Showing posts with label Lori Bowring Michaud. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lori Bowring Michaud. Show all posts

Saturday, May 10, 2014

8th Bead Soup Blog Party - The Reveal!

Good day to you and welcome! I'm so happy to again be a part of the wonderful blog party created by the lovely Lori Anderson. My partner for this year's swap is the INCREDIBLY talented Kelly Hosford Patterson of The Traveling SideShow and PyxeeStyx on Etsy. Kelly is so talented with so many different types of media.
She showered me with love in creating my beautiful soup. I posted about her amazing soup here and Kelly blogged about it here. Now, I am not a prolific jewelry maker. I wrestle with my creativity in ways I can't even begin to explain. I am in such awe of folks who can sit down for a few hours and create many pieces of jewelry. I can't do it. Just. Can't. I labor over each and every piece and it takes me forever. Why, I don't know but it's a fact. Sigh. I've made several pieces from my beautiful soup (and miraculously, a couple of them came together fairly quickly). I've put several of the components Kelly sent to me away until fall. We've had such a long, hard winter and spring is just ever so slightly beginning to grace us with her presence (it feels like early April here). I plan to work with my beautiful felted wool beads and fiber wire as we head toward fall. I also have a piece in progress that you'll have to check back on May 24 to see as it's for the reveal of Diana Ptaszynski's (Suburban Girl Studio) waxed linen jewelry blog hop.

First up, Follow The Sun. This necklace features the faux sunflower druzy that Kelly created, along with her hand forged, bead wrapped clasp. I LOVE these 2 pieces. I also incorporated the dragon's vein agate egg, printed wood beads and the hammered copper chain segment Kelly made.
I took one of the large washers and wire-wrapped it with the cube crystals that Kelly sent along. I also added a vintage lucite link and some vintage lucite tube beads that I collected while working at The Beadin' Path. I also created some twisted copper wire jump rings and created small sections of chain to suspend the focal from.
I also included a little hand painted sunflower bead (on a Natural Touch resin bead) that I had created some time ago. I love that I could combine my sunflower with Kelly's. I absolutely love this necklace and I'm sure I'll wear it often.
Next up are earrings made with vintage lucite tear drop hoops and some of the crystals Kelly sent me along with copper balled end headpins that I made. Light weight and casual.
This next pair of earrings pairs the same crystals (I love the color) along with the vintage lampworked leaves. I tied on short lengths of red sari silk.
This bracelet is in progress, I need to figure out what I want to do for a clasp (copper or brass/bronze?). I've used one of the large printed wood beads, honey jade rondelles, carnelian rounds, and vintage luster glass.
My second necklace includes two different vintage copper chain lengths, Kelly's collage bee treasure box pendant, her hand forged sunflower link (which I altered by adding color with Alcohol Inks), a fringe of copper chain and beads along with a bee skep connector I made. I have a dear friend who keeps bees (mmmmm is the honey delicious!), he calls them his girls. I'll think of Kelly and Jimmy when I wear this!
My final creation isn't jewelry to wear, but is very close to my heart. I have a thing for ornaments (surprising given my blog name, eh). I've recently started collecting sunflower ornaments. This is the first I've created, using the other hammered sunflower Kelly created (which I altered by adding color with Alcohol Inks) along with the polymer crow by Beady Eyed Bunny.
This has been so much fun! I still have a number of pieces in progress on my desk (it actually looks much worse than this presently):
Thank so much for stopping by. Please visit Kelly's blog to see what she created with the soup I sent to her. You can also hop along to see what the other 500 artists created (this is going to take a while!). Thanks again Lori for creating such a fun event for us to meet new people, share and create! Here's the link to Lori's post with all of the participants listed: Participant List

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Spring Fever Design Challenge Reveal

Good day to you! I was so excited to have my name pulled out of the hat as a participant for the Spring Fever Design Challenge Reveal! I mean, really. Beads, components and silk from Lesley Watt, THEA Elements and THEA Jewellery; Caroline Dewison of Blueberri Beads; and Claire Braunbarth of Smitten Beads.

