A Golden Opportunity: Collaboration with Heather and Katie

Last week I blogged about the collaboration with Heather Powers and Katie Hacker. What a golden opportunity it was! Working with two creative people - Heather, a fabulous beadmaker/designer and Katie Hacker, awesome designer of Ask Katie and author of Hip to Bead, was a golden opportunity! I'm so happy they've joined in on today's collaboration.

It begins with three creatives, two beadmakers (myself and Heather) and a designer (Katie). The beadmakers make and send a set of beads to each person. Then we set about creating! We don't share until the day we blog. (Don't forget to check out their blogs to see what they've made with the same set of beads.)

So dear friends, I haven't seen what Heather and Katie have made until today.

Wheeee!!!



Nor have they seen what I have created. I selected the Dandelion Bead in gold, green and white to use with my Ivory Bling Links. Lately,I'm into creating long chains that can be doubled up to wear as a shorter necklace for a dressy look or a long chain to wear with jeans.


In honor of the golden opportunity to work with two talented creatives, I've entitled this piece, "Golden Opportunity." A 38 inch gold plated chain was used to reflect the Dandelion Bead while complementing the ivory and earth tones made by the fine silver melted in the glass links.



For a variation on color, I added anodized aluminum jump rings, rolled glass pony beads and brass yo yo's. I love the jump rings to use as color while reinforcing the necklace in places where I've joined the chain. I don't like things to be too matchy-matchy so I used a brushed metal lobster clasp to complement the shininess of the gold plate and the jumprings.


I'm wearing my Golden Opportunity today around my neck. It will sing against the black sweater I'm wearing today.

Thanks, Katie and Heather for an amazing golden opportunity!

Heather Powers, Katie Hacker and Me

Heather, Katie and I are working on pieces for a Collaboration Exploration. A Collaboration Exploration is when two beadmakers create three sets of beads. One set is for another beadmaker to use, another is for a designer and the last is for herself to use. Each of the three keep their designs secret until an agreed upon date when all is revealed.

I'm thrilled to be working with them on this collaboration. Heather makes fabulous polymer clay beads and is the executive editor and owner of Art Bead Scene. We are both excited to be working with Katie Hacker who is an author, and well known designer.

Here are our beads, I made Silvered Ivory Glass Links and Heather sent an assortment of her beads. Yummy!

Watch for the teaser the day before the big reveal!

Lights, Camera!

Last summer, Melanie of Earthenwood, designer Jean Yates and myself collaborated on a piece of jewelry using Melanie's and my spirals. Melanie's necklace calledSunken Treasures is in Simply Beads this month!



This is a picture from my Flickr group from last year but if you want to know how to make it, go buy a copy of Simply Beads, August 2008. It's on page 43 with great pictures and great directions.

The Teen continues to make electronic music. A wonderful artist friend created a album cover where he's become an Anime character. His personality is captured perfectly - the unruly hair (courtesy of Mom thank you very much), his checkered Van's and t-shirt. It's made of awesome!

I like it BIG! Wire, that is

WireHeads have a favorite gauge of wire to work with. In the U.S., the higher the number or gauge, the thinner the wire. A pair of earring wires are typically made of 20 gauge wire. When I was first learning, all of the pieces I made were from 20 gauge wire. All of these are 20 gauge sterling wire:


The work of Eni Oken uses smaller gauage wire but because of the wrapping of wire on wire, you wouldn't want to start with larger gauge wire or it would be very bulky (although you might want that look for particular pieces or a style).

Now, I like it BIG! Errr, I mean, I prefer heavier gauge wire, 14, 16, 18. I think the heft makes a different statement and it's doesn't look out of place with lampwork beads. I make 18 gauge headpins and clasps such as this Spiral necklace:


I used 16, 18 and 24 gauge in this Collaboration Part Deux: Universal Truth to make the woven part of the pendant, the headpin and the bail.

The larger gauge wire balances the larger beads well.

You can buy craft wire at your local craft store but I suggest the hardware store if you're just wanting to play around with it. You can buy rolls of copper wire at a reasonable cost. Save all the wire that you don't make into jewelry, you can recycle it.

One last note, when buying wire, I purchase dead soft because I work harden it (I'll talk about that later) - but basically the bending and hammering will make the wire stiffer. If you're planning on making earwires, buy the half hard because you won't be bending the wire enough to work harden it.

It's fun to go to the hardware store - there's lots of things there you can incorporate into jewelry - rubber "O" rings, small fasteners and you can pick up a good pair of needle nose pliers too!

Blogiversary: Collaboration Part Deux

From October 2, 2007:

A couple of months ago, I coordinated a collaboration between another beadmaker, Melanie Lukacs, a designer, Jean Yates and myself. I had so much fun with that one, that I've been working on another collaboration. Swapping beads with other beadmakers has its perks, you get to work with new beads that always inspire and create wearable art. Can't get much better than that! I swapped a set of spirals with beadmaker/designer, Bridgitte Tucker. Bridgitte sent me a lovely set of her enameled copper stations and links in deep blues and greens. Bridgitte and I teamed up with designer, Laura Bracken, who creates stunning jewelry pieces made with art beads.


