BABE! BAY AREA BEAD EXTRAVAGANZA

This is a shameless plug for the last show I am doing this year! BABE! November 17th and 18th.  beadextravaganza.com

I should be writing all about the things I have been doing, which is a lot, but that is my problem. Too much to do! I am finding myself running from one thing to another with little preparation in advance. So, now I am updating my blog at the last minute so if you come here after reading my latest newsletter you will see something new! 

I could write a book on all of the things I have done in the last month but that would be so boring for you! Yes or no? I am never sure how much personal things you want to know. Or if you just want to know about beads and jewelry.  Please leave a note in my comment section below to let me know! I would really appreciate it! 

I am obsessed with everything to do with Day of the Dead or Dia De Los Muertos, the Spanish word. It is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and the world.  It wasn't something I was familiar with when I lived in Minnesota but I came to find out about it when I moved to San Diego. Especially because it is also my birthday. It is also the christian holiday of All Souls Day and All Saints Day.  Tradition is to honor those who have passed by building altars called ofrendas using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods of those passed. 

This is a typical altar.  



My main focus is the sugar skulls and 



the painted faces.  

I watched a lot of you tube videos on how to do this. It has been something I wanted to do but just never did. So this year I was taking my grand girls to Disneyland for a Halloween party and I decided the time was right.  

I can't wait to do it again next year. Maybe I will even practice first! Ha!

In honor of Day of Dead, Halloween, and my birthday, here are some sugar skull focal beads I have been working on.  

My next project is to make a necklace with one and add a body using other beads. At my last show a customer and I were talking and we came up with all sorts of ideas.  I have started working on it but haven't finished. So next time....  

Have a great  Thanksgiving! And if you are in the Bay area of California I hope to see you at BABE! 

And as always, I am at Studio 9 at Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park, San Diego. My etsy store is on vacation right now but that will change after BABE! 

Thanks for checking in! 

Jan

MORE BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY

My Blog Soup Party Partner, Marti Conrad, has received my stash of beads! So now I can show what I sent her! 

Glass Beads, Heart Glass Bead Focal, handmade Swirl Clasp, Turquoise spacers, Torch Fired Enamel Beads & Components

What is so fun about this challenge is that our styles are different. We have to think outside of the box! 

Remember, if you want to see who else is participating is this year's Blog Soup Party, go to Lori Anderson's blog at http://www.prettythingsblog.com. 

Monday Musings

I have been so tired lately which makes me so lazy. I guess I don't have to have an excuse to be lazy but I feel like I should be doing something constructive. Ha! Do you have days like this?

Well, I got off my butt and took photos of parts and beads that I have acquired and made lately.

First up are the things I acquired at the Pasadena Bead & Design Show a couple of weeks ago. I traded with some wonderful artists that were near me. I keep looking at the stash and my head is still spinning with ideas for using them. Do you have any ideas for them?

Gail Crosman Moore

Gail has some wonderful bead components. Brass stampings, bass bead caps and Lucite bead caps.  She torch fires some of the brass stampings with enamel. 

 

Joanne Zekowski

Joanne makes all sorts of wonderful beads. These are different from most of her tribal collections. I envision these as components for earrings with my torch fired enamel or glass beads. I can't wait to play with them.

Patricia Healey

Patricia Healey was behind me and what a hoot she is!  She was a great person to have around for 4 days. No dull time with her!  She makes these beautiful copper beads and findings. She designs them and has them made in Mexico. My plan is to use them with my torch fired enamel beads. I got beads, dangles and more!



XAZ Bead Company/Amy & Daniel Mealey

Another fun stash of beads and pendants!  These are from XAZ Bead Company. They are raku beads. They make each bead, fires them, then glazes and fires again. It is the last firing that it is done with paper that brings out the beautiful raku!  They are nice and light and will make wonderful pieces! 

Just to prove I have been doing something...... here are some of my heart beads. Since Valentine's Day is around the corner I thought I should stock up on some of my favorite hearts. I never get tired of making these.

I am part of a jewelry group that meets once a month. This month we played with the hydraulic press. I guess I am still thinking of hearts for Valentine's Day as I cut out these hearts and shaped them.  I thought the little hearts would be nice earrings. 
 

And lastly,here are some components that I have been playing with in aluminum wire. You may have seen the necklace I did with aluminum wire work that was polished to look like silver. I purchased some more 14g aluminum wire that is stiffer and darker. I like to work it better as it doesn't get marks so easily. I hammered it and then tumbled it. It didn't get as shiny as the last batch. It looks oxidized.  You can see the piece in the middle and the one below that haven't been tumbled.  I like it and you will probably start to see it in some of my jewelry. Much lighter than silver and of course more affordable.  I am not going to stop using sterling silver but I want to be able to offer a range of price points for my jewelry designs.  What do you think of the aluminum? Would you use it?

INSPIRATION

Lately I have been thinking a lot about where I draw my inspiration for my beads and jewelry. I want a statement that describes my work in just a few words. I am having a lot of trouble doing just that. When I read where an artist gets their inspiration they talk about nature, the ocean, the desert or even recycled products. Me, I like color! I am always seeing colors that I can use in my beads. One day I was driving by a Taco Bell and I noticed their color scheme on the building. Mustard, clay tile, purple, olive green and khaki. I kept repeating the colors in my head till I got home. I made some really fun beads with those colors! I have a jewelry collection I call "Out of Africa". The colors are khaki, black, ivory, mustard, red roof tile, brown, and coral. I used patterns that I saw on fabric. Unfortunately, the patterns were very hard to put on a small bead! LOL! I am drawn to bright colors usually. I love the bold colors of Mexican decor and the soft colors of French Country. Do they compete with each other? How can I describe that?

Where do you get your inspirations? You may do art, interior decoration or just admire the work of others. But you too are inspired by things around you. Do you look at magazines? What kind? I tend to look mostly at the jewelry magazines; Step by Step Wire Jewelry, Bead and Button, Art Jewelry, Lapidary Jewelry Artist, and Belle Armoire Jewelry.  My latest favorites are Jewelry Affaire, Somerset Studios, and Where Women Create. They are all published by Stampington & Company.  For me they are showing all sorts of things other than just jewelry which I have found refreshing.  Do you subscribe to newsletters or blogs? I subscribe to toooo many! But I really enjoy reading and sometimes just looking at the photos. Lately I have enjoyed three newsletters I get from Interweave Publications; Cloth, Paper & Scissors, Jewelry Making Daily, and Beading Daily.  They have lots of photos which I like and great tips for all sorts of crafts.  Even if it isn't a craft I do I have found lots of inspirations from them.  Plus of course I have purchased some great digital project sheets and magazines.  (I am getting rid of my stacks of magazines all over the house to getting only digital magazines. ) Purchasing their products is probably the main purpose of their newsletters BUT I really do get inspirations without purchasing anything.   Most of the time anyway! LOL! I would love to know about places you go for inspirations. Please post in comments below. I am always open for new inspirations. Thanks!

OK, I have babbled long enough so are you ready for some photos. Maybe I have already lost you and I should have put them up front.  Oh well!

I got a new photo set up. I am still working on getting the lighting correct but here are some photos of my torch fired enamel beads and jewelry.

 

 

Large Cones enameled with sky, bitter & tequila slush;

They make a great pair of earrings just as they are.

 

Steel wire wrapped into a heart & enameled in sky, tequila slush & marigold.

Wire wrapped with squiggles (double balled headpins)

Hearts; enameled in sky, tequila slush & bitter.

I think these would make great earrings or dangles for a necklace or bracelet.

 

 Another version of hearts.

Earrings - Purple bead caps with purple crystals.

 

Enameled bead caps; colors sky, bitter and tequila slush;

 

English Garden Dangle Necklace - colors foxglove, marigold, lavender

Bead Stash

I am getting ready for the Art Glass Guild Patio Sale this weekend. Sorting & labeling beads; making earring; finishing necklaces and cleaning jewelry.  I took this photo of some of my beads before I put them in their boxes. I didn't realize how distracting the red/white cloth is against the beads. But I still like to look at the eye candy. I really hate to put them away!  LOL!  Hope to see you at the show. If you can't make it you know where to get beads right?