Wow, I am shocked.

Time sure does fly!  Last time I posted anything was September....bet y'all thought I fell off the ends of the earth.  Sitting here watching the superbowl commercials and thought I would post about my new tags and my new bracelet style.  Would love to hear back from you!

MY TAGS!!!!!!!!

I am sooooo excited I can hardly stand myself....I commissioned Mamacita Beadworks to create a tag, unique to ONLY designs by susan! I designed the bead and Mamcita created it for me out of pewter. No one else in the world will have this tag. IT IS MINE FOR MY DESIGNS. Can you tell I'm excited? Because of the cost to me, I am only going to add them to my higher end pieces....Come on, celebrate with me!

Charm Bangle

Can I brag and tell you how incredibly in love with this bracelet I am? OK, I am so in love with it. There, I said it. This bangle is .999 Fine Sterling Silver (better than the .925 of regular Sterling Silver). Then I used 20 gauge Sterling Silver Plate wire to wrap around it and coil at the ends. I wired wrapped Fresh Water Pearls in different shapes, Swarovski Crystals and Glass Pearls. I threw in some other beads to add a little color. So, what do you think? I only purchased 2 of the bangles right now cuz they are a little expensive and want to see what you thought. $45

 

 

a quick small challenge for you!

one of the bloggers I follow list 3 things she is thankful for each day. she does what happened that day but I don't want to be limited to that, so, I am going to start today! I challenge you to do they same thing, in your own way. tell your child, husband/wife, best friend, blog it, tweet it, comment on mine, email your friends...or just thank God. hope to hear from you sometime!

 1. clean sheets
2. a job, no matter how hard or difficult the situation
3. my county.

so, are you up for the challenge?

my cousins designs and mine

my cousin is a designer like myself.  i currently do jewelry, she does handbags.  i would love to one day purchase one of her beautiful designs but can't right now.  each one is created in her mind and has a biblical story behind it that she shares.  i would love for you to check her and her designs out.  this is her link and you won't be sorry: http://www.facebook.com/#!/scarletcloverdesigns.

 

she encourages me and has invested in some of my designs.  this is what i designed for her so far:

 

 

these charms respresent the symbolism of her designs.  each on tells a story.  you should read about them.  this is in sterling silver and slowly but surely, we will add more to it.

 

she also likes my sari silk designs.  this is the latest thing i made her

 

 

and this one.

 

 

 

she wanted a bracelet to match so this is what i created for her today.  shhhh, she hasn't seen it yet.

 

 

 

 

 

are you familiar with fair trade and sari silk and sari yarn?  find out about the women who benefit from these purchases to support their families here:

http://www.darngoodyarn.com/

 

so, i'm writing this blog so you can learn more about heidi bonwell and scarlet clover designs and also, show you a little more about my designs.  oh, and fair trade too!

 

let me know if you found our face book pages and like us!  we are all three here:

http://www.facebook.com/designsbysusan

http://www.facebook.com/#!/scarletcloverdesigns

and

http://www.facebook.com/#!/DGYarn

 

 

 

 

 

I hope I win!!!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Me, Myself and I - Monochromatic Color Combinations

Continuing in my design series, today I'm thinking about monochromatic color combinations. Designing around a single color. The single color works as a strong Unifying element, but since we're only using one color, Contrast has to come from somewhere else.

Ocean Currents, freeform peyote bracelet - blue, blue and more blue

Truth is, I don't work with monochromatic designs every often. When I do, I tend to make liberal use of Value such as my in Ocean Currents series.

Here, I shade from bright white to deep blues.

I'm also using Undertones to provide additional contrast - with both warm and cool blues. But I've stuck with relatively pure, intense versions of each hue.





In my Leopard Jasper choker, I shade from a light cream, through dark chocolate, ending on the other end of the value scale at black.

Brown is more often considered a neutral, rather than a 'color' in and of its own right. That said, there's no reason why you can't use it as the focus of a monochromatic composition.

You just have to find interesting enough browns. I combined warm, rich browns with more neutral antique bronze beads (which worked well with the antique bronze button).

Lariat by Malin de Konig

Adding Neutrals for Contrast

Malin de Konig graciously allowed me to use the picture at left of her lariat.

In this clean, elegant design, Malin combines a single shade of red with a warm, rich neutral brown and antique brass. I love how it allows the red to sing and take center stage.

Check out Malin's blog post to see additional pictures.

