Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Bead Soup anyone?

No photos today! But I wanted to just quickly tell you that I decided to join Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party this time.
It will be my first time participating. I thought about joining earlier BSBP's, but, if I'm being honest, I was a little intimidated. What if my partner doesn't like the ingredients I send? What if I'm in a dry patch, and can't create something I'm proud to share? Countless other questions I'd ask myself, and the answer was always "never mind, maybe next time". This time, I think maybe it was the option of a later reveal date that quieted my doubts. I picked the latest reveal date (August 25th), so surely I'll be able to make one thing between now and then! :-)
I'm looking forward to it, and think it will be fun!
Jennifer L Justman is my partner, and appears to have done the BSBP several times.
Check out her blog: http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/
And her etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SoulsFireDesigns

Her blog is very well written, and I enjoy her sense of humor. I think we have a lot in common when it comes to jewelry. I like everything in her shop!

Hopefully she'll like what I send her.....maybe something enameled? Hmmm. That will remain a mystery, at least for now!

Friday, June 01, 2012

Are you sick of looking at enameled beads?

I'm not!!! I am totally obsessed with enameling anything I can get my hands on.
But if you are, you can totally skip this post - it's all enameled! I'll understand ;-)

I have been enameling beads like it's about to be outlawed (I'd probably keep enameling if it were illegal - it's like crack to me). So, I thought I'd start putting some of my many beads into necklaces. I've been using them sparingly (except for the patriotic necklace I made for my Mom, which she really loved, BTW). I've been putting in one or two at a time. So, I decided to make a simple necklace of all enameled beads. Some of these are some of the first ones I enameled. The round orange one in the middle has WAY TOO Much enamel on it, when I wasn't sure what I was doing. All the holes are filled! Still pretty though!

And, more flowers, because I'm still making them. This one is purple with a little pink flower in the middle, and a bali style spacer (with purple enamel). I wrapped wire around the outside of the flower, and made a wrapped loop, to attach to a chain.
 This one looks like a lily to me. The pictures are a little dark, but it's shades of pink and cranberry. There are little spots and pock marks, but I like them.

This one is black, in case I'm not in a colorful mood. The center bead is a weird reddish peachy beige color. I really should make notes when I'm enameling, so I can re-create colors. But I'm more like a mad scientist when I'm at the torch. I don't have time to take notes!! 
Must. Enamel. (in a Frankenstein-like voice)
That's it. That wasn't too painful, was it?
Have a great weekend!