Sue Beads

As another month rolls around, so does the AJE Component of the Month challenge - this month was a theme challenge and Lindsay Starr is our host - theme is EYE.  I hope you go back and read Lindsay's original post, as it is very interesting.  I won't rehash what she already elegantly explained about the symbology of the eye.  I'll just get on with my post!  Incidentally, Michael's happened to have TONS of eye-themed components this month!  Lindsay must be right on trend!  Here are some photos I took! I also wanted to show you the little tiny evil eye charm I picked up in Greece about 10 years ago - I was going to use it in this project, but just couldn't bring myself to use it up!  Then I wouldn't really be able to hold it and fondle it lol! I also meant to make some lampwork evil eyes, and may still, but didn't really get the chance to do that! For my project, Kristie Roeder, a ceramist, was offering some great evil eye cab...

In case you still come by here occasionally, I have some headpins available in the SueBeads etsy store, and more to come this week! 

I said I'd do it and I did!  I actually finished my byzantine chainmaille weave for Diana's February AJE Component of the Month - here it is! Here's a detail of the weave.  I used aluminum rings, this necklace is very lightweight.  They go very well with Diana's component.  This is the first time I made byzantine weave for some reason - I started out harder when I made chainmaille before - I have done japanese flower and mobius.   This is a fun necklace! Thanks for stopping back!

It's the end of February already, hard to believe.  Time for another Component of the Month challenge.  This month, Diana Ptaszynski made us components - it's called a Phaedra! She did such an excellent job with this, as they are very fiddly to make! And so I'm the loser this month because I didn't have time to get mine ready.  I was away for a week from the middle of the month, and before that crazy busy with work.  Then, when I got home from my trip to St. Maarten, I got the stomach flu and was not able to complete my design.  I'm still posting today because I do have an idea. I'm going to take my Phaedra and make it the centerpiece in between two pieces of chainmaille in the Byzantine pattern.  Here's a photo of what the Byzantine pattern looks like: I think the pattern will go well with Diana's component.  So when I finish it, I will post back here with a photo! Thanks for looking at my idea - please look and see what everyone else did!...

This month, Jenny Davies-Reazor is the host of the January AJE Component of the Month - the theme is use your stash.  I had high hopes of getting a lot done, but between work and other life stuff, I only was able to complete one piece.  Here it is! It's actually not completed yet because I need to make a strap for it.  But it's almost done!  I used one of  Jenny's pendant pieces and bezeled it with pretty purple delicas and red seed beads.  Then I added the czech flowers, with a stop bead, and the row of 8s with a stop bead as well.  Finally, I finished the edge with a picot edging.  I like it a lot. I wish I had time to complete more pieces, but I'm glad I at least got one done! Please visit with everyone else and see what they made!  Thanks for stopping by! AJE team: Lesley Watt Lindsay Starr Caroline Dewison Jennifer Cameron Jenny Davies-Reazor Susan Kennedy Niky Sayers   Guests:  Terri -  Terrr...

For those of you who still read this blog occasionally (I am SOOOOO bad at posting anymore since I write for AJE) I have been selling some big hole beads on a Big Hole Bead group on facebook!  Here are some of the pretties you could pick up! 

For December, Lesley Watt chose Rebirth of the Sun as the theme for our quarterly themed challenge over at AJE. "The winter solstice, the rebirth of the Sun, is an important turning point, as it marks the shortest day, when the hours of daylight are at their least. It's also the start of the increase in the hours of daylight, until the Summer solstice  when darkness becomes ascendant once more." http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk I can honestly tell you that I very rarely set out to "intentionally" make something - I feel that my creativity was killed in school with the "art teachers" who wanted you to do "art" their way, and no other way was right.  I have always dabbled in creative undertakings, thus my glass bead business today.  But I am always searching for things to do with my hands, that feeling you get when you accomplish something all your own, learning something new, something that challenges you. I recently decided th...