Bridgitte and I decided on a color palate and then made a set of beads to send to each other and the Laura. I was so excited when I opened the package of beads that Bridgitte had sent. I haven't had the chance to work with enamel pieces and I was thrilled to receive them. In the package was a set of enameled stations, one large rectangle with holes on each corner and two round stations with a hole on opposite sides. They were a lovely hue of blue on copper with a weathered patina.

I was immediately taken with the patina on the copper that accented the blue enamel.I had made a set of copper double head pins earlier - I like the patina on the copper head pins - a red/purple color that accented the blues in Bridgitte's pieces perfectly. Setting aside the large rectangle enamel for another exciting project, I decided to use one of the round enameled stations.

I strive to create pieces that are symbolic - the glass spirals I create reflect the cycle of one's life - with this collaboration, I wanted to create a pendant that included fundamental symbols so that it had an underlying universality. Inspired by Mary Hettmansperger's Fabulous Woven Jewelry I used the double head pins to create a woven copper station of my own to incorporate and tie the enamel station to a iridescent spiral of green and blue. I repeated the spiral by creating a coil copper bail to hang the pendant from to finish the look and not mix metals.

Without further adieu, today's collaboration is entitled, "Universal Truth."

Thank you, Bridgitte and Laura for joining in on the collaboration! It has been an honor and a pleasure working with you!

Blogiversary: Collaboration Exploration

From July 25, 2007:

Today I unveil my creation from the jewelry exploration I embarked on with Jean Yates and Earthenwood's Melanie Luckacs.I talked about the Collaboration Exploration on Monday. Yesterday, Jean showcased her lovely "Little Sprite Earrings" and Melanie introduced her Sunken Treasure necklace. I've been enthused about this collaboration since Melanie and Jean said yes to it!


So, with that in mind, I named this necklace, "Exuberance!"

Exuberance includes my spirals in topaz and seafoam green, Melanie's seashell charms. gunmetal chain, gunmetal headpins and Bali-style sterling silver beadcaps. A petite gunmetal lobster clasp is accented with a starfish charm. The topaz and earth tones of the seashell charms are punctuated with the unexpected color of the seafoam green.

I like fluidity in my necklaces so the chain and the spirals placed end to end create a movement to the piece. The gunmetal chain finish gives the piece a vintage look. The spirals lay in the front of the necklace right where you can see them! I've been wearing the necklace around town with my capris and have gotten nothing but compliments! The seafoam color against the earthy topaz fits the summer and yet can be worn right into the fall in winter.

Thank you to Melanie and Jean for joining in this Collaboration Exploration!

Collaboration Design Numero Quattro

I'm a bad girl. Yup, I admit it. Why you ask? On a day like today, when we're excited about unveiling the Collaboration Exploration with Beverly Herman and Elaine Ray? Well, I'm bad because when I received the beads from Elaine, so many ideas ran through my head about how I could combine her beads with my spirals that I haven't really been able to settle on just one. You might remember my commitment issues with beads. I have a hard time committing lovely beads to just one design forever and ever.

I wonder if Elaine and Bev had a hard time committing? Maybe not - I'll be excited to see what they've done! A BIG THANK YOU to both of them for playing! This has been a blast! Thanks to Art Bead Scene for bringing us together!

Since I ran out of time before I was able to commit, I'm unveiling while still in the design process - today's design is number 4. Yup. I made 3 necklaces with this set of beads and took them apart to make this one. Design numero quattro! I'm still not satisfied with the design. Numero quattro is only a stepping stone to design number 5. But I ran out of time - we all agreed to post today.

So, this design is a whim - I wanted to try out the Cascade yarn I bought on a whim one day. The colors in the yarn are a bit brighter than the autumnal colors in the beads - a harbinger of warmer days to come. The yarn is 100% viscose so it's very soft (and impossible to knot). I love Elaine's off white oval beads, an unexpected surprise in the crocheted necklace. Since the necklace is full of such surprise and lightness, it's appropriate to call this Collaboration Necklace, "Whim."

Get ready for a Collaboration

Last month, I mentioned I was working on beads for a Collaboration Exploration this month with beadmaker Elaine Ray and designer, Beverly Herman. To pique your interest, I'm posting pictures of my previous collaborations and the beads I created for this month's Collaboration. I'll post links to my co-collaborators blogs and you can see what they've come up with. This is a surprise for all of us, we haven't shared our creations with one another yet - so it will be new for me too! I can't wait to see what Bev and Elaine have come up with!

Here's the Collaboration with Melanie of Earthenwood Studio and Jean Yates: Exuberance!


