Parade? Who's Parade?

I'm back from vacation - didn't know I was gone, huh? Well, I don't like to announce to the cyberworld my house will be empty for a few days. Later on, I'll upload my own pictures but I wanted to tell you where I'd been.

NYC!

Yup we did the Thanksgiving Day parade and all that madness. Never did it before and wanted to experience it. (Can you say "Bucket List?")

What can I say? It was fun and fabulous - Broadway plays, museums and hitting some special jewelry/bead places!

What did you do for Thanksgiving?



(Photo Credit - Thanks NYC Tourist!)

Sunday Photo

Pre-holiday sale on all Cindy Gimbrone online shops!

Cindy Gimbrone Beads for art beads, charms and findings - use coupon code: NovemberSale

Cindy's Studio at Art Fire for meaningful jewelry ready to wrap as gifts!

the bleeding heart on etsy for ready to ship edgey jewelry and beads

Silly Saturday and Sensational Links

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Gaywatch - Peter Vadala & William Phillips
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

About.com Jewelrymaking
It's is so easy to get into the holiday spirit when you have the perfect lampwork beads to get you there. Just think of all the jewelry possibilities.

Art Bead Scene
Are you a Twilight Fan? If yes, then check out the Twilight inspired jewelry on the Art Bead Scene!

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
It's Double Dippin' Week - a week full of ideas for the Double Dips. Try a necklace and become "Entwined."

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie gives her review of Enchanted Adornments, and gives a reminder to enter teh Art Bead Scene monthly challenge for your chance to win a copy of it and some other great beads, including new Earthenwood beads!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Ah, Etsy! So many of our problems solved by visiting Etsy for gifts for our dearest friends at this time of year. Take a look at this premade pendant, which also comes in a kit so you can teach yourself if you prefer. It's all jump rings and it's all beautiful. The Alchemist's Star!

Strands of Beads
Melissa is thankful for generous friends - who share their beading supplies!

Sale at all my online shops November 25-30, 2009

Pre-holiday sale on all Cindy Gimbrone online shops!

Cindy Gimbrone Beads for art beads, charms and findings - use coupon code: NovemberSale

Cindy's Studio at Art Fire for meaningful jewelry ready to wrap as gifts!

the bleeding heart on etsy for ready to ship edgey jewelry and beads.

Green Girl Studios and Bead Commitment Issues....

My bead commitment issues have re-surfaced. ABS loves Cynthia Thornton's wondrous book,Enchanted Adornments. Cynthia's book and Green Girl Studios beads, pendants and toggles always make me want to become a woodland fairy. The lovely assortment above was sent to me by the amazingly talented designer and creative soul, Andrew Thornton in a swap readying ourselves to do a Collaboration Exploration. It was about then that I was hit with migraines which I'm still struggling with - so our collaboration has been delayed. (My bad Andrew!)

Right about now you're wondering what this has to do with my bead commitment issues? These pieces are laying right in front of me now, I've figured out about 100 designs I could make with them but I can't get myself to commit to a permanent design for them.

I love holding them in my hands and reading the oh-so-pithy phrases on the back. They're like little bits of magic. So maybe it's not so bad afterall to want to keep them loose so they be held and read and carried in my pocket so I always have a bit of a woodland fairy's magic with me.

Alice Blue!

I can't get enough of the Through the Looking Glass Charms. Introducing "Alice Blue" wrapped in oxydized silver colored wire! The oxydized silver wire lends a Victorian feel to the glass nugget yet it's grey color is neutral and can combine with a variety of metals in your jewelry.

Sunday Photo

Funny Friday and Fabulous Links!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

A Bead A Day
Do pearls go with everything? Lisa pairs glass pearls with chain and interesting findings. What do you think?

About.com Jewelrymaking
What do you do with a weird piece of chain made from wood? How about making a fabulous necklace out of it.

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene gives you the scoop on findings worth finding - check it out!

Barbe Saint John
I've been a bad blogger!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi makes a brooch with a cameo and other odds and ends.

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy has a new shop on Etsy - the bleeding heart. Check it out!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie shows the piece she made for the new book Chain Style, and talks about her struggles with letting go of her published jewelry pieces.

Jewelry & Beading
Gather up some little beaded flowers and turn them into a very special necklace!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Lorelei's annual craft fair adventure is over and she share's some photos of the Aftermath.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Artbeads teamed up with Nintendo DS to create a fantastic virtual learning game for jewelry lovers! Style Lab! Jean shows it off in a youtube clip! FUN for the HOLIDAYS!

