Inspired by Reading: Fahrenheit 451

 

 

 

ArtBead Scene: July

Tiger in a Tropical Storm

Henri Rousseau

1891

I had a lot of fun with this color palette and theme. There is so much movement in the painting with the grasses and the rainy stormy sky. I wanted to try to pick up on those two features, so the first necklace represents the rain and the second the grasses.

For this first necklace I knew I wanted to use the Jade Scott (retired) pendant so I combined it with three ceramic art beads in the funky yellow-green shade that I acquired through a destash. Unfortunately I do not know the artist, so if you recognize them, please let me know! I added a polymer rose from Beady Eyed Bunny, these roses seem to be her specialty and they are perfect little works of art! It's hard to tell, but the left side has two strands, one is the drop seed beads and under that is a strand of tiny peridot chips. Together these two strands represent the rain and the huge blue/green swirl bead represents the stormy sky.

The next necklace was super fun to make! There are sooo many art beads, too. The clasp is Saki Silver. Then comes chicklet beads from SueBeads. The pendant is made with three Gaea ceramic pieces and I hung them with Wooly Wire. And I finished it off with a tin snippet component from Lorelei. While I gave myself some ( a lot ) of latitude with the raccoon pendant I used instead of a tiger... I stayed on course and used a few things to represent all the grasses. There's the tin snippet with leaves, the glass leaves, and the ceramic leaf AS WELL AS the tassel! My favorite part about this piece is that of all the shades of green, there is no two alike. Just like the shades of green in the grasses and leaves of the painting.

Here's a closer look at all of the artisan components...

Be sure to check out the Pinterest board and the Art Bead Scene blog!

 

Inspired by Reading: The Bees

 

 

Art Bead Scene June 2017

Wow! This one sure has some bright colors!

Hot pink, electric blue, neon lime green

So, what better way to celebrate color than with a Joan Miller Porcelain owl!

 

 

Inspired by Reading: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn is set in a world full of ash and mist and darkness reigns.

In the author's own words... "A thousand years ago, the prophesied hero from lore rose up to overthrow a great and terrible evil. Only, he lost, and the Dark Lord took over and has been ruling with an iron fist for a thousand years. Ash falls from the sky in this barren land, and mists come every night, deep and mysterious. In this setting, a gang of thieves decides that the prophecies were all lies and that they can’t trust in some fabled hero to save them. They decide to take matters into their own hands, and plan a daring heist of the dark lord himself, planning to use the emperor’s own wealth to bribe his armies away from him and take over the empire."

 

Although there is no unicorn in the novel, I couldn't resist using one of Andrew Thornton's amazing metal clay pendants. So while the unicorn doesn't fit, the metal of the pendant falls right in line with the Mistborn's magical powers.

As always, check out the Facebook page for Inspired by Reading and join us next month.

Art Bead Scene May 2017

One word: Picasso.

I decided to emulate the shapes this time instead of the color palette because of the intensity of this cubist painting. So I used these little leftover enameled pieces from C-Koop. I grabbed them up from her sale tray at Beadfest last year. Then I found the perfect Humblebeads to complement the color and keep with the abstract cubist feel. I used a faceted clay bead from Dianne Hawkey to finish up the tassel then I knotted waxed linen for an over the head necklace.

 

Inspired by Reading: April 2017

This month's book was Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin.

Here is the section that inspired me...

Here is my parrot necklace made with a Green Girl Studios parrot!!!

Play along with us! Find us at AllegoryGallery.com!

 

ArtBead Scene: April 2017

 

Matamoe or Landscape with Peacocks

Paul Gauguin

1892

Oil On Canvas

My interpretation is with Mary Harding two hole beads and waxed linen. I used a Golem ceramic bead as the clasp. I picked these beads out of my stash because they have a different color scheme on either side and that is what struck me about the painting.... it has a very distinct cool color palette on the one side of the painting and a warm color palette on the other.

Check out ArtBeadScene.blogspot.com for more info on the Monthly Challenge.

I also made this very tribal necklace that was inspired by this painting. I had this huge amazing heart focal by Stacie Louise Smith and I used leftover beads from my stash in the same flat shape for this over the head statement piece!

Firefly Design Challenge

This is my first time playing along in the Firefly Design Challenge. For this challenge, one picks from two or three different component kits from Michelle McCarthy of Firefly Designs. She makes wonderful ceramic pendants, bracelet bars, earring components and beads. She sent along a secret component from Gardanne Beads, a little enameled butterfly charm! The challenge is to use all the pieces in a set of jewelry. What Fun I Had! 

Here is the bracelet made with three of her pieces and lots of fun additions.

Here are the simple and sweet earrings I made with her earring pair of charms.

Here is the main attraction! Her fun butterfly bead is matched on the other side by her round bead paired with her flower shape piece. The focal pendant is made with her focal and the sweet butterfly charm from Gardanne.

Most of the rest of the elements of my three pieces came from Allegory Gallery. 

Those yellow and brown glass beads are Manik Manik Indonesian glass! and they were a perfect match with the silk ribbon and waxed linen and leather that I used to tie everything together. 

OH, those adorable ladybugs.... Czech glass! 

Check out all of Michelle's great things from her Facebook site and join us next time!

Sarajo Honey Do Challenge: March 2017

Sarajo always invites everyone to play along with her 'Honey Do Challenge'. This was the photo inspiration this month...

Ice Crystals! The first thing I thought of for this challenge was NOT quartz crystal as one would expect, but the Selenite sticks that Allegory Gallery has for sale. Check them out, they are beautiful (and there were only two left!). 

I also had some pink crystal clay hanging around just waiting for me to find a project. Well... here's what I ended up with...

Check out Sarajo's blog at the end of the month for her challenge piece! And then, play along with us next month!

Pretty Palettes: March 2017

That is this month's Pretty Palette picture from the ladies at Halcraft. Isn't it Spring-y!

Here are the Bead Gallery beads I chose. I picked the same large ceramic rounds and the same saucer shape wood beads as Molly did.

I made a multi-strand waxed linen bottom and a beading wire strung top. 

I found some lovely little czech glass druks at Allegory Gallery that matched the color palette!

Be sure to go to the Halcraft Blog the last day of the month to check out what everyone else made!

Bohemian Book Project: March 2017

Artist Michelle McCarthy of Firefly Design Studio has issued us a challenge on the Art Bead Scene blog! She picked a project from the book Bohemian Inspired Jewelry by Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegel and asked us to make along with her. YAY! I LOVE THIS BOOK! This was one of the first books I bought from Allegory Gallery when I first started jewelry making. I was hooked immediately by Lorelei and Erin's use of Artisan beads and waxed linen. I have been using both in my jewelry designs ever since (art beads and waxed linen.... not Lorelei and Erin).

I have made quite a few projects from this book and one of them was the design that Michelle picked. So, I was excited to try the design again, a few years wiser in jewelry design. 

So first is the design by Lorelei that is called The Beach House. It is made with peanut seedbeads, rubber o-rings, leather, and wire wrapped artisan beads. With a fun toggle on the side of the necklace to show it off.

Now, here is the necklace I made in 2014. I used the rubber o-rings and leather and wire wrapping. But, I used inexpensive plastic beads and regular seedbeads instead of art beads and peanut seedbeads. All in all, I like the way it turned out being that I had only been beading a little over one year.


Now, here is the necklace I made yesterday. I used leather, peanut seedbeads, art beads that I wire wrapped and a fun toggle on the side. I did not have any rubber o-rings in my stash but I did have a thousand ( ha, ha ) of these vintage plastic rings I got from an Andrew Thornton de-stash.

The amazing art beads I used are from Stacie Louise Originals  and Mary Harding. Thank you to both of these talented artists. Be sure to check out what others have made being inspired by the book "Bohemian Inspired Jewelry"!

Art Bead Scene: March 2017

Art Bead Scene was very inspiring this month! Lots to work off of... yellow flowers, bird, bird nest, tree, mountains, sky, feather...

I made a long over the head double strand necklace...

It features a Humblebead and a Hawkey Diane word bead. PLUS a ceramic branch that I can not remember who made it! If any one recognizes it, please leave a comment for me!

The yellow flower beads were found at Allegory Gallery as well as the gorgeous top drilled stone.

I was inspired to make another piece with the blues and yellows.

I had this little bird button and I must have gotten it from someones de-stash because I can't remember who made it. SORRY. Again, if anyone recognizes it, please leave me a comment. THANKS!

Check out Art Bead Scene for all the info and see what everyone else made.

Pretty Palettes: February 2017

*sigh*

here's my piece with the wooden beads from Michael's...

Check out the blog for Halcraft Beads! Join the fun next month!

Artbead Scene: February 2017

Wow, this piece of art was FILLED with inspiration! I finished two pieces, but I had sketches for another one, that I still may finish! Here is the piece, It is called 'The Two Crowns' and it took me a few looks before I saw the second crown (of thorns). But what captured me was the colors of the ladies dresses and how the artist managed to capture the feel of the fabric.

My first piece is inspired by the horses reins...

I used charms by Andrew Thornton. He made these of polymer clay and the finish is AMAZING! They sparkle like the coins on the horses reins.

My second piece was inspired by this corner with the rose petals, the blue/green gown and the tapestry hanging.

I used a connector by Jade Scott (retired) and a polymer rose by an artist I found on etsy called Ordinary Women, but it is no longer active. Plus some ceramic funky rounds by Andrew Thornton.

Plus, two glass head pins by Ren Farnsworth!

Yay! Thanks for looking, check out all the links to the artists, and check out the blog ArtBeadScene!

Inspired by Reading: February 2017

This month's book was a collection of short stories by Susanna Clarke titled "The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other short stories". I read the story about Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth called 'Antickes and Frets'. Along the way I stumbled upon a review written by another of our book club authors, Ursula K. Le Guin, and quoted it here...

"Not all the tales are so self-destructive. “Antickes and Frets,” for example, is a neat bit of fancy-work on the grim web fate wove for Mary Queen of Scots. Told of magic worked by embroidery, Mary in her captivity undertakes to assassinate Queen Elizabeth by sending her a skirt embroidered with little pink flowers, and sure enough the pink pustules of the pox break out on Elizabeth’s skin. Then the magic is turned upon Mary herself, and the tale takes another turn. The metaphor of stitching the future into place is a striking one, well used."

A VERY abbreviated summary of the family feