Missing in Action

Sorry, that I've not posted in a while.  I didn't realize how long it's been.  Life has been so busy and my ambition level is at low right now.

I have been into the studio a few times and haven't really accomplished a whole lot (except to make a mess.  There isn't an open square inch on my tables.)   But there have been a couple of things that I've finished up, so I thought I'd share those.

This was a piece of sheet metal that I etched the design.  I made quite a few pieces and they've been laying around waiting for me to do something with them.  Combined them with some great butterscotch colored beads from Bead Paradise in Oberlin, Ohio.  

My repousse' piece that I made in Holly Gage's class a few years back was carved in silver. (Check it out in my post on May 19, 2011.)   I took that piece and made a mold of it which I then used to make a copper piece.  This piece uses beads I got at Beyond Beads in Volant, PA.

One, Two , Three!

Why does one thing always lead to another?  Get a pair of knee socks..... have to buy a pair of shoes to go with them.  Get a new purse...... need a new coat to wear with it.  Make a body ornament...... make a dress to wear it with.  (Actually there are times I feel like I need to make just the right piece of clothing to wear with some of my jewelry.)

I did make a body ornament in college and had to make a long velvet dress to wear with it.  (Think I've mentioned that before.)  Unfortunately I don't have one single picture of the body ornament..... although I think I've still got the dress.  No place to wear such a thing so the body ornament was taken apart.

Using a PPP plate I made in my class in Florida, I made a long bronze piece for a pendant.  I combined that piece with beads from my  trip to Bead Paradise in Oberlin, OH, chain from the Bead Show in Pittsburgh and a really rockin' chain I bought from Artbeads.com.  The carnelian and jade beads just seemed made for the warmth of the bronze clay.

I really liked the way the necklace turned out.  It's a long one, about thirty inches.  But it just seemed like it needed some friends.  Hence, the second necklace was made from the "fluffy" looking chain from Art Beads.   That chain is twenty one inches long.  Still not enough to make the first chain look complete.

Yesterday I spent about three hours beading the third necklace with more carnelian and jade along with gold plated beads.  Some of the gold beads were rather small which is why it took so long.  That one is twenty four inches long.  But now it looks complete (to me.)

Last time I designed three necklaces to go together, I sold two of them together.  The third was left behind.  That will probably happen again.

Paradise is Right!

We went.     We saw.     We fell in love!

As I mentioned in my last post I was heading to the Bead Paradise bead shop on Thursday.  I had already done some major damage at the Pittsburgh Bead show on Sunday so I was a little worried.  (With good reason.)

Swan (who also has a studio in the Transit building) and I thought we had died and gone to heaven.  It took us three and a half hours to get there, but it was worth it.  (It only took two hours and forty five minutes to get home........ and no we did not get lost.)  Actually it took us about three weeks to get there as every time we planned a trip something came up.  This time we decided to go come "hell or high water" and with Sandy coming through it was almost high water.

Not only did they have every kind of bead, jewelry tool and supplies that one could want, they also had clothing.  (Which we did not expect.)  The clothing was exceptional and unique.  (Oh if only I were rich!)

Neither of us had ever seen such an organized store.  The owner gave us a tour of the store before we started shopping so we could find what we were looking for.   Bead strands were organized along two walls by color and quality.  Other beads were organized by type.  Of course the really expensive beads were in glass cases.   Then there were all the cabinets with labeled drawers.  Oh there really is too much to mention, you have to go see it for yourself.

I just got a few bead strands which are shown above (since I had already been to the bead show.)  But there were plenty of other things to spend my money on like dark colored brass wire, brass sheet metal, silver nickel sheet metal, and a few individual beads.  Yes I spent more than I planned on but it was all worth it.

Swan moved here from Los Angeles where she had a bead store she loved.  She said this store was even better.

Oberlin, Ohio is a college town with a variety of art galleries lining the street.  Both Swan and I were quite taken with the town itself.  (And our lunch.)  Didn't pay any attention to the restaurant we ate in but they had the best french fries I've had in forty five years and that's a long time.

This will definitely become a yearly trek (maybe even a semi yearly.) ...... next time I know what to expect and I will be prepared!

Major damage

Last Sunday I went to the Bead Show in Pittsburgh and did "Major Damage" to my wallet.  I've only been to one other bead show and that was several years back so I went overboard.

Some people have the knack of looking at all those beads and "see" what they want to make.  I have to buy things, hang onto them for awhile, mull them over and then (maybe) figure out how I want to use them.  I can't count the number of times I've changed my plans for a particular stone or strand of beads.

The photos are only a small example of the "stash" I came home with.

The main thing I was looking for at the show was some small stones to use for the two silver backs that were too small for my latest foray into bezel setting.  I posted about it a few posts back.  S and S Lapidary was located right inside the door and that's all she wrote.  Most of my time and most of my money was spent at their booth.

I did buy a few things at some other booths (but not much.)  Besides the stones I got some copper and bronze chains,  some finished necklace chains and of course some beads.

You would think that would hold me over wouldn't you?  But, no....... Thursday I'm off again to check out Bead Paradise in Oberlin, Ohio.  Question is...... can I control myself?  (Will let you know.)