more a little further down the road, but for now will share some fun things.

Who knew so many cool Cousin products would be in this fabulous, yet slightly dusty store! This is one of those stores that is filled with everything under the sun and you have to keep your eyes peeled in every aisle and take your time to find some unique treasures.

My husband was looking for notebook paper reinforcements...found them! He also found Chuckles candies and grabbed a huge handful of packages. :) I was just looking for anything fun...jackpot!

I piled a few of the bead related items on a shelf to get a shot of them. I bought the snap on ring pieces and the bright pink "subculture" charms/pendants. NICE!!

Of course, we had to peruse all the games and kids aisles to make sure we didn't miss a thing. This Ben Franklin also has an old fashioned glass case at the front of the store with just about every type of fudge and bulk candy you can think of...Very uplifting!

Aqua & Red Pendant...Wow!

Yes, I could have left the title of this blog post as, "Aqua & Red Pendant"...the trouble is, that would not have been the real, authentic me...

The "WOW" just slipped its way in, I honestly can't help it, but I also can't seem to make too many excuses for it any more. :)

When you know what you like, you just (finally) know what you like.

And, I guess that is a good thing.

Slick & Bright Red

This is one of those beads you pick up and don't want to put down because it is so soft and smooth to the touch. This one is 19mm and came on a pack of 14, NICE!

I can't wait to use them all in one project...the impact of the bright red is going to be something! I also have the brown with the black edge just like these, but I have to say the red is a total stand out.

Just in case you don't see these in your local craft store or Meijer/Walmart, they have made an appearance in the Primabead retail catalog too. One great thing about Cousin beads, is most basic bead packages are right around $4. If you do have them at the craft store, don't forget your weekly coupons just in case they aren't on sale already! :)

I'm going to be heading to Joann this coming weekend to use a gift card and can't wait to see all the new stuff for spring. If you have been to the craft store lately, please share your haul and/or pics of the selections.

I need to make a better habit of taking pics while at the craft store. It's so fun to see how different everyone's local store is. We visited a Ben Franklin over the weekend when we went out of town and I got some pics to share this week. Fun stuff, you have GOT to love a Ben Franklin store! It was more like a treasure hunt than a shopping trip! :)

Sparkly Weekend Inspiration

Yay, we made it to the weekend...feels pretty good!

It's time to get inspired and get crafty! Cyndi of Beading Arts is getting us started out with a fun and sparkly project using leftovers!

Enjoy!

Beading Arts
In celebration of Seed Bead Month, Cyndi shares a project to help you use up some left overs! 

About.com Jewelry Making
Add some luck of the Irish to your jewelry collection with these copper and crystal earrings.

Art Bead Scene
Pick up some great photo editing tips in a Q + A session with Brandi.

Resin Crafts!
Resin crafts blog has a great post explaining how quick and easy it is to add crystals to clay!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Did you know that the month of March is also National Craft Month? The Cousin Corporation of America does, and check out what they have to offer us just for the fun of it!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew has been working hard on creating pieces for the Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge! This is a recap of the second week of prompts.

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi has a step by step post explaining how to use tissue and resin on an open wire earring component. 

Sparkly Spindly Pendant

Okay, forewarning...I think I'm going to gush a little...

This pendant is SO darn adorable. It would look sweet just tied onto your neck with white string!

Yes, I am often attracted to things that ooze cute, bubblegum sweetness.

Since we probably won't just tie it up with white string, I'd love to hear your ideas for using it.

It's also just the right size for clipping off the loop and adding ribbon, chain or beads as a wrist band and making it into a bracelet!

I really like the white center, in fact, using several strands of white seed beads would be fun too.

Back to you guys...thoughts?

National Craft Month...What are YOU working on?

It's National Craft Month by the way! Are you making anything special to celebrate? Or, maybe you are teaching a class or taking a class. Please share, we'd love to hear about it.

Here's a quick little funny project I made last night.

I just LOVED this little birdy charm that I found among the new Cousin products a couple weeks ago. AND, the sparkly mirror beads were just calling out to be used simply strung up together for sparkly impact. :)

I thought using neck memory wire would make it easy and fun to wear with a knit top cut sort of high for an embellishment effect. I wore it today with a purple top under a black jacket and the little bird feet dangled just below the neckline so it looked sort of fringy.

I also wore the bird off to one side which made me smile every time I caught a glimpse of it. Looked like he had a mind of his own and was just walking along.

If you are looking for crafty inspiration, check out the Cousin Facebook page, they've added a craft month tab.

Cool New Slider Bracelets

Just got the word these new slider bracelets made their debut at JoAnn stores today, very cool!

During our recent trip to Cousin, we got a sneak peak and my personal favorite moment was seeing how many staff members were wearing them, especially the guys!

That would be such a great experience in a company like Cousin...design products and see them come to fruition and THEN see your coworkers go crazy over them...very cool...Dare to dream, right?

If you're not sure whether your local JoAnn store carries them, here's a link to a store locator and video demonstration.