Here's the Totem Pendant I created this past fall with beadmaker/designer Bridgitte Tucker and designer Laura Bracken: Universal Truth




The set of beads and spirals I made for tomorrow's collaboration in autumnal colors - plum and steel gray-green. Make sure you stop by tomorrow to see the Collaboration!

Variation on a theme: Spirals

I toyed with the idea of a spiral-on-a-bead in the bead set I made for last week's Collaboration Exploration (see below). Laura Bracken included the blue/green spiral in her art necklace, Flight of Man and Bridgitte Tucker created her Del Mar series with them. Yet I made this little beauty first. As a prototype bead, I wore it everywhere to make sure the design could hold up to wear before I offered it to my customers. It passed the wear and tear test and I made the spirals for the Collaboration. Now it's time for this one to step into the spotlight!

Collaboration Exploration: Part Deux

A couple of months ago, I coordinated a collaboration between another beadmaker, Melanie Lukacs, a designer, Jean Yates and myself. I had so much fun with that one, that I've been working on another collaboration. Swapping beads with other beadmakers has its perks, you get to work with new beads that always inspire and create wearable art. Can't get much better than that! I swapped a set of spirals with beadmaker/designer, Bridgitte Tucker. Bridgitte sent me a lovely set of her enameled copper stations and links in deep blues and greens. Bridgitte and I teamed up with designer, Laura Bracken, who creates stunning jewelry pieces made with art beads.


Bridgitte and I decided on a color palate and then made a set of beads to send to each other and the Laura. I was so excited when I opened the package of beads that Bridgitte had sent. I haven't had the chance to work with enamel pieces and I was thrilled to receive them. In the package was a set of enameled stations, one large rectangle with holes on each corner and two round stations with a hole on opposite sides. They were a lovely hue of blue on copper with a weathered patina.

I was immediately taken with the patina on the copper that accented the blue enamel.I had made a set of copper double head pins earlier - I like the patina on the copper head pins - a red/purple color that accented the blues in Bridgitte's pieces perfectly. Setting aside the large rectangle enamel for another exciting project, I decided to use one of the round enameled stations.

I strive to create pieces that are symbolic - the glass spirals I create reflect the cycle of one's life - with this collaboration, I wanted to create a pendant that included fundamental symbols so that it had an underlying universality. Inspired by Mary Hettmansperger's Fabulous Woven Jewelry I used the double head pins to create a woven copper station of my own to incorporate and tie the enamel station to a iridescent spiral of green and blue. I repeated the spiral by creating a coil copper bail to hang the pendant from to finish the look and not mix metals.

Without further adieu, today's collaboration is entitled, "Universal Truth."

Thank you, Bridgitte and Laura for joining in on the collaboration! It has been an honor and a pleasure working with you!

Drum roll please....another Collaboration!!

I just can't get enough of collaboration! So, I coordinated another one! Tomorrow I'll unveil the piece I made along with my partners-in-collaboration, beadmaker/designer Bridgitte Tucker and designer, Laura Bracken .

Collaboration Exploration: Exuberance!

Today I unveil my creation from the jewelry exploration I embarked on with Jean Yates and Earthenwood's Melanie Luckacs.I talked about the Collaboration Exploration on Monday. Yesterday, Jean showcased her lovely "Little Sprite Earrings" and Melanie introduced her Sunken Treasure necklace. I've been enthused about this collaboration since Melanie and Jean said yes to it!


So, with that in mind, I named this necklace, "Exuberance!"

Exuberance includes my spirals in topaz and seafoam green, Melanie's seashell charms. gunmetal chain, gunmetal headpins and Bali-style sterling silver beadcaps. A petite gunmetal lobster clasp is accented with a starfish charm. The topaz and earth tones of the seashell charms are punctuated with the unexpected color of the seafoam green.

I like fluidity in my necklaces so the chain and the spirals placed end to end create a movement to the piece. The gunmetal chain finish gives the piece a vintage look. The spirals lay in the front of the necklace right where you can see them! I've been wearing the necklace around town with my capris and have gotten nothing but compliments! The seafoam color against the earthy topaz fits the summer and yet can be worn right into the fall in winter.

Thank you to Melanie and Jean for joining in this Collaboration Exploration!

Collaboration Exploration

Do you like to go exploring? I used to explore in the woods on my parents' farm when I was a kid. As a beadmaker, I found another way to explore - through jewelry!

I got together with terrific beadmaker and budding designer, Melanie Lukacs of Earthenwood Studios and awesome jewelry designer, Jean Yates to do a design challenge. Melanie and I put together a selection of beads and sent them to one another and Jean. Our goal was to create a piece of jewelry incorporating our selection of beads.

We've been working on our pieces and are ready to unveil them - but not yet. The three of us will be blogging and showing our pieces this week. Too excited to wait?!? (I know I am!!) As a teaser, here are the beads that we've chosen to include in the Collaboration Exploration:

Spirals in Amber and Seafoam Green:









Melanie's Terra Trinkets


Stay tuned for the unveiling of the Collaboration Exploration jewelry design on our blogs this week!