ABS Carnival Blog! Beginnings....

While you're figuring out where I am, I thought I would double post the Art Bead Scene's Carnival Blog. The ABS Carnival Bloggers are an dedicated group of ABS readers who have written a post this month on the theme, "Beginnings." I know you'll be as excited as I was to read each blogger's interpretation and how beginnings impact their art and creativity.



Holly explores the source of creativity and where might it really begin?. A swirling spring creek gave her pause to think. (Photo courtesy of Holly.)

Our intrepid Carnival Blogger, Kate, delves into the inspiration to the found in the theme "Beginnings" Read her post and you'll feel inspired too!

Lime Green Eggplant Leaf by Kate.

Mary Harding writes a thoughtful post on the beginnings of art bead and shows off a lovely necklace (see below).



Many of us have an abnormal stash of art beads. I'm sure you'll find kindred spirits in Jen and Kelly who share how their obsession with all things beady began.

Meanwhile, Lyn Foley is striking out into uncharted territory, she has begun a new endeavor in mixed media. Lyn shows the beginning of her new piece in her sketchbook (see below):



On Christine's aptly named blog, Intuitive Sparks, she generously shares a tutorial using one of her artist made lampwork beads which embody the power of a beginning.


(Christine demonstrates how to create a wire spiral.)

Beginnings can mean false starts and Michelle Mach shares with us how beginning a design can be the hardest part.

Sometimes, a beginning can suprise you and doesn't come from our magpie nature to collect shiny things. It can come from a new life. Marcie, a talented seed bead artist LaBellaJoya writes about the beginning for a new addition to her family.


(Turquoise Blue beaded bead by Marcie.)

Beginnings mean so many different things. What does "Beginnings" mean to you?

The ABS Carnival Bloggers have just begun! We'll be posting monthly on the Art Bead Scene and writing about a secret theme. We're always happy to welcome another dedicated Art Bead Scene reader to our Carnival Blogger Group! Interested in joining? Please send an email to Cindy saying you'd like to join.

Until next month...the Carnival Bloggers bid you adieu!

The Winner of the Bronze Charm is...

...Erin of TesoriTrovati! Congratulations, Erin! You've the winner of the bronze metal flower charm. Send me an email with your address and I'll send it right out to you!

In keeping with the theme on Art Bead Scene this month and due to the fact that I make alot of beads with this kind of flavor, I'm offering up another set of giveaway beads this week. This week's beads feature two goddess beads. I've complemented the goddesses with my "rice" beads, African beads, furnace glass beads and some pewter accent beads.



You know how to enter - make a comment between now and Friday, July 17. I'll draw a random name and announce the winner on Saturday.

Free Projects! Art Bead Scene's Twelve Days of Christmas

Art Bead Scene is hosting it's annual Twelve Days of Christmas where the editors post 12 free projects. I've added the button to my sidebar so you can find it easily!

Enjoy!

Bling Links: Share Your Heart

You might look at the Bling Links in Midnight and say,"gee those are pretty but what do I do with them?"


Thought I'd give you an idea based on the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge theme, Something to Say. The Share Your Heart Necklace...


What would YOU do with the Bling Links?

She's Alive! She's Alive!

Yep, that's right, boy and girls! I'm still alive despite my total lack of ambition lately. I've got several things lined up for this week including a Beading on a Budget post but first, I've been remiss in my support of some VERY COOL people! So I'm here to plug my buds: Art Bead Scene and the monthly challenge!

YAY!

This month's theme is Pearls of Wisdom. So pull out the pearls and your art beads to create something wonderful to share with us! You can also interpret the theme with sage advice in the form of pendants and beads that share a pearl of wisdom.

The Prize & Sponsor:

Along with our Featured Designer of the Week we are returning with prizes this month! Our sponsor is the extremely talented beadmaker and author Lisa Kan. Lisa will be awarding a signed copy of her book, Bead Romantique and a few strands of pearls to one lucky winner. Winners are chosen at random from the all qualifying entries during the month.