If you don't have a JoAnn store, the sliders are also making an appearance in the spring PrimaBead catalog. If you aren't on the mailing list, you can sign up here.

Enjoy!

Inspired by Creative Bloggers!

The online creative community is so great...beaders, designers, crafters, artists are all so open and willing to share their ideas and experiences with others.

When I first started blogging a few years ago, I had no idea. I was just in my own little world and really had no expectations of what this experience would be like.

Instantly, I was amazed at the kindness and support shown by those who had been out there for a while. So, to all of you, I thank you! It still means so much that you are willing to share and inspire others to create.

That's what it is really all about...creating and sharing! :) Hope you all had a great weekend, please join me in perusing the inspiration below. We're starting things out with Carmi's fab resin design.

Resin Crafts!
In a two part post Carmi explains how she made a vintage piece of trim a necklace component by encasing it in resin.

About.com Jewelry Making

Yes, it is possible to craft a seed bead career. Find out how this designer did it. 

Snap out of it, jean! There's beading to be done!
Gestures of friendship: a complicated story of the travels of a Kelly Russell bead, halfway around the world

Art Bead Scene
Erin picks out some inspiring finds on Etsy for this month's Art Bead Scene Challenge.

Beading Arts
As a part of celebrating Seed Bead Month on Beading Arts, Cyndi shares her favorite seed bead suppliers and books!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew has been participating in the Fusion Beads 30 Day Bead Challenge to celebrate National Craft Month! Here's a recap of the projects he made for the first seven days!

Carmi's Art/Life World
You wouldn't think that quilling and fish leather would go together...but they do and create the loveliest flower rings! 

What We Need is a Bead GIVEAWAY!

Okay everyone, I've picked out some beads for you, so you will have to trust me...

It's time for the very first A Bead A Day "Secret" bead giveaway, yay!

I have decided this would be a great way to share my gratitude for the generosity bestowed upon me recently by the awesome folks at the Cousin Corporation.

I had the opportunity a couple weeks ago to select beads directly from Cousin company headquarters in Largo, Florida...

I know...seriously, the black and blue marks from where I was pinching myself are just now beginning to fade. :)

If you are interested in winning a surprise goody bag of beads, just leave a comment on this post by Thursday, March 21st. I'll announce the winner Friday, March 22nd.

There might be a sneak peak in the mean time, I haven't decided yet. You will definitely receive enough fun beads to complete a couple of jewelry projects.

Art Museum Amazement

Did I mention the VanGogh's hanging in the Toledo Art Museum, wow!

A surreal experience to be standing in front of such famous paintings!

What I would LOVE to do is incorporate these photos into a piece of jewelry.

Of course, a charm bracelet comes to mind, how fun!

Thoughts? Please share!

Here are Monet's Water Lillies and Wheat Fields with Reaper. 

Hmm....I could use the printable fabric and then adhere the fabric to the beads.

I've done that before to showcase the quilt my Grandma made me. It's fun, crafty and easy!

What I haven't done before is actually incorporate words along with photos. I think that would add to the story telling aspect.

Pondering...

Finding Inspiration

The title of this post should be, finding inspiration on an overnight trip. We headed north this weekend, seems we should naturally have wanted to go south, it is COLD up here!

We visited Bowling Green, Ohio to pick up my father in law for a fun day at the Toledo art museum. I was mainly interested in the glass pavilion and my father in law is a glass officianado, having worked 40 plus years in the industry, car glass that is. That made the visit extra enlightening.

Pictured here is the absolute best, most inspiring piece I saw. The glass mural by Dominick Labino. It just so happens I brought some great Prima beads with me that really feel like they are calling out to be worked into something inspired by this mural.

I have a couple other pics you might not believe! Did you know some original works of Claude Monet are hanging in the Toledo Art Museum? Water lillies to name one. Wow! I will share more tomorrow. I am feeling very culture filled at the moment. Hopefully the inspiration will stick around for a while! :)

Happy Creating!

Yay, it's the weekend and if you are lucky (or smart) there will be some time for creating!

Our bead blogger friends are sharing inspiration below.

We're starting things off with the stash of beads Jean received from her Bead Soup partner, NICE!

Such wonderful and diverse materials.

Happy creating everyone!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Elizabeth Owens sent Jean an amazing collection of beads and materials for the BSBP...you are invited to come and not believe your eyes!!!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Competing to win a $100 store credit, Andrew created a pair of earrings for a Design Challenge hosted by Nina Designs. Vote now and help pick the winner!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi organized a blog hop featuring eleven great artists/jewelers featuring fish leather. This is a link to the hop!

About.com Jewelry Making
Catch a mini-review of Cyndi Lavin's completed bead embroidery book, Some Assembly Required.

Art Bead Scene
See what has been made towards our February Challenge in our Monthly Blog Tour!

Beading Arts
Cyndi finished up her February piece for the 2013 Bead Journal Project!

Resin Crafts!
Carmi demonstrates a faux soldering technique on glass pebbles!