Making it Tangible

Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal

Despite tinkering with design ideas and prototypes for weeks, in my usual fashion I did most of the work today. I have been beading for hours and am exhausted.

As a reminder, this is what I received from Tracy of the Bead Junkie.

I've always struggled with blue and green together, but in certain shades I really like it. I found ribbon with the combination I like so I added that to the stash and created the Blue Green Necklace.

Tracy included some ceramic beads as I had mentioned wanted to learn to make them.  Recently I did my first test of making, firing, glazing and refiring ceramic beads. The little square 'watercolour' beads, although a but rough, blended well so I added them to the necklace.

I tried including the pendant but it just wasn't working for me. I discovered dark gun metal chain in my stash and combined that with some lighter chain and eventually came up with this, using the pendant and some blue beads from Tracy's package.

I'm really happy with this one and can't wait to wear it. I have an allergy to many base metals but I know the dark chain will be ok. I know I react to the light chain but I am hoping there is not enough of it to cause a problem.

The abalone shell really had me stumped. I have never used anything like it.  First I made earrings, which I also can't wait to wear.  The necklace was the last idea I came up with - this morning - using beads I bought last year in Perth. (I wish I would remember to label the beads when I get them. I have no idea what they are but they have great shades of purple in them.)  The purple 'pearls' have been in my stash forever.

Finally, my squiggle earrings. I tried incorporating these little beads in a number of designs but it just wasn't working for me so I made these. I'll wear these next week too.

Here's a couple more pics of the necklaces taken on my messy workbench.

This is the first challenge of any type in which I have participated. It has certainly been a challenge and in the end, hard work. I can't wait to do it again. A huge thanks to Lori for organising this. I hate to think about the amount of work that must go on in the background to make this happen.

[Please excuse the photos. It has rained here for so many days I have forgotten what good light is like.]

Below are the links to the other participants. Happy hopping.

Hostess Lori Anderson

Special Book Sneak Peeks Cindy Wimmer

1. Adlinah Kamsir (Singapore) and Hajer Waheed (Kingdom of Bahrain)
2. Adrienn Lukacs (Hungary) and Agata Grygiel (Poland)
3. Agi Kiss (Hungary) and Carolien Muller-Genger (the Netherlands)
4. Agnes Asztalos (Hungary) and B.R. Kuhlman
5. Alesha Conklin and Becki Mendivil
6. Alice Peterson and Carol Dillman
7. Alicia Marinache (Canada) and Dita Basu
8. Amanda Dittloff and Brandy Thomason McNair
9. Amanda Tibbetts and Andrea Trank
10. Amy Freeland and Kay Mallery 

11. Andra Weber and Christine Murrow
12. Ann Sherwood and Diane Welte
13. Barbara Bechtel and Kerry Bogert
14. Barbara Lewis and Cat Pruitt
15. Bonnie Coursolle (Canada) and Fay Wolfenden (Canada)
16. Carmel McGinley (Australia) and Tracy Stillman (Australia)
17. Cassie Donlen and Deryn Mentock
18. Cathie Carroll and Janel Dudley
19. Cece Cormier and Morwyn Mullins
20. Charlene Jacka and Christina Hickman

21. Cheryl Brown (Canada) and Diana Ptaszynski
22. Christina Stofmeel (the Netherlands) and Eva Kovacs (Hungary)
23. Christine Damm and Deb Brooks
24. Cilla Watkins (Canada) and Elaine Robitaille (Canada)
25. Sabrina Straub (Switzerland) and Kathy Combs
26. Cindy Cima Edwards and Eleanor Burian-Mohr
27. Cory Celaya and Rhea Freitieg
28. Courtney Breul and Dana Hickey
29. Cynthia Abner and Jennifer Boreck
30. Cynthia Tucker and Jean Peter

31. Debbie Goering and Heidi Post
32. Dee Elgie (UK) and Joanne Lockwood (UK)
33. Dian Hierschel (Germany) and Eniko Fabian (Austria)
34. Diane Cook and Lyn Foley
35. Donna Bohler and Lisa Lodge
36. Donna Millard and Kiersten Giles
37. Doris Stumpf (Germany) and Eszter Czibulyas (Hungary)
38. Elisabeth Auld and Eva Sherman
39. Elke Leonhardt-Rath (Germany) and Marjolein Trewavas (UK)
40. Ema Kilroy and Laurie Keefe-Cecere

41. Erika Nooteboom (the Netherlands) and Giorgia Rossini (Italy)
42. Erin Grant and Jean Wells
43. Evelyn Duberry (Canada) and Gaea Cannaday
44. Genea Crivello-Knable and Heather Powers
45. Ginger Bishop (military, Okinawa) and Martina Nagele (Germany)
46. Heidi Kingman and Lori Greenberg
47. Helen Kemp and Lisa Wangeman
48. Helene Goldberg (Australia) and Karen Vincent
49. Jamie Hogsett and Jeannie Dukic
50. Jeanette Ryan and Jelveh Jaferia

