Month: October 2012

You’ll find these discs and a few more in the SueBeads etsy store! 

I was lucky enough to be chosen by the lovely Lorelei Eurto to participate in her Hoops Challenge! Today is the reveal day! She chose 6 people to make something with these gorgeous hoops from Karen Totten of Starry Road Studio!  I had the pleasure of meeting both of them at Bead Fest Philly this year, and they are really some lovely people!

These are the hoops we were sent.  The challenge was to really go outside the box and make anything our heart desired. 

I really really wanted to make myself a necklace with these – I had them laying on my counter for a week in the design that I wanted to make.  But – I also wanted to do something different, to show you how flexible Karen’s components are!  So!  I made ornaments!  I was looking at another piece I made at ArtBLISS two years ago, and had a vision for how I wanted these ornaments to be!  I really like the vintage feel of these hoops – not only in the shape, but in the color as well.  I used brass because I felt it went well with the Victorian feel I was looking for.

This one is made with chain, a handmade hanger, and two pearls separated by a rondelle spacer.  I really like it!

This one was made with one of my own sugar beads, a handmade hanger, and a plumb bob that to me looks kind of like a Christmas tree. 

Finally this pink one has a sugar bead, a handmade hanger, and three dangles – a heart charm, a bird, and a pearl.  I also used victorian/vintage looking bead caps on the lampwork bead, and I think they go very well with the theme I was trying to accomplish!

See the list of participants below, give them some love, and then go to Karen’s shop to give her some love as well!  Thanks for stopping by!

http://northwoodscreativestudio.blogspot.com/
http://barbarasfernald.com/
http://elliesbijoux.blogspot.com/
http://suebeads.blogspot.com/
http://deborahsjournal.blogspot.com/
http://musthavesjewelry.blogspot.com/
http://Lorelei1141.blogspot.com

I just listed a bunch of sugar beads in my SueBeads etsy store!  Just in time for your holiday jewelry making!

The lovely Rita, from Jewel School Friends, is hosting a blog hop today!  The theme is Octoberfest, and we were supposed to show something we have created related to the current them of Autumn.  I made this beaded – yes, BEADED! – box a long time ago, when I was still doing cross-stitch!  But it’s so appropriate that it is BEADED, because as you know, I am hopelessly addicted to all things beads!  I was going to make a bracelet for me from beads I just received from Nan Emmett, but didn’t have time. Maybe I’ll have time to add the photo later!  In the meantime, enjoy all the Octoberfest-ive creations from everyone else:

Host Toltec Jewels          http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com
Heather Otto         
         http://www.thecrafthopper.com
Mischelle
Fanucchi         http://www.micheladasmusings.blogspot.com
Marlene
Cupo              
   http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com
Shaiha
Williams          
   http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com ;
Shelly Graham
Turner      http://shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com/ ;
Shelly
Joyce                   http://www.aujourlejour-shelly.blogspot.com/
Charlie Jacka                  http://clay-space.com/blog/
Pam Sears                     http://crazycreativecorner.blogspot.com/
Margareta
Saari              http://magsinhelmet.blogspot.com/
Marita Suominen          
  http://momentofjewelry.blogspot.fi/
Lisa
Posthumus              https://www.facebook.com/lisa.posthumusharper
Jeannie
Dukic                 http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog

Cheri Reed                    
http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/
Arlene
Dean                   http://aglassbash.blogspot.com/
Duffy
Blevins                  http://bubbasjewels1.blogspot.com/
Susan
Kennedy             http://suebeads.blogspot.com/ ————————–> YOU ARE HERE!
Dita
Basu                      http://www.alankarshilpa.blogspot.com/
Sonya Ann
Stille            http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com/
Audrey
Allen                  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wrapped-Up-In-Magic/145456948869148
Kashmira
Patel               http://sadafulee.blogspot.com/
Kathy Lindemer             
http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com/
Kris
Mattingly                 https://www.facebook.com/kris.h.mattingly
Lennis
Carrier                 http://www.windbent.net/
Shannon Hicks               http://uptwnsh-fallingintothesky.blogspot.com/
Paula
Hisel                    http://simplybeadiful.weebly.com/simply-stated.html
Karin Slaton                   http://backstorybeads.blogspot.com/
Shirley
Moore                 http://www.beadsandbread.blogspot.com/
Alicia
Marinache             http://www.allprettythings.ca/
Valeria G. Rome            
http://fancysphynxdesigns.blogspot.com/
Lo                                  http://thecreativeklutz.blogspot.com/
Zoe
Marcin                     http://beadsteaandsweets.blogspot.com/
Carolyn
Lawson    
         http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com
Kimberly Booth               http://thepinkmartiniboutique.blogspot.com/
Sherri
Stokey                  http://www.knotjustmacrame.com
Tanya McGuire               
http://www.tanyamcguire.blogspot.com/ ;
Debbie
Rasmussen          http://kepirasmussen.blogspot.com/
Christine
Stonefield          http://sweetgirldesign.blogspot.com/
Tanty
Sri Hartanti            
http://tjewellicious.blogspot.com/
Sandra McGriff
                http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.com/
Renetha
Stanziano           http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/
Evelyn Shelby
                 http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/
Colene Waltermire           
https://www.facebook.com/groups/426147797447039/?fref=ts
Lee
Nova                         https://www.facebook.com/groups/426147797447039/?fref=ts

Are you familiar with the 7,000 Bracelets for Hope campaign?  Many of us bead makers and jewelry designers are.  It’s a bracelet program for people or families who suffer rare genetic diseases.  Here’s a bit of information directly from their donation page:

“Cause bracelets have been available for breast cancer and heart
disease but there has never been a unifying symbol, color or bracelet
that represents the rare and genetic disease community.  That’s why we
started the 7,000 Bracelets for Hope™ campaign.
Since launching the campaign in 2010, Global Genes has received
thousands of unique blue themed bracelet designs made from everything
from cut strips of recycled denim to vintage blue glass to turquoise
stones. The creativity from our volunteers is truly inspiring!
The number 7,000 represents the 7,000 different rare diseases that
impact 1 in 10 people, 30 million Americans and 350 million globally. 
Each individual blue bracelet design we receive represents the
uniqueness of one of the 7,000 rare diseases and many of our volunteers
send in multiple copies of a single design.
Our goal is to continue to collect unique bracelets made by jewelry
designers, artists, crafters, church groups, girl scout troops and other
volunteers and distribute them to our families fighting rare and
genetic diseases. Adults receive handcrafted bracelets made by our
jewelry designers while children receive love friendship bracelets
filled with hope.”

I was just contacted by Lisa James (Manager of Community Development for Global Genes/Rare) and asked if I would host a blog hop, as they are in need of at least 40 bracelets right now!  I said YES!  While I’d love to get more than 40 participants, or 40 bracelets, let’s just do our best to get close to that number!

Here are the details:

1.  Sign up here on this blog post, until October 31.  Why that date?  I don’t know…it’s just a random date.  I’d like to be able to eventually publish a list of participants but I’ll take participants for the whole entire time!

2.  Go to their donation page so you can sign up, and get the address to send the bracelets too, and instructions!  The bracelet should be blue, and the clasp should be somewhat adjustable as you don’t know the wrist size of the person receiving your bracelet.

3.  Make a blue bracelet, and on November 25th we’ll have a blog hop and reveal the braclets we made!  Oh, and you CAN make more than one!  My friend Patti Vanderbloemen recently donated 75 bracelets to the annual Global Genes Gala in LA!  Talk about dedication!

So simple!  If you have any questions please ask me.  If I can’t direct you to the answer, I will direct you to Lisa James.   

Sometimes when I have mandrels that bend or get wonky, I make plant
pokes.  Here’s some flowers I made recently.  These were the first ones I
made – I made them quickly because I was afraid they would crack from
thermal shock, so they aren’t the greatest.  I wanted to get a feel for
how to make them!  But now that I do, I see myself making a lot more of
these! Cuz those 1/16″ mandrels don’t last all that long!

I’m having a sale in my SueBeads etsy store!  Use coupon code FLASH15 for 15% off your order from Thursday October 18 – Sunday, October 21st!  I’ll be adding beads over the weekend, too!  Get yourself ready for the holidays with this sale!

 I’ve just listed a bunch of new beads in the SueBeads etsy shop, including some great spacer grab bag sets for a great price of $9 in many colors!

I was picked!  I’m super excited to say I was picked as one of the 6 lucky designers to participate in Lorelei’s next challenge!  Karen from Starry Road Studio graciously donated 6 sets of these hoops to see what can be done with them!  The reveal is October 30th!  Check back then to see what I came up with, and the 5 other lucky winners!

BTW – large hole beads are still available if anyone wants free shipping!

I have some large hole bead sets available right now! I made them for my “big” show that turned out to be a “big” bust – each set is $25.  If you buy them off my blog right now, I’ll throw in free no frills shipping!  Otherwise they will end up on etsy tomorrow!  Let me know what you want in comments and I’ll send you a paypal invoice!  Thanks!  There are multiples of the Christmas sets, and two each of the first set and the orange set.