Sue Beads

Every year for 3 years now, Sally Russick has hosted an ornament swap.  I have participated each year and it's always so thrilling to get a work of art from someone else to put on your tree.  This year was no exception.  In fact, I received TWO works of art from Patti Vanderbloemen .  I had the pleasure of finally meeting Patti in person at ArtBLISS this year, and she's as wonderful in person as she is on-line!  This first ornament features Patti's wirework, meant to look like an actual round ornament, and I'd say she did an amazing job!  She used a focal from Donna Millard, who makes the most wonderful lampwork beads!  If I wasn't lucky enough, she made me another ornament using a set of clay beads from Gaea.  She made this one to fill that "empty" part of the tree you always see after you're done decorating! I did want to specifically show you her wirework in these ornaments because it's amazing.  Her work always looks so rich and...

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 fi...

It's that time again, hard to believe, it's Component of the Month over at Art Jewelry Elements .  This month, the sweet Kristen Stevens provided beaded beads to everyone to make something gorgeous with.  Here's what I made! This first pair was made with my own lampwork beads in a constrasting color to the pretty cinnamon colored beaded beads Kristen made.  The ear wires are hand-forged niobium since I'm allergic to just about everything anymore!  Sorry the photos aren't the best, they were taken under artificial light since there's no real light here in Pittsburgh until May... For this second pair, I made bead caps!  I used some copper sheet that I had fold-formed and patinaed in the flame, then punched and dapped, sanded, and punched holes in (lots of steps!) along with some copper heishe and titanium hematite I picked up at Bead Fest.  It's hard for you to see the pretty colors and texture on the bead caps, but they do look nice!  The ear wi...