Strands of Beads
Melissa discusses the virtue of buttons in jewelry-making

Double Dippin' - Adjustable Ring

Inspiration hit and I took advantage of it. Out came this sweet little adjustable ring made of my favorite Double Dip - Tahitian Plum and Pink. I've sealed the ring so your skin is protected. Ring can be adjust for up to size 8. I haven't had time to put it up on my Art Fire but if you like it, it's yours - just use the Buy It Now below:

Double Dipping - A Necklace called Entwined

Tahitian Plum Double Dips go so well with antiqued brass so I made a circle pendant with them. I twisted the teardrops of the double dip so they were hugging each other. Small gauge brass wire patinas very quickly so I had to be very careful not to overdo it. The result is a new 18 inch necklace that looks vintage and is called "Entwined." Hold onto the good things in life, those you love and dear friends.

Double Dippin' - Coral Charms Freebie How to

I want to keep the Double Dips ideas coming. Here are the original Double Dips:



I have to admit to an addiction to the Italian made coral colored glass. It usually striates in the flame and produces a varigated coral colored bead. So I selected the coral colored Double Dip to make charms.




Materials:

1 Double Dip in Coral

Tools:

Round nose pliers
Flush cutters that will cut up to 18 ga wire
Chainnose pliers
Optional: steel bench block and chasing/planishing hammer


Directions:

1. Cut the Double Dip in the middle so you have equal length.

2. Make a wrapped loop using the round nose pliers. Please note the 18 gauge wire is dead so it's easy to wrap.

3. Optional: Hammer the loop a couple of times on each side to work harden.

The 18 gauge copper wire gives these charms an ethnic feel. If you're not inclined or unable to make your own Double Dip Charms, these are available!

Rings n Things November Goodies

Payday! Ahhh, I mean I got a goody bag from Rings n Things. Ok, I'm being sarcastic about the payday because I've written before about how I can't pay the bills with beads - but hold on, now that I think about it, I've never actually TRIED to negotiate beads-as-payment terms with the electric company and there is a precedent for it. Isn't it said that Manhattan was "bought" for $24 worth of beads? Beads have been legal tender but I digress, on to the beady-goodness I received last week.


I chose my favorites out of the Rings n Things goody bag sent to the Bead Bloggers. Can I say I'm in love with the wooden chain? How cool is that? My creative wheels are turning.

Which ones pictured here are your favorites?

Sunday Photo

Silly Saturday and Sensational Links

see more Lolcats and funny pictures


A Bead A Day
A surprise package of beads arrives and provides a week of fun on abeadaday!

About.com Jewelrymaking
Tammy has another installment of Make It Merry this week.

Art Bead Scene
November is full of fairies at the Art Bead Scene. Come check out the inspiration painting for the monthly challenge!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi has a give-away offer on "the ugly necklace."

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy reflects on how to live life at a slower pace. Her reflections inspire a pair of earrings.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie starts a new project, an upcycled film themed jewelry line called Now Showing! Read the story behind this fun new idea.

Jean Campbell
Jean finds her first piece of beadwork in a junk drawer and discusses how important it is to reinforce your work

Jewelry & Beading
Gorgeous jewelry designs by artist Paula Huckabay!

Katie's Beading Blog
Katie's combining resin, chain, and tubular peyote stitch in a project for Beadwork magazine - download the pdf for free!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Setting up a table at a craft can be daunting, but Lorelei put together a perfectly Vintage Chic display that will hopefully lure people in.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
In the spirit of the season, whereby "you can get nything you want" as in the famous Alice's Restaurant song by Arlo, you can get some fascinating things at Andrew Thornton's store. Great for holidays to come!

Strands of Beads
Melissa shows off a necklace she made...for herself!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Using a hand-painted Russian pendant from Artbeads.com, Andrew creates an enchanting response to Art Bead Scene's November prompt: Dadd's The Fairy Fellers' Master-Stroke.

Wednesday Winner.....

mairedodd!....

Congratulations! Send me your postal address and I'll send you the silver ivory double dip!

the bleeding heart

I mentioned a few weeks ago how I was going to a black and white theme and wanted to re-vamp my Etsy. Well, because I wanted a different name, I had to open another shop. I'm calling it the bleeding heart - a play on my political views and the style of jewelry and beads in the shop.

I described my concept to The Teen who came up with the banner.



I like it. Now that the bleeding heart had a shop, she needed a new picture.



I'm going for the edge, have I achieved it?

Monday Giveaway! Double Dip

In the spirit of more giveaways on my blog, today I'm going to giveaway a Silver Ivory Double Dip. I used these in the Meandering earrings.



