A Bead is Born

I am always on a quest for the perfect bead.  It needs to be colorful and have lots of detail.  One of a kind beads are my favorite, I don’t want something that is mass produced.  It needs to be practical and fit nicely in my jewelry design.  Mainly, it needs to wake up all my senses.  Here is a collection of some of my favorite beads.

This piece is a shameless plug as these beads are all handmade by me.  I wanted to do a monochromatic piece that would have Summer Colors that pop.  I really like having beads that move or suggest movement after they have been wire wrapped.  You can find this bracelet at Helen’s Adornments Etsy Shop.

The bead above was made by my first lampworking teacher.   I adore the beach and this bead looks just like a bead you would find on the seashore.   You can find this bead at Studio Marcy.

The detail in this bead is incredible.  I am inspired by Melanie’s craftsmanship and hope that one day I am able to create such a bead.  Her beads are quirky and whimsical and definitely one of a kind.  You can find this bead  at Melanie Moertel Beads

Not all my favorite beads are glass.  The bead above is actually made out of polymer clay.  I love the colors and the shiny coating on these beads.  Who knew clay beads could be so beautiful.  This bead can be found at Lava Gifts and here is the link: Lava Gifts

This lovely pendant is made up of very modern wooden beads created by Modica Designs.  I love the clean lines of this piece and appreciate its uniqueness.  You can find this gem at Modica Designs.

I love the movement and color in this bead and  I can just see myself wearing this with a white dress.  You can find this bead at Michael S. and the link is Michael S. Lampwork Beads.

These beads are inspiring and gorgeous.  There is just something about beads.  But after I find or make what I think is the perfect bead, I am on a quest to find another equally as lovely.

Pin it to Win it.

Win a free piece of Artisan Jewelry.  Here is how we will play.

1. Pick your favorite piece in the pictures below.

2. Go to my Pinterest Board: http://pinterest.com/fancybritches/my-favorite-things/ and repin your favorite.  Also, leave a comment below this post so I can get in touch with you if you win.

3. The item with the most repins will be the item that I create a drawing to give away.  I will do a random drawing on the item with the most repins and contact the winner only.

Here are the items:

This necklace is a green disk bead with Raku Glass as the center.

This necklace is a Robins Blue Disk Bead Necklace with an Orange Center.

This is my Monet Disk Bead Necklace with a purple and mint colored glass.

Here is an Eggplant Purple and Green Disk Necklace.

Which one is your favorite?

Here is the link to my Pinterest Board: http://pinterest.com/fancybritches/my-favorite-things/

Cracking the Art Festival Code

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I have done posts before on my love/ hate relationship with selling my Art at Festivals.  As I have said before, I love them once I am there.  It’s the getting there that is the problem. Here I am at a Festival that I attended this week.  It is Called Alive After 5 and is [...]

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Smilebox, a Tutorial

    I love photography and I particularly love gorgeous pictures grouped together in collage art.  I have seen many fellow bloggers put together awesome collages of their photos.  Tonight my husband is out of town and my girls are asleep.  The perfect time to learn something new.  I just googled Collage Software and up [...]

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Happy Mother’s Day Y’all

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So far this has been the best Mother’s Day ever.  I think it has been such a good one because both my girls are on the brink of adulthood and I have really enjoyed watching that process.   Today I took my younger daughter who is thirteen to school at 5:00 this morning to catch [...]

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Vote on your favorite photograph

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I am having a hard time deciding which is the best photo of my new Sterling Silver Glass Disk Bead Collection.  Of the three photos, which one do you think is the best?   Here is the Disk Necklace on a White Plexiglass Background. Here is the same necklace on a piece of driftwood. The [...]

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10 Good Reasons to buy Art instead of Buying at the Mart

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Here are ten good reasons to seek out artisan products made by individuals instead of buying at big box retailers. 1.  Products made by Indie Artists are Unique and Different.   When artists create they are often working off a dream and a passion, therefore their work is a reflection of  the personality of that artist. [...]

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Candid: My New Jewelry Collection

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I have been working on designing my new Jewelry Collection named Candid.  Lampworked Glass Beads are always at the center of my pieces because I make these myself in my home studio.  Here is the bracelet that I just completed. I used a Celedon Blue Glass and Raku Glass.  The Raku Glass is Brown and [...]

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Be Lifted Up By This Woman’s Strength and Struggles

After having a really hard week I was feeling a little sorry for myself.  Then a friend of mine posted this wonderful video on facebook.  This really is a must see for everyone but could be particularly helpful to teenagers.  The video shows this importance of finding the strength within ourselves to fight a very [...]

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A Very Sad Post

I found out today that a sixteen year old boy that used to go to school with my daughter was shot in a stand off with the police just yesterday.  This boy went to Middle School with my oldest daughter and was just a quirky, funny, adorable boy.  He went on a Ski Trip with [...]

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