March Challenge Recap

Don't you just love this painting? I was so delighted when I found it! I love the light and the soft colors. I love the jumble of teacups and the teapot. And you know I love the pussy willows!

Lots of wonderful pieces created for this month. Let's check them out!

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Perfect Pairings :: Sarah Raines

There is something so primitive yet so classic about this pretty little brooch that Sarah created. It totally reminds me of my chubby little girl fingers clutching them to present to my teacher int he spring. The sparseness of the copper twigs and the pearly white dots of the catkins are simple and stunning. I think that this could be a great brooch, but also a pendant, or even something wired to a cuff. A quiet statement that spring has arrived.

Featured Designer :: Sarah Raines

Tomorrow is the day for the recap! I won't start this until later tonight so there is STILL TIME for you to get your entry into either the jewelry or the beads for this month's challenge!

We are now using Pinterest! 
You can find more details in this post about the exciting new changes,
including a board devoted to art beads inspired by the monthly challenge!
(Ooh! Look! More pretty beads to lust after!)

Pretty please make sure that you post a link in your Pinterest description
so that I have someplace to attribute the picture! 

And don't forget to tell us about those art beads - providing links to bead makers is appreciated!

Deadline March 29th to get your pictures posted to the Pinterest boards for the creation of the Monthly Challenge Recap post for March 31st.

TIP: If you upload your photo rather than pin it from your blog or shop, edit the pin (the little pencil button) and add your link as the source. Save your edits. This will allow us to click directly on your photo and go to your blog or shop to read more about your entry. If you don't, I might not be able to access the photo to share it.

Jewelry Monthly Challenge Entries

Beads Monthly Challenge Entries

Doodle Designs

I have been playing around with doodle designs and drawing them onto ceramic clay.  I use a dull pencil to do this.  This becomes my mold or texture for making my pendant.

Here is my original doodle:

Here it is drawn into the clay and fired:

I rolled the ceramic clay into a 1/4" thick piece and pressed it onto the mold and cut it into a rectangle pendant.  I added holes at the top corners.  After it dried, I cleaned all the rough edges and fired it into bisque.  Then I glazed it in shiny ice blue and fired it in my kiln on special racks for the second time.

Ready to use pendant:

I wanted to keep this necklace simple, so I used 22g silver wire to make connectors to the chain.  I accented the pendant with 5mm silver spacer beads and Czech glass.  The chain is 18" and is finsihed with a small silver toggle clasp.

I have a bunch of ideas brewing for more designs.  This is really a lot of fun, and if you need some ideas, Pinterest has endless doodles you can try.  You could also do this technique with polymer clay and other mold making materials.

Michelle McCarthy
Firefly Design Studio

Amuse the Muse - birds and butterflies - with Rebecca of Songbead

Happy Easter Monday everyone! We have today as a public holiday here in the UK, although I have, as usual been working anyway - such is life when you're self-employed! For me at least. I have a spa day (a late christmas gift) booked on Friday (eek!) and so I thought I'd do some work today so that I can really enjoy that. I rare treat for me! 

Anyway, enough about that. Sharp-brained readers may have realised that today is my last ABS post. Gulp! If you've missed that news, then you can check out my proper farewell post here. Things are moving and a-chainging and shifting, and it feels like, however hard it is (and it is/was a very difficult decision), it's the right thing for me just now. 

But I'm not going to bog this post down with sad farewells - been there, done, that - and anyway, you're here to see the beads! Right?! 

Here's what I found for you this week:

Donna Millard - adore these colours! Just look at that 'paint swirl' on the body of the wee birdie - swoon.

Round Rabbit - hitting Nancy's shop tomorrow at 12pm EST! You'll have to get in the queue behind me, hehe!

Genea - imagine what beautiful butterfly jewellery you could make with these gorgeous wing beads!

Tupper's Perch - love love love the speckles!