Partner Reveal

And now for the name of my partner ...  Lori Schneider of beadaddicted.blogspot.com   I am still busy making some lovely beads !!!

Have to get an idea  of what  colours Lori likes !!!

Torch Work

Going to do some work at the torch today.. I have a few ideas that I want to try out... Saw some beads with trees on them so will make some using my own techniques.... usually a lot of trial and error to make something new and have it come out like what I picture in my mind.

Here is my first try.. I can see that I need to make a lot more  ....   maybe by my 10th try I will have one that I am happy with !!!

Swap N Hop

 Yeah !! I just did a cut & paste for the Swap N Hop  badge ....I am  not very savy about all things technical  .... We will be getting our partners tomorrow... can't wait to see who I will be paired up with !!

Valentine Window Charms

Another wintery day, softly snowing outside... Great time to go in my studio and make something.... working on these adorable Valentine window charms.

I have been experimenting with copper, pewter,  stamped words and solder.  I have made the head pins holding the crystal with copper wire and lamp working.  Think I will include some of these with my Swap & Hop goodies.  Can't wait to see who I will get for a partner !!

Signed up for the Bead Peeps  Swap  N  Hop bead.  Very excited to be participating.
 Will try and add a badge in the next little while... in the mean time I have to get busy on the torch and do some lampworking !!!

 

Think I will make some more of my hammered copper pipe donuts.. I  hang some of my bead dangles from these !!

Burlap jewelry display board

I am in LOVE with burlap... here is a tutorial on how to make a display board.

I had some  bulletin boards lying around and then found some more at the

paint the frame

use glue gun to attach the burlap

just add jewelry !!



  Women's Shelter thrift store and I  did see some at the dollar store.. this is so easy.
  I used the plain side of the board..the cork side is still useable ....e-mail me if you have any questions.

January is almost half over... Have been trying to clean up my studio so that I can post  some pictures of it when it is looking reasonably tidy !!

I've also been web surfing looking at different set ups for taking photos.. After countless configurations  I think I have finally come up with one that I am super pleased with...  Now to find a big piece of very white paper to use as a background.

Found a part of my tri-pod that I forgot I had. A little piece that screws on the bottle of the camera and then just clips onto the tri-pod... LOL   which makes it easier to install & uninstall the camera !! My son had put another piece on the camera when he was taking photography (many years ago) & when he was out this summer I gave it back to him as he is now into photography again. 

This piece makes it so much easier to take pics.

The colour in this pendant is very true to life !!

Wow .... I certainly have not been taking care of my blog lately.  I did so many shows this fall I kind of forgot all about my blog.... Hope 2016  (gosh  that sounds strange to say) is a more productive year !!

I've changed the name of my Etsy Shop to: 

 http://BeadsBitsBaubles.etsy.com 
 it just seems a more fitting name as it kind of says what I sell.
 

I've been busy in the studio working on  some orders, making some more lamp work beads as I was getting really low on beads.... and making a new wine bottle Charmer...  also made some fabulous cake testers out of stainless steel which were a BIG hit at my shows.   Here are some some pics ... 

Wine Charmer....  give to your hostess on bottle of wine  or keep for your self & hang in the window!!

Cake Testers   could also be used for Hair Sticks !!

New Vintage Goodies

Can't believe August is almost over.  Had a big custom order of 27 hammered pennies with initials on them and a couple with LOVE and a flamework flower on them.  That was a lot of work...especially when I had to clean the pennies when done to get a lovely shine.  Yesterday I went out and bought some Tarn X..just pop the pennies in the solution and presto...nice & clean...easy ..  peasy ..would have saved me an hour at least if I had known about it before..not to mention my dirty fingers....thank goodness for Google !!!

 I did have time last week  to head on down to the Women's Shelter & drop off some stuff and then buy some more vintage jewellery.  I am trying to really stream line my house... We have lived here 16 years now and things do have a way of pilling up !!

These will be taken apart and cleaned shortly... I already have a few ideas in mind.  

I have a date with the Kelowna Farmers & Crafters Market this coming Wednesday from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm...LOL  I am not usually an early riser so it will be a new 'thing' for me... If you are in town drop around to see me !!



New Blog Post

I simply must say that it has been a very long time since I last posted:

Have had our 2 teen grandkids here for the last 5 weeks..  Managed to squeeze in  'Arts on the Avenue' ..a fabulous art venue which I took part in.. lucky for me that my fabulous daughter Stacy was here to help me.. It was super hot.. at least 95 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celcius..  it was crazy busy.. my best street venue yet..... I will definitely take part again next year.

