New Blog in town

There is a new blog in town and she is giving away Lori Anderson's new ebook.  Go visit her blog and become a follower.  http://moodsbymarianna.blogspot.com/

Messy Workshop Blog Hop

The wonderful Brenda Sue Landsdowne of   Bsueboutiques http://www.bsueboutiques.typepad.com/ decided to host a Messy Workshop blog hop.  I have Brenda and my lovely friend of Sweet Freedom Designs http://sweetfreedom-designs.blogspot.com/ to thank for pushing me to start blogging.  Although I am very new to blogging and still have so much to learn (like actually blogging more, lol)  it really has opened so many new doors.  If you remember when I finally dove in and started the blog it was to participate in another of Brenda's hops,  The Sari Ribbon Challenge  It was so much fun that I had to do this one too!  With this hop all we had to do was share our workspace...easy!  So here goes.


My workshop actually does quite a bit of traveling....I know weird, huh!?!  When I am at home I have a wonderful desk that has been moved about 3 times now.  I believe it has finally found a home in the old nursery.   I am in the process of converting and making the ENTIRE room mine!!! YEA for me!!

Right now I am really just using a corner of the room, but that will all change.  I have really big plans!  I try to be really organized and have similar items in each plastic bin.  The plastic bins also make it really easy to transport things back and forth.



Boxes in the back of the van!





The pink bag in use with my box of enamels.


  We spend many many (ok almost all of them) weekends in the country and if I want to get any beading done I have to take stuff with me.....well as my DH often says "Do you really need ALL that stuff"?  but I do....I often don't know what mood I will be in, do I want to etch, play with clay, resin, do some bead weaving, or what!?!?  I usually take way way more than I will ever have time to use in one weekend!  This particular weekend I had all kinds of things totally spread out over two dining room tables.  I had my choice of things to do, etch, emboss and anneal metal, use some alcohol inks or gilder's paste, bead weave, wire work, etc.  I took the end corner and did some wire work.  I never even used half of the stuff I hauled out to the country with me that weekend.  The big pink bag is the most used, usually I will just take what can fit in the bag, but this weekend I just really felt like I needed as much as I could carry!


The small corner on the end of the table is where I was actually working!

 


You can see I had lots of ideas and things I wanted to do.....LOL!



 


A few things I finished!  Three pairs of earrings, a necklace with enameled hearts and a bracelet.



 We often have a Sunday studio day at my local bead store, YaYa beads and I travel with my stuff there too!



My torch fired enamel station set up on studio day!




 Enjoy a few pictures of some of my creations made at home, in the country, and at the bead store :) Please forgive the horrible pictures, I am going to invest in a photo tent very soon.
 

Lampwork beads, fresh water pearls, and Swarovoski  crystals.

 

Beautiful fall lampwork flower (wish I knew who made it), fresh water pearls, and Swarovoski crystals.



ICE Resin and some gemstone chips.  I really like the texture on this one.

Alcohol inks and embossing powders, this was really fun to make- I did this one during one of our studio days.

My wedding necklace, fresh water pearls, Swarovoski crystals and sterling silver. 



Spiral bead woven necklace with an amazing lampwork octopus!

 I really hope that you enjoyed the journey through my various messy workshops, please visit all the other participants and see how their workshops shape up.....messy or not!?!

MESSY WORKSHOP BLOG PARTICIPANTS

Brenda Sue Lansdowne

http://www.bsueboutiques.typepad.com/

Robin Delargy:
http://looloosbox.blogspot.com/
Kim at Cianci Blue
http://cianciblue.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Jazwick-Smith
http://hudathoughts-jennifer.blogspot.com/
Mary Shannon Hicks
http://www.uptwnsh-fallingintothesky.blogspot.com/
Tracy Swartz
http://tracyswartz.com/category/blog
Jacqueline Marchant
http://jaacquelinesjewels.blogspot.com/
Lynnea Perry Bennett
http://designsbylynnea.blogspot.com/
Terry Matusyk
http://pinkchapeau.wordpress.com/
Laurel Steven
http://laurelsteven.blogspot.com/
Dr. Brassy Steamington
http://drbrassysteampunk.blogspot.com/
Pamela Takeshige
http://www.crittersandthings.blogspot.com/

Kris Lanae Binsfeld

http://www.cherishdesigns.wordpress.com/
Outre Art
http://theartistspaintbox.wordpress.com/
Linzi Alford
http://www.magpieintheskyspoilheaptales.blogspot.com/
Deb Davis
http://naturaltreasuresbydeb.blogspot.com/
Tamara Jones
http://irrysistablejewels.wordpress.com/
Harry Wood
http://www.oscarcrow.blogspot.com/
Gerry Nickerson
http://gersgems1.blogspot.com/
Elizabeth Owens-Dwy
http://www.thepolymergeek.blogspot.com/
Georgene Lockwood
http://sylvanavintagedesigns.wordpress.com/
Charisa Sloper
http://www.blog.obsidiansoda.com/
Jennifer Justman
http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/
Beanzie
http://the-vintage-heart.blogspot.com/
Mary Deis
http://mdeis.blogspot.com/
Cheri Reed
http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/
Sondra Kolner
http://scrappybydesign.weebly.com/index.html
Sonya Ingersoll-Stille
http://www.dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com/
Lori Anderson
http://www.prettythingsblog.com/
Sandra McGriff
http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.ca/
Shelly Joyce
http://www.aujourlejour-shelly.blogspot.com/
Joan Williams
http://www.lilrubyjewelry.wordpress.com/
Kashmira Patel
http://sadafulee.blogspot.com/
Deb Beechy
http://beetique56.blogspot.com/
Ginger Bishop
http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com/
Kelli Jacobson
http://creativemoonjewelryandthings.com/
Natalie McKenna
http://www.grubbi.co.uk/
Andrew Thornton
http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