Tell me what you'd make with a Silver Ivory Double Dip and I'll choose the idea I like the most as the winner! You have until midnight tonight (November 9, 2009) EST. Winner will be posted Wednesday - don't forget to come back!

Don't forget - Wednesday winner is announced!

Sunday Photo

Funny Friday and Fabulous Links

moar funny pictures


Art Bead Scene
An Art Bead Scene first - the December sponsors collaborate on a special set of art beads for the December monthly challenge prize!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi uses a leather button to make a wearable collage.

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy has developed a new line of jewelry to remind us all to live life slowly and enjoy what we have. First in the series is "Grounded."

Jean Campbell
Jean describes what it's like to edit someone's book and shares her thoughts on Marcia DeCoster's latest, Beaded Opulence.

Jewelry & Beading
Cyndi is giving away a copy of Ronna Sarvas Weltman’s unique polymer clay book called "Ancient Modern". Come and get in on this contest!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
jean is amazed by the treasures you find in Cynthia Thornton's spectacular wonder of a book, Enchanted Adornments!

Strands of Beads
Melissa trys out Friendly Plastic (and likes the results).

Double Color in Double Dip

I'm collaborating with clay beadmaker, Mary Harding on the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge sponsor art beads. We've worked out a color palette so the beads will coordinate for the winner. I find, though, I can't put the colors away, I keep playing with them and so some of the colors have found their way into the Double Dips.

I'm particularly enamoured of the violets, purple and pinks we've been working with. My favorite is what glass beadmakers know as dark silver plum. I get a slight iridescence that reminds me of the Tahitian black pearls. So I've named it Tahitian Plum - isn't it yummy?



I started thinking how cool it would be to have two coordinating colors in the Double Dips. So I pulled out a coordinating pinky-purple and wrapped the hot glass onto one end and a violet or plum on the other. Purple/pink glass is notoriously finicky so I just got it hot and let it do it's own thing. You don't mess with the purple/pink diva glass - she'll be what she wants! I like the different shades of pink and purple in each teardrop.


So, are your creativity wheels turning? What might you make with the Double Color Double Dips?

Live a Slow Life: Meandering

I love the Ivory Bling Links so I made the Silver Ivory Double Dips to coordinate with them. You can mix and match as you please!

To show them off, though, I made a set of earrings with just the Silver Ivory Double Dips. Another in my Live a Slow Life Series, this one is called, "Meandering." Remininscent of a seed pod you'd find while on a slow hike through the woods, I've named it "Meandering" to remind me to hike slowly so I can see everything around me and enjoy the journey.


Have you done any "meandering" lately?

More Is Less

I always have several projects in progress on my workbench. Projects can go half finished for months as I decide exactly how I want to put a piece together. Today, I wanted to show how I used the happy little balloon like Double Dips.

Poor Double Dips, they were created last year and then I did nothing with them. I guess that's a project half finished, huh? Well, I combined a half finished project with a half finished project. I had cut and stamped a couple of pieces of copper with the phrase "More is Less" - a play on the phrase "Less is More." Wasn't sure at the time where I was going but now with the new "Live a Slow Life" series, it fits right in.

More can make us miserable, it can make our life less than what it is. So I combined the happiness of the balloon like Double Dips with the reminder that having more isn't the answer to happiness. Being present in our life right now and enjoying it is what will bring us happiness.



More IS less, don't you think?

Dropped the Double Dip ball and then picked it back up!

Sometimes I get on a creative roll and create findings to go along with the beads I make. Last year, I rolled out "Double Dips" - 18 gauge copper wire with a glass headpin at each end. I "dipped" each end of the wire in molten glass and made a bead at each end. You could cut them in two and make charms, use as a headpin for that special bead or whatever your imagination led you. I sent them into Wire Jewelry and they appeared in the new products section.

And then nothin'.

Yep, Ladies and Gentlemen, I let the proverbial ball drop. I didn't promote them, I didn't make anything with them, I didn't send them out to designers or even keep them up on my website!

Neglected, these periwinkle Double Dips stayed in my bead storage. What a sorry circumstance for these cute little guys that remind me of balloons!



I've been re-thinking the Double Dips and have re-worked them. Since I love the balloon look of the periwinkle double dips, I've made new ones with a teardrop shape. I've used color combinations that match the Ivory Bling and Frost links so you can mix and match as you please.



This week is dedicated to the Double Dip - I'll show what I've created with them to get your creative wheels turning. In the meantime, what would you make with a Double Dip?

Sunday Photo