Here is the amazing loot that I received from these lovely ladies: the silk is from Claire, the birds and leave ceramic beads are by Caroline and the flower connector/pendant and blue/peach beads are by Lesley:
And here is the necklace I created:
In the end I decided to keep it simple. It slips right over my head. I connected the silk to the body of the necklace with twisted copper rings that I made. If you could see what my desk looks like you'd wonder how that happened. Do all of you drag out every single bead and component you own that you think will work in a particular design? It will take me a week to put it all away. I haven't dared to enter my studio since last weekend because it's such a mess.
Here's a close up of the birdhouse connector I made. This is a template in Laura Beth Love's (of Dishfunctional Designs) new book Boho Chic Jewelry. I clearly can't count because there are 3 roof shingles on the left and only 2 on the right..... I need to rework this. I think I would prefer it without the rhinestone connector on it and to do a little decorative painting instead. We'll see if that happens.
I still have a leave and peach bead left to play with. Thank you so much ladies for including me in this very fun hop. Oh, and by the way - spring? I woke to an inch of snow blanketing everything this morning. I sure wish she'd hurry up and decide to stay with us!! Now, grab a cup and hop along to see what all of these lovely ladies created!

Caroline Dewison - http://www.blueberribeads.co.uk 
Erin Prais – Hintz – http://treasures-found.blogspot.co.uk/

Saturday, August 11, 2012

6th Bead Soup Blog Party, 2nd Reveal

Well, good day to you! Thanks for stopping by on this second installment of the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party, 2nd Reveal! First, a great big thank you to our hostess with the mostess Lori Anderson of Pretty Things. Lori, thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to hosting this wonderful creative opportunity for us all! Lori has a book coming out early this fall! There are 400 talented designers participating in the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party so we're revealing in 3 different installments.

Let's get right to things, you've got a lot of hoppin' to do! My partner for this swap is Leslie Wayment of AA Beads & More in Sebastian, FL. It was pretty daunting putting a soup together for a bead store owner (Leslie's also a full-time pharmacist AND she cabs rocks - I don't know how she does it!)! I think I gave her a soup to give her a little bit of a challenge!
My soup to Leslie
Leslie was very generous in her soup to me, in shades of red and blue:
I am VERY proud of myself. I was able to get 2 pieces made (I have a third started which I'll finish this weekend) and they were made and photographed a week ago! That never happens! The first piece is a necklace using most of the beads from the soup, the focal, and the gold toned clasp. I decided to do a simply strung necklace that was symmetrical. I haven't strung a symmetrial necklace in a long while.
Oh, how my Gram and my Aunt Madeleine would have loved this necklace! Those gals loved their red, white and blue!