I have been busy making some new items... It seems all my extra long necklaces sold very well... so I am busy redoing all the shorter ones with extention chains so they are all adjustable.  I think that is the way to go.

The copper chains sold very well along with the silver ones.

I have a date  for our 'Kelowna Farmers Market'  to sell there as well.

I have revamped most of my display props to burlap  and I left some of them in black velvet for contrast.  I even covered 'Zelda'  ( my busty girl) with burlap for a cohesive look..

 

 

The grandkids go home to Montreal on Wednesday so I will have more time to upload some more of my jewelry to Etsy.  I am either buying food, cooking food, or cleaning the kitchen... teenagers are a bottomless pit it seems..  Our granddaughter Sydney grew one whole inch while she was here !!!

 

 We all went horseback riding last week... 2 hours on a horse...very hot but the scenery was worth it....Think I will give that a pass next time...unless I wear a cushion on my bottom...

DIY Burlap Necklace Display

Just finished making my new DIY Burlap Necklace Display.. Went to the Women's Shelter Thrift Store ( I love to see what I can find) and picked up this rotating thing (don't know what it held.. my guess is some kind of condiment in a restaurant and it is fairly heavy so it won't tip over easily.)

I then rolled a sheet of Bristol board into a cylinder and used my hot glue gun to secure the cylinder down the side.  Decide how high you want the cylinder to be for your size of necklaces.  I made mine 16 inches as my necklaces are long.

Then I rolled my burlap around the cylinder and attached it with my glue gun all around the bottom and down the side.  I left about 6 inches of burlap at the top and then glued around the top and tucked the excess burlap into the cylinder. 



When it is all glued just slip the cylinder over the rotating device.

I glued a ribbon around the top to finish off. Here it is with my necklaces on it:

I used miniature clothes pegs to hold the chain at the top but you could use pins also.

This is a great display as it doesn't take up to much table room and I can put about 15 necklaces or more on it.  It can be adapted to any kind of rotating deice.

Hope this was helpful for you.  If you have any questions please e-mail me & I will try to help you.

I am making co-ordinating burlap display pieces so stay tuned & I will show some more of my display pieces.



New Post..

It's been a while since I last posted. Spent quite  some hours doing the Swap & Hop blog hop.. I did manage to get thru all the blogs.. wow  What a lot of talent...  and those seed beaders ... I just don't have the patience for all those tiny little beads...

So many lovely designs and the array of beads...  boggles my mind. 

I have been busy making some linen necklaces... I sold all that I had.. they are very popular.  I wear one to fill in a low neckline as they are adjustable.

I make them in black or natural linen and have made some with white polyester yarn(at least I think it is synthetic as I bought a large stash at the Women's Shelter Thrift Store.) I added a  3mm AB Swarovski crystal at each end and did a large wire wrap at the top of the heart.  It seems that I am doing a lot of hearts lately...

Here's the white one....
Got to get back to my torch this week.. I bought some lovely glass rods while I was in Toronto..Want to make lots of hearts and focals which I am going to put on Etsy.. stay tuned..
I am finally over my flu.. but still have a gum infection so have been taking it easy.. but all in all.... Life is Good...

 PS... my son comes next week for a visit so looking forward to his trip here.  Must go and get all his favorite food...  He likes all things healthy and pretty much the same as us...

Swap & Hop

Time to post for the Swap and Hop..Thanks to Linda  www.fromthebeadboard.blogspot.com   for hosting the Swap and Hop.. I know it is a lot of work.
 My bead partner Mowse sent me a bunch of lovelies. Visit her blog at: www.MowseMadeThis.blogspot.com
  I love how all the colours go together.
Here is a photo of what I was sent:

T

The first piece that I made I used the lovely little mermaid sea shell that Mowse made.  The clasp was a fabulous flower in pewter colour.  I just had to combine the focal and clasp and added them to a vintage Lucite necklace that had all the colours of the beads/findings.   I love the little flower beads and added them to my lamp work black head pins.  The great matte purple barrel beads are another favorite.

 

 

  I especially liked the beautiful pearls. Of course I always appreciate some bling as with the rhinestones.  I kept this necklace simple and elegant.  Great for an evening out. (not that I go to many fancy things)

 

I made a pair of earrings to go with the first necklace .

I then made a pair of earrings with the lovely flower beads, again on my own lampwork head pins and I used some of the Lucite beads from the vintage necklace.

Love these little flower beads

 

The last pair of earrings were made with the fab silver balls and some pink rhinestone roundels.



