Gorgeous Stones

I got an email from my favorite local place to buy gemstones that they were having a 70% off sale. So today off I went to Gig Harbor Beads. Oh my, it was hard to be good! But I restricted myself to the sale table. Basically for every dollar I spent, I got $2 off. That kind of discount is why I can keep the prices of my finished jewelry reasonable. And even when not on sale most of their strands of gemstones are 50% off. If you are in the area I recommend you stop in. 

 I love this stone. Green Opal. I have some large ones I have been using as pendants. I can use these to accent the big stones and to make earrings.

 These are delicious! Chocolate Jasper. Three sizes, a large faceted teardrop, a rectangle and a smaller rounded rectangle.

 In the upper left are mother of pearl. I can see those with cream, gold or bronze pearls. The upper right are teardrop shaped tiger eye. I think they will make fabulous earrings. And the square ocean jasper goes with many things I already have.

 Green jasper and agates. These will also work with many things I already have.

 Small faceted pink quartz. I will make some earrings to go with a pink quartz necklace I have in stock. The red rounds are agate.

I promised myself no more storage boxes. Any new stuff must fit in my existing storage. But......these stones are so pretty and I do not want them to get scratched. Mike had the perfect solution out in the garage. A really cool wooden box with drawers that are lined with felt. Now I just need to find space in the studio for it.

Most of the time when I buy stones they "tell me" what they want to be. My mind is spinning with all of the ideas I have for these new stones. Stay tuned!!

New Items in my Store

As promised I am restocking my online store. In addition to Party on a Pins, you will find these 3 beauties.....

All have been  SOLD

Online Store Restock

My online store has been extremely neglected. I sold so many of the things that were listed at the end of the year that it is now very sparse. So today I began re-stocking. First up was a few of my unique bead art pins. You can find them in the Accessories section of the shop. I don't think I have ever listed these online so we will see how they go. In my booth they are attention grabbers, but it can be hard to capture their whimsy in a photograph.

Have a HeART this Weekend!

This weekend at Old Town Custom Frame and Gallery you will be able to get some great locally crafted art for under $20! Maria has pulled out all the stops for her 5th annual Have a HeART Jewelry and Art Trunk Show. Select from paintings, glass, jewelry, pottery, wood and more. And all from local artists. You will even find a few items from yours truly, Beadware. Art will be specially priced during on Friday the 10th, 12 to 7pm and Saturday the 11th, 11 - 3pm. Check out their Facebook page for pictures of the amazing art you find during this show.

Have a heART and shop local!

Introducing Snooterdoots

Sharing a booth (#1102) at the NW Flower and Garden Show this week with LaGrave Designs will be the fun and quirky gang from Creative Endeavors - Snooterdoots! If you have never met a Snooterdoot then you have to stop by their booth and say hello. Each one has their own name, birthday and story. You don't buy a Snooterdoot - you adopt them. Guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone's day.

 
A fun way to follow their antics is to subscribe to their blog. A recent post answers the perplexing question - where do Snooterdoots come from? If you can't make it to the garden show you can also find Snooterdoots at several local shops.

This Weeks Work

Something different this week, scissors instead of pliers. I was helping my friend Dawn get ready for her booth at the NW Flower and Garden Show next week. I spent several days cutting and assembling KaleidEscapes.

First I cut out the various shapes. I use one photo sheet that the artist has marked lines on for each layer as my guide. These are parts that will be stacked up to create 2 finished works. The pictures that follow are some of the pieces I finished. See if you can identify what they were originally. I'll list the answers at the end of this post. These will all get matted and framed in square black shadow boxes. 

You can read more about LaGrave Designs and the other new artists to be featured at the Flower show on the flower show blog.   If you go the show be sure and look for the LaGrave Designs booth.

Answers: Arc de Triompe, sunflower, gondola, orange tulip, Notre Dame, rack of wine bottles

New Year - New Venue for LaGrave Designs

On Monday I helped out my artist friend Dawn at her new venue - Pike Place Market! Dawn makes amazing 3-D photo kaleidoscopes. Check out her website for more info.

We arrived before most other craft vendors to wait for roll call. The vendors are called by name and a space assigned. Because you never know where your booth will be, you have a short time for set up and the spaces are small, Dawn has opted for a very simple, but effective set up for her space.

