WiFi & Flowers

Bead Bouquet

Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Nothing makes that quote more clear to me than the absence of my internet !
You don't know what you have until you lose it .
Besides my ETSY shop ,Pinterest and all things Beadie
My computer is my bookkeeper ,banker and link to  friends and family.
With internet access I have the world at my finger tips
Without it, I'm cut off from the sources that help run my world .
And I'm without many things that make me smile .
This week  my internet provider was down for almost 24 hours!
I was not happy !!! OK...I was in major melt down !
But the good news is, I used  my  unwelcome free time to make some extra beads .
I liked the flower style I created for the May ABS challenge so much ,
I decided to try it in a few more colors .
Before I knew it ,I had a bouquet full of flowers! Thanks for the inspiration ABS.

These are big focal type beads . I like them as simple pendants as well as components in more complicated designs.
I think a statement piece with a huge bunch of these flowers might be fun too.
But,that will have to wait....
I have lots of blogs and e-mails to catch up with !
This week enjoy your favorite cyber connections
and don't forget to
Bead Happy ,

 m.e.

Something Old is New

My New Floral Cabochons

I love making polymer clay flowers. I have been making flower beads for a long,long time!I have also started making simple earrings to sell at the Animal Hospital were I work . I donate all of the profits to a local Animal Rescue .

It's been years since I made earrings to sell . Flower brooches and earrings were the creations that got me started on this journey.
Recently I sat making little floral cabochons to glue onto earring backs. Suddenly my muse slapped me up side da head !
Why not add some cabochons to my shop she said.

The market is  full of easy  to  use findings with nice little round plates for gluing.Just add a  tiny flower and voila instant accessory ! Perfect way to add some inexpensive items to a shop or craft show line up . Or invest a bit more time and add a small flower or two to mixed media pieces. Polymer clay is very light weight .You can you can create ginormous designs that remain wearer friendly .
I love combos of unexpected elements all nicely arranged  into wonderful wearable  ART .
I haunt ETSY  and yard sales for bits and pieces of  weird and worn stuff I can use in my jewelry.
Often the very best finds are broken,missing parts etc.
Who wants one earring and a lock with no key ?
I do ! Broken + Bargain  can = Beautiful Beadie collage !
Do you ever use found items in your designs?

Making flowers is Old news for me .
But ,  using them as cabochons is a New twist .
This week
turn something Old into something New
and
Bead Happy

m.e. .

May ABS Challenge

Recollect

Time for the May ABS challenge
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2013/05/may-monthly-challenge.html 

If I had the time,I might spend hour after hour picking flowers from this painting.
I could gaze at this for hours and still find a new element to delight me .
And so many wonderful rich colors to choose from.
Is there such a thing as inspiration overload ?
I love making flowers .This month I almost wanted to make the entire vase full!
But, it is rather unpractical to spend 24/7 playing with clay and beads.
At least this is what my family tells me... LOL

Therefore, I decided to select just a few of my favorite elements and begin
I picked some shells and seed pods that were almost perfect matches.
And I found a large dragonfly that seemed just right.
Then I tried to duplicate my favorite flower,the striped one in the corner.
But, how would I pull it all together?
The elements made me think  of a collection of treasures saved as a reminder of a special life event.
Perhaps these could be mementos of a Summer love  ......
I decide to add a vintage escutcheon . 
For me peering though a key hole is a bit like peering into one's heart
A secret place that holds special memories......

A simple necklace with it's own untold story
Perhaps I will make up  a tale to go along with this piece
It may begin :
She agreed to meet him at the garden .The hidden one that grew so near the beach...........

This week imagine a memory
capture it in a piece of jewelry  
and
Bead Happy !

m.e.

Bead Soup Reveal #3

  

Getting There Slowly

TA DA !!!
Today is the day !!!
Bead Soup Party Reveal #3 
This is the last ,but not least of the 3 Fabulous Bead Soup reveals .
I'm still slowly trying to read all of the blogs in the first 2 reveals.
But, I am loving every minute of checking out the interesting and inspiring bead work .
Sooooooooooooo many fabulous creations !!!
I am filled with ideas,inspiration  and awe !!!
Here's the link to the links
http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/

this week enjoy visiting the Wonderful  World of  Bead Soup
and
Bead Happy !

m.e.

