Pretty Things

Sunday, March 18, 2012

And now for something fun -- You Supply the Caption! Once again, Zack and I will pick the caption we like the best and award a little nifty giftie.

Winner announced March 21st!

What is Zack thinking?

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off. She is the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.

Friday, March 16, 2012

The other day Zack and I made a trek to Washington, DC. He's on spring break this week, and I'd bought this very cool City Walks with Kids box and Zack drew a card and decided he wanted to feed the ducks at the back of the Capitol Building. Armed with a camera, a Metro map, and our City Walk card, we drove the 50 minutes or so to Greenbelt and took the Metro.

via http://www.dcmetromap.net/

Here's where things took a wrong turn. Literally.

Now, if I'd bothered to look at my Metro map, I would have realized that Greenbelt is the very end of the Green Line. The. END. Zack and I ran up the steps just as a train arrived, hopped on, and away we went.

The next stop was University of Maryland. Now in my addled mind, I thought, that can't BE. We *PASSED* UMD in the car on the way to the Metro station. So Zack and I jumped off the train.

Only to realize we were on the right train after all.

So we jumped on the next train. Which promptly took us BACK to Greenbelt.

Two wrong trains in five minutes has to be a record.

We finally got going in the right direction and arrived at Federal Center and headed towards the duck pond near the US Botanic Garden.

Right away, we saw the huge duck pond, and right away, I saw no ducks. Noooo ducks.

Oh dear.

Zack kept a chipper attitude and we walked the entire length of the pond only to find two ducks in a corner. And that's when things got crazy fun. Because there weren't just ducks at the pond -- oh no! There were seagulls and pigeons, too. And they wanted their share of the loot.

One sea gull detected something interesting in a nine-year old boy.

Then the feeding commenced.

Bread in mid-air, pigeon in mid-stare.

Zack belly-laughed the entire time. He also shared his bread with a little girl and then we all hoped we wouldn't get pooped on from all the seagulls in the air!

Bread scattered, we wandered up towards Capitol Hill to enjoy the annual cherry blossoms.

We also took in some of the architecture.

Then for some reason we took a picture of our shoes.

The next thing we decided to do was find a street vendor. Zack has never experienced the fun of ordering a cherry ice on the street, and this was on his "must do" list. We bought the ice, then found a cool area out of the sun to rest and take more pictures.

Then I let Zack take the camera, and this is what he wanted to shoot.

(Please excuse the windswept hair!)

Now to head home. All was well when I turned my head to talk to to Zack and WHOOMP! Where did Mommy go? Why, down on the sidewalk, sprawled out like an idiot. When I turned my head to talk to Zack, we happened to be passing a construction site, and I failed to notice a small piece of rubble in my way. Having broken my ankles three times total, I have weak ankles to begin with and often stumble when my ankle twists. But this was an all out theatrical gasp-from-the-crowd-inducing arse over tea kettle. Zack was freaked but I had to laugh, and honestly was just embarrassed. No torn pants, no blood. But oh man, the next morning? Quite another story!

Back to the Metro. Once again, I got directionally challenged but at least this time we didn't get ON the train before I realized it was the wrong one. While we waited, I took a shot of the tunnel.

For some reason it spooks me. Don't ask me why, because I just couldn't tell you. I've got no clue.

An uneventful train ride back to the parking lot, where we had parked in Egypt. Our tired feet were so glad to find the car (with the help of my constantly hitting the beep button on my key.)

I couldn't have asked for a better day, a better kid, or more fun. Even getting lost on the train was fun because we knew we were safe and had all the time in the world together. Even the fall-down-go-boom was a funny spot in the day because it showed Zack that grown-ups are klutzes, too.

Three Book Reviews

6th Bead Soup Blog Party dates announced

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off. She is the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.

Pi (Pie) Day

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

OMG y'all. It's 3/14. And you know what that means!

National Pi Day. You know, 3.14 etc etc etc is cleverly the same as March 14 (3/14).

However, I'd like to buy a vowel and raise that to an E for National Pie Day.

As you may know, I've given up pie, sugar, and things that aren't good for me so I can drop weight. (By the way, www.MyFitnessPal.com ROCKS.) That doesn't mean I can't show my favorite pie creations via Pinterest!

Enjoy this fat free, calorie free, blog post! Raise a virtual fork and dig in!

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off. She is the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.

How to Make a Button Clasp Bracelet (with Bead Soup #4)

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Back in the 4th Bead Soup Blog Party, I traded beads with lampwork glass artist Manuela Wutschke. I made a necklace, wasn't 100% satisfied with it, and made it again. I was so glad I was brave enough to tear apart the original and make another, because I wear the necklace ALL the time now!

