Yellow the color of Anticipation

Yellow is a color typically saved for accents except for the spring when it bursts forth from the drab winter landscape. Then and only then is it a welcomed color, in fact, we've waited for it, anticipated it. Yet the rest of the year, yellow is avoided. Calling a shade of yellow "school bus yellow" causes us all to wince, yet in spring, we see it all around and are glad for it.

That's why when I needed a new profile picture, I asked my photographer son to take a few pictures. He suggested outside because of the light and I suggested the profusion of forsythia in the back yard.

I love the yellow of the forsythia in the bright sunshine. It's anticipates the bright sun of the summer with all the smiles and laughter.

Yellow finds its way into my art beads too. I couldn't help but add it to the Surreal Rhythms series and entitle it "Flame."

Last spring, Jeannie Dukic designed a lovely primary colored necklace around one of my primary colored spiral focals.

I love the frosted yellow glass links which I anticipate would go perfectly with some Vintaj brass.

Yellow is the color of Anticipation, of Spring and smiles - we brighten up in the spring when we see a daffodil, if we incorporate a yellow art bead or two into our designs, then we symbolize a smile and spring.

Grounded

Mediation and slowing down in general is good for all of us. Inspired to live a slower life, I'm creating a line of reminder jewelry that has style yet serves as a reminder to live life slowly. Each piece will be named after a slow life goal like this one - to stay grounded.


I put this up on my Flickr a couple weeks ago but decided to re-work it slightly and take another picture of it. It's available in my studio at ArtFire.

Ornamentea Unveil - Sew Together

I was a blogging dud last week, Dear Readers. The flu season arrived at my house by first hitting my son, then my husband. I luckily escaped the flu but was hit with a bad case of bronchitis. So last week is a blur of illness.

Finished jewelry pieces languished on my photography table ready for their close up. Well, today the wait is over. Remember the day I posted about Ornamentea and the 10 Loop Ring in Antique Brass? If you don't, here's a picture of the ring blank...


Without realizing it, I've been developing a group of pieces where I "sew" with wire and metal to create pendants. My need to sew metal and glass comes from learning to sew at age 4, sewing my own clothes through college and reluctantly giving it up when the fabric became more expensive than buying a dress, and reading Mary Hettmansburger and Susan Lenart Kazmer. Sewing seems natural to me - stitching with wire is a natural extension of who I am and the wirework I do.

I strive to put things together in unusual ways - make the unexpected. The 10 loops cry out for a flurry of headpins and beads - which I love love love by the way - but what could I do with the loops in an unexpected way? I held up one of my Pear Frost Links - it framed the loops beautifully. Aha! I would sew the Pear Frost Link to the ring (have I mentioned how glue is not my BFF?)







The title is an obvious play on words and how I'd like to be "together." Instead of being flawless, I'm held together by these strong and even stitches that have a beauty all their own.

Do you find something like sewing appearing as a theme in your creative life?

Ornamentea, An Etsy Sale and Comments on the Comments

Thanks for all the great comments on the disclosure. I always appreciate your comments and love to hear from you!

Unfortunately, I wasn't very clear where was coming from when I posted. So let me try to clarify. The FCC (I think) has come up with a new ruling requiring bloggers to disclose that they are paid to talk up a product. Companies have dedicated staff on social networking sites talking up products and people. They get real salaries, real money to pay their bills and buy groceries. I get paid in a goody bag. I can't send jump rings and Swarovski crystals to the gas company and they'll consider my bill paid. But the FCC works in broad strokes so since I blog about a product, then I need to disclose.

So that's why I wrote the "no secrets" post.

In keeping with my "No Secrets Policy," I've gotten an exciting selection of products from Ornamentea as part of a creative challenge to the editors of the Art Bead Scene. Each editor is to come up with jewelry using similar items from Ornamentea. I love working with the other beadmakers at ABS, they're such a creative bunch! You should check out the sale that Melanie is having on Etsy.

Buy I'm digressing from the fabulous findings I'm working with right now. I've received a 10 Loop Ring in Antique Brass, Medium Knurled Round Chain in Antique Brass and a Snake Hook in Antique Brass








Yummy! I've had these on my design table for over a week thinking and turning them over and over trying to decide what I wanted to create. I started putting together a piece using my Frost Links in Pear. The Pear color goes so well with the rich tones of the antiqued brass.

What do you think I'm working on? A necklace? A ring?

Temptation and Pear Frost Links

This past weekend, a BeadStreet USA show was in town. I tried to resist the temptation to go, but if you read my Facebook on Sunday, I couldn't resist any longer and went on my lunch hour. The show was kinda sparse which normally would be a problem but since I was in a hurry, it was perfect.

I had a couple of things I was looking for so I went in like a stealth missle - zeroing in on what I was looking for and trying not to get sidetracked. I made a few quick decisions and was out of there. All done on my lunch hour! YAY!

This morning, I've taken my morning coffee outside and the strands of beads I bought.



