More Fun for your Ears

Another gloomy dark day so what better thing to work on than bright cane glass earrings!
All have been  SOLD

Followed by a few soft green moss agate earrings with copper filled sterling silver ear wires.

 And finish up with ocean jasper earrings and bracelets. Two of these bracelets will go into my online store today. Or you can always purchase things off my blog posts - just send me an email!

Let there be Light!

I can never have enough light to work by in my studio. Last weekend a friend came over and we installed some track lighting she gave me. Girl power!!! 

 I set them so that one shines on my shelves, one shines right onto my work area and the other 3 hit the shutters on the wall where I store extra inventory.

 I love, love love my new lights!!

Repair, Remake, Replace

When I was back in Minnesota this past December I received several small packages of broken things, single earrings and miscellaneous parts. One was a single earring of soft green moss agate that goes with a matching necklace. While I no longer had the same stone, I was able to find an acceptable match. These new earrings will be sent back to their happy owner this week.

Moss agate with silverplate and copper filled sterling silver ear wires.

If you ever have any problems with my designs please let me know. I love feedback! I will repair, remake, or replace any piece that fails or causes an issue. I want you to enjoy wearing my designs!

And don't forget Beadware's Orphan Earring Guarantee. Do you have orphans looking for a partner? Send them my way and I will repair, remake or replace. (Note: good only on items created by Beadware)

Fun for your Ears

Since it is gloomy outside I was drawn to making something that would make me smile this morning. Cane glass beads always look so fun when used in earrings. All are made with surgical steel ear wires, great for anyone with metal sensitivity. And the hinge-back style keeps them in place. Price is $15 per pair. These likely won't make it into my online store so shoot me an email if you'd like one of these. All have been  SOLD

Silverdale Artwalk Starts This Friday

March 16th 6-8pm head on down to Old Town Silverdale for their first Artwalk of 2012! Nine business are participating, each with featured artists. There will be photography, drawings, paintings, fused glass, jewelry, writing and more! Start your evening at Old Town Custom Framing & Gallery, where the featured artist is my friend Dixie with Eastern Wind Glass. You can also pick up your map there for the other spots to check out. 

And then if all that art has your creative juices flowing, sign up to participate in Girls Night Out at the ClayWerks and Eastern Wind Glass studio in Bremerton. You can spend the evening making one of several glass or ceramic projects. There will also be a potluck supper. Contact Angela at Claywerks for more info and to RSVP  360-377-2354.

I plan on doing both so I will see you there!

Now at Juliana

I just came back from a meeting with the accessories buyer at Juliana. She added a few more Beadware items to their inventory. Here are some of the Beadware pieces you will find in this great little store in Port Orchard.

Hand blown glass beads

 Green Jasper, Jade and copper

Glass Beads

Amethyst

Freshwater Pearls

Freshwater Pearls

Black crystals and glass

Orphans

When I make bracelets and necklaces I usually make several pairs of earrings to go with them. I don't require folks buy them as a set, so that often means I end up with bracelets and necklaces with no matching earrings. So several times a year I go through my inventory looking for these orphans. 

Then I scour my bead boxes and see what I can find. Usually I can come 

up with at least a few of the beads that were are the original piece.

All have been  SOLD

Orphans no more!

Online Craft Bullies

Ok, time for a little old fashioned climb-on-my-soapbox venting. This weekend while researching where some of the traffic visiting my online store comes from I came across a few visits from a site I did not recognize. So I clicked it.

It was a website that bashes other peoples art/crafts. Hmmm. I am not going to post a link or mention the name because I don't want to encourage any traffic to their site. They don't deserve it. They featured one of my bead art pins.

They post a picture of their find and then the group takes turns posting nasty comments. Their disclaimer is: These crafts aren't necessarily bad crafts. Many are well made and have taken the crafter a lot of time and energy to create; this site’s goal is to showcase those crafts that are funny, weird, strange and make us laugh. We mean no harm and are proud to say that there have been sales for some sellers on various sites due to their craft being featured on this site! We merely want to share the laughs and enjoy the talents of many. Talents which none of us have.

My reaction was anger and hurt. I thought about making my own comment - but you can't once that day has passed. So I vented to a friend via email and then decided to let it go. But after thinking about it over the weekend I thought a blog post was in order. I was reminded of the girls in high school who sat on a bench in the hallway and made nasty comments about others as they walked past - ie: bullies.

I'll be the first to say that I have been in a gallery and whispered to the friend standing next to me what on earth is that, how is that art? But I certainly would not bash that person's work to the world. Beauty, and art, is in the eye of the beholder.

My pins are actually very popular. They have been in 2 galleries, one retail store and I have sold more than 60 of them in the last 1.5 years. So I guess I can laugh all the way to the bank. :)

Climbing off soap box now - thanks for listening.

Its All About Ears

Today I listed 3 pairs of my popular copper dangle earrings in my online store. The pair on the right is perfect for March - green and copper. The beads on the middle pair look black but some are actually very dark burgundy. These are fun to make - I get to be noisy and pound with a hammer!

All have been  SOLD
 

Next to get listed will be these 3 pairs. 

I will also be listing some versions in silver and gold. Keep watching!

Many New Items in my Store

I have been busy listing new things in my online store! Today I will photograph this new glass garden and you'll see it in the store in a day or two. Right now a green glass garden is on my worktable - and I am toying with trying a necklace to match.

All have been  SOLD

Also recently listed was this lovely magic jasper necklace.

And several pearl necklaces. This has since sold.

 This one is very long and has a heart shaped toggle at the front with pastel 

Swarovski crystals dangling from it. Sold.

And an amethyst necklace. 

You'll notice earrings in many of these photos. If you would like just the earrings let me know, they do not have to be purchased as sets. Check out my store for many more recent additions and keep watching for many more to come!