Saturday, August 25, 2012

Owl

Screech Owl Baby























It is no secret that  my bead  designs  are inspired by nature.
For goodness sake most of my designs are flowers!
Critters from land and sea appear in my work quite often too.
Usually these creations are inspired by first hand encounters in fields,forest or while scuba diving.
But, this week's beads  are in honor of little survivors at the wildlife rehabilitation facility were my daughter is a volunteer . http://www.phoenixwildlifecenter.com/whoweare/whoweare.php

Each week she has tales to tell me about  new arrivals and the progress of  current patients.
Last weekend while she was  vacationing on Tybee Island  Ga. she assisted in a pigeon rescue.
Several onlookers had pulled the dazed bird from  the ocean .
Certainly not normal pigeon habitat !
Because of her volunteer  work she knows a bit of animal first aid .
After determining "probably no  broken bones " and no open wounds,
she tried  to find a local wildlife facility . But, it turned out there was none on the island and the closest one on the mainland was already closed . Nothing to do but wait til morning .
Please note ...
Injured wild life needs to be cared for by a licensed rehabilitator.
Please don't try to care for wild critters at home .
It can be dangerous for them and dangerous for you .

Luckily the wildlife rehab in Maryland talked her though  how to care for the bird over night .And in the morning....
the BEST thing !
The pigeon was perching on the shower curtain rod looking perky , pecky  and ready to go home  !
The wildlife people speculate a predator knocked it out of the sky and it was too stunned to fly out of the ocean.
Happily the  pigeon was able to be released .
It took a few uncertain steps ,turned as if to say goodbye and flew off high into the clouds.

Hopefully the little Screech owl fledgling, now residing at the wildlife center, will also fly to freedom some day very soon.
His great little face was my inspiration for the week !
This week
Add a bit of nature to your creations
and
Bead Happy
m.e.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Work Weekend

Mallory Square Sunset























I have been blogging since 5/10/2009.
When I began ,I challenged myself to posting  a new entry every Saturday morning. I love the weekly connection to  all my beadie friends. Usually I have to revise ,revise ,revise to keep from rambling on and on.
However, this week  my day job was short staffed and I ended up working a zillion hours !
well.... more than 40 anyway....
So this is my version of the popular "wordless Wednesday " blog entries.
I have to get ready to go to my "pay the bills "job again today !!!
Since I am my own boss in bead world, I am taking a personal day .
I hope you enjoy the photos !

this week
if your are your own boss
allow yourself a personal day
relax, refresh
and Bead Happy !
m.e.
Key West Sunsets


Saturday, August 11, 2012

Big Bead Soup Reveal !

Fairy Magic























Welcome to the Big , Beautiful Bead Soup Blog Hop Reveal Part Two !!!
The challenge was to create a design using a bead mix picked by our partners.
Some people like to stretch the ingredients and get as many beadie"meals "as they can out of the mix.
I have to stretch my food meal budget way too much !!!
When I make bead soup ,my personal challenge is to use at least part of every soup ingredient  I receive ,in just one piece of jewelry  .
My partner Sara of Saturday Sequins, made a Gorgeous copper heart and matching clasp.She also sent a nice stash of beads in my favorite shades of greens and blues and lots of  lovely shiny Sequins.
Sequins !
uh oh .. I have never ever worked with sequins!!!
 My soup mix was so delicate and lovey I didn't want my design to over power the components.
I decided that copper wire ribbon would be light and airy enough to let  Sara's Heart Pendant be the star of the show.
But...I was still not sure what to do with those sequins....
Then out of the blue ,I had a Magic Moment  !
As I started  weaving the beads onto the ribbon with thin,thin wire ...
the sequins just hopped into the bead line and joined my design .
Thread a bead,thread a sequin ,thread a bead,thread a sequin ....the necklace magically  came to life.
Maybe the jewelry design fairies were working their special  magic.
I think the  design might be just right to wear to  a fairy dance  in the garden !
this week
enjoy the magical creations of the other
Bead Soup participants
and
Bead Happy !

m.e.











Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things
Adlinah Kamsir, Dream Struck Designs
Adrienn Lukacs, Raszputyin Designs
Agata Grygiel, Cytherea Bijoux 
Alenka Obid, Pepita Handmade 
Amy Dickerson, Damyjo Designs 
Amy Schmidt, Amy's Treasure 
Amy Severino, Amy Beads 
Andrea Trank, Heaven Lane Creations
Anke Humpert, Anart Island Studios
Ann Rishell, My Critical Eye
April Grinaway, Brooklyn Bead Goddess 
Ashley Bunting, Miss Ashely Kate 
Astrid Boyce, Astrid Boyce Beads 
B.R. Kuhlman, Mixed Mayhem Studios 
Barbe Saint John, Saints and Sinners
Beata Benkone Meggyesi, Beahobbi
Brenda Sigafoos, Sunshine's Creations 
 Bryna Lumb, Bryna's Bead Box
Carmen Lau, Little Maketto
Cate van Alphen, Fulgorine
Cathie Carroll, Cathie Carroll's Studio
Cathy Khoury, Touch Jewelry 
Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads 
 Collette Collins, Fire Fly Myst Artisan Jewelry
Courtney Breul, Beads by Breul 
Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons
Cynthia Abner, Created Treasures
Debbie Phenes, Deb Joy Sing
Dhea Powers, Java Bead
Diana Welte, Lilyweeds
Dita Basu, alankarshilpa
Dorota Zeranska, gdymamczas 
Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie
Elisabeth Auld, Beads For Busy Gals
Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs
Eva Sherman, Eva Sherman Designs
Evie and Beth McCord, EB Bead and Metal Works
Francy Inman, Francy's Studio
Ginger Bishop, lilmummy likes...
Giorgia Rossini, Jo in Wonderland
Ine Vande Cappelle, Jewels by Ine 
Iveth Caruso, Creative Atelier 
Jackie Ryan, Kydo Jewellery
Jeannie Dukic, Jeannie's Blog
Jelveh Jaferian, Jelveh Designs
Jenna Tomalka, Twin Birch Studio
Jenni Connolly, Jenni's Beads
Jennifer Van Horn, Jennifers Jewels and Junk
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Johanna Rhodes-Nash, Fire Phoenix Creations 
 Joyce Blair, Bent Wire West Coast
JuLee Wolfe, The Polymer Penguin
Karen Vincent, Swallow Tail Jewellery
Karin Slaton, Backstory Beads
Kayla Potega, The Eclectic Element 
Kim Dworak, CianciBlue
Kris Lanae Binsfeld, Cherish Designs by Kris Lanae
Kristen Latimer, MJM Jewelry Designs
Kumi Fisher, Malie Kai Designs
Kym Hunter, Kym Hunter Designs
Lennis Carrier, Windbent
Leslie Wayment, AA Beads & More
Linda Murphy, Bonita Bead
Lisa Johnson, Whimsey Wonders
Lisa Sittniewski, Love, Yesterdays
Lola Surwillo, Bead Lola Bead
Lorelei Eurto, Lorelei's Blog
Lori Bowring Michaud, Artfully Ornamental
Lori Finney, Using My Beads
Margareta Saari, Mags-koruja
Maria Horvath, Horimarika Beads
Marian Hertzog, M's Place
 Mary Ellen Parker, BeeTree by m.e.
Mary K McGraw, MK's Creative Musings
MaryLou Holvenstot, time2cre8 
Martha Aleo, Ornamento
 Maybeline Tay, The Jewelry Larder
Megan Collins, Churchy & Her Sailor
Melissa Meman, Art. Life. Love.
Melissa Mesara, One-Eared Pig Beads
Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs
Pam Farren, re-maker
Patricia Handschuh, The Color of Dreams
Patty Miller, CabariBeads
Penney Klapoth, Faerie Acres
Regina Santerre, Regina's Writings
Rhea Freitag, starrgazer creates
Rochelle Brisson, A Creative Chelle
Sabine Dittrich, PerlenDschungel
Sandra McGriff, Creative Chaos
Sandra Neights, Petalo Azul
Sandra Young, It's a Bead Life!
Sara Oehler, SoftFlex Girl
Saturday Sequins, Saturday Sequins
Shanti Johnson, Sunshine Bliss
Shari Replogle, Plays With Paper
Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads
Stefanie Teufel, Stefanies Sammelsurium
Tammie Everly, TTE Designs
Tania Spivey, Moobie Grace Designs
Therese Frank, Therese's Treasures
Tina Holden, Polymer Clay Bytes!
Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends 
Tracey Nanstad, A Beadiful Mess
Valerie Norton, Hot Art



Saturday, August 4, 2012

August ABS Challenge

Key West Waters























Time for the August ABS challenge !
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2012/08/august-monthly-challenge.html
I was so excited when I saw this month's inspiration, 
Fishing Boats ,Key West  by Winslow Homer
Key West is my favorite place on earth !!!
I have a HUGE stash of beads in  colors to match the water surrounding the Florida Keys.
I pulled out every last one!  Which to choose?
 I settled on either some rough cut aquamarine chunks or some glassy smooth amazonite rondelles.
When I simply could  not pick one or the other , I decided  I 'd use both.
Smooth for the clam morning ocean and rough for the little white caps the afternoon breezes bring.
I found some white recycled silk ribbon that reminded me of the sails.
My white pearl polymer clay perfectly matches that silk .
I made some shells and a big starfish  clasp to "go with "
Now I  wanted that pop of red .  I had plenty of nice red ribbons,
plenty of nice red beads.But, nothing really seemed just right......
then I remembered !!!
I had been hording a big piece of red coral. It was way to large for the bracelets I usually make myself. For some reason it had never found a necklace home either .I decided it would be the perfect thing !

My scuba diving hobby has left me with first hand knowledge of the plight of the coral reefs http://www.coral.org/
 I rarely buy coral beads .When  I do, I try to be very careful of their  source. Almost all the corals I use are pieces I have picked up on Key West beaches . But, I did have that Big red bead ! After years of sitting sad and lonely on my  bead shelf, it has finally found a home .

I think this will be a great necklace for Summer .
But I  do believe I'll enjoy it even more on Winter days.
A good reminder of my beloved Key West waters. Thank you  ABS !
this week
Give a lonely bead a home
and
Bead Happy !

m.e.