Crazy Busy!

I know, I'm a slacker with this.  I'm still getting used to the idea of sharing my thoughts with others.  It's a little weird sometimes for an introvert.  This will be a quick update though.  I plan on doing a longer one with pictures later in the week (for real, I mean it).  I had my first ever craft show a few weeks ago, and it went really well.  I'm planning on doing another one in the spring.  The more exciting news is that my etsy shop is finally open!!!  Now that I think of it, I might have to do separate posts for some of these.  ;) 

Until later in the week, here's the link to my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/JenRenJewelry.  I would appreciate if you check it out.  If you have a shop too, I'm happy to add you to my circle.  I love promoting handmade!

Really, I mean it.  There will be updates.  If I don't, I'll let you throw snowballs at me or something.

Although, if you choose to throw the pink ones, I'll send you my address.  I promise I will throw them at myself. ;)

Quick Update

Outside of crafting, I have a job.  Now, while I love my job a lot, sometimes it gets in the way of what I would rather be doing.  I haven't had the chance to make much since my last update.  But, that is about to change.  I'm going to have a three day weekend this upcoming week, so I'm hoping to get a lot of stuff done.  I have my first solo craft show in November, a Lucite and Clay blog hop that reveals in February, and another blog hop that we haven't picked the reveal date for yet.   As you can tell, there will be many new blog posts soon. :)  I'm also thinking about doing another two hops and the details are below in case you are interested in joining me. 

I'll also give you a little preview of something new I've been working on.  Here's my first set of polymer clay beads:

I got the tutorial from Michaels website.  I loved the colors they used in the tutorial so much, I ended up using the same ones.  If you want to make your own, go here.  If you play along with me, send me a picture or blog about it, and I'll blog about you.  I haven't baked these yet.  I'm a little nervous to do so.  Anyone have any baking tips for me?

As promised, here are some fun blogs and giveaways to enter if you're interested:

1. Erin at Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere is hosting a Michaels Toast of the Town Blog Hop.  She created a versatile necklace design that Michaels has been showcasing this month in their October Jewelry Celebration.  She is giving away three different color palette sets of Michaels beads for you to create your own version of her design.  Even if you don't win, you can still participate in the hop.  Head over to Erin's blog for all the details, and come hop with me.

2.  Shelley Graham Turner and Marlene Cupo hosted a Holiday Bling Blog Hop on October 6th.  I really wanted to participant, but I knew work would get in the way.  So, I was thrilled to find out this morning that they are now hosting Holiday Bling Blog Hop 2.  You have until October 28th to sign up.

3. Skye at Creative Chaos has some really fun Halloween/Fall giveaways going on now.  Go visit her for all the details.  My favorite way to enter is to share a spooky or funny Halloween story that happened to you.  There are already some really great entries.  Be sure to check out the picture of the giant carved pumpkin while you're there.

I guess that wasn't really a quick update. ;)

Sometimes, you just have to get out of town

A few weeks ago, I took a day trip to Charlotte, NC.  I try to visit there a couple of times a year because they have some stores that we don't have here in Columbia.  Besides shopping, they also have some great museums. The Mint Museum Randolph has two exhibits I was interested in seeing: Fashionable Silhouettes (three centuries of fashion history) and  And The Bead Goes On (fashion featuring 20th and 21st century beadwork embroidery).  While I couldn't take pictures of either one of those exhibits, I thought I would share with you some of the ones that I was able to.

Here's a few from the Art of the Ancient Americas collection:


Jaguar Effigy Bottle with Bridge Spout
Peru, 400-200 B.C.

I love the various patterns on the front legs and torso, and the design on its' face. 



Jadeite and Greenstone Necklace
Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, or Honduras  250-850 CE

I couldn't not take a picture of jewelry. ;)  I like all of the different shapes of stone here, it's given me some ideas for my own pieces.

Horse Stirrup

I didn't take a picture of the place card with this, so I don't know anything about it.  I guess I was just distracted by the fact that it's a stirrup with a cat.  I don't see how this would have been practical at all, but it's neat.

Here's are two from the special exhibition, Threads of Identity: Contemporary Maya Textiles:


Perraje
Jacaltek, 20th Century



The flowers and birds remind me of the Scandinavian Folk Art I've been looking at lately.



Wedding Cinta
Awakatek, 20th Century

I like all of the colors, shapes, and patterns.

This one is from the Performance Masks of Mexico Exhibit:


Coyote or Wolf Mask
Guerrero, 20th Century

 It's a wolf, that's why I like it. ;)



The next ones are from the various ceramic and pottery exhibits:



Pottery with black and white slip paint
Carrie Chino Charlie
Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico 1979

I like the pattern on this.  In a way, it's so simple, but it's not.



Agateware Teapots and Cream Jug
leadglazed earthenware
Whieldon (attr.)
Staffordshire, England 1740-1750

  

The glaze on these are amazing!   Here's a closer look at one of the teapots:

Han Vase
Benjamin Wade Owen
North Carolina, 1937

I love the interaction between the teal and magenta.

Owl Jug
Staffordshire, England 17th Century

How cute is that?

Finally, I can't go to a museum without taking pictures of crowns:

I forgot to take a picture of the place card again.  I'm fairly certain that this was in the Ancient Americas exhibit.



Ritual Crown
Yoruba Peoples
Nigeria, 20th Century

I can't even imagine the hours and amount of patience it took for the artist to cover a crown with seed beads. 

My goodies from the gift shop:

I adore hand-blown glass Christmas ornaments.  The larger one might get displayed somewhere in my house year round if I can find a stand for it.

Of course, I had to stop by a bead shop to get my fix.  I had been going to The Bead Lady, which is about 20 minutes outside Charlotte in Concord.  It's a great store, but I didn't think I had the time to go to Concord and see the museum.  So, I stayed in Charlotte and checked out a 'new to me' store Beadlush.  I had been stalking them on their etsy site, mainly because of the raspberry and blue edelweiss beads.  I have teal and black ones already, and wanted to add to my collection.  This store is so amazing!  They have such a wide selection of glass, gemstones, chain, swarovski, and vintage lucite!  I think I circled around the entire store ten times until I felt like I had seen everything.  The staff is wonderful and so friendly!  Here are the goodies I got:

Finally, I can't leave you all without sharing some giveaways I've found!  Head over to Pretty Things for a chance to win one of four books published by Lark!  I really hope I get Sabine Lippert's Beaded Fantasies -- 30 Romantic Projects.  I've been eyeing that one on Amazon for a while.  This giveaway ends on Tuesday, but I think Lori will be doing another one because she has more books to giveaway.  If you're not following her blog, you should!  She is a great writer.

The Art Bead Scene Blog does a giveaway every Saturday with a featured artist.  This week, it is the amazing Heather Powers of Humblebeads.  If you haven't seen her work before, get ready to be blown away.  She is giving away one of her Oak Leaf Pendants.  I actually just order two pendants from her yesterday.  :)

Thanks for reading!  I hope some of the pictures I posted have inspired you to create.  If they have, I would love to hear about it in the comments section.  :)

Link Challenge Reveal

Today is the big reveal for the link challenge!  As a reminder, here's what I began with:

I'd had many ideas for the links.  My original idea was to string sead beads, wrap each link with the beads, and then connect them to make a bracelet.  After receiving the links, I decided that I may not be able to connect the links if I seed bead wrapped them.  The reason I mention this is that idea led me to thinking about wire wrapping the links.  Now, I've never wire wrapped.  I mainly use fireline and memory wire, so I thought it would be fun to try a new technique.  After I connected some of the links together, here was my first try:

The wrapping didn't turn out how I wanted.  I also discovered that you have to pay attention to how the links are connected, so the connection point is either on the top or the bottom of the links for it to lay correctly.  So, it was back to the drawing board, or the beading board in this case.  ;)

 If you ever work with these, you should know two things.  First, they aren't the easiest to snap together sometimes, so be sure to have the links arranged how you want them before you connect them.  Second, when you try to take them apart, this could happen:



Luckily for me, this was the only link out of the twenty five I received that I broke.  After I started over and got to wrapping, I realized that my idea might look better as a necklace than a bracelet.  I made two separate sections of links, and then looked though my lampwork glass mix that I had from Firemountain Gems.

I decided on beads that matched the wire I used and got some black beads to tie in with the links.  Here's my finished piece:

I got some gold ribbon to finish off the necklace and to make it adjustable.  I also wire wrapped the ends and added black bicones.  What do you think?

I had so much fun doing this!  I just want to thank Peggy for hosting this challenge.  If you would like to see what the other participants made, all of the blog links are below.  After you finish visiting all of the blogs, be sure to go back to The Charm Barn and vote for your favorite!  The blog with the most votes gets a $20 certificate to Peggy's store, WillowBranchBeads.  I would appreciate the vote! :) 

Ilenia Ruzza

Shelley Graham Turner 

Tania Spivey

Ambra Gostoli

Kashmira Patel

Linda Florian

Jami Shipp

Terri Gauthier

Miranda Ackerley

Mischelle Fanucchi

Mary Govaars

Sarah Goode

Paula Hisel

Shai Williams

Kay Thomerson

Denielle Hagerman

Janeen Sorensen

Emma Todd

Audrey Bélanger

Michelle Andrade

My Free Beads for Blogging have arrived!

I was super excited to get my free beads from Tanya at Fusion Muse !  I was really surprised by how fast they arrived.  It took about a week for them to travel from Thailand to South Carolina.  Here are my goodies:

From top left to right:  Brass Wire, 6 Swarovski Rounds, Clear Glass Cab, handmade links with blue and purple beads

From middle left to right: Shell ( I think) butterfly pendant, Very light pink rounds, Handcarved ox bone skulls

From bottom: Light green pearls

I've never worked with ox bone, pearls, or cabs before, so this soup will be a lot of fun.  Tanya, you outdid yourself with this.  You are such a generous person!  Did you make the blue and purple links?

If your interested in getting your own free beads for blogging, click on the pic on the right side of this blog.  It will take you to the Free Beads for Blogging post on Tanya's site.  If any of my readers have participated in this before, please post a comment with a link to your blog.  I would love to see what everyone else received and made with their beads!

I'll post pictures when I'm done with my creations.  I think I will probably make more than one piece with all of my goodies.

My link challenge reveal in on August 17th!  My piece is already done, I just have to take some pictures and send them off to Peggy!

Thanks for reading and now I'm off to run! :)

Beads of Clay Monthly Giveaway

On the first Wednesday of every month, Beads of Clay does a giveaway on their blog full of amazing handmade porcelain, stoneware, and earthenware beads and pendants donated from different artisans.  This month's giveaway happens to be full of my favorite colors, so I'm hoping I win.  :)  If you want to enter, head over to their blog and get all of the details. Good luck!

The Goodies

A Giveaway that gives back

I've posted about some giveaways before, but this one is by far the most special.  My friend Tanya at Fusion Muse is giving away a lovely rubies and pearls necklace and earring set. 

You can have up to four entries by doing various things.  Check out her blog for all of the details.  The most important way you can enter is to go to Sinarin Silver and ordering some of there silver beads for your creations.  The owner of the store and his wife just had triplets.  Unfortunately, two of the babies have passed away.  The third baby is alive, but is in ICU and could be there for another six weeks.  It goes without saying, but I think we all know how expensive their hospital bill will be.  Please check out their store.  They have many beads to choose from at very excellent prices.  I've posted some of my favorites below.


20 mm Cylindrical Prakeuam Bead



20 mm Diamond Prakeuam Bead

 

11 mm Semicircular Prakeuam Bead

Thanks for reading :)

The Links Have Arrived!

It's always a good day when you come home from work and have something fun waiting for you in the mailbox.  This week's mailbox surprise is the arrival of my links for Peggy's Link Challenge!  There are twenty participants.  Half of the group received turtle shell links and the other half received black ones.



My links

I have some ideas brewing for these, I just hope they work!  The reveal date is August 17th.  If you want to get some links, you can purchase them in different sizes and colors at Peggy's etsy store, WillowBranchBeads.  She also has other types of beads for sale, including these rusty blue czech glass rondelles that are gorgeous.

As I was taking pictures of these last night for the blog, my crafty assistant decided that she needed to help.

Inspecting the Goods



Testing the light box for sturdiness



I'm a little surprised she didn't try to go after any of the links, but I did put them away before she really got the chance. 

That's all for today.  Thanks for reading. :)

Update & Realization

To start, a quick update from my last post.  I ended up not going to the bead show.  My plan was to stay at home, craft, and prepare to launch my etsy store . . . but, I ended up not doing much of anything.  I just couldn't get motivated, which leads into the real topic of this post.  I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past couple of weeks about why I seem to get so close to showing off my work, and then pulling back. 

1.  I think I'm afraid to fail. 

2.  I'm shy, and it's challenging at times to put myself and my work out there. 

So, the realization is this:  I just have to get over it. Really, what is the worst thing that could happen?  I don't sell anything in my store is all I can come up with.  I've already had success selling pieces in-person, so I know people like my work.  Besides, if I didn't even open a store, wouldn't that be a failure in a way?  Has anyone else ever felt this way?  Do you have any tips for me?

To work on my shyness of showing off my work, I thought it would be good for me to post some more pictures my pieces, just so it's out there in the universe for comments.  I really do appreciate all feedback, both positive and critical. 

This is a fun, colorful memory wire bracelet I made from an assortment of my beads. 

This one is probably my favorite because of the colors.  I've very, very partial to blues. 

I've got different colors of these made also. 

That's all for tonight.  I'm still finding it challenging to take pictures of earrings.  I'm probably just being too picky.

I'll also have a post tomorrow, because my links for the Link Challenge have arrived!  My crafty assistant was very excited about this, but I'll save that for the post. :)

Intergalactic Bead Show

This weekend the Intergalactic Bead Show is in Charlotte, NC.  I've always wanted to go, but it seems like something always comes up with work or family plans that I can't go.  Right now, it looks like I can attend.  Here's my dilemma.  I really don't need to add to the bead stash right now, as much as I want to.  I need to spend the weekend taking pictures of my completed pieces and making new ones so I can get ready for my etsy shop to open.  The show is under two hours from where I live, but I know I would spend all day there, so that's a whole day that I didn't get anything done (not counting looking at goodies).  So, do I go or not?  If you've been to this show before, I would appreciate any comments about the show. 

If anyone is interested in going, here's all the info:  Intergalactic Bead Show.  They have shows up and down the East Coast and in the Mid West.

Two book giveaways!

Ok, I'll blog in a little bit about my crafting goals for this weekend in my next post, but first more giveaways!

The first one is from Art Jewelry Elements.  They are giving away a copy of Virginia Jensen's book Contemporary Cube Bead Designs.  I have Virginia's first book on cube beads.  If you've ever been interested in cube beads, you should definetly check out one of her books.  Her steps are very easy to follow, even for beginners.  You have until tonight to enter.

Enter Here

The second one is from MirandAck Arts.  She is giving away Diane Fitzgerald's Favorite Beading Projects.  I haven't read this book, but I have read Diane's Shaped Beadwork which is a good book.  When I say read, I really mean I've flipped thru the pages and looked at all of her amazing designs.  She is an amazing seed bead artist.  You have until Sunday to enter.

Enter Here

My first comment and another challenge

It felt really good to get up this morning and see that I had my first comment from Tanya at Fusion Muse!  I've been lurking at her blog for a couple of weeks, so it was nice to here from her.  On the lurking note, I know I have a few other readers because of the page views.  I appreciate you all.  If you do feel like leaving a comment, I would love it.  :)  Also, if you have a blog, please provide your address with your comment so I can visit yours and leave you comments in return.

Now for my next challenge.  You might have noticed the second button on the right called Free Beads for Blogging.  (Really, how could you miss that?  It has Free and Beads in the title ;)  ).  It's a challenge from my first commenter!  Tanya is giving away beads to one blogger each week who leaves a comment.  The only things you have to do in return is blog about the beads at least three times:  when you receive them, your work in progress, and your complete piece.  The rest of the rules are on her blog, so just click on the Free Beads for Blogging link.  I got selected for the challenge!  I can't wait to see the goodies that Tanya is going to send me.

DIY Light Box Complete & First Pics

If anyone is interesting in making their own light box, I followed the easy instructions from http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent.  It only costs a few dollars or less to make, depending on what you already have on hand.  I had the box, but didn't have any of the other supplies.  I got the muslin from Joann's for under a dollar (it was on sale, the end of the bolt, plus a coupon) and I got the glue sticks, poster boards, and tape from the Dollar Tree.  On a side note, I will never buy tape from the Dollar Tree again, unless it's a name brand.  This tape was really, really thin and I had to get it unstuck from the roll multiple times.  It also smelled really bad once you started using it.

My Light Box

Here are a couple of pictures of one of my pieces.  I have a Panasonic DMC-ZS8 and I'm using the macro setting.

Swarovski Crystal Bracelet



 I would love to get some feedback on my pictures as well as the bracelet.  In the second picture I'm using a plastic bowl for the bracelet to rest on, but I'm thinking an all white tea cup would be a lot cuter.  It would also give me something to hang my earrings on for pictures.

Off to create something else!

So, I was about to get to work . . .

I should just sign off of facebook anytime I say anything about work and not read any updates.  There is something that always seems to catch my eye.  This time, I'm really glad I saw this.  Lori Anderson just posted a giveaway on her blog http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2012/07/finally-five-bead-and-button-bead.html.  The catch is that it's not just one thing she's giving away but 5 different things!  The two I'm most interested in, of course, involve beads.  The first one is all kinds of amazing beads Lori picked up at the Bead & Button show.  There are so many beautiful ceramic beads in it.  I really like the one by Diane Hawkey and the one by Golem Studios.  The second one is a Mystery Soup hand mixed by Lori!  I don't know which one to be more excited about.  If I was lucky enough to get that, it would almost be like I was participated in the Bead Soup going on right now. 

Maybe I'll get lucky!  I'm really signing off now, really I mean it.  Really.

First Post!

I've been meaning to start a blog, mainly to be able to participate in all of the bead challenges I keep seeing.  I wanted to do Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party, but I was a little intimidated by all of the great bead creations I see getting posted to the group on facebook.  Now, I wish I had, but at least I'll have a blog to be ready for next time!

Luckly for me, Peggy Johnson at charmbarn.blogspot.com started her own blog challenge using these amazing links.  If you want to check out any info on it, there a link directly to the post on her blog on the right.  I can't wait to see what links she sends me.  There are a wide variety of colors in her etsy shop, www.etsy.com/shop/willowbranchbeads.  Right now, I'm partial to the ice blue ones, but then again, I am biased towards anything that is blue.

I need to get started crafting today.  I plan to do an update tonight or tomorrow and post some pictures of things I'm working on.  I've almost finished my dyi light box, so I can't wait to take pictures and start using it.

I would love any comments or follows from anyone.  I'm totally new to blogger and google+, so I'm still trying to figure it out.