I had hoped to get more done but just ran out of time as I was feeling under the weather for the past month and a half and  am still on anti-biotics !!

Here's what I sent Mowse:

 

Here's the list for the Swap N Hop   Please be sure to visit !

 

 

.



Bead Peeps Swap N Hop 2015  Partner List    Our Hostess: Linda Anderson from http//:fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com
Linda	Anderson	http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com (You are HERE)
Marica	Zammit	http://www.beadlovelies.com
Jessica	Hocutt	https://faithfamilyandadventure.wordpress.com
Kristina	Hahn Eleniak	http://www.peacockandlime.wordpress.com
Debbie	Jeffries	http://wordpress/debrasdivinedesigns/blog.com
Rosantia	Petkova	http://bairozan.blogspot.com/
Shalini	Austin	http://jewellerybyshalini.co.uk/my-blog/
Catherine	La Vite	http://drygulchbeadsandjewelry.blogspot.com
Annica	Larsson	http://zestyfrog.wordpress.com/
Lori	Schneider	http://beadaddicted.blogspot.com/
Divya	N	http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com
Mowse	Doyle	http://mowsemadethis.blogspot.com
Fay	Wolfenden	http://torchfairy.blogspot.com
Kathy	Lindemer	http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com/
Claire	Fabian	http://saraccino.blogspot.de/
Janice	Warden Bergeron	http://thejewelryroom.blogspot.ca
Natalie	Davidson	http://www.northshoredays.com
Deb	Fortin	http://www.studiok24.blogspot.ca
Inge	von Roos	http://ingetraud.wordpress.com
Karen	Mitchell	http://overthemoon-design.com
Robin	Reed	http://willowdragon.blogspot.com
Marie	Covert	http://thistledown-and-swaddlings.blogspot.com/
Alicia	Marinache	http://www.allprettythings.ca
Nan	Smith	http://www.wirednan.blogspot.ca
Johana	Nunez	http://artincendi.com
Kelly	Hosford Patterson	http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com/
Lori	Blanchard	http://alainnjewelry.WordPress.com
Sue	Kennedy	http://suebeads.blogspot.com
Shai	Williams	http://www.shaihasramblings.com
Niky	Sayers	http://silverniknats.blogspot.co.uk
Melissa	Trudinger	http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Candida	Castleberry	http://www.spunsugarbeadworks.blogspot.com
Erin	Guest	http://www.renlish.com
Nicole	Rennell	http://nicolerennell.com/blog
Ien	Temaluru	http://ienmaginationsjewelry.wordpress.com
Robin	Showstack	http://heartsdesiresjewelryforyou.blogspot.com/
Sam	Waghorn	http://palemooncreation.blogspot.co.uk
Marianne	Baxter	http://www.simplyseablimejewelry.blogspot.com
Elsie	Deliz-Fonseca	http://ladelizchica.blogspot.com
Shai	Williams	http://shaihasramblings.com
Lee	Koopman	http://stregajewellry.wordpress.com
Jayne	Capps	http://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com
Marti	Conrad	http://artisancomponentmarketplace.com/martisbuttonsandbeads/2015/03/20/bead-peeps-blog-hop/
Tina	Bosh	http://bookbug-somanybookssolittletime.blogspot.com/(Injured reserve)
Eleanor	Thomas	http://woolywireetc.blogspot.com
Jeanne	Steck	http://www.gemsbyjeannemarie.blogspot.com
Gloria	Allen	http://www.wingsandbeads.blogspot.com
Rachel	Mallis	http://www.mintmonarch.com/#!blog/c1jlz
Andrea	Glick	http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/
Stephanie	Stamper	http://skwds.blogspot.com
Chris	Haussler	http://pixybugdesigns.blogspot.com
Betony	Maiden	http://www.beadwenches.blogspot.com/
Kari	Asbury	http://hippiechickjewelrydesign.com/blog/
Jenny	Kyrlach	http://anafiassa.blogspot.com/
Colleen	Foley	http://colleenfoleycreations.blogspot.com
Marybeth	Rich	http://forestofjewels.blogspot.com/
Marcy	Lamberson	http://www.StudioMarcy.blogspot.com
Dyanne	Everett-Cantrell	http://www.deelitefuljewelrycreations.blogspot.com
Ginny	Lones	http://www.Skippingintotheunknown.blogspot.com
Maria Rosa	Sharrow	http://willowstreetshops.blogspot.com
Loretta	Carstensen	http://designsbyloretta.blogspot.com
Dolores	Raml	http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com
Michelle	McCarthy	http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com
Louise	McCormick-Glazier	http://jewelrytreasuresbylouise.blogspot.com/(Injured reserve)
Heather	Richter	http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com
Tammy	Adams	http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog/
Shirley	Moore	http://beadsandbread.blogspot.com
Seed Beaders
Susanne	Stelljes	http://pearlify.blogspot.de
Sheila	Prosterman	http://catswithbeads.blogspot.com
Pallavi	Asher	http://kalaabhushan.blogspot.in/
Jami	Shipp	http://celebratinglifewithdamamashipp.blogspot.com
Peggy	Kosier	http://www.kosydesigns.blogspot.ca/
Andra	Weber	http://andrasjoyfuljourney.blogspot.com
Catherine	King	http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com
Krafty	Max	http://kraftymax.com
Sierra	Barrett	http://giraffecanhas.wordpress.com
Lois	Sherwood	http://thiznthat5454blog.wordpress.com
Katy	Heider	http://onthepondcreations.blogspot.com
Rebecca	Robertson   (White)	http://morganafeycreations.121hub.com/
Heather	Richter	http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com
Brandy	Collier	http://bhjewelry.wordpress.com
Stephanie	Haussler	http://www.pixybugdesigns.blogspot.com
Lori	Blanchard	http://alainnjewelry.WordPress.com
Kathleen	Breeding	http://99bobotw.blogspot.com
Becky	Pancake	http://beckypancakebeaddesigns.blogspot.com
Renetha	Stanziano	http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/
Tami	Norris	https://jewelrybytami.wordpress.com/
Ginger	Bishop	http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com/
Peggy	Johnson	http://charmbarn.blogspot.com

