Renewal

In the last throes of summer, the green still on the trees.

My mind turns to autumn, my thoughts on the leaves.

Ceramic Leaf Beads

You see leaves do not live in the way of a man.
They neither sow, nor toil, nor gather, nor plan.

They are born in the spring as a suit for the tree.

A pinstripe the color of Chinese green tea.

Set of Pistachio Autumn Leaves

They live through the summer, or thrive I should say
Growing and growing with each passing day.

But the leaves know that all too soon it will come.

Cooler nights, shorter days, and then there goes the sun.

Leaf Pendant

And the moment will come for every green leaf
When brown, orange and red will sneak up like a thief.

When the wind will fly by to pluck from the stem,
The proudest of leaves, the tree's only gem.

Iridescent Copper Japanese Maple Leaf Pendant

And though the leaf falls to join those on the ground,
It smiles to itself knowing time goes around.

Because winter, although it brings snowflakes and frost.
Cannot hide the things which never were lost.

Clay Leaf Pendant Set

For again in the spring like an emerald jewel

The leaf will be back, a true sign of renewal.

Artists Answer: Belinda Saville - Inspiration

Sometime last week, I started thinking about how I could change and re-arrange my blog to be a little more outward looking. Frankly, I'm kinda tired of talkin' just about beads! (I know, I never thought it would happen either.) So, I'm introducing a new weekly feature that I call Artists Answer. I've chosen four topics that I want to deal with:

Inspiration
Creation
Organization
Publication

I think that these are all things that interest jewelry makers and jewelry buyers. Each week I'll feature a different artist and their answers to some questions dealing with these topics.

Okay, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to our first artist:
Belinda Saville

Belinda is a bead artist from Perth, Australia. I've been following her beadventures for a while and I'm constantly amazed by how she translates her inspiration into amazing works of art.
I asked her about her first introduction into beading and my jaw dropped when she said she started in 2008 after the birth of her daughter. Me too! (well, except the daugther part).
Belinda has kindly agreed to share with us how she gets inspired to create her art. I hope you enjoy reading the interview and that you'll stop by her blog and her Flickr gallery to peruse her amazing creations.

What inspires you?
I can find inspiration just about anywhere. My main sources of inspiration stem from colours, forms/shapes, mother nature, art, archaeology, music, history, textiles...the list is always growing! Sometimes a single word can be enough to spark an avalance of ideas. What images are conjured in your mind when you hear the word, 'Csarina'? Or 'Rockpool'? Or 'Transylvania'? I have created necklaces based on each of these words alone! Your own imagination is an endless source of inspiration and is unique to you.

Garland of Galatea

Do you sketch?
If I'm inspired by something I see when I'm out shopping, or a fleeting image on the television, I will sketch my ideas as soon as possible so I can play with those notions at a later date. Mostly I just start pulling out beads as soon as an idea hits me!

Wind Dancer

How do you find inspiration?

More often that not, inspiration comes to me! Do you receive catalogue or 'junk mail' in your letterbox? If so, don't be in such a rush to throw them into your rubbish bin! Take the time to flick through each page and tear out any images that inspire you. I have a notebook full of such images!

You may find inspiration in a beautiful arabesque quilt cover, or the swirling lines of a wrought-iron candelabra, or the multi-colored stripes of a beach towel. How about the geometric pattern on a coffee mug, or the texture of a woven basket, or the floral fabric of a pretty dress. Look for interesting colour combinations. There may be a photograph of a pile of plain-coloured towels, which individually are rather boring, but collectively offer a beautiful colour palette. Be open to possibilities and collect anything that inspires you!

If I'm researching a particular theme or subject, the internet is the best (and quickest!) resource. My local library comes a close second! I will often wander the isles of a library with no particular idea in mind, just being open to possibilities and new inspiration. I have come home with books on everything from Art Nouveau, to photography, to Ernst Hackel's Art Forms in Nature!

Symphonie de Tulipes

Can you give us an example of a piece of work that was inspired?

My 'Sunflowers bead embroidered necklace was directly inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's series of Sunflower paintings. I wanted to translate his sunflowers into something tactile, dimensional and wearable. This is still one of my favorite creations yet!

Sunflowers

I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about how another artist finds inspiration. I hope it will give you some ideas to take away for your own inspiration.
If you'd like to see more of Belinda's work, (and who wouldn't!) please visit her
blog: http://belindasaville.blogspot.com/
or spend some time browsing through her Flickr gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/belindasaville

Enjoy your Wednesday!!!

Margie and Me - Titian the Venetian

Okay, first things first, this weekend, I made another version of my Budding Stones Necklace.
This time I used some lovely turquoise and went with a monochromatic version. The blue is awesome (I love turquoise) and I paired it with gunmetal chain for a little edge.

I'm gonna put Blue Budding Stones in the shop for 24 hrs. and if nobody bites, I'm taking both of them out to keep for myself. :)

Okay, here's what you all came for. This week's inspiration is #64 Titian the Venetian. I specifically chose a palette with red because it's not a color that I do a lot of and I wanted a little stretch.
The colors this week come from Venus of Urbino in which, according to Margie, "deep Venetian reds are featured against warm ivory-gold flesh and pale, neutral linen whites".