Additional Resources

Looking for other samples of monochromatic compositions, I put together a Pinterest board, aptly named Monochromatic Jewelry Designs, using a number of the pieces from Sally Russick's One Crayon Color challenge from earlier this year.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Time to Share the Love - of Art Beads!

Dithering. That's what I've found myself doing this week. In my spare moments I'd pull out the tray displaying the Art Bead Love chain and look through all the beads. Every time I looked, I found something new I hadn't seen before. And each time my decisions as to what to take and what to add changed.

How to choose? That became the question of the week. Followed immediately by what to add? There were no samples of seed beading on the chain, so I felt honor bound to uphold our collective Seedbeaders' honor and add some beaded beads. But I didn't want to overwhelm the chain, either. I tried to figure out how to turn my flowers into beads that non-seedbeaders could easily use (the key here being easily) and my brain just wasn't functioning sufficiently this week, so no go there.

What did I decide upon?


Here's what I ended up taking:

Taken from the Art Bead chain

Just added to my stash!

Clockwise from top: two gorgeous polymer clay pendants by Moobie Grace, glass swirl disks by Heather at HMB Studios, a couple of lampworked focals that spoke to me, including Pam Ferrari's lampworked bead that reminds me of poppies and two little green sugar beads by Sue of Suebeads, a porcelain leaf by UniqueButtons, and in the photo above, a little bronze acorn by (I think) Kelli Pope.

I spent a fair bit of time looking through posts from the previous chain holders to track down the origins of these different beads, and updated all of the links below so that they lead directly to the Art Bead Tour posts on each blog so you can more easily track its progression.

And here's what I added:

I included my most recent my Corset bead, playing with fall color schemes, and several smaller beaded beads. The small orange beaded bead at right is supposed to be a pumpkin. What do you think? Up top are two of my very own lampworked disks and top right is a paper clay bead I made with a copper tube rivet for the bead hole. And left and right there are two lampworked beads by JulsBeads to round things out.

two beads by JulsBeads

Soon, it may be your turn for a visit, because it's time to find the next stop on the tour. I will be doing a drawing this coming Friday, September 21st. So leave a comment here and spread the word on FB, your blog, twitter and friends.

To recap:
The Art Bead Love Tour is an ongoing project to spread the love of handmade to new and exciting places. It's a way to reach people who may have never stumbled upon your blog on their own, and give them a chance to share the love of handmade. A chain was chosen to link beads as a symbol of how this project links us all together ~ in our unity to stand behind handmade.

The winner of the chain will be allowed to take up to 30 beads from this chain. They will then replace each bead they took with another handmade bead, charm or pendant of equal Quality.

(SO Remember-----You're NOT winning the ENTIRE CHAIN---Just a chance to take some beads from it.)

PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

I know there's a lot to read, but it's really important!!!

It is so important that the quality of the beads be maintained, so we can keep the Art Bead Love Tour alive. We want to share consistent quality with the next winner. If you make your own handmade beads or components, it's a great way to get your beads into the world for people to try them out, or, if you hoard collect art beads it's a great way to share your collection and get some new additions as well.

(Art Beads should be handmade by an artist, and not mass produced, such as Hill Tribe Silver beads or others like them.)

Remember, the focus is on creating handmade with handmade and beads/components taken should be replaced with beads/components that are made by an indivdual artist not an organization.

Here's where the chain has been:

Love My Art Jewelry

Lorelei's Blog

Shaiha's Ramblings

Jen Judd Rocks

Silver Rose Designs

My Life Under The Bus

Ex Post Facto Jewelry

Beading Mommy

Alice Dreaming

Pretty Things

Moobie Grace Designs

Suburban Girl Studio

ferrarioriginalbeads

Baublicious by Karen Williams

Your name here

Here's how it works:

(Please read the entire post before entering.)

1. The winner of the chain will be allowed to take up to 30 beads from this chain. They will then replace each bead they took with another handmade bead, charm or pendant of equal quality.

2. The winner will post pictures of what was taken and what was added, in order to keep an account of the chain's progress and to keep our followers drooling. Please be sure to give credit to the bead artists as well (if you know them).

3. The winner will then have a giveaway, just like this one,to keep passing the chain on and on. Rules can be copied and pasted from here.

4. When you repost your giveaway (remember you can copy and paste from here)-a list should be added to show where the chain has gone, with links to each previous blog.Ultimately, this will end up a very long list!

5. Chain must be shipped to its new home via Priority Small Flat Rate box with delivery confirmation. Please package it carefully.

