A huge thank you goes out to your hostess: Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
for organizing this event!
Lisa, 34 jewelry artists and myself have spent countless hours upon receipt of our
Lampwork or Clay goodies in designing, gathering findings, tools and other found objects
in our home jewelry and crafting stashes.
The task: each
participant was sent a bead kit with either artisan made lampwork beads
or artisan made clay beads/pendants. Participants were instructed to
use these components in conjunction with other beads on their bead
table (but not to purchase new beads).
My story: Early this summer I co-created Clay Play Day
here in Las Vegas. A friend and I wanted to do more than bead and crochet. Both of us work at Michaels and teach. I teach jewelry & she teaches crochet. Between the 2 of us we could open up our own mini craft store. It started with the 2 of us at her home. We've expanded and are fortunate to have a friend who owns a bead shop and offered for us to bring Clay Play Day to her store Sweet Beads. Sometimes there's just a few of us and other times 6 or more. We'll meet 1-2 times per month for a FREE social event. Some bring books from the library or what they picked up at a local store for inspiration or tutorials to choose from. My birthday was in July and I received some lovely orange tiger lily flowers from my mother. I wanted them to last forever. So when they started to wilt, I took all the petals off and placed them in an open sandwich bag. I let them completely dry out. During one of our Clay Play Day's I brought the dried flowers and made a clay lentil bead. I made a mini version of the vase of tiger lilies on the lentil bead. Once the bead was baked, the tiger lilies turned a deep purple color. I made this lentil bead before receiving my assortment of Ceramic by Grubbi from Natalie Mckenna
http://www.grubbi.etsy.com
I've had many ideas on what I wanted to do with the ceramic, but nothing really felt right until Tuesday, November 12th, 2013. This was the monthly meeting of the Las Vegas Bead Society. I happen to work well under pressure closer to the end date. I don't always see it as procrastination, but I seem to do my best work that way. Tonight was a social gathering for the LVBS members and I put the final touches of chain and a clasp on my whimsical piece this evening.
I included some dark blue crystal beads and white donuts from a recent swap that I participated in through Bead Swap USA. My partner
Chris Schlicht sent so many beads I've never seen or worked with before for our "Cat Tones" swap.
I feel that I accomplished a lot by combining this blog hop with a recent bead swap. Please take the time to enjoy the work done by all participants.
Your hostess: Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry
Annette Rivers, MamaOwl's Mess
Karin King, The Sparkle Things Blog
Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings
Mimi Gardner, Baubles, Beads and Other Curiosities
Dee Alcalde, Agape Creations Jewelry
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Lori Jean Poppe, Lorillijean Creative Corner
Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life
Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, Sharyl's Jewelry
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Linda Aspenson Bergstrom, TBD
Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends
Judy Turner, Silver Rains
Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs
Kathleen Douglas, Washoe Kat's
Connie Tipton, TBD
Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry
Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations
Michele Dotson, Star Jewels
Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware
Jennifer Clifford, TBD
Kathleen Breeding, YOU ARE HERE
Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me
Loretta, Loretta's Boutique
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyns Creations
Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread
Bonnie Coursolle, Jasper's Gems
Alice Craddick, Alice's Artisan Whimsy Blog
Kathleen - I seem to work well under pressure also! Those Clay Play Days sound fun. I love how you combined the beads with crochet. Thanks for being in the hop!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like it turned out great. Love your little bead you made. And the crochet with the beads is so cute. I've never tried that.
ReplyDeleteFun, FUN! So tactile and freeform. I can see that being worn by a mermaid who is lounging on a seaweed covered rock. I love pieces that are noticed, that make people do a double take. Have you worn it much?
ReplyDeleteYour Clay Play Days sound like a great time. I'm all in favor of anything that encourages creativity. I could never work at Michaels because I would spend all the money I make on craft supplies :D
I teach mostly and cashier from time to time. I've been so involved in these hops, bead swaps, clay play days and trying to get my zibbet.com website along with craft shows. I actually plan to sell this piece during a spring craft show. If it doesn't sell I can photograph it some more & put it on my zibbet website. I've made a half a dozen & some were given as gifts. I plan to expand more with them this year with some new ideas.
ReplyDelete