51. Jennifer Cameron and Tania Spivey
52. Jennifer Justman and Kari Carrigan
53. Jennifer Tough and Lorelei Eurto
54. Joanna Matuszczyk (Poland) and Julianna Kis (Hungary)
55. Joanne Tinley (UK) and Michaela Pabeschitz (Austria)
56. Julie Anne Leggett and Kelley Fogle
57. Karen Hess and Linda Landig
58. Karyn Bonfiglio and Kathleen Lange Klik
59. Kashmira Patel and Kat White
60. Kat Barron Miller and Kelly Morgan

61. Kathy Lindemer and Rose Binoya
62. Krafty Max and Sandra Miller
63. Kristen Latimer and Pam Ferrari
64. Kristie Roeder and Lea Avroch
65. Kristina Johansson (Sweden) and Penny Neville (Canada)
66. Krisztina Erlaki-Toth (Hungary) and Nicole Keller (Germany)
67. Lara Lutrick and Lisa Suver
68. Laura DeMoya and Lisa Hanna
69. Libby Leuchtman and Melanie Brooks
70. Linda Koch and Rosemarie Cowit

71. Lisa Chapman and Menka Gupta
72. Lisa Liddy and Marion Simmons
73. Lori Anderson and Marcie Abney
74. Lori Bowring-Michaud and Mary Govaars
75. Lori Dorrington and Maria Rosa Sharrow
76. Lori Finney (Canada) and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp (Canada)
77. Lynn Bennett and Mandi Ainsworth
78. Marta Kaczerowska (Poland) and Milla Starchik (Canada)
79. Mary Harding and Shannon LeVart
80. Mary Jane Dodd and Stacey Curry

81. Melinda Orr and Molly Alexander
82. Melissa Meman and Michelle Escano-Caballaro
83. Michelle Jensen and Sandra Young (Canada)
84. Nan Emmett and Nicole Valentine-Rimmer (Canada)
85. Nancy Boylan and Suzette Bentley
86. Natasha Lutes and Patti Vanderbloemen
87. Pam Hurst and Rebekah Payne
88. Patty Miller and Sara Rhoades
89. Rebecca Anderson (UK) and Lori Anderson
90. Rebecca Sirevaag and Sharon Driscoll

91. Rochelle Brisson and Shannon Chomanczuk
92. Rosa Maria Cuevas (Mexico) and Tejae Floyde
93. Sabine Dittrich (Germany) and Sally Russick
94. Sandi Volpe and Sarah/Saturday Sequins
95. Shanti Johnson and Tracy Mok (Canada)
96. Skylar Brez and Theresa Buchle
97. Sonya Stille and Traci Zeller (Canada)
98. Stefanie Teufel (Germany) and Tania Hagen (New Zealand)
99. Stephanie LaRosa and Vonna Maslanka
100. Terri Wlaschin and Wendy Blum

Glazing tests

The underglaze colours went on easily enough, although the bisque soaked up more glaze than I expected. Not sure about the colours I bought - they are mostly pastel - but buying a small sampler set made sense.

The clear overglaze didn't go so smoothly. It was thick and lumpy and I was careless. Nevertheless, it was a test, I at least I worked out a way to pack the kiln,mostly using props I already had.

 

Test firing earthenware - out of the kiln

Bisque firing done. Unlike metal clay, there is no wow factor when you finally open the kiln. They look much the same.

It took six hours. I'm guessing about 6kWh. I would feel better about that if we had PV on the roof.

Test firing - Earthenware

I've made a few things for my first test firing of earthenware in my Metal Clay kiln. Some things really are just to test thicknesses, additions, finishing etc. Others I hope will turn out.

BSBP Unboxing

I received my beads the other day but I held off opening them until I had time to photograph them. Unfortunately this morning was not a good morning - lumens-wise - but I didn't want to wait any longer. Here is my lovely challenge from Tracy.

First of all there was the sweet hand-written card telling me about the beads. She's good. (I wonder if she noticed I 'liked' a picture of cats on her Facebook Wall. It also reminded me I forgot to add a note about my beads. I must remember next time).

All the beads were in neat little bags, nicely labelled.

There were blues...

and greens...

and Mother of Pearl (?).

Here's all the beads together...

and finally the focal and clasp.

I'm very happy with my challenge. I particularly like the green ceramic beads. I mentioned to Tracy that I wanted to learn to make ceramic beads this year. The greenish square beads make the transition to the blues and purples of the mother of pearl.

The pendant has three holes at the top and two at the bottom. I have an idea for that.  The clasp is great.

Thanks Tracy and Lori. This will be a challenge, but one I am looking forward to.

 

BSBP - Another teaser pic

Here's another teaser. Hopefully the beads will arrive today. I have photos of the stash I was sent. Will post this afternoon.

Bead Soup Blog Party

In an attempt to be more consistent in my 'making' endeavours this year I decided to participate in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party.

My partner is Tracy Stillman of the Bead Junkie. I am a little behind. I posted my beads off yesterday and received my stash from Tracy the same day. I haven't taken photos of what I was sent yet as I wanted to get some 'teaser' pics of what I sent.

Here is the first picture. Autumnal browns and silver - clearly. The shape of the pendant is obvious to me, but I know what it is.