Sunday, February 27, 2011

Beads Of Courage - Last Day to Donate

Marcy Lamberson of Studio Marcy is giving away a torch she won! For every $25 donation or 25 beads donated, you get one entry! Since I've been otherwise occupied...working too much... I got busy and found well over 100 beads that I made just lingering in my bead bowl and rounded it up with beads from my jewelry making stash. Monday, I'm shipping all 200 to Beads of Courage. The last day to enter... so typical of me!

If you want to get in on the fun, read about it on the blog Marcy set up for the event. Beads of Courage is such an amazing charity and I'm so lucky that the BoC folks will be in Orange county in April to kick off a chapter out here in So Cal! I'll be blogging about that for sure.

This strand is some of my first beads... I love some them still... the silver and the reactions! Oooh! 

Thanks for checking in! I'm still here... and I miss my torch!

This last set is from my beading stash. I didn't make them but I'm more into bead making than jewelry and I know they will have a good home now!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Fire Divas Jewelry Challenge

OMG! I'm on such a beady high!!!  Three of the entries in the Fire Divas latest jewelry challenge feature my beads.  We've had many challenges where I had no beads used in the gorgeous entries. But, I've always donated prizes! What better way to get my beads "out there" than get them into the hands of award winning designers? Seems like Marketing 101 to me! Well it paid off this time in spades.

I'm even more thrills that the three beads...look nothing alike! My loyal fans know that I struggle with the fact that I don't have a "schtick" - a look - a thing... something that sums up my work in a sound bite. She makes cute little sets, primary colors, silvered ivory rounds...whatever. I can't seem to settle down and work on any one thing. But I do love focals and that's what all three designers used.

My fellow Divas Lori Bergmann of Ashlyn Design and Janel Dudley of Janel Dudley Beads also have some wonderful beads in the competition! And Janel is also represented in one of my focals... I use HER eye bead tutorial and her millefiori in the eye bead!

Voting: Please vote once on the right side of the Fire Divas blog. Voting poll will be up for one week. Winners will be announced shortly after the polls are closed on the Fire Divas Glass Bead Blog.

Our first entry is a beautiful necklace featuring a bead by Ashlyn Design and some stunning wire work:
Entry #1
In The Garden

Designer Info: Scott Bjorge. Gallery 
Designer's Description: As we enter the heart of winter it is nice to think of our beautiful Spring gardens to escape the cold and snow. This lovely focal bead by Ashlyn Design inspires that feeling with it's blend of an array of lovely colors. Designed with a sterling silver 's' hook accented with two more beads from Ashlyn Design brought around to the front to become part of the design.

In The Garden

Our second entry is also an "eye catching" necklace featuring an eye bead by Holly's Folly and natural and metallic beads.
Entry #2
Eye of Horus focal
Designer Info: Michelle Plumb Gallery Contact: maplumb1 {at} wowway (dot) com
Designer's Description: Eye of Horus necklace, with focal by Holly Dare of Holly’s Folly and eye murrini from Janel Dudley Beads. I’m fascinated by ancient Egyptian history, so this bead called me immediately. The necklace was made with Holly’s Eye of Horus focal, graduated lapis lazuli rondelles, turquoise rounds and gold-plated rounds. Fit for a Pharaoh!

Eye of Horus necklace


Entry #3 is rich with silver and glass baubles from Janel Dudley Beads
Entry #3


Designer Info: Mary Elam / Stella's Blossoms
Designer's Description:  Boro Blues is inspired by the beautiful blue fire within each of these lovely beads by Janel Dudley. The brilliant shades of blue and aqua truly radiate goodness from within. Each Boro bead is accented with Bali Sterling silver beadcaps. I've included my favorite Bail sterling silver focal bead in a unique oval shape to compliment the design. Swarovski crystals add extra sparkle. A thai silver toggle closure is included.






Our fourth entry is a double spiral of Swarovski crystals with a hollow heart by Holly's Folly. 
Entry #4

Twisted Heart
Designer Info: Gretchen Coats Etsy Blog  Gallery
Designer's Description:  This 24" necklace is made up of close to 600 3mm swarovski crystals in a double spiral. The Focal bead is made by Holly of Holly's Folly Glass, and the crystals and seed beads match the blue and pink of the focal bead perfectly! Heart is actually hollow, and upon closer inspection you can see 
the smaller beads run through the center of it!
Twisted Heart detail

Our fifth and final entry mixes pearls, crystals, pressed glass and seed beads with a floral focal from Holly's Folly .
Entry #5
Romance in pink collage
Designer Info: Helen Aresik / Helen's Atelje
Designer's Description:  Romance in pink. This design is based and inspired on the beautiful and wonderful, handmade lampwork bead made by Holly's Folly. When I look at the Focal bead I think of a beautiful garden with pink flowers. I’ve chosen beads and other findings to match the pink and green tones in the focal bead. I made some beaded beads myself with pink beads with a green bead inside, inspired of the deep green color inside the focal bead. I also used chain and findings in sterling silver, some swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls and other glass beads and leaves. The necklace is 80 cm long excl. the pendant, which is 10,5 cm. The focal bead is almost 4 cm long. The bracelet is 21 cm long and the earrings are 3 cm long without the earhook.

Romance in pink



Friday, February 11, 2011

Red Velvet

As a Southerner, I adore red velvet cake. And I'm pretty picky about it too! So many chefs get it all wrong! Good thing I make cupcakes of glass ;-)

I was surprised to find my red velvet cupcake glass bead in a red velvet collection on Artfire! Check it out... there's some fun stuff here!



Monday, February 7, 2011

Hearts Still Shipping...

I had planned to get on a more regular blogging schedule last week and then I was knocked sideways by allergies. I've coughed so much, my back hurts! Today, I'm finally feeling human...but I still don't have my taste buds back. I've decided my skills as a super taster are no longer an asset! I've discovered, if I can't taste, I don't have much of an appetite. If I could lose my taste buds permanently, maybe I'd finally be a skinny girl??? Eh...one can dream, right?

Just wanted to pop in and remind you that there's still time to heart someone special (or yourself...YOU are special!) in time for Valentine's Day!

Duo Glass Bead Heart - Black & White on one side / color on the the other. 

And... there's a NEW $50 Drawing starting on my Lampwork Beads Website. 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Still Time to Heart Someone...

I've mentioned before how much I admire Janel Dudley of Janel Dudley Beads. She's the first Fire Diva I met in person. She manages the most popular axillary page of the Divas blog. She just posted a beautiful reminder that there's still time for for a little xoxoxo shopping for that big red heart day! Ladies, send your fellas shopping!