Mary Govaars

http://mlhjewelrydesigns.com/

Kate Mulligan

http://mulliganstewjewelry.blogspot.com/

Lisa Lodge

http://pineridgetreasures.blogspot.com/

Tami Luchini

http://ssprocketsmetal.blogspot.com/

Monique Lula

http://www.moniquelula.com/blog/

Lee Koopman

http://stregajewellry.wordpress.com/
Jayne Capps

http://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com/

Susan Lloyd
http://designsbysusan-dbs.blogspot.com/

Cynthia Wainscott

http://www.exoticperujewelry.blogspot.com/
Stephanie Amanti

http://www.stephaniesjewelrybox.blogspot.com/

Alicia Marinache
http://www.allprettythings.ca/

Sam Hamp

http://hampgirl59.blogspot.com/

Lennis Carrier

 http://www.windbent.net/

Look what I got!!

A few weeks ago I joined an awesome group on Face book, Creative Bead Chat.  https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/323057074410586/
This in an open group and in their own words "

A home for creative component and jewelry designers to share new creations, tool tips and help build our creativity and ...sales ! A home for new designers as well experienced to share your experiences and ask questions. Ultimately we are a team and work together towards the goal of being proud of our accomplishments and accomplishing our dreams...welcome to Creative Bead Chat!
Only rule...Treat others as you would like to be treated :-) "

 

They held their first giveaway from March 20th to March 27th.  It was a CBC $400 Member Giveaway.  You had to post a link to your favorite jewelry supplier(s).  I put one of my favorites... my local bead store, YaYa beads located at 109 Shartom Rd, Augusta Ga.  http://www.yayabeads.com/index.html

 

CBC was going to randomly select 15 people that posted links to win various prizes.  I was one of the lucky ones!  I won a beautiful beaded artisan bracelet from Jennifer Justman of Soul's Fire Designs.

 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SoulsFireDesigns

The braclet came in the mail early last week.  Here are some pics.  It really is beautiful!  Thanks to CBC and Jennifer Justman!

 

 

Lisa's Clay Happenings Giveaway

Go to this page and check out the awesome giveaway by Lisa.
http://lisasclayhappenings.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-showers-and-giveaway-time.html?spref=fb

Impress Art letter stamp giveaway!

Lori Anderson is doing an awesome giveaway!  She is giving away an Impress Art Letter stamp set.

Please visit her blog for all the details.  http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2012/04/win-set-of-impress-art-letter-stamps.html
 

I would sooo love to be the lucky person the randomizer picks :)

NEDbeads Long Magatama Giveaway

NEDbeads made a beautiful bead embroider cuff using long magatamas and she is giving it away....it is absolutely stunning and I really hope my name is picked!!! 


Bead Embroidery Cuff by NEDbeads of Nedbeads.blogspot.com

 Please visit her blog http://nedbeads.blogspot.com/ for your own chance to put your name in the hat.  Please also take the time to visit her etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/NEDbeads and check out her amazing bead work and she has some tutorials available too...my favorite is the bead woven bracelet tutorial and her Vineyard bead woven necklace is simply STUNNING!!!!

Deez News Blog Giveaway

Davina of Deez News recently took a trip to Bali and is hosting a giveaway of some lovely beads she got while there.  Please go visit her blog for a chance to get them.  Hurry she will do the drawing on Tuesday!  http://deeznews-dee.blogspot.com/2012/04/bali-bead-giveaway.html?showComment=1333912941319#c937298799325747446

Sweet Freedom Designs Blog Giveaway

Sweet Freedom Designs is giving away a really cute pair of vintaj brass and swarovoski crystal earrings!  Go check out her great blog http://sweetfreedom-designs.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-giveaway.html
and please go to her etsy shop, she has some stunning pieces.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/SweetFreedom. 

Blog giveaways are such fun....may have to do one myself soon. :)

One Color Crayon Challenge

One of my many goals this year is to branch out more into the wonderful community of other jewelry designers, and to not only meet people that have similar interests to myself, but to also grow as a designer.  I have joined two wonderful groups on Face book.  The first is The Bead Soup Cafe https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/BeadSoupCafe/  created by the wonderful Lori Anderson http://www.prettythingsblog.com  the second group is Creative Bead Chat group https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/323057074410586/.  I am not exactly sure who created this wonderful group but I do love being a part of both of them. 
The other thing thing that I am doing this year is to push myself into participating in new challenges.  The next one that I am doing is the One Color Crayon Challenge. http://thestudiosublime.com/2012/04/01/theonecolorcrayon/#comment-613  What we have to do is pick one of eight colors and work with that color and its various hues, creating a monochromatic design.   We will be hopping on Saturday May 5th, 2012.  Be sure to come back and see my design.