Craft Test Dummies

So this is the technique that I’ve been most obsessed with lately- impression glazing. I stamped some polymer clay, baked it, and then mixed up some mica powders with TLS (translucent liquid Sculpey) and glazed over it. I wired it up and added some bead and glass danglies…. just in time for a special birthday gift!

BUT…the recipient isn’t allowed to take it home until we have a class in June! (Sorry, lovey! You’ll just have to “quality control” it in the store!

Mother’s Day really snuck up on me this year. Lucky for me, I’d gotten started on Mom’s giftie… can’t share it with you YET, as our Mother’s Day celebration will be delayed a week or two. And I purchased some hand-made goodies to give out, but I had to resort to (GASP) store-bought cards. Yipes.

However, I did get to make one special gift that I can share. My BIL enlisted my help in making a special Mother’s Day bracelet for my sister. Her baby son will turn one in a few weeks, so this is a special time for her. I designed a bracelet using sterling silver alpha beads, Swarovski crystals in his birthstone color, and sterling spacers and clasp. Love it! Hope she does, too.

Well, I’m thrilled to say that we are going to be making these fab-oo bracelets at Grand River Beads in the merry merry month of May. The first class will be offered on May 1 (Thursday, 6 PM) and the on the last day, May 31 (Saturday, 1:00PM.)

I’m stoked to do this one because A) I love to make beads to match my outfits, and B) this is a simple way to learn how to use Artistic Wire. It come in a rainbow of colors, and it very high quality. Eva is going to teach the part using the coiling gizmo while our beads bake. I think folks will be amazed at how quickly this bracelet comes together. Fun, fun, fun!

If you are interested, just check out the GRB site… they now have it set up that you can register and pay online. How easy is that?

As I’ve mentioned before, I am a magazine junkie. Especially bead and papercrafts magazines. Well, right now I have a subscription to Bead Style Magazine, and usually I just leaf through it. This month, though, I saw the “Razzle Dazzle Bracelet” designed by Caroline Conley, and I knew I had to test it out!

I love to make my polymer clay beads, and I’ve been working in sets. I’ve wanted to use them in bracelets, but wanted to make a more cuff/bangle style instead of just stringing them. I hadn’t found a design I really loved. Until I saw this one!

I got out my Coiling Gizmo, my box of Swarovskis, and my polyclay beads and got to work. This was my first attempt:

I really liked the bead combination, and the way it fit together, but the coil seemed to be out of proportion. I then realized I needed a smaller coiling mandrel - duh! And after a quick consult with Eva at Grand River Beads, I needed some smaller wire for the outside coil as well.

So I got it all straighted out, and got on a roll. No pun intended! I love the way they are turning out, and I’m all jazzed up to do this as a class for GRB. If you are liking the design, I encourage you to pick up the May 2008 issue of BeadStyle and try it out for yourself. The instructions were clear, easy to follow, and easy enough for an experienced beginner. You need a Coiling Gizmo and need to know how to make it work, as well as crimping and wire wrapping.

(The original design was for lampworked beads as the focals, but the polymer works just as nicely. And if you don’t make polymer clay beads, you can pick some up at my Etsy Shop for a song!)

Well, I’m back from the sewing expo and my head is swimming. I took four classes over 2 days this time, and a good time was had by all.

My good friend Nicole made the trip up from Charlottesville, Va, and showed up to celebrate my birthday with some serious girl time. Three days of shopping, sewing, and girl talk. Whoopee!

For those who’ve never been to the Expo, it’s a pretty gi-gundous show. It goes over 3 days and boasts oodles of hand-on classes, demos, trunk shows, fashion shows, lectures, and vending out the wazoo. Here was my agenda on Thursday, the opening day of the show:

