LamplightCrafts

This is going to be a fun challenge inspired by the book Jewelry Designs from Nature, by Heather Powers. If you haven't had a chance to pick up the book it's packed full of projects using art beads.  Along with 30 projects, the book includes a few articles on finding inspiration for your nature inspired designs. Find your inspiration from Heather's ideas of creating jewelry inspired by poetry, gardens, woodland trails, and beaches.  Visit the Art Bead Scene Blog for more challenge details!

The Art Bead Scene challenge for May is to create a piece inspired by the painting by artist Maurice Utrillo, and you have to incorporate an art bead into your work.  This challenge is open to jewelry-makers, fiber artists, collage artist, etc. The art bead can be created by you or someone else. The challenge is to inspire those who use art beads and to see all the different ways art beads can be incorporated into your handiwork!  Visit the Art Bead Scene blog for details on challenge participation.  Oh, almost forgot, there will be prizes! Apparently, Utrillo liked to paint houses.  So my first thought was of courses, houses, followed by polymer clay.  They were too large for a bracelet, and just didn't fit with my design.  So here are my attempts at houses. Then I came across one of my lampwork tubes by Ansuya Beads (Ebay) .  This bead reminds me of an abstract painting, and it also has most of the inspiration colors.  I use...

Aren't these the cutest beads  you have ever seen?  It was the eyes that did it for me; I couldn't resist getting them.  I plan to either bead a rope or just make kumihimo cords for them.  I might even add some beaded fringe.  The beads were made Zoee Leann Brussels.  For some reason, I am into birds this spring/summer. A couple of weeks they were just beautiful blue robin eggs.  Now they are starting to get their red breast feathers.  The chicks grow so fast, and will soon leave the nest as fledglings.  They will be gone long before my own boys decide to leave the nest.

Pics of buttons I received here : Sneak peek of what I am contemplating using for a bracelet. I chose the MOP inlayed button to use as a clasp in my design since it is in my most favorite bead color ever...457!  Come back later today to see what I come up with. And here it is........ Participants Alice Peterson and Kim Bender Angie Blasingame and Billi R.S. Rothove Billi R.S. Rothove and Angie Blasingame Birgitta Lejonklou and Pam Farren Bonnie Coursolle and Tania Hagen Brenda Salzano and Hope Smitherman Cat Kerr and Heather Powers Cece Cornier and Jeannie Dukic Celeste Thurston and Christine Damm Christine Damm and Celeste Thurston Christine Stonefield and Dana James Cilla Watkins and Lori Bowring Michaud Cindy Wimmer and Mimi Gardner Cynthia Machata and Julia Johnson Cynthia Riggs and Lori Finney Dana James and Christine Stonefield Diana Ptaszynski and Erin Prais-Hintz Emma Thomas and Reb...

Well, the 5th egg never hatched and is still in the nest.  There were 4 chicks in the nest on May 8th, but this afternoon there are only 3.  They grow so fast and are starting to get their feathers.

Wearing an ID badge can be boring. So Wholesale ID has created a contest to see how artists like you create exciting, fashionable ways to wear them! They invite you to participate in their 2nd Annual ID Badge Lanyard Design Contest.  To enter, simply submit photos of your custom ID badge lanyard design to win a $150 or $300 pre-paid VISA® card! Not an artist? That's OK! Visit us to vote for your favorite lanyard designs. You can even return to vote once per day. Pssst... artists, don’t forget to share this with your friends and family and ask for their votes! Click here for a link to copy and paste to your website or Facebook page.

Follow this link for the Vocal Focal Bead Swap Reveal !

My favorite color as a child was bittersweet orange.  Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime came up with idea for a blog hop/challenge just using one color (and its various hues) from a basic crayon box. I managed to finish two bracelets and a necklace.  The top bracelet is a right angle weave orange seed beads embellished with 3mm cubes in shades of orange.   The necklace is done with orange cat eye beads, fire opal crystals, adventurine, and ice beads in shades of orange.  The second bracelet is a leather wrapped, copper bangle which used up most of the leftover beads.  This was a lot of fun! Hosted by: Sally Russick http://thestudiosublime.com Red Therese Frank http://theresestreasures59.blogspot.com Rochelle Brisson http://acreativechelle.blogspot.com Lisa Lodge http://pineridgetreasures.blogspot.com Malin de Koning http://beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.com Bobbie Rafferty http://beadsong.blogspot.com Orange Linda...

 Discovered the shell in the mulch.  Thought a predator got to the eggs.  Went to check on the next and then grabbed the camera.  I feel so fortunate to be able to experience this little miracle.  Hopefully, the other 3 eggs will hatch.  Oh, I forgot, I found another robin egg after a big storm swept through.  It was unharmed/uncracked, so I placed in the nest and Momma Robin adopted it.  We are Hungry! Nap Time.

Linda Larsen from the  Art Jewelry Elements blog reviewed the book, Making Wire and Bead Jewelry , by authors/wire workers Tracy Stanley and Janice Berkebile.  She even posted some "eye candy" from the book.  Leave a comment on her blog to be entered into the drawing for the giveaway!

Getting ready for the Crayon Challenge.  Should have started earlier.  I didn't realize I had so many different beads in orange.  Deadline is for this Saturday.  Stop by again to view results.  Maybe you will see some of what I started or I may change my mind and start something else!