Bead Bloggers!

I'm visiting my family in Ohio, so I'm a bit late with my Sunday Bead Bloggers, but here it is!

A Bead A Day What does your Monday jewelry look like? Do you find you grab more sparkle for an added boost?
About.com Jewelry Making Are you trying to pinch those pennies when it comes to making jewelry? Here are some ideas to help you out.
Art Bead Scene This week we have a Monthly Challenge treasury to share and inspire you.
Barbe Saint John Bead Chic by Margot Potter Book Review and Giveaway
Beading Arts Have you seen what you can do with macrame? Don't think hemp, think colorful and modern!
Carmi's Art/Life World Another felted and beaded pendant is turned into a necklace by Carmi.
Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva This week's Wednesday Wire is all about the rings.
Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie faces her fears of home improvement by relating it to her beloved jewelry crafts.
Katie's Beading Blog Katie's dreaming up jewelry projects inspired by the season. Leave a comment for a chance to win a Beads, Baubles & Jewels DVD!
Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio Lorelei and Nancy Schindler paired up for a beading challenge, check out the results here!
Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean reviews the amazing tutorial, Color Drenched Metal, by Shannon LeVart, which is available at Shannon's Etsy Shop: missficklemedia. This is a FANTASTIC opportunity for eager designers to learn how to patinate a variety of metals in gorgeous, vivid colors! The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton To celebrate his birthday, Andrew hosts a week of giveaways! Five days! Five giveaways!

Bead Chic by Margot Potter Book Review and Giveaway

Bead Chic: 36 Stylish Jewelry Projects & Inspired Variations by Margot Potter

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: North Light Books; 1 edition (August 2, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1440303150
ISBN-13: 978-1440303159

Bead Chic is the newest book from Craft Super Star Margo Potter. In Bead Chic, Margot encourages the reader to take inspiration from the project and put their own personal twist on it. The book has 36 projects each with a variation to show the reader how easily they can be inspired yet make it in your own style. She asked a number of designers to include their takes on her projects (I have 2 in the book) and I love seeing how differently people interepted her designs.

The book starts out with sections on Materials, Tools and all the Techniques to create the projects in the book. The chapters are focused on Scale, Color, Texture, Pattern, Foundations, and Focal Elements. The book has gorgeous photos and very clear step outs for each project. Whether beginner or advanced, the projects in this book are sure to inspire. I love all Margot's book but this one is my favorite by far.

Margot has put up a free project from this book on her blog to get your creative juices flowing. To read more about her, check out her blog and visit her website too.

Bead Chic Giveaway!

I'm giving away a copy of this fabulous book too!! If you'd like to win just leave a comment on this blog post by midnight PST Sept 28th. I'll pick the lucky winner randomly via random.org from the comments of this post on Wednesday September 29th. No Anonymous comments please, be sure to leave your name and email address if it doesn't already appear next to your entry.

You can get extra chances to win Bead Chic by mentioning this giveaway on your blog, Facebook page, or on Twitter. Be sure to post your social media extra entries as a SEPARATE comment to this post for the extra chances to win.

Industrial Chic News and Givewaway

I know you all love Susan Lenart Kazmer's Industrial Chic line (available at Michael's) as much as I do so I have a couple of great things to share with you all today.

The Industrial Chic line has been really popular since it debuted at Michaels' stores earlier this summer. Well, guess what- Susan has come out with even more goodies in the Industrial Chic line including new chains, charms and components. The new goodies will be rolling out at Michaels stores across the nation THIS WEEKEND!!!! I can't wait, perhaps I need to go do a little birthday shopping for myself!

And more good news if you hop on over on the Objects and Elements blog, you can get a chance to win a few for yourself! All you have to do read and leave a comment over there for a chance to win a fun package of new components!

Every Day is Halloween - Rings and Things Blog Partner Halloween Beads

Halloween is my one of my favorite holidays, (Valentines Day being the other) so I was excited when I got was chosen as one of Rings & Things Blog Partner and recieved an envelope full of Halloween beads to review, give away or create with. (blog partners recieve a goodie packet of product to review, but do not get paid any $$ to do reviews)

Look at all these gorgeous Halloween Beads! I got a fantastic lot of both lampwork glass beads and brass charms. Also included is a fun hinged glass coffin pendant!!!

I love love love the little Broom Hilda Witch Head, Black Owls and the Calavera Sugar Skull beads the most. They are all cool and are really nicely done. I am thinking of something perfect for the coffin pendant - I have some cobweb lace somewhere I think would look fantastic as a background in the pendant. So many possibilities!!! Sadly, I haven't had the chance to sit and create anything with them because I'm working on 2011 class samples. So I've decided to share the love and give some of them away.

The winner will recieve some of the fantastic beads pictured above along with some matching colored beads from my own stash. To get a chance to win, just leave a comment below why you love Halloween, or your fave Halloween costume of all time. I'll pick the winner on Oct 6th using random.org.