For my second piece I made a bracelet. I had ordered one of Heather Powers' starfish connectors in a new colorway, sandy shores, and shortly after I received it I received my July Simple Truths Sampler Club from Erin Prais-Hintz. Well, as I looked at them with my soup my wheels started spinning. I used 3 of the red beads Leslie sent me, along with Heather's focal, both of Erin's small pendants, sea glass I drilled and a clasp I fashioned from sea glass. I love it!
 Thanks for stopping by! Check out Leslie's reveal here and grab a cuppa' to check out all of the other lovely creations!
Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things
Adlinah Kamsir, Dream Struck Designs
Adrienn Lukacs, Raszputyin Designs
Agata Grygiel, Cytherea Bijoux
Alenka Obid, Pepita Handmade
Amy Dickerson, Damyjo Designs
Amy Schmidt, Amy's Treasure
Amy Severino, Amy Beads
Andrea Trank, Heaven Lane Creations
Anke Humpert, Anart Island Studios
Ann Rishell, My Critical Eye
April Grinaway, Brooklyn Bead Goddess
Ashley Bunting, Miss Ashely Kate
Astrid Boyce, Astrid Boyce Beads
B.R. Kuhlman, Mixed Mayhem Studios
Barbe Saint John, Saints and Sinners
Beata Benkone Meggyesi, Beahobbi
Bryna Lumb, Bryna's Bead Box
Carmen Lau, Little Maketto
Cate van Alphen, Fulgorine
Cathie Carroll, Cathie Carroll's Studio
Cathy Khoury, Touch Jewelry
Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads
Courtney Breul, Beads by Breul
Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons
Cynthia Abner, Created Treasures
Deana Hager, Just Deez'Art & Life
Debbie Phenes, Deb Joy Sing
Dhea Powers, Java Bead
Diana Welte, Lilyweeds
Dita Basu, alankarshilpa
Dorota Zeranska, gdymamczas
Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie
Elisabeth Auld, Beads For Busy Gals
Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs
Emma Todd, A Polymer Penchant
Eva Sherman, Eva Sherman Designs
Evie and Beth McCord, EB Bead and Metal Works
Francy Inman, Francy's Studio
Ginger Bishop, lilmummy likes...
Giorgia Rossini, Jo in Wonderland
Ine Vande Cappelle, Jewels by Ine
Iveth Caruso, Creative Atelier
JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions
Jackie Ryan, Kydo Jewellery
Jeannie Dukic, Jeannie's Blog
Jelveh Jaferian, Jelveh Designs
Jenna Tomalka, Twin Birch Studio
Jenni Connolly, Jenni's Beads
Jennifer Van Horn, Jennifers Jewels and Junk
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Johanna Rhodes-Nash, Fire Phoenix Creations
Joyce Blair, Bent Wire West Coast
JuLee Wolfe, The Polymer Penguin
Karen Vincent, Swallow Tail Jewellery
Karin Slaton, Backstory Beads
Kayla Potega, The Eclectic Element
Kim Dworak, CianciBlue
Kris Lanae Binsfeld, Cherish Designs by Kris Lanae
Kristen Latimer, MJM Jewelry Designs
Kumi Fisher, Malie Kai Designs
Kym Hunter, Kym Hunter Designs
Lennis Carrier, Windbent
Leslie Wayment, AA Beads & More
Linda Murphy, Bonita Bead
Lisa Johnson, Whimsey Wonders
Lisa Sittniewski, Love, Yesterdays
Lois Moon, Que Onda, Q'Town?
Lola Surwillo, Bead Lola Bead
Lorelei Eurto, Lorelei's Blog
Lori Bowring Michaud, Artfully Ornamental (you are here)
Lori Finney, Using My Beads
Margareta Saari, Mags-koruja
Maria Horvath, Horimarika Beads
Marian Hertzog, M's Place 
Mary Ellen Parker, BeeTree by m.e.
Mary K McGraw, MK's Creative Musings
MaryLou Holvenstot, time2cre8
Martha Aleo, Ornamento
Maybeline Tay, The Jewelry Larder
Megan Collins, Churchy & Her Sailor
Melissa Meman, Art. Life. Love.
Melissa Mesara, One-Eared Pig Beads
Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs
Pam Farren, re-maker
Pam Hurst, Pam Hurst Designs
Patricia Handschuh, The Color of Dreams
Patty Miller, CabariBeads
Penney Klapoth, Faerie Acres
Regina Santerre, Regina's Writings
Rhea Freitag, starrgazer creates
Rochelle Brisson, A Creative Chelle
Sabine Dittrich, PerlenDschungel
Sandra McGriff, Creative Chaos
Sandra Neights, Petalo Azul
Sandra Young, It's a Bead Life!
Sara Oehler, SoftFlex Girl
Saturday Sequins, Saturday Sequins
Shanti Johnson, Sunshine Bliss
Shari Replogle, Plays With Paper
Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads
Stefanie Teufel, Stefanies Sammelsurium
Tammie Everly, TTE Designs
Tania Spivey, Moobie Grace Designs
Therese Frank, Therese's Treasures
Tina Holden, Polymer Clay Bytes!
Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends
Tracey Nanstad, A Beadiful Mess
Tracy Choy, BumbleBeads Designs
Valerie Norton, Hot Art

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

It's Almost Bead Soup 6 Reveal Day!

This Saturday, August 11, is the second reveal date of 3 reveal dates (July 28 was the first and August 25 is the third) for the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party hosted by the hostess with the mostest, Lori Anderson! I'm paired with Leslie Wayment of AA Beads for this hop.

This is the soup I sent to Leslie, I can't wait to see what she makes with it:
 This is the soup Leslie sent to me, she was very generous:
Believe it or not, I've actually already completed two pieces for the hop from my soup - I'm so pleased with myself that I'm not last minute! I might actually have time to complete one more!

Come back on Saturday to see the reveal and the list of participants for the second hop!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Simple Truths Celebration Hop - Reveal

Well, welcome to my little piece of the internet for the lovely Miss Erin’s Simple Truth’s Celebration! Let’s start with what’s right about this necklace, namely Miss Erin’s sweet little owl pendant – love him! Love his colors and sweet little face. I won him in a giveaway at The Art Bead Scene. For a week and a half I’ve had him sitting on my dining room table adding and taking away ingredients as I would stop and look at it. Firstly, I hate my bead storage system – approximately 25-30 of the multiple divider boxes. It just doesn’t work. Anyhoo, I knew I wanted him to dangle from the Vintaj branch. I also wanted to keep the necklace more on the delicate side, a little more romantic.

I loved the Swarovski Crystal Copper beads (not sure which article # they are) with him. Then I decided to add some vintage MOP buttons that I bought at Tinsel Trading Company last fall in my spur-of-the-moment 3 hour NYC whirlwind (my only time to NYC) with Gabrielle. That part is fine, though I think I’m going to remove the upper and lower crystals and I’m okay with the brass oval link chain. So, overall I like this side of the necklace.
Now, let’s move to the other side of the necklace. It will not stay this way. This is where I can begin the description of the epic fail. If I’m going to keep the tortoise Lucite tube component I made, this side of the necklace needs a little more heft. I had picked up a neat yellow chain at Michael’s that I thought would work. It’s great, but it’s a bit too “funky” for this necklace. I decided at 9:00 last night (why at 9:00 I decided this, I’m not sure) to make the pearl links. I like them, but I’m not sure they work with the Lucite tube – or if the Lucite tube works with the necklace; I think I need to remove it. I just love the patina on the vintage brass caps. Can you see the bits of yellow, pink and purple in the pictures (I know they’re not great, I took them at 6:00 this morning)? Anyway, I think the pearl links work, but it still needs more heft. I tried attaching two different chains this morning, neither of them worked. I think I’m going to do a variation of the pearl links as a second chain. We’ll see. Lastly, the clasp is absolutely WRONG. I don’t have many non-silver clasps. Tonight I’m going to make either a toggle clasp or a hook and eye clasp that I learned in The Art of Closure e-course that I recently took from the very talented Deryn Mentock. Check back late Sunday or Monday to see the revamped necklace. All of the components, other than those specified came from my favorite bead store The Beadin' Path in Freeport, Maine.
See, it's out of balance and the clasp is totally wrong (the Lucite tube probably is too).
Miss Erin, thank you so much for hosting this creative challenge! Please visit Erin's blog for today's participants and the chance to win a prize!
This is the carnage on my dining room table today.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Art Bead Scene Ornament Blog Hop - Reveal!

Heather Powers of Art Bead Scene (as well as Humblebeads and Earrings Everyday) is hosting the second annual Art Bead Scene Ornament Blog Hop! Thanks Heather! Today is reveal day! Now, in a perfect world (I do NOT live in perfect), the perfect NEWLY created ornament that is in my head would be posted. As usual, life gets in the way (and a special family ornament crafting session to make ornaments for our oldest daughter’s first tree away from home). Thankfully, I've created enough Christmas ornaments over the last few years that I had one to post. So, for you folks who don't want the back-story, I'll post the picture right off. If you want to know how I got started with ornaments, and where I want to go with them, grab a cuppa', and keep reading. I have the gift (that's not what my family calls it) of gab. ;) Scroll to the bottom of the post for the list of participating bloggers and check out their artful creations!
This is a lion face I made for my daughter Gabrielle when she was in high school a couple of years ago. She went to an all-girls Catholic high school and was proudly a Lion. Then she went to college and was a Wheaton Lyon. This is a handpainted, stained glass ornament soldered with a lead free solder that contains sterling silver. It's made using the copper foil method of stained glass made famous by Tiffany. The first lion face I made for her looked like a bear she said. :( (It really does.)

I began, early in our marriage, picking up one beautiful handcrafted ornament for our tree each year. When our kids were little I would periodically buy them ornaments; not every year because we didn't always have the money. They then started creating Christmas ornaments in pre-school and elementary school and we added those to our tree. Soon, the tree became full of beautiful, special ornaments (our oldest daughter just took her box with her to her first apartment and has a lovely very first Christmas tree).

I've always had a craft or three going on but had never made ornaments for our tree or our kids until I saw a beautiful tree on the cover of Victoria Magazine years ago. It was a tree (and interior spread) decorated with ornaments by Wells Jenkins of Wells Ware. I. Fell. In. LOVE. I, however, could not afford them, as beautiful as they were. So, I had to figure out how they were made. I took a stained glass class that following year and learned how to cut and solder (though my soldering still needs work in my opinion), and figured out how to make them. The next fall I snuck into my parent's and in-law's homes, stole old family photos (copied and replaced them), and worked with our grandmothers to gather special photos. I made both sets of parents 13 or 14 ornaments each that year. It was, I think, the best gift (other than our children) we've ever given them. There were tears. It made my year. I was even able to get a photo of one set of my father-in-law's grandparents that he didn't know existed (the photo that is). Score!

Anyhoo, I continued working with glass through that winter and one day in March, my youngest daughter Gabrielle asked me if I would make her friend Annie a pin as part of her birthday present. Gabrielle was 6 1/2 at the time. I asked what kind of pin, she said a stained glass pin. I asked her if she just wanted me to glue a pin back to a piece of glass. She said no. She picked out a small curved triangular piece of pink/white wispy and asked me to paint a bird and a birdhouse on it (I did a little bit of decorative painting back then). I told her I thought the paint (acrylics) would scratch off. She thought about it a minute and said, "Well, if you use the boys' model paint it will stick. It sticks to everything you don't want it to." True that. Well, I made it, it was adorable, and we pinned it to her birthday card. That was the beginning of me painting on glass. The first ornament came a few short years after that when I was coaching one of her sports teams and made them for the girls at the end of the season.

