Featured Designer: Indian Creek Studios

I just came across this week's designer through another blog and fell in love with her earthy stoneware pieces that have such personality!

Pam, of Indian Creek Studios, has a love for making things with her hands, especially beads with texture. She describes her favorites as earthy, gritty, roll around in the mud beads. Her blog header reads, "Indian Creek Studios: ceramic beads and charms with organic and timeless style".

Pam uses porcelain and stoneware to make them and fires them in a kiln in her backyard. HOW FUN!! I wish she was my neighbor!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed all the information and photos Pam shares on her blog about this art form.

I have always been interested in working in this medium, but have never taken the leap. It's great to get an insider look to see all of the work that goes into it.

Indian Creek Studios has a number of beads, pendants and charms currently listed in its etsy shop. A few of my favorites are shown here. I know you will enjoy them as much as I did!!

Have a great weekend!! (Thank you Pam!!)

Just Add Baubles

When I see little bezel cups, like this one from Rings & Things, all I can think about is getting out the glue and going through a junk drawer looking for little treasures to use for embellishment!!

The last time I was crafting with my Mom and my niece, we got a little slap happy and made up a story about how we all got a little carried away with the hot glue and just started picking up anything from the table, floor, supply box, kitchen counter, etc. and gluing it to a styrofoam ball. Guard your purse and hide your coat or we'll go through your stuff to find wrappers or lip gloss to incorporate in our crafts! :)

I was thinking it would be fun to make this little bezel look like it contained a frosted sugar cookie with tiny seed beads as cookie sprinkles!

Around springtime, the grocery store usually carries the bright yellow or white frosted cookies (the kind made with real, addictive fat and sugar). They are very thick with practically a half inch of frosting on top! Yum...!! I'm beginning to think I'm having a sugar craving! :)

Now, what can I use to make my cookie?!

FTC compliance disclosure, notice of material connections: the item in this post from Rings&Things was provided as a promotional gift as part of the Blog Partner Program for review or design purposes. More info about the Rings & Things Blog Partner Program

I See Dandelions!

Today's bead is a BOX for sharing memories or happy thoughts! Actually, that is MY definition of it. The Rings & Things catalog describes it as:

Shadow Box, Hinged, Square, 1.6" (Antiqued Copper Plated)

As I mentioned yesterday, I am sun deprived at the moment, which means deprivation from beautiful greenery and flowers from nature!!

When I saw this box, I thought of the "ode to the dandelion" project from my book that I posted here recently. I really wish I had frozen or somehow preserved a REAL dandelion from last spring to use today. :)

If you could add something to this box that would represent your connection with nature, what would it be?

FTC compliance disclosure, notice of material connections: the items in this post from Rings&Things were provided as a promotional gift as part of the Blog Partner Program for review or design purposes. More info about the Rings & Things Blog Partner Program

Creativity Unlimited!

When I saw this glass pendant from Rings & Things, I was really taken by it.

What I need to do now is actually write down all of my ideas for filling this great hinged glass pendant. There are so many possibilities, it is not going to be easy to settle on one of them!

My first thoughts are:

- Add a doggie picture on each side
- Pictures of palm trees and GREEN anything!
- Along the lines of green anything, load it up with actual greenery from nature.

I need to see green so bad that even though I'm allergic to grass, I'd load it up with a handful of beautiful green grass and green crystals inside catching the light (do you think those crazy thoughts come from sun deprivation?)

- Pressed flowers

- Decopauged "canvas" of favorite things

- A giant handful of multicolored crystals

- etc., etc.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your "crazy talk" if you are feeling a little sun deprived too. It's always nice to know you are in good company!

FTC compliance disclosure, notice of material connections: the items in this post from Rings&Things were provided as a promotional gift as part of the Blog Partner Program for review or design purposes. More info about the Rings & Things Blog Partner Program

Eat Your Veggies!

I almost completely forgot about these scrapbooking disks that I found at Big Lots for $1.00.

I bought them with the intention of gluing them onto a bracelet blank and filling in the spaces with some dangly glass fruit and veggie beads. I happened to see some of them at the local bead shop (Ally Beads) when I was there for the book signing.

Back in March of 2009, I used a silver bracelet blank with scrapbooking disks and I think these disks would work perfectly in a design like that.

How cute AND good for you too! :)

I am a fan of natural foods and eat more than my fair share of fruits and vegetables each day, actually more veggies than fruit on most days. That is why these caught my eye.

I was thinking this would not only be a fun piece of jewelry, but could also help with motivation when the temptation was there to stray from good old fruits and veggies!!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these if you have a second! :)

Bead Blogger Updates, Devo & Solar Stars!

Here we are, it's Sunday and time to gear up for another week. I was just listening in the car to Devo's "Whip It".

What a great song on many levels... You might be wondering, "what is she thinking?"...actually, I never realized what the song was about. The novelty of a band with odd instruments and what looked like upside-down flower pots on their heads sort of overshadowed the music itself when I was in a more youthful time.

However, the words below definitely helped me today and I will continue to use this song as an anthem for overcoming adversity! How Cool!

Here are some of the lyrics:
When a problem comes along you must whip it; before the cream sits out too long you must whip it; when something's going wrong you must whip it now; whip it into shape ; shape it up get straight ; go forward, move ahead; try to detect it; it's not too late ; to whip it ; whip it good when a good time turns around; you must whip it; you will never live it down unless you whip it; no one gets away until they whip it; i say whip it whip it good i say whip it; whip it good!!

I also encountered another way to overcome adversity today... the solar STAR! I found this at our local Meijer grocery store today. It is SOLAR powered!!

If you have a Meijer store, make sure you get one of these, they are so sparkly and fun!!

All your troubles or areas you might be feeling some adversity in will melt away when you see the colors it cycles through at night, red, green blue...ahhh! Beautiful!! It is dark outside now and I'm telling you, this star is gorgeous!! :)

In preparation for getting inspired and starting another new week, I hope you will join me in a quick trip down blogger lane to see what everyone has been up to...

About.com Jewelry Making Tammy got the 411 on some very cool new metal stamps. Though these can also be used with clay as well.
Art Bead Scene The Art Bead Scene begins a new monthly feature - the ABS Carnival Blog! Let the Carnival begin!
Barbe Saint John - New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts Bopping Along the ICE Resin Blog hop - My resin version of Little Egypt.
Beading Arts Do you want to try lampworking? Cyndi's been busy at the torch again.
Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi uses a candy mold to make a new resin pendant.
Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva Cindy takes a bead shopping trip to the Great White North and almost passes out!
Studio Chronicles Melanie unleashes her grumpy feelings with a little rant and a bead sale! A mystery package is the catalyst for this creative challenge. Up for it? You could win a free book!
Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio Lorelei had a chance, a while back (2008) to have a nice little interview with etsy seller, Patina Queen! This is Lorelei's wire supplier, and she ROCKS!
Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! jean is breathless with delight when she receives a gift from her friend the artist Lisa Kan!
The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Andrew shares his feelings about the awesome new Spring issue of "Stringing" magazine.

This Week's Project: Electric Sparkle & Shell Pearls Bracelet

This week's project incorporates several of the shell pearls and the ELECTRIC SPARKLY beads I received in a surprise bead package from Rings & Things last weekend.

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I received these beads as part of the Rings & Things blog partner program.

I was gathering materials earlier today so I could sit down to create something and discovered this PVC bracelet band that I found in the bargain bin and blogged about last summer.

I was thinking it would be fun to wire some of these beads to the band in a random design. Not surprisingly, my random idea flew out the window for a more structured design.

I think the flower-like form is pretty cute and after wearing it all day, I have pretty much formed a loving bond with it. :)

I caught a glimpse of it on my wrist in the hall mirror a few times today and it makes me smile. As always, that equals success in my book!!

I have also posted a picture of the earrings I made for a coworker to accompany a bracelet she asked me to fix that she had bought on vacation.

I stole a couple of the triangular shell beads from her bracelet so she would have earrings too and it just so happened I had received these special beads in the mail!

The sparkle on these electric beads is really amazing. My coworker wore them all day on Monday and every time I saw her, I saw the sparkle! It was great! I even heard her get some unsolicited comments about them!

I hope everyone is getting in a little bit of fun and crafting this weekend! The snow is falling AGAIN pretty steadily right now... One day soon I NEED TO SEE GREEN!

Take care!!

FTC compliance disclosure, notice of material connections: the items in this post from Rings&Things were provided as a promotional gift as part of the Blog Partner Program for review or design purposes. More info about the Rings & Things Blog Partner Program