• 8:30 AM: “Really, Really Broken Dishes” applique class with Kim Montagnese. She is a great person, designer, and teacher. She taught us to use Do-Sew to back our appliques and use a blind hem-stitch to mimic needle-turn applique. Great class. (Great person, too. I love Kim! She’s the one who took this silly picture of me.)
• 11:00 AM: Snack break and fashion show. We saw a lecture on how to open up a generic sweatshirt along the side seams and create a festive jacket. Looked cute and easy. And when they passes around a toddler version with yo-yo’s on it, I just about had a coronary it was so cute!
• 11:45: Wandering about vending floor. Made a point to get to Cotton Candy Quilts which had the Do-Sew for sale. Also picked up some really cute fat quarters with my mini-patchfolios in mind.
• 2:00: Lunched on a tuna croissant (standing up) while taking in another fashion show. Another sweatshirt-jacket take by Londa, but more upscale.
• 5:30 PM: Completely overstimulated, we head over to the hotel to check in, only to find that they don’t have our reservation. And I don’t have my confirmation number. Undaunted, we work it out and schlep up to the room. I grab a quick snack, then head back down to take the shuttle back to the IX center to get to my class. Whew. I’m getting tired!
• 6:30 PM: Take Barb Callahan’s Vintage Beaded Bracelet class. (Easy peasy. Just stitch buttons onto elastic! I know what I’ll be teaching next time we have a Young Jewelry Artist series during summer camp at Silverthorne!) Barb was a hoot, too. Hope I get to take a class from her again.
• 8:00 PM: We’re done early. My shuttle doesn’t come until 9:30. I make calls. Nicole tells me the shuttle will come early. I find out that my sweet baby girl is still running a fever. I wait until 9:15, and some complete strangers from Pittsburgh take pity on me and drop me off at the hotel. Thanks, ladies! You’ve done PA proud.
• 9:30 PM: Meet Nicole at the hotel bar. I’m hungry, damp and ready for a drink. Nicole and I share some Mediterranean quesadilla thingy, and I down 2 Great Lakes Brewery Porters.
• 11:30 PM: Exhausted and with a sore back, I hit the sack. Even the hotel bed feels good after standing on a concrete floor all day.

To read about Day Two, click here!

I was doing my regular surfing, and ran across this GORGEOUS paper bead necklace from Mazel Tov Jewelry. Really transcends paper beads into high art. Tell me it’s not fabulous and I’ll call you a liar!

I got a chance to get to the Lake Farm Park Quilt Show on Saturday - all by myself! It was lovely just to walk quietly through all of the quilts, without distractions from kids or hubby, and soak it all in.

Coupla things I noticed:

1. The show seemed smaller. I really think there were fewer bed-sized quilts this year.
2. There were more art quilts than traditional ones. And they were fantastic. Lots of food for thought.
3. The contributions for dolls, clothes, and bags were slim. Only 4 or 5 jackets that I can remember. (Note to self: Make wearables for next year!)

I took some random photos of quilts or details that spoke to me, and I’ve put them into this slideshow to share with you. Enjoy!

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Oh, my mailman has been busy! Among the many goodies that came yesterday was a package from CPS swap hostess Rachel, containing tie bag purses from Diane and Cindy. Whoo-hoo!

I really love how everyone put their own spin on them. Diane constructed hers using the long skinny end on the back as a pen holder, and included a little composition notebook.

Cindy used the middle section of the tie as a handle, and beaded it up with these cute pressed-glass flower beads. How fun!

To see my tiebags for the swap, click here.

To see the post with the original instructions from Sulky, click here.

And for another site of great inspiration, check out the Artful Ties blog. She has some great links there, too, and eye-candy. FUN!

Here in northeast Ohio, we are having a lovely blizzard today. However, it is already spring in my heart, and I’ve found a cute little beaded dragonfly earring project to keep me in denial.

I think I’ll sit here and dream of hot, lazy Augusts, with a swarm of them buzzing around…..have fun!

(But technically, isn’t it, “I guess that’s why they call THEM the blues?” but who’s picking.)

My online group Ohio Beaders is having a little get-together next month and we’re having a monochromatic swap. Doesn’t really matter what you make, or what you make it from, it just has to be shades of. My swap person has chosen blue, and her favorite thing is…. oh, wait. I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise.

Now, what direction do I take? Fiber cuffs? Polymer clay? Glass and swarz? This it kind of a toughie. I’m known as the polymer clay lady, but I’d like to promote my cuff kits… and I did teach a class in faux lampwork paper beads last night at Grand River Beads, so that would be apropos, as well. I almost have too many ideas running around.

Is it cheating if I make 4 things and let her choose one?