Here's the palette that I generated using the color generator, but it doesn't quite do the reds justice. Margie really emphasizes the red. Like the colors "thunderbird" and "el salva". Side note: when I was little my dad owned an antique Ford Thunderbird, and the interior was exactly the deep red color below...wierd.

Anyway, I do hope you'll play along, I think this one is going to be interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can make.

Also, I hope you'll come back on Wednesday, I've got a little something special in the works. Hehe ;)

Margie and Me - The Mammoth Springs Part 2

Each week when I start a new Margie and Me challenge, I never know where the inspiration is gonna come from. A lot of times I use the color palette not just for color, but also for shape and design. For example, when I worked on Baldacchino , I created the bracelet with the shape of the sculpture in mind.

Well, this week...not so much. I have no idea how this ended up so geometric. I'm definitely loving the colors, and I think that they're dead on with the inspiration image, but I have no idea where the geometry came from.

I mean, it's really geometric!
I also invented this cool clasp to close it off. I built up the weave and layered one diamond on top of the other and then created a loop to clasp around the top diamonds. I'm gonna patent this clasp and make millions! Okay, probably not, but I wore it all day yesterday and with this kind of clasp, it is very secure when worn.

I call it Cool Geometry and you can find it in my shop. (this type of beadwoven work doesn't generally sell well for me, but I thought I'd give it a shot!) Although I'm open to other names if you guys can think of a better one!

I also added another pendant to my Seeds and Stones Collection. I call this one Surrounded.

Okay, last thing...I need a little feedback...I've decided to work on a new tutorial, but I'd like your input on which bracelet I should work on. Here are my choices...

The first is a bracelet that I haven't created in a while, but the last three that I created in this style all sold. I called this one Smoke and Mirrors, but I've also made a version called Scarlett Lace and Under the Sea.

I've also had quite a few requests for Baldacchino as a pattern.

Or, I could do Cool Geometry as a pattern. Let me know what you guys think. Even if you're not a beadweaver, I'd be interested to hear which is your fav.

Oh, by the way, thanks guys for everything.

Feeling Treasured and Inspired...

Okay, to get my (ahem, our) brains running in the direction of the Mammoth Hot Springs, I decided to bum around on Etsy, (because I never do that), and see what inspiration I could find. Here's the result...some items beautifully mixed together with our blue/green/yellow inspiration colors.
psst...click on the treasury picture and it will take you to the actual treasury.

I was also feeling very treasured this week (pun intended) when I found my work in a couple of other people's treasuries.
The first one is just plain cool. All bright blue and oceany.

The second one is two of my favorite color combos lately, yellow and gray or grey, however you want to spell it.

Oh, you're welcome by the way...because you do know that I intentionally hovered my mouse over a couple of the photos in these treasuries when I took the screen shot, ya' know, so you could read it better....it was intentional ya' know...so, you're welcome. :)

Oh, and by the way, if you'd like to play along with this week's Margie and Me it's only Thursday, which gives you two more days to whip something up!! (Me and Elisabeth are getting pretty lonely!

Bollywood Bling for your Wednesday

Some of you may remember that I'm part of the Etsy Beadweaver's Team. Well, each month the team holds a challenge to get us off our butts and beading.
This month is Bollywood. Well, I definitely am not a pro when it comes to Bollywood, but is that not what the word "challenge" is for?
So, I sat down yesterday and created a ring to go with the theme. I call this the Beadwoven Bollywood Bling Ring.

It features some faceted glass beads in a cone shape and some brassy gold beads with a transparent blue/gold bead thrown in.
The beads are layered in the center to give it more texture and balance.

While I was working on this challenge piece, I came across this amazing designer, Rita Kumar, who creates some of the most amazing Indian bridal designs and daywear inspired by the Sari.

The last time I worked with Bollywood colors I created this pendant using one of Margie's color schemes. It was so fun working in bright shiny colors again...hhhmmm....

Sorry, I just re-read that post and it is so not put together....oh well...

Margie and Me - Mammoth Hot Springs #170

This week I've chosen to go with #170, Mammoth Hot Springs. I'm kinda cheating this week, because I've already been playing around with these colors, so this is more of a challenge to see how far I can push it, oh, and also for you guys! Grab some beads and get to work!

Here's a better idea of the palette, but Margie also includes a hint of that wonderful mustardy yellow that you see in the bottom left corner of the picture. (For some reason the color palette generator just didn't pick that up.)

Okay, and I promised y'all the beadwoven pieces from my Seeds and Stones, and just wasn't able to get to it yesterday, so here it is today...

The first is a beadwoven ring that I call Mint Chocolate Truffle. This ring has such a great feel and profile.

And then there's a Turquoise Beadwoven Ring using the same pattern as above.

Also, do you remember this necklace? Well, I took the idea and created...

The Finch's Nest Beadwoven Bracelet. I found a picture of a Finch's nest, and it the little eggs look like the little gray seed beads that I used here.

I also listed Jasper Beadwoven Nesting Bracelet.

And, just to mention how things can morph themselves when given a chance... This pendant started out as a larger version of the nests above, but just didn't quite work out, so it ended up becoming something completely different, but I really like it.

I call it Budding Stones and it features some beautiful mosaic jasper and just pulls on those beautiful colors that I've been obsessed with lately. The stones are a little larger than what I've worked with previously, but I'm really liking it.

Alright, have a good Monday, and let me know if you decide to play along this week with me and Margie! Ya' never know what you may come up with!

Margie and Me - Owl Feathers Part 2

Okay, first up, I'm gonna show you the result of me playing around with my Margie and Me challenge this week. I created these two little bobby pins with the Owl Feathers color palette.
I was lucky to find these two little Ocean Jasper ovals that mimic perfectly the spots on the barn owl.

My only complaint...the chocolate brown beads that I used in the center become rust brown when put under natural light...but, I love the little ocean jasper rounds, the speckles are gorgeous!

Okay, I promised to introduce you to my new "collection". I don't know if I can really call it a collection, it's still a little too mismatched. But, my inspiration was a collection of stones that I purchased. Ocean Jasper, Snakeskin Jasper, Aventurine...these were the basic inspirations, and it all started here...

My first bead embroidered bangle.

My Ocean Waves Bangle was created around a center bead with waves of seed beads emanating from the focal bead. I've always thought that these type of projects would be too big for me, but I love this bangle. It turned out beautiful, and not too over-the-top.

With those colors still in mind, I created this Arrowhead Pendant...

and also this oval pendant to match the bangle, called Ocean Waves Pendant.

I also purchased some bright turquoise rounds which resulted in this Moroccan Mandala Pendant.

And some tiny Jasper rounds with hints of green form the focal of these Green Star Bobby Pins.

These little Gray Raindrops feature another piece of Ocean Jasper in soft gray with row of golden seed beads to make the gray pop.

Last but not least, tiny Aventurine rounds inspired the bright colors of these Bright Star Bobby Pins.

It's still not as collected as I would have hoped, but I'm very organic in the way I create. I have to just listen to the inspiration, and every time that I picked up one of these beautiful stones, it just begged to become a certain type of jewelry, and I couldn't ignore it.

Tomorrow, I'll show you the beadwoven pieces that I've created using these Stones and Seeds. I hope you enjoy your weekend, and thanks for stopping by.

Thank you.

First of all, here's a teaser....tomorrow and Sunday I'm gonna show you all the new things from my Stones and Seeds collection. It's a collection of jewelry all inspired by some beautiful gemstones that I purchased and seed beads (of course) in some really inspiring colors.

But, first of all, I'd like to thank you for your input. I didn't expect such an overwhelming response to my questions, and you guys were immensely helpful.

The consensus...
- use the book background for the initial shot, but include shots with the gray background.
- use the no-hand shot for the initial pic, but be sure to include a model shot.
I think it's great, and it will really give my shop a little cohesiveness. Plus, I think the book is perfect for fall.

I also totally agreed with those who said that sometimes props can tend to be overwhelming in a shot, and I'm glad that y'all thought that the book was neutral enough to not do that.

Okay, as a huge thanks, I decided to throw the names of everyone who commented into a bowl and pick a winner to receive a little extra gift.

The winner? Lori Anderson of Pretty Things! Alright, Ms. Lori, hop on over to my shop and pick out any ring you'd like. Send me a little convo with your choice and address (and ring size if it's necessary).

Alright, last but not least, I put some new things in the Sale section of my shop today...

Sparkly Purple Wheels Necklace

Royal Ring in Rococo

Gems and Blooms Bracelet

See ya' tomorrow!

You're hired....I need a consultant...

I'm back soliciting your much needed advice. Y'all were so great coming to my rescue with the bag suggestions. (I'm still looking, which is okay, because it's still humid-as-my-shower and hot-as-hades summer around here, so the fall bag can wait a couple more weeks.)
I've been thinking about the overall "look" of my shop and I'm here asking for some advice on pictures, the never-ending topic of discussion on Etsy.

I need some help with the backgrounds.
I've been using this lovely History of Tennessee book (circa 1938) with some vintage-looking scrapbook paper for my softer pieces.

Compared with this gray scrapbook paper that I nabbed from my sister.
What do you guys think?

I think the book background looks good with bead embroidery, and the pieces that I'm making with the softer more earthy colors...


But, I just can't imagine putting this in front of a book, I mean, come on...

Oh, and which is a better picture for the shop pic of a ring?
The no-finger shot....


Or, the on-the-hand photo. (My only concern with this...hand model, I am not.)
Your comments would be so helpful. You guys spend as much time browsing Etsy as I do and I know you've got an eye for this kind of thing.
Oh, and does it look wierd to have different backgrounds in one shop? I mean, should I keep the gray background for the bright pieces, and the book background for the softer pics?
Okay...I'm done now. Thanks guys!