lo and behold

I easily met the deadline for the Art Bead Scene Color Challenge, but taking the photos nearly killed me!   Borrowed my daughter’s camera which is better than mine, went outside into the first sun we’ve seen all week, and still, I only got one mediocre photo after about a million attempts.  I NEED to learn about photography, but it will mean less torch time, and I just can’t stand the thought of that trade off

Components:

• 11 handmade lampwork beads by Jill Symons, wisteria glass and gold leaf
• 5 handmade bead crochet ropes by me, 4” each
• 8 handmade wrapped wire links using gold-colored craft wire and technique from Totally Twisted (you can’t even really see them at the top of each strand
• store bought gold-colored S-clasp

Firsts:

• first double stranded necklace design
• first time making my own wire links, both the twisty ones and the ones with the beads
• figured out how to link both strands and the clasp – got it right on the first try! 
• figured out a better more secure way to sew together the bead crochet links

Next time:

• I love how all the wirework looks, but I did not like making it.  Like author Kerry Bogart said, it got easier and better with each link I made, but I don’t think that kind of wirework is for me.  I need to try hammers and fusing. 
• Add a tiny bit more length to the bottom strand so the space between them is slightly greater.
• The color challenge palette is lovely, but it turned out a little too pastel for me.  Will try to build on this design in more of my own style.

And that’s all for now.  I’m pooped!

I’m getting very excited to see all the creations that will be revealed on February 10th at the Bead Soup Virtual Party.  Eighty-four bloggers are playing along; it will probably take me days see them all – and I do want to see them ALL. 

My bead soup came from Mary Harding.  I let the ingredients simmer for a few days and then began to make components -like the way a soup is better if you sauté the onion, carrots, and celery first instead of just throwing it all into the liquid to boil.  I wanted to work Mary’s beads into my style.  I really admire designers like Lori Anderson whose jewelry can range from Goth to romantic to bright and whimsical to organic and subtle.  I am not a designer who is adept at many different looks; rather I am one with a signature style (if I can be so bold as to say that about myself at this point) and I want all of my pieces to be somewhat recognizable within a style.  Right now, I would say that bead crochet is one of my signature components.  So I went at it:

The one in the back is not bead crochet but that piece of rope will be used in a similar way.  That’s all for now!!

I also decided that in honor of my many new blog friends, I am going to do a giveaway – my first ever.  Since I consider this stage of my artistic life to be more about learning and developing skills than about selling, I love to GIVE my jewelry as gifts and surprises.  One gift is the bead crochet bracelet below, and a second winner will get a surprise.  Here’s how you can enter:

1.  Sign up for my RSS feed so we can stay connected after the party ends.

2.  Leave me a comment telling me that you’ve done it. (There must be a way I can see who has subscribed, but I don’t have that piece of technology/knowledge in place yet – so we’re on the honor system!)

3.  I will collect names from the comments and choose one randomly on Monday, February 15 at 12 noon EST.  I will contact the winners and announce it on the blog Monday afternoon or evening. 

4.  Want a second entry?  Blog about my giveaway, leave me a comment with the link to your post, and I’ll put your name into the pot again! 

Good luck everyone!  See you again soon!