Thank you Dave and Rings & Things for the opportunity to be a Blog Partner! If anyone is interested in learning how they can become a Rings & Things Blog Partner yourself, read this page for instructions.

Sunday Bead Bloggers

Yesterday was my one year anniversary of reuniting with my daughter. Hard to believe a year has passed, it seems so long ago that I sent off an email introducing myself as her Birth Mother only to get a reply within 15 mins... A ton of coincidences and a few hours later were getting to know each other. Happy Anniversary again Moe!

While my intentions for today were good, my follow thru wasn't. I'm still working on a couple of class samples that I wanted to get done yesterday. Can't rush the creative muse!

So, I'm taking a break now and doing some blog reading with this weeks Bead Bloggers!

A Bead A Day Are you thinking of branching out into polymer clay work? Lisa has gathered some blog reader feedback on how to get started.

About.com Jewelry Making Are you in or out when it comes to plated metals? This polls seems to indicate a mixed bag .

Art Bead Scene Art Bead Scene Announces the September Monthly Challenge. Come gain inspiration from Barbier.

Barbe Saint John Stamped Metal Jewelry book review!

Beading Arts Have you tried wool roving in your jewelry designs? See what Cyndi has been doing with this fascinating material!

Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi is thrilled to go down a new artistic road with paper pendants!

Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva Wondering what Cindy's really like? Come see her first ever video and find out if she's really that quirky!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie celebrates the start of school season with a series of Friday book giveaways, starting with Creative Paper Jewelry.

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio Lorelei takes a bit of a directional turn, in business. You may want to read this!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! It is Jean's birthday month! To celebrate, she is reposting a review of a lovely book by Cathy Jakicic which she is particularly fond of!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Margot Potter recently debuted her new book, "Bead Chic". Find out how you can win a copy with this week's Thursday Giveaway!

Tomorrow, I'll post about the Rings and Things halloween beads and have a giveaway.

Ch Cha Cha Changes....and Long Live the Queen

 RIP Nephthys 10/31/92 - 9/9/2010

Nothing's impossible I have found, When my chin is on the ground,

I pick myself up, dust myself off, start all over again.

Don't lose your confidence if you slip, be grateful for a pleasant trip,

And pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again.

Work like a soul inspired, till the battle of the day is won

You may be sick and tired, but to be a man, my son.

Will you remember the famous men, who had to fall to rise again

So Take a Deep Breath, Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Off, Start All Over Again...

This is from one of my favorite movies "Swingtime" with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Ginger sings the song "Pick Yourself Up" to Fred during their first dance lesson.  I've been a bad blogger this summer, especially the latter part of the summer. There's been a lot of churning and chaos in my life which I've mentioned a bit here and there.  Everything had turned upside down over the past few weeks; my husband and I have recently seperated, and yesterday I had to say goodbye to my baby of 18 yrs. I thought my heart was broke before yesterday, now its shattered. It's been a really challenging month to say the least.

My life is doing a complete 180,  I know things happen for a reason so I'm trying to embrace the changes, painful as they all seem to be..... I don't know what the rest of 2010 will bring, but I'm really looking forward to a much better 2011.

I have to so much to blog about too and feel so behind. I'm determined to get caught up this week, and take my mind off of missing my kitty.  I got an amazing package of Halloween Beads from Rings and Things, need to review the 2 fantastic DVD's from Ronna Sarvas Weltman and I just got in a copy of Bead Chic by Margot Potter to review and give away. Thank you Ms. Margot.

I'll post all that this week, promise.  Pick myself up, Dust myself and start all over again.

CREATE with Cloth Paper Scissors Recap

The Create with Cloth Paper Scissors retreat has come and gone. Back home, its hard to believe I only came home 3 days ago!  It was a WONDERFUL retreat, and I'm looking forward to next years event. The hotel was GORGEOUS, and the event went off without a hitch. My fellowO&E Design Team Sister Jane Salley was also an instructor and we got to spend the weekend hanging out and having fun.

I had a great group of creative women in my Jewelry Alchemy class. This was my teachers pet aka class assistant Debbie Kreischer. Debbie was pure joy and I thank her so much for all her hard work!!!

Here are a couple of examples of work done by two other students. The left is by Crystal, and I love the way she mixed colored metals and industrial with crystal. On the right is Glenda's Mah Jongg necklace.

She had an amazing assortment of vintage pieces to work with and this necklace is a real art statement. I love the asymetrical yet perfectly balanced necklace. All my students did amazing work, and I thank them for allowing me to share my love of creating with them.

Vendor night was alot of fun and Belinda came to help me out. Thanks Belinda!!! Also at Create,  I got to meet some people I only know online like Crystal Neubauer, Kim Geiser, Alisa Burke, Kelli Perkins, Jane Davila, and a bunch of FB friends.  A great time was had by all and I look forward to the next one.  Speaking of, I need to get busy and get some proposals out to other events for 2011.  I'm also talking to a few people about doing small weekend type retreats. I'll announce any I get set up as they come along. If you have a group of people and would like me to come out and have a fun filled art weekend email me!