 
She focused on her Seattle landmark series - the space needle, pike place market, library, aquarium, Smith tower, the underground, etc. Hopefully this will be a hit with tourists. Our toes got a bit cold, but we had a fun day. And I got to bring home bread from Three Sisters Bakery - yum! Dawn's schedule will vary, but she hopes to be there several times a week. And occasionally you will find me womaning her booth.

The second weekend in February you can find Dawn at the NW Flower and Garden Show.  We are busy cutting and assembling (I help her out) all kinds of beautiful flowers. This is a dahlia in process and I just finished some orange tulips and sunflowers. Look for her sharing a booth with the gang from Snooterville!

New Year - Learn Something New #2!

Once you've mastered baskets, why not try glass? Dixie at Eastern Wind Glass teaches a variety of classes in stained glass, fused glass and mosaics. Make a plate, learn to fuse, slump a bottle. Check out the website for the class list.  Classes range from $35 to $120. Her shop is located inside Claywerks on Callow Ave in Bremerton.

New Year - Learn Something New!

 It is always fun to learn a new skill or craft. If making baskets from natural materials intrigues you I know just the thing. Take a class from Jo Hart at her Wilderness Basketry studio out in Seabeck. Her 2012 class schedule is now available on her blog. Scroll down past her photos and you'll find a post listing classes for baskets, bowls, pouches, and even a hat!

"A basket is not really a basket, but a vessel created of beauty, joy, and happiness from a window in the soul, a reflection of love and a creative outlet to our ancestors of the past."

Time for a break

My suitcases were much emptier on the return trip to Washington!  

A huge thank you to the hostess with the mostess Carolyn, and to all who came and shopped in MN. I sure enjoyed visiting with everyone. My inventory is very much depleted so the next few months I will need to focus on creating new things. But first I am taking a much needed break! Happy holidays to you all. Ann

Minnesota Sale

This weekends sale in MN has been great. Thanks to everyone who has stopped in to shop. One of the best parts is all the visiting I get to do with friends, old and new! Not to mention hanging out with the hostess, Carolyn. We are having so much fun. And due to all the requests, we have extended it one more day! So if you missed out stop in this afternoon. After that it all gets repacked into a carry on for the return trip to WA.

Yesterdays Work

More of my new earring style - these have been so popular and I wanted a good selection for my trip to Minnesota this week. I've added a new "twist" to some of them. I made some last week in plain silver, sliver with black and silver with cobalt blue, but forgot to take pictures and they are now packed. If they make it through this weekends sale I will post pictures when I get back.

All have been  SOLD

Green Opal. I love this stone!! It is the matrix that surrounds opals. 

There are small flecks of opal throughout the stone. So rich looking! This one sold the night before the sale. I have a few more of these stones so will make more when I am back in my studio.

Beadware Holiday Sale - Day Two

We spent the afternoon happily crafting sweet grass and cedar bark ornaments 

under the guidance of Jo and George Hart of Wilderness Basketry. 

They brought some beautiful examples for show and tell. 

 Thanks to all who stopped in this weekend. 

It is always fun to see old friends and have the chance to visit.

Beadware Holiday Show - Day One

Thanks to everyone who came out today for Beadware's Holiday Show & Sale. 

If you did not make it here is what you missed....

A selection of jams, infused olive oils and gift bags filled with pancake mix and handcrafted elderberry syrup.

Beautiful displays of fused glassware and jewelry in a myriad of shapes

and sizes and all colors of the rainbow.

A wonderful performance by Past Tunes. We learned about their various instruments and about the period music that they play. What a delightful way to spend the afternoon!

We will be open again tomorrow from 11am to 4pm.No more music, but starting at 1pm there will be a basketry demo and you can make your own cedar ornament!

New Work - Ocean Jasper

In preparation for this weekends show I have made a few new things.
This design has been extremely popular. I began using square agates for the pendants and those flew out of my booth. I was unable to find more, but found some ocean jasper that was close. These have also been very popular. The ones I made for last weekend all sold. I apologize for the less than stellar pics - my studio is torn apart for this weekends show.

All have been  SOLD

These two are my favs

And some more of my hand-hammered copper earrings - some with a twist!
And also some silver (ones not pictured).

And then something different, hematite, glass and silverplate.