Back from holidays.. seems like I was away forever...Did some glass rod shopping while in Toronto, also went to BeadFX to pick up some more black and silver rat tail....  also picked up a nasty cough (everyone says it is the flu) while in Toronto..  Didn't have the right clothes (frozen and I don't mean the picture) for the Montreal and Toronto part of it and as usual I took too many hot weather things to wear in Mexico... but a good time was had by my daughter and our 2 grandkiddos... My granddaughter was smitten with the red macaws that were in the resort.  There were about 6 pairs of them.

I am now waiting for some inspiration to strike me, maybe I should just do a studio clean.  That usually helps as I find stuff that I haven't seen in months or maybe years !!!!

Doing an installation for an exhibit  down at the Rotary Centre for the Arts.

I have a glass show case for my jewelry & beads and a lot of wall space in the Galleria...Here's my latest Glass Art panel.. I love all shades of turquoises & blues mixed together... whether it is in my panels or my jewelry.

 

 Here's a photo of a bracelet that I made for a friend.  Love the blue !!

Lots to do before I go away at the end of the month.  Must make some beads for the Swap N Hop and restock the florist shop  EARTHLY CREATIONS  where I have lots of pieces for sale !!

 

Incredible adventure SWAP N HOP

Just received my congratulations  e-mail that I am officially in the
                                          SWAP N  HOP

So totally excited... I just Love exchanging beads with others and making new bead friends....it was suggested to list  the 5 things that are important to  match me with my partner and for my partner to select my beads. So here goes !

1: I started out doing stained glass in Montreal, Quebec and  took many courses & got good at it,  then moved to Toronto, Ontario and decided I would like to try my hand at glass fusing, after all it is still glass.. Then I moved to Kelowna, B.C. and fell in love with glass bead making at the torch... Of course when making all these beads I had to do something with them.  I have quite a collection of vintage jewelry (and love to thrift for special pieces). I then came up with the brilliant idea that I could incorporate  my lampwork beads into pieces with my vintage jewelry.

2:  I usually make simple necklaces with 3 or 5 pieces dangling off a single chain  (however I did do some very involved pieces when I took part in Bead Soup Blog Hop)  Here's one of them... also in the colours that I love.

Here's one with my lampwork bead

 

3:  I like to use what ever I have on hand:  silver plate,  especially love copper, brass, black wire, etc. I can usually work with anything & like a challenge.

4:     I   like hand forging pieces of wire to make unique clasps, wire wrapping,  jump rings,  (have never done any bead weaving..too fiddly for me)

  5:  Love analogous colors:  blues, greens, teals or the pinks, oranges, purples

           I love bright, clear  colors and tend to stay away muddy colors..I like my

           jewelry to  POP  !

 

So that's it... if you scroll down thru my blog you will see the colors I use.