I had a few beads left over from the original stash -- some freeform disks, some small lampwork spacers, and a handmade glass button. I've never been good with buttons as clasps because I never know how large to make the fiber or seed bead loop at the other end. So I created a new way to use a button for a clasp.

First, here's the finished bracelet:

(Apologies for fuzzy photo.)

The only thing I added that wasn't from the soup are the olive faceted Czech glass beads and the fringe chain.

To make the button clasp, I used a combination of sterling silver wire and beading wire. The gauge of the silver wire depends upon how large the button shank opening is. I also had to make sure a strand of beading wire would go through the shank as well.

Basically, it's a fat briolette wrap. Then I passed the beading wire through, crimped it, and made the first half of the bracelet. I crimped the beading wire to one end of the fringe chain, and then was ready for the next part of the clasp.

I used 22 gauge wire this time, instead of finer gauge, because I wanted some substance to the clasp. I first made the hook clasp using a tap-and-wrap tool (I can't live without it -- it makes great ear wires and comes in two sizes)! I hammered it slightly after putting the spacer on it. If you don't but the spacer on first, you run the risk of hammering the wire too wide for the bead's hole.

So there you have it -- a button clasp with a traditional clasp. Easy peasy!

I've already made the dates

for the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party

so stay tuned!

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off. She is the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.

From Bed.

Monday, March 12, 2012

I'm stuck in bed again but am planning on being up tomorrow if I have to fall out of the darned bed and crawl. This is getting old.

So how about some fun things, before I fall asleep again?

All via Pinterest.

Night night.

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off. She is the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.

Cup of Bead Soup Lottery Winners are.....

(This post was previously published on 3/5, but Blogger lost it. This is a repost.)

The Cup of Bead Soup Lottery winners are:

Star Hitched Wagon

Pretty Shiny Things

and

Spice Box Designs

These three will join me in a mini blog hop on April 7th. All four of us will be designing with the beads shown above made by Barbara Bechtel of Second Surf.

Stay tuned, as I will announce the next Cup of Bead Soup lottery on reveal day!

Book Review -- "Divergent"

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off. She is the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.

Welcome to the 5th Bead Soup Blog Party

(This was previously posted on 3/2/12, but Blogger lost a bunch of posts. This is a repost.

Welcome!

I'm so excited to bring you the 5th Bead Soup Blog Party!

The premise of the blog hop is for two people to swap beads and then make something from those beads. The requirements are to send a focal, a special clasp, and some coordinating beads. The purpose is to stretch imaginations, incorporate beads from your current stash, and, in getting someone else's beads, work with things you may never have thought to use before.

I have two partners, Marcie Abney and Rebecca Anderson, because par for the course, I messed up and paired two people who had already been pairs in a previous Bead Soup Blog Party. And their soups couldn't be more different!

(Each label on the photos indicates something sent to me as bead soup.)

Here is the first soup that Marcie sent me. Two handmade-by-her seed-beaded frames, two shades of charoite, some Czech glass, and a cool triangular toggle.

The frames stumped me for a while, but I finally decided to make some vintage-inspired pieces with the frames. First, I glued a piece of lace to the back of the rectangular frame. Then I coiled and hammered sterling silver wire, sandwiched it between two pieces of lilac suede, and with 26-gauge wire, wrapped all of this with crystal embellishments Then I wired lots of cultured pearls to chain. The larger Swarovski crystals are vintage, and I've been hoarding them!

For the clasp, I used some of the tiny Czech glass beads and wrapped them to a hook clasp with thin-gauge wire.

Next, I found two round earring findings in my stash and pulled out that hair-thin wire again. I wrapped the wire around the frames, adding little Thai silver beads as I went along, Then I added two of the charoite beads, one in each shade.

For the next frame, I decided to once again dig into my vintage Swarovski crystal stash and found this amazing pendant. I like how it adds geometry to the square beaded frame. Between the frame and the crystal I wired two of the small Czech glass beads Marcie sent.

The rest of the necklace is made with 6mm Swarovski crystals between small sections of chain.

But what about the toggle and the rest of the charoite? I took a left-turn at vintage and made a quick stop at "Lori's Usual Style" -- lampwork beads and vintage Lucite from my stash and the purple charoite and toggle sent to me. LOVE the colors!

On to the second soup Marcie sent me! This one is a more earthy mix, and I have to admit -- I have a lot of trouble with brown, and I don't do a lot with copper.

I decided to use all the soup in one piece, adding polymer clay beads to the necklace and experimenting with metal texturing and riveting for the focal.

