New Shinies Winging Their Way to ME!

Just placed an order for nifty clasps!! Fairy and stars and Moons, oh my!!!
Pictures when they arrive!!!

Shinies!!

I received shinies in the mail on Friday and just wanted to share a photo of my new loot!!
They are Mood Beads, just like the Mood Rings of the 70's. Most of these are new designs direct from the designer!
I have ideas already and I think they are beautiful and FUN!!!
Enjoy!

Another peek into my creative process...

I arrived home with treasures from the previously mentioned local bead shop (because, really, how can a person NOT come home with shinies?!)!
Below is a picture of what came home with me!



The next photo are the materials that match and the ideas they sparked...




The two big circles of blue and green together remind me of an underwater wreck with the algae and various sea creatures growing on it.

The bittersweet-colored big circles have so many possibilities... steampunk, vintage, earthy/organic, fae... maybe I'll try some resin in some of the oval cut-outs....we'll just have to see!!

And lastly, I picked the red and blue lucite pieces specifically to match the materials you see them with. They look like an excellent match (that red is not an easy match!) and I am excited to see how they grow into creations!

I will, of course, post pictures as these develop and you are welcome to stop back from time to time to check on their progress!

Porcupine!! and other artistic inspiration while learning...

This past weekend I visited a local beadshop in Minneapolis and learned more about resins, particularly those I haven't worked with yet.

The two pendants above are made with rub-on transfers and UV Resin on wooden beads (strung on sterling and bali silver).
I hadn't had a chance to play with the UV resin yet and took this opportunity to do so.
Though I continue to prefer the ICE Resin for the most part, the UV resin has the advantage in that it cures within an hour of pouring it on the creations! Instant Gratification! (ICE Resin takes from 24 to 36 hours to cure) Also, no mixing of A and B parts as with ICE Resin. However, there is the matter of purchasing the UV lamp (around $40) so really, it is a matter of which type of resin an artist thinks she will use more for her particular purposes.

When I saw the Porcupine transfer, I knew he had to come home with me! How absolutely cute!! The other pendant is a bit more artistic and definitely sparks my creative fancy.

A Glimpse of What I've Been Up To...

This photo is a good representation of what has been going on in my studio lately. It has been a mixture of creating and recreating. The recreating is mostly recreating space as I sort through boxes, bins and containers and integrate what I find into my materials. The globe and the Unique metal cap are blasts from my past; bits and parts from things that I wore as part of my everyday jewelry, and were packed up and moved from place to place as I did. Now, I have unearthed them and am letting the ideas of them simmer in the back of my mind!
The clock gears and botanical pendants are four of the resin pendants I've created recently. These are prototypes and I'm having fun playing with the resin, parts and wood. Actually, the three resin pendants at the top all have little wooden branches and trees in them. These are recycled from a fabulous wood and cork Asian landscape that was found in camper that my family purchased. Somewhere along the way, it's protective glass case was lost,and it is a delicate creation without that, so why not preserve the beauty another way?

I'm looking forward to this weekend and late Christmas celebrations with friends. I hope you-all take the time to surround yourself and connect with friends and loved ones this weekend!

Inspiration from the skies and a new adventure...

In honor of the waning Blue Moon in this New Year:
A hand-hammered brass bookmark, hand-crafted with beads, one that is hand-made ceramic.
Title: Blue Moon Dance
Ingedients:
Hand-hammered brass rod, hand-wrought ceramic, glass, cat's eye, metal.







I am looking forward to the adventures of this New Year. I am looking forward to moving in new directions of creating, exploring and expanding the groundwork that was laid last year.
I will develop my on-line studio, shop and presence more and do what is needed consistently to move confidently forward in tailoring circumstances of every part of my business and studio life to what works best for me.

I've mulled this over quite a bit since reading 's studio blog regarding choosing a word to represent her year ahead.
My word is Adventure.

I wish you exciting and beautiful adventures in your new year and hope you will join me in mine!