Sue Beads

For the January Component of the Month Challenge at Art Jewelry Elements, we decided to do a "use your stash" challenge.  Use pieces you have from other AJE Team Members.  The guests were each chosen and sent a piece from one of the AJE Team Members to make something with as well. Here are my pieces for this month!  I made these earrings from heart charms I had from Kristi Bowman-Gruel.  I put the copper floral charms together with gorgeous pearls and gold filled ear wires - the gold filled ear wires don't seem to bother my ears like other metals do.  These cute pink earrings were made from Diana Ptaszynski's flower charms - I made these for my mom - her favorite color is pink.  These earrings were made from charms by Linda Landig!  I got these at Bead Fest in August!  And these earrings, which are my new favorites, are with silver metal clay beads by Melissa Meman.  The photo below shows the detail on the beads! I made...

Last weekend was the Ligonier Ice Fest - I took this as a sign that I should go and visit Andrew Thornton at his new location for his bead store, Allegory Gallery.  He happened to be having a show called "Fathom" so it was perfect timing. The hallmark of the Ice Fest is, of course, ice scupture.  There were ice scuptures all along the diamond, and also in front of several businesses who sponsored them. Many shops were open late to accommodate the crowds. It was cold but it was a very nice afternoon for ice! Here's Andrew at his new location for his bead store.  It's very nice and cheerful! He had a gallery opening Saturday night, called "Fathom".  Mermaids abounded!  If you click on the photo you'll see works by his sister, Cynthia, Diane Hawkey, and Junker Jane, to name a few. After we visited with Andrew, we went into Greensburg and had a great dinner at J Corks.  All in all an awesome day off!

I love hearts.  I have so many hearts I don't even know what to do with them!  I collect them!  Ceramic, metal, my own glass ones... I love making them too! I have these larger heart beads listed on my SueBeads Facebook business page album, Large Hearts for Sale.  I'm trying the facebook thing to see if I can get away from etsy.  My goal, too, is to revamp my web site.  I'm a bit limited because I am on a pappashop web site and I am not good at the whole computer programming thing, but I think I can make it a little better.  Hopefully this year! I also have smaller hearts for sale on the album Small Hearts for Sale . I'd "love it" if you'd take a look and see if there are any you want! Thanks for checking in!

Back in December, all of us at AJE got together and facilitated by Lesley Watt, did a Secret Santa exchange!  It was fun - we only knew who we were sending to (of course) but not who was sending to us!  My partner to send to was Jennifer Cameron!  Here's what I sent her:  I knew she liked the beaded beads because she traded with me at Bead Fest for beaded beads!   I also knew she liked the ornaments I made this year because she commented on a photo I shared - this is my ornament of the year for the Sally Russick Ornament Swap.  I also wanted to send her a surprise so I made these earrings from a tutorial that I got from Around The Beading Table. And these amazing earrings were what I received from Francesca Watson.  Even before I knew her at AJE, my boyfriend had purchased earrings from her etsy store for me (at my hint lol).  AND I actually won an amazing prong set necklace she had as a giveaway on her blog.  So I am no stra...

Works in Progress...do you have them?  I rarely do.  I rarely make jewelry anymore, and when I do it's usually one at a time, and there are no works in progress.  But lately (and I mean since before Bead Fest) I haven't felt too creative on the bead-making front.  And now that I've had a little time over the holidays, I decided to get my creative juices flowing in a different way.  I have really become interested in all things bead weaving and seed beads, so I'm working on some little projects right now.  My CoM from December was this little spiral rope number: I had tried to work on a Russian spiral, but with the white, it was too hard to learn.  So I did just a regular spiral rope. I also made this spiral rope for this focal I made that I absolutely LOVE (it's really hard to photograph the colors in these seed beads, but they are awesomely rainbow): And this one is actually for reveal later, but I'm still showing it, cuz I loves it! I learn...

I have lots of hearts in my SueBeads etsy store !  Check them out!  I love hearts, and they're not just for Valentine's Day! 

The December Component of the Month challenge was provided by Diana Ptaszynski - snowflake pendants, how appropriate.  Although here in Pittsburgh, I think we had .10 inches of snow in December...so much for a horrible winter!  I chose this white pendant, and as usual, didn't photograph it before I started working on it.  In my defense, I knew right away what I wanted to do, so...  I made a spiral rope with two colors of white seed beads!  I was so excited to do this.  I had a false start, in that I wanted to do it with size 8's and 15's, but it just wasn't really working, plus I was trying to do Russian Spiral, which is beyond me at this point.  So I made a simple spiral with size 11 seed beads and I'm still happy!  I used this toggle clasp that I just purchased from Lesley Watt, and it went perfectly!  Here's a closeup of the spiral rope and the two colors of beads.  I hope you enjoyed the CoM reveal this month!  Ch...