I had a copper leaf blank in my stash for a while. I've taken metal classes before, but as usual, once I got home, I never practiced that skill again! I used a texture plate from one of those metal classes to give the metal interest and bent the stem of the leaf to make a bail. I then did my first ever on-my-own wire rivet. I'm used to tube rivets but this kind -- not so much. I was so afraid I'd crack the stone as I worked it, but it all turned out!

Now, on to Rebecca's soup! This is what she sent (along with a heaping handful of Czech glass). I was apprehensive at first because green is a color I don't work with all that much, but I dove right in.

First, I made a bracelet using the brass birds, some of the Czech glass, tiny glass pearls, aventurine rondelles and one of the lampwork focal beads she sent. I made lots of dangles (oh how I love dangles) and wrapped a ceramic bead with bronze wire. I brushed the toggle down with steel wool so it wasn't as shiny and matched the wire.

I dug into my stash and found an Ojime bead -- a boxwood bead carved as a turtle perched on a log. I had originally bought it for a necklace for Zack, but bought extras and for some reason never used them.

This next piece is inspired by the classes I took with Stephanie Sersich. Rather than use the spiny knotting technique to cover the entire length of cord, I focused on making bead clusters, using some of the Czech glass Rebecca sent. In between the clusters, I worked the brass leaves into the macrame, and used the copper leaf clasp as the perfect finishing touch.

To accent the central leaf, I tied the amazonite focal leaf I was sent to the brass leaf with brown twine. I have to say this is so much prettier in person than in the photograph!

I used up a lot of beads by making earrings. I LOVE earrings, wear them every day, and I went wild.

My method was to carry a handful of the accent beads to my stash and start pulling things out randomly. I had the exact shade of blue crystal for the pale green lampwork, and the melon Swarovski pearls Rebecca sent matched PERFECTLY with the butterflies. The earthy ceramic rounds found a home with a pair of purple raku lampwork beads I forgot I had.

Next, I decided to take the heart button, which could be used as a clasp, and make it part of the focal instead. I'm really quite proud of this piece because it's a complete 180 from what I originally planned.

I intended to take the green silk and macrame a cord for a necklace like the three-leaf necklace above. However, as I braided and knotted, I quickly realized it wasn't going to be nearly long enough. I tied the button to the leaf with the brown twine Rebecca sent, and tied on the Czech glass beads to the fringe. Then I used almost all the tiny glass pearls to create a cascade below the heart.

On to tackle more of the soup! In the bracelet below, I used the cultured pearls and polymer clay flowers she sent to make a girly bracelet with a bit of a gothic edge from the gunmetal chain. I added large baroque pearls and green glass in between the roses and round pearls.

This next piece centers around just ONE bead in the soup -- the square lampwork bead in the pendant. I dove into my stash to find Tibetan beads (something else I've hoarded) and made a simple clasp.

My quandary was the orientation of the bead's hole. I wanted the squiggle design to point up and down, not side to side. To fix this problem, I made two large briolette-style wraps, forming the wire around the lampwork bead. I added a little bit of 26-gauge wire, wrapping it around the silver frame. I also added a few links from the chain between the lampwork and the sterling cube, and added even more chain to make a tassel.

I still had some aventurine rondelles left over. I made this delicate charm bracelet with the aventurine and a beige Czech glass square and finished it with the copper toggle Rebecca sent. To make the bracelet lush but not bulky, I wired one of the charms to the previous charm (you can see that in the right-side photo). I also chose to mix metals and used bronze-colored headpins. I thought this made a simple bracelet more interesting.

On to the lampwork focal with the two matching accent beads. I was challenged because the bead has gold tones to it, and I don't have a lot of gold in my stash. I DID have a packet of large jump rings from somewhere-or-other, so I started making love knots as connectors and made links with olive green and deep blue Swarovski crystals.

The focal is wired to a green patinated ring, and I wrapped the bail with thread-thin wire to give it a little more polish. I had two lonely vermeil beads in my stash, along with those funky bone beads and the pearl dangling beneath the focal. And check out the bird perched on the gemstone above the clasp (and the clasp attaches to the side, since it was too cool to hide behind the neck).

I couldn't leave out these beads. I made zipper pulls with them!

Now, everyone sends different amounts of beads for the party. The rules are you have to use the focal and the clasp, and can use any, all, or none of the accent beads, and to treat the package as if it were a gift to your best friend -- meaning choose things carefully and don't send what you were going to throw away.

I really wanted to use as much of my soup as I could. This is all I have left from everything Marcie and Rebecca sent me: