Gearing Up For The Scott County Art Crawl

I work well under stress!

Tom and I are selling our house.  We are moving to the lake and at the same time I am getting ready for 

The Scott County Art Crawl.

I am also rehabbing my arm from frozen shoulder syndrome after having Hydroplasty.  I have never been very good at taking care of myself properly and I suppose that will never change.  

So in-between playing painter and cleaning lady I get to find some jewelry desk time.  One thing is certain my creative juices keep flowing despite the stress level or pain.  They have a mind of their own and ask to be created.

This latest design of mine has been brewing for nearly a year.  Not sure why it has taken this long for me to finally give it it's due course.

What I can say about this design is this.  They are long, sexy and very earthy.  I do more classic pieces also and always have them for sale in my show but I do really love earthy jewelry.  I am still at a bit of a quandary as what style to call them.  I would love to entertain your thoughts on the matter.

I have also slipped in a few new bracelets into the mix.  

More designs will be coming this week.  A very good start to 

The Scott County Art Crawl.  

October 5th, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. 

 In my home.  I am number 19 on the Art Crawl Map.  I will have maps at my home so you can visit the many artists in the Scott County area.

Looking for some of my art bead components.  You can find them here.

Donna Millard Art Glass

Outwest

Scorched Earth

Angel Whisperer

I also purchase many of my stones from

Dakota Stones.

Hope to see you at the Crawl!!!!!

Helga Gets a Makeover

Meet Helga, my ratty old bust.  

  

She was covered with all this ugly blue fabric. 

I bought Helga a few years ago at my local thrift store for $20.00.  I have seen old busts go for $500.  I was not really loving the blue fabric on it.  I remember seeing some photographs of busts with a craypaper look....old and ratty.  They looked like mine so today I thought I would see what Helga was really made of.

Reminds me to never judge a book by its cover.  

She is a beauty...yup full of water stains, rust, missing screws, and she has a lovely pose (lopsided) but she is a highly sought after item by jewelry artists for displays and photography.

She Does Bite !!!!!!

 Good thing my Tetanus is updated.

So I thought I would try her out.  Not sure these are the best photos but a start.  Will have to figure out the best backdrop to take photos with her.

My latest creation from some of my purchases at the 

Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee.

This is a layered necklace.  Can be worn individually or together.  Choker & Long Necklace.

Made with some earthy green & brown ceramic beads that are chunky.  Some wavy chips that I bent, copper fish and Swarovski Crystals.

I Think Helga Approves!!!!

More Buttons Please!

MORE BUTTONS PLEASE

I have a new LOVE.

BUTTONS

These lovely buttons and beads are made by

Lisa Peters Russ 

at 

Lisa Peters Art 

I was at my very first Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee and the first art bead seller on my list was Lisa Peters Art.  She had been teasing us all week with her fabulous work before the show.

I was even going to her website here to see if she had posted any but sniff she was saving them all for the 
Bead & Button Show.  So I was very lucky I got to go.

Here is my first creation I made.

For now this one is MINE!

What drew me to her was her color palate and textural aspect of her work.  I had no idea what I was going to be making with them.  But I started with this one....thinking of a bracelet BUT

it turned into a necklace instead and quite the wonderful necklace it is.  

This one is for sale and can be purchased here.

Then after my first creative splurge came to fruition I made this one with Lapis, Dumortierite, Wood, Chinese Crystals and all tied up with waxed linen.  I called this one Ancient Protector.  This beautiful Lapis that is from Dakota Stones is said to have protection qualities in ancient time.

This last one I kept a little more simple with Czech Glass and some Dumortierite Stones. Added a little bling with some Swarovski Crystals.

I also recently bought this very cool lampwork button from my Bead Soup partner Julie Bowen at The Bead Bash at the Mall of America. 

This is my stash of buttons & beads from Lisa Peters Art that I am very excited to have and am planning on working with in the near future.

So more jewelry with buttons to come!

Looking for my jewelry made with these lovely buttons you can find me on Etsy here.