Deadline is June 30th.

Now THERE'S a Beading on a Budget tip - enter an ABS Challenge and win FREE stuff!!

What are you waiting for? Get designing!!

Skully Kidz Reciting Poetry in the ABS Neighborhood!

The Heartz n Skullz Gang otherwise known as Skully Kidz have walked to the Art Bead Scene Neighborhood park today.




The ABS Neighbors don't like them even though the Skully Kidz do no harm and simply lay in the grass reciting their poetry to Skully Kid's Little Brother, the Desperate ABS Neighbors make a snap judgement and think their clothes mean the Kidz are going to cause mischief in the neighborhood.



Let's speak up for the Heartz n Skullz Gang! Tell the ABS Neighbors they're good kidz - leave a comment and tell me how you'd defend them :-)

Drive-by today

Just a quick drive by this morning....I've got an early sign language interpreting job. Here's a snapshot of another of the Skully Kidz. He's cute, isn't he?

On another note, ArtBeadScene started a new series last week, In the Studio, where all of the editors of ABS will open up their studios and give you a peek at the process of beadmaking in a variety of media, clay, polymer and glass. Prizes will be given out for those who comment. So hop on over there and check out the ArtBeadScene!

Twelve Days of Projects at ABS

Happy Holidays from the editors of ArtBeadScene! As a thank you to our readers, we, the editors of ABS will be posting the Twelve Days of Xmas Art Bead Projects. Click on over and make that last minute holiday gift!

Time to make the beads....

Busy in the studio making beads. Artbeadscene has a great theme in store for the holidays - gotta make the beads!

Your to do list today - check out these!

Check out my interview on ArtBeadScene today. I love those beadmakers! They're the best group of business women on the planet - not to mention wildly talented!

While you at it, drop on over to etsy and see the new Treasury sponsored by ArtBeadScene

Flickr!

I love Flickr! So many beautiful pictures and so little time!! Here's a yummy concoction from Melissa Lee for the ArtBeadScene June Challenge, Let them Eat Cake! A sweet necklace to commemorate her son's 1st birthday, it's full of whimsical Lezlie Belanger (aka Canterbury Keepsakes) lampwork beads. Pass the cake, please!

Updates to Website

Spent yesterday updating my website You can order a custom color in the Spiral beads. I've also added a page for beads featured on Art Bead Scene for the monthly challenge. So go on over and check it out!

A month full of Challenge!!

April is my Challenge month! First, is the Beadwork Challenge. The Spirals debuted via the Challenge and have been very well received. They're available at Cindy Gimbrone Beads. Next is the Art Bead Scene Challenge. I've taken the ABS monthly challenge as inspiration. I've created birds taking flight - a sculptural bead that I've never made before. These turned out well - there are blue birds, white doves (love birds) and cherry head parrots for some vivid color! If you'd like to purchase any of these birds - drop me an email. Prices range from $8.00 - $50.00.

ABS Announces Monthly Challenge!

Myself and some fabulous bead/button makers have banded together to create Art Bead Scene. Art Bead Scene (ABS) is an interactive blog with the goal of uniting bead artists of all materials and the jewelry designers who use art beads in their work. An art bead is a bead, charm, or component made by an independent artist. To us, art beads are incredible, tiny works of art made by hand from the finest materials by some of the best artists in this country and around the world. I'm so excited to be a part of this group of fabulous beadmakers!

ABS introduces the first Monthly Bead Theme! This month's theme is Taking Flight. Let your imagination soar to interpret the challenge. You might be inspired by flying creatures, flying objects, the sky and air, or anything that makes you think of flight!

Any handmade object qualifies. This challenge is open to jewelry-makers, fiber artists, collage artist, etc. Beads by themselves DO NOT qualify.

Go to Art Bead Scene for details on how to enter.