Sue Beads

Heather Powers of the Art Bead Scene hosts an Ornament Blog Hop every year!  I try to participate, and though it's last minute (story I'll tell you about another day) here I am! 

I made an owl based on a tutorial from Heather at Humblebeads.  I have dabbled in polymer and taken two classes with Christine Damm (who is the most generous person and enthusiastic teacher) but never made a 3-D item (aside from a heart that I really liked that sold!).  So it was time!

I made the polymer owl and painted it.  I tried to crackle it, and wasn't thrilled, so I baked it again to heat set the paint.  Big mistake.  Or so I thought.  After I took it out of the oven, it was gummy.  But I let it sit for a while, and it got less gummy.  So when it was not gummy anymore, I sealed it with Renaissance Wax.  And then it got gummy again.  But just for a little bit.  And now it's not.  I don't know if it will last, but at least I finished it, right?  I used three felted beads I bought fro…

You can find this horse pendant in my BellaHannahJane etsy store; this would be perfect for your designs for the Art Bead Scene July Challenge, the caves at Lascaux.

Here's the July Art Bead Scene Challenge - the Lascaux Cave Paintings. I am so excited - I was actually there! When I was in college, I spent a summer in Toulouse France at the Dickinson College Study Center. We were the first summer group - we had a blast! We would work all week, then take weekends and run around the south of France with our very cool professors. This was one of the side trips we took. You can't go into the caves anymore - people who were taking photos were ruining them. It was so amazing to think how old these paintings were, and I consider myself extremely lucky that I got to see them - even if I didn't appreciate it at the time! I hope I can come up with something to make this month. Right now, I have to go do tons of laundry, and try to get my brain back from jetlag! Hopefully later I'll be able to post a few more of my photos! The engineer took the best ones, of course, so I need to find his too!

Please see my etsy store for some SALE …

The new Art Bead Scene challenge for June has been published - it's Farbstudie Quadrate by Wassily Kandinsky. I can see some beads for this already - I hope to get some made tomorrow! I'll hopefully get something made, myself, and also offer some for sale!

This month, the Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge is Monet's Waterlilys. I love all his waterlily paintings and we actually have one of them here in Pittsburgh! I just happened to make the bracelet you see here, before the ABS blog post was done! Talk about serendipity! This is going to be my first entry to the ABS challenge! It's made with my own lampworked beads and some beautiful blue rutilated quartze I picked up at that rude Philadelphia bead store! I'm glad I bought them!

And you can get a scrabble tile pendant of the Birth of Venus in my BellaHannahJane etsy store!

Are you submitting for the February Art Bead Scene Challenge? As I mentioned before, the theme this month is "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt. I made some focals in the same colors as the painting - they are available in my SueBeads etsy store shortly!

I just listed the Raku Barrels in the SueBeads etsy store. They are made with ASK silver cinnamon, raku frit and black stringer. When I made them, I had in mind the jewelry designers who may be entering the Art Bead Scene February Challenge. The theme this month, as I have blogged about before, is Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss". If you look at the picture above (a scrabble tile pendant I have in my BellaHannahJane etsy store), and then at the beads, you'll see that they match quite well!

Have you seen the Art Bead Scene blog? Heather announced the monthly challenge today, and the theme is Klimt's "The Kiss". In case you didn't notice, I happen to be a prize provider this month! YAY! Check it out here.

I have a scrabble tile pendant of "The Kiss" in my BellaHannahJane etsy store, which you can purchase if you want! Oh, and I can make more!

Jewelry designers, you can enter the Art Bead Scene contest this month; the theme is Van Gogh's "Irises" painting. You can see a post on the Art Bead Scene blog with my beads here.

OMG - I was just listed as a source for some beads for the Art Bead Scene January challenge, the theme of which is Van Gogh's Irises!!! Woo HOO - check this link: http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/ Thanks so much, Heather!

Remember when I mentioned that I won the Art Bead Scenegiveaway? I won a pendant from Jangles; Jennifer Heynenis the creator of beautiful ceramic beads, pendants and more. Here's a photo of the pendant I won (click the picture to see it bigger) - I have things running through my head of what I'll make - but usually I like to fondle and think about things for a while before I actually make them! When I do, I'll post a photo. In the meantime, you should visit Jennifer's web site and check out the book she wrote! Thanks Jennifer!