YaY! Jewelry on Etsy

& 

YaY! Jewelry on Facebook

Designing Jewelry for Dakota Stones

YaY! Jewelry Designs For Dakota Stones

Jeff Elvin & Tia

Dakota Stones is one of my favorite places to buy my stones.  They have excellent quality, unique shapes, cuts, drills and finishes, They also have some interesting and hard to find stones. So when Jeff Elvin asked if I would design some jewelry with his new circular beads the answer was a no brainer.

A RESOUNDING YES

He is having a product launch with ART BEADS.  He wanted me to design some jewelry with certain beads that they were adding to their online store to give their customers some ideas of what to do with some of his new wavy circular beads.

When I asked him if I could go around and pick out some stones to go along......well lets just say, I had a tray full.  I was a little nervous showing him my tray and he said.  You obviously have something in mind, go for it.  When I got home and looked at the receipt I was a bit mortified, so I emailed him and told him that I would bring back any strands that I didn't cut into.  He simply said not to worry and to have fun.

PHEW!!!!!

Those that design jewelry know that having choices is a blessing.  My journey of jewelry design did not start that way.  I use to peruse the thrift stores for cast off jewelry and or beads.  

SSSSSSHHHHHH 
I still do that.  

ALL OF THE STONES IN THE DESIGNS BELOW ARE FROM 

DAKOTA STONES.

Simply Stated Necklace

So here is my first design I made with 14 gauge copper wire and some of his Rose Quartz Wavy Circular Beads. I simply wire wrapped 2 disk beads in and hammered and shaped the copper wire.  I added double chains to each side and a toggle clasp. Simple and sweet.

Desert Sunset Bracelet

Jeff asked me to make a clasp with these Picasso Jasper wavy circles.  I decided to make a bracelet with a copper bar that I textured.  I punched holes in the copper so that part of the disks would hang over the side of the copper bar. This is all tied with waxed linen, Yellow Jade, Citrine and Picasso Jasper wavy circles. I like the asymmetry and the off centered beads on the copper, makes the bracelet a bit unexpected.

Bubbling Brook Necklace

Etched and Patina focal made by me with Vintaj Patina's

Copper clasp made with copper and matte Amazonite beads

For the Bubbling Brook Necklace Jeff gave me some matte finished Amazonite rounds and some Black and Gold Amazonite Cubes and a lovely Rocky Butte pendant.  I made a handmade copper clasp for this design with some of his stones.  I etched and patina'd a piece of copper to set of the color of the beads.

My Minds Eye Necklace 

Clasp made with Rose Quartz & Carnelian Wavy Disks

 Stacked Carnelian and Rose Quartz Circular Disks with a lovely Fossil Coral Pendant

I am in love with organic looking jewelry.  This necklace has a lot of great quality beads.  Including Rose Quartz, Carnelian , White Lace Red Jasper, Pink Moonstone, Fossil Coral - the only thing that isn't from Dakota Stones in this design are the metal elements and the chunky coral.  This design is all tied with waxed linen and I made a handmade clasp with the Carnilian & Rose Quartz circular beads.

Handmade copper clasp 

Wink Ring - Picasso Jasper Wavy Circle Bead

My very first ring!  I made to resemble an eye called "Wink".  I took the Picasso Jasper Wavy Circles and organically wire wrapped this simple ring with 20 gauge and 26 gauge copper wire.  The copper is patina's with liver of sulfur.

Sweet Love Bracelet

Rose Quartz Wavy Circles & Pyrite

This is a triple strand randomly place Rose Quartz and Pyrite Bracelet.  I added a sweet love finding for the clasp.  Tied with waxed linen.

Some simple earrings

And last but not least.

Pick Me Some Flowers Bracelet

With this bracelet I patina'd this mesh element with Verdigris & Rust Guilders Paste. I added the Carnelian wavy circle as a flower element.  I attached these using Microfasteners.  Stones are Amazonite, Blue Green Quartz, Red Creek Jasper, Yellow Jade and a few Swarovski Crystals for some sparkle.

All of the stone used in these designs are from Dakota Stones. 

If you are shopping for some great quality beads please check out 

Art Beads 

new selection of 

Dakota Stones Beads.