As we were raising the kids, working, coaching - you know, life. I didn't have time for a lot of creating. So, still, there weren't a lot of ornaments created by me as they were growing. After we lost our beautiful TJ, we realigned. I have spent more time creating, but not enough. Work and life seem to get in the way still, but I'm trying to realign again. I have created some really unique ornaments over the last few years and there are many more (and other components) in my head and sketchbook. I want to bring them to fruition, to create the life I want to live - working from my studio, in jeans and a t-shirt, music playing and the studio door wide open (well, when it's not winter). It needs to become my priority, now that the kids are grown. I can make it happen, I just have to begin the journey and take one step at a time. "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you have imagined." -Thoreau

I know, it’s a book. Thanks for indulging me! Now, hop on over to check out the beautiful ornaments created by these lovely artists!
Artfully Ornamental (you are here)

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The 2011 Challenge of Color Blog Hop

Well, what is one to do when the very lovely and inspirational Miss Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati and the Treasures Found blog issues an invitation to challenge one's self? One says, "Count me in Miss Erin!" Of course, what better way is there to challenge one's self than by waiting until the verylastminute when one has had three weeks to complete said challenge? Seriously, I need to reassess my priorities and give myself more time to be creative.
Anyhoo, this is the second year Erin has hosted this challenge. She offers twelve colors for participants to choose from; I chose blue. I very, very seldom create with blue. I don't know why I don't, I like blue. The blue color palette Erin chose for me is Sharpened Blue. She has partnered with Jessica Colaluca of Design Seeds to use her wonderful color palettes. Be sure to hop on over to Jessica's Design Seeds blog to spark your creativity with her beautiful palettes.



So, without further ado, here is my necklace inspired by the Sharpened Blue palette:


The vast majority of components I used I already had, and because my studio is such a disaster at the moment, almost everything I needed was on my desk already. I only added the large blue, dyed jade chip beads and the blue ceramic rounds. My peachy colors have a tad more pink to them than the color chips, but I think it's ok. I made the pendant a few months ago with pottery and glass shards I've collected at the beach, along with some sanded grout and resin. It was my first experiment with resin (Ice Resin to be exact). I had been intimidated for years by the prospect of using resin, but the Ice Resin is a dream. The only problem I had was that a bit of blue from the shard at the bottom of the pendant bled and tinted some of the resin a little bit. I think that would have happend with any resin.


Because I was a Last Minute Lori in the creation of this necklace, it's not exactly as I'd like it to be. I am going to change out a couple of components (yep, as much as I love Swarovski, the padparascha crystals need to go; I may replace them with the darker opal beads in the picture below, we'll see) and that's why I haven't attached the clasp yet, but overall I'm happy with it. Thank you for hosting this creative challenge Miss Erin!


So, to thank you for stopping by my little space in the blogosphere on this blog hop I'm going to have a giveaway! Leave a comment and tell me what your least favorite color to work with or wear is and why. Leave your comment by 6 a.m. on Saturday, December 3 and I'll select two commenters to win a handpainted, stained glass Christmas ornament created by moi! One ornament will go to a challenge participant who leaves a comment and one ornament will go to a commenter who did not participate in the challenge. It will be a surprise, but I think you'll like it (most everyone who receives one from me loves them!)! Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you so that I may get your address if you're a winner! I think I'm beginning to feel the Christmas Spirit!

Be sure to check out all of the participant blogs to see their creations, happy hopping!

1
Teal
2
Green
3
Teal
4
Red
5
Pink
6
Red
7
Green
8
Green
9
Teal
10
Red
11
Teal
12
Teal
13
Gray
14
Blue
15
Gray
16
Yellow
17
Teal
18
Orange
19
Purple
20
Brown
21
Red
22
Teal
23
Orange
24
Teal
25
Gray
26
Blue
27
Blue
28
Green
29
Teal
30
Blue
31
Teal
32
Purple
33
Blue
34
Purple
35
Teal
36
Teal
37
Purple
38
Purple
39
Purple
40
Purple
41
Gray
42
Green
43
Blue
44
Pink
45
Red
46
Gray
47
Pink
48
Gray
49
Yellow
50
Red
51
Pink
52
Green
53
Pink
54
Brown