Polymer Poppies

Bad News ~ Good News

Playing in the Wake

The Bad News is:

Bead Soup Blog Hop Reveal #3 is postponed until 4/27

The Good News is :
 Bead Soup Blog Hop Reveal #3 is postponed until 4/27
Now we all have to wait another week to see what wonders the participants in round 3 have created .
For some of us that's like telling a kid Christmas will be a week late... LOL!!!
However ,now we all have time to savor the Fabulous Soups from rounds 1 & 2
I ,for one, have not finished hopping!
I am happy for some extra time to visit all the blogs .
If you're still hopping or haven't had time to start
here are the links to the links
Reveal #1
http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/2013/03/7th-bead-soup-blog-party-first-reveal.html
Reveal #2
 http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/2013/04/7th-bead-soup-blog-party-2nd-reveal.html

Bead Soup founder and Hostess Extraordinaire , Lori Anderson has been going through some difficult times .I know all her IBFF - "Internet Best Friends Forever " are sending her their LOVE
http://www.prettythingsblog.com/

I don't want to get too mushy -gushy  here..But,more than once I've seen the internet Bead  Community pull  together to help each other in tough times . Bead friends the World over, gather to support individual and group causes . The Earth can be a big lonely place. It appears to me, tiny beads can make it seem  much smaller and friendlier .

This week I choose to follow along in the wake of personal and world events
I choose to bond with  people and reach out to people
though my love of beads.
I love the phase
"Changing the World one Bead at a Time "
Playing with beads can mean more than it seems

This week choose to
Play in the Wake
and Bead Happy ,

m.e.

Bead Soup Reveal

Trade Winds

Time for the BIG Bead Soup Reveal #2 !!!

This is the wonderful soup I received from my partner Melissa Mesara
Be sure to see what she made with the soup I sent her
 http://one-earedpig.blogspot.com/

My Soup From Melissa

My first creation was inspired by the gorgeous ocean colors of Melissa's fabulous lampwork beads.
I decided not to use a toggle on this piece.
Instead I bent  my wire so it would gently flow around the wearer like an  ocean breeze

Trade Winds

I fell in love with the little manatee bead Melissa made me.
 I named it "Sassy'' for Homosassa Florida were I met real manatees.
 I wanted to be able to see her every day...
so I came up with an idea.... here's a clue

Clue

Here's Sassy on a fan pull I can enjoy everyday

 Fan Pull

This is the necklace I made with my remaining beads

plus a few from my stash 

Crystal River Necklace

Here's Sassy as a pendant on my necklace !

Crystal River Necklace

I really liked the way this turned out.
I plan to buy several matching toggle  bars.
I  going to use one "loop' that fits them all on a  necklace .
Then I 'm going to create changeable Holiday pendants to hook on for every season.
But ,that's blog topic  for another day .........

This week be amazed  and inspired by the 

Bead Soup Blog Hop  #2  Reveals

here's the link to the links !

http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/2013/04/7th-bead-soup-blog-party-2nd-reveal.html 

have fun  hoppin'

and 

Bead Happy !

m.e.

ABS April Challenge

Meadow in  Bloom

It's time for the ABS April challenge
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.no/2013/04/april-monthly-challenge.html
WOW ! A whole meadow full of flowers to inspire me  !
How could I resist making those glorious wild poppies?
However , ABS is a chance for me to think outside the box.
So I decided not to make lifelike poppy  blossoms .
After all, Monet did not paint photographic images .
I decided I would create beads that represented my impression of wild poppies .  
I really wanted to contrast the bright orange with the misty lilac tone .
Off I went to rummage through my box of  purple and purplish beads.
Turns out there were plenty of good matches .I Love purple .
I choose some rough cut fluorite . Meadows are not precisely  groomed and well manicured like formal gardens. The beauty of a meadow is wild and carefree. I thought the rough cut beads fit that idea perfectly . Keeping with an informal natural look, I finished  with torn gauze in bright  grassy  chartreuse green .
I can tie this piece tightly to make it into a choker or more loosely for a longer style .

An easy to wear necklace in cheerful brights .
Perfect to wear when the day is gloomy or
on a day I feel gloomy!
This week
creation your own cheer up creation
and
Bead Happy

m.e.