Quite a colorful bunch, huh? I'm not really sure what it all is, I think it's mosaic turquoise and dyed turquoise. The bright pink/fuschia are dyed stones of some sort I think. I was going for color this time around.

The dyed turquoise was bought first because I had the Frost Links in Pear in mind. I think they go together quite well, don't you?



Topping today's to do list is to make something from the Pear Frost Link and the dyed turquoise before I have to leave for work at 11:30am. So I better get crackin'! What's topping your to do list today?

Rings of Summer: Frosted Pear

I created up this bracelet using my Frost Links in Pear and used plain wire links made of bronze colored wire to link them together. It's called the Rings of Summer because the green and bronze color remind me of the lush greens of trees and bushes. It's about 6 and 3/4 inch long and has a handmade clasp. I've been wearing it around the house to make sure it wears well and is very comfortable. It is. It's not a bracelet that hangs down - it fits right to the wrist.

I've put a buy it now button with the picture because it's ready to put up on my website but I won't have time to do it this morning. The buy it now button is quicker and if you like it, you can buy it where you see it.

What do you think of putting up a link to purchase right off the blog? Especially since I usually don't put items up very quickly on my website (good intentions but it takes always longer than I expect.)

Guard Cat watching over my entry for Beader's Muse II

I'm about to show you a Top Secret Project I'm working on - Use the Muse II. I'm not allowed to show any part of "the Muse" but I can show you the components I've chosen from my kit that includes beautiful beads from Artbeads and my Frost Links in Kelp and Blue Gray that I've chosen to go along with the Muse.

I'm using some of the beautiful chain I got from the R&T Bead Tour last week. The only problem I have with the chain is that I don't have some in gunmental!

Mums the word on this project until the big reveal on Scarlett Lanson's The Beader's Muse. So that's all I can show you for now. The necklace is shaping up very nicely - I love it and intend to wear it! But you're not to breathe a word of this until the big reveal probably sometime around the first of August.

Good thing I've got Guard Cat watching over the studio. I have a cat who thinks he's a dog. He follows me around the house wherever I go and sits at my feet when I sit down to my workbench. Around here, he's known as "Kitty-Dog" and he sits at the front door standing guard.





"Meooowwwww-ruuuurrffff!"

It's Thyme for the First GiveAway for July!

Good morning, Faithful Readers and/or Those-Anxious-for-Free-Beads! I'm a little later than normal posting to the blog. It seems I needed to sleep in this morning!

Over my morning coffee, I took some pictures of my latest addition to the Frost Links - Frost Links in White and Frost Love Links. I think these would look great on a ribbon necklace. A nice wedding necklace, either if you're attending or if you're in the wedding party. What do you think?




Yesterday, I said I'd have a weekly bead giveaway during July in celebration of my anniversary. Here is this week's set of beads, "Glyph Inspired." They are part of the "Glyph Series" beads I made a couple of years ago. I'll be revamping the series this summer so I want to share what I have left of the old ones with you before the new ones come out. I've thrown in some handmade red spacer beads for a pop of color and a few replica brass coin beads for fun.



Here's how you win the beads:

1. Make a comment between today and Friday, July 3rd.

2. I'll put all the names in a hat and draw a random winner on Saturday morning, July
4th.

3. Check my blog to see if you've won.

4. If you're the winner, send an email to me with your postal address.

That's it!

Oh, I'll make sure to ask a question so you have something to comment on!

On another subject, I have a small herb garden right outside my front door. Nothing like fresh herbs to cook with! I noticed this morning the thyme is starting to bloom in places. Just before the blooms open, the thyme will be at its most flavorful. It's a good time to harvest it for drying and using it in the winter.



Looks luscious doesn't it? I've got regular thyme and lemon thyme mixed in the same small bed. I love the lemon thyme, just brushing my hand over it releases such a lovely citrus scent. Wish you all could smell it this morning!

While I'm busy harvesting the thyme, leave me some ideas on how to use the Frost Links or tell me how you'd use the Glyph Inspired beads if you won them.

Components, Artbeads, Andrew Thornton, Green Girl and Use The Muse II

I've got lots new components sitting on my design board. I'm starting with my Frosted Links. I love their softness and depth. Now, what to pair them with?

I've just joined the Artbeads blogging partners and have some yummy Swarovski crystal ovals coming my way. The "volcano" crystal is a nice complementary color for the blue-gray Frost Link - or even the Kelp color.





But that's not all I have. I've been talking to the awesome Andrew Thornton about doing a Collaboration Exploration. Andrew is an amazingly talented artist and brother to that superlicious artist, Cynthia Thornton of Green Girl Studios. Andrew sent a handpicked selection of Green Girl components:



How awesome is Andrew? Pretty darned awesome I'd say!

I have one last set of amazing beads on their way to me. I've signed up for Use the Muse II. Can't wait to get the set of beads.

So with all these inspirational components in front of me, I better get to work.

What kind of components inspire you?