6. There will be a button on the Love My Art Jewelry website that links to the current blog and giveaway-so if you have the chain, it will link to your blog, that way our followers can have another chance to win it.

7. You MUST exchange your beads and have your giveaway completed within two weeks of receiving the chain.

(Please, please, please, if you can not adhere to the above rules, do not enter the giveaway at this time. It will go on and on and you can always enter at a later date.) There will be a button on the side bar of our blog so that you can track where the chain currently is.

Here's How to Enter:

1. You must have an active blog to enter.

2. Leave a comment below (make sure your email is linked to your blog or leave it in the comment. Entries without emails will not qualify)

3. Share on Facebook, Twitter or your blog for extra chances to win. Leave a comment for each way you share, with a link if possible.

4. Winner will pay shipping and will be billed through Paypal-small priority flat rate box with delivery confirmation, $6.00.

5. Open only to our readers in the United States-due to problems with tracking and shipping overseas (sorry).

give away!

Giveaway Time!!!!!

Finally, it's here! Beginning today, you have one week to try to win this limited edition, collaborative bead set by Genea Beads and (me) Staci Louise of Artisan Accents.

Every set is completely one of a kind. Today, you are entering to win this one............................

Pay it Forward...Handmade

There's a new game in blog land and I wanna play!

I spotted this on the blogs Therese's Treasures and  Tell Your Girlfriends and it's a very simple concept:

Here's how it goes...

I’ll send a surprise gift to the first three people who comment on this blog post and then pay it forward. The gift will be handmade by me and will be sent to you some time in the next 365 days (yep, mystery gift at a mystery time).

All you need to do is leave me a comment and make sure you include your email address (if your profile doesn’t include it). I’ll then contact you for your snail mail address and ask a few questions (likes/dislikes, favourite colours, sizes general stuff like that).

To complete signing up you MUST play along too. To do this you must blog a similar post and pledge to make a surprise gift for the first three people who comment on your post.

So, do you want to play? Then comment below and let's get the ball rolling...

And if you're not one of the first three you can still copy this post to spread the word and really get the game going!

It's been a while...

so, it's been a while since I've blogged.  why, well first, writing is not easy for me or even something I like to do.  don't even know if I do it well.  (btw, my son HATES that I use lower case letters but there is just something about them.  I also love fonts but there are not many to choose from here).  I digress.  anyway, another reason it is hard for me to blog is because I don't think anyone out there reads this.  I have become addicted to blogs, especially jewelry blogs.  I follow about a hundred and it is hard to keep up.  seriously.  I see so many people reading and commenting on other blogs but...ok, enough whining.

here are a few new designs I created.  Fair Trade Sari Silk and Yarn has become part of my latest and I am liking it.  it is hard to create designs that are not something that you would be drawn to or normally wear.  that is what I am trying to do with the Sari Silk.  and guess what, customers are liking it and making purchases.

speaking of purchases, a friend prayed over me recently as I have been so stressed about money. she approaches God and prayer a little differently than I do but I sure needed the intercession.  God's timing is rarely ours but He is blessing me this month and I am very thankful.  I am also thankful for friends who will pray over, for and despite me!

Combining two pieces, both with Sari Silk and/or yarn. Antique Sterling Silver Plated chain on both pieces.

The purple beaded drop necklace have each bead individually wired wrapped to dangle along each chain link. I used a swirled hook on the side for the clasp. Sari Yarn in mainly purple hues finish the back. I used black Chinese Silk cord to wrap and finish the ends. Matching earrings complete the design.
$35 Necklace
$10 Earrings

The second piece has both Sari Silk and Yarn in the design, finished with the Chinese black Silk cord and pink hemp cord. I through in some Bali Silver beads to accent the silk, yarn and chain. $35

To read more about Fair Trade Sari Silk and Yarn, go to:
http://www.darngoodyarn.com/

This piece has both Sari Silk and Yarn in he design, finished with the Chinese black Silk cord and pink hemp cord. I through in some Bali Silver beads to accent the silk, yarn and chain. $35

Fair Trade Sari Silk and Sari Yarn creates depth to this design. The Silk shimmers a deep blue and/or black, depending on the light. The Yarn has variegated colors but primarily black. I secured them with Chinese Silk Cord to a Sterling Silver Plate chain. To pick up the shimmer of the Silk, I added a few Fire Polish Beads that are beautiful as they catch the light. A silver tone pendant with a midnite black center finishes off the look. $38

hope you like these....I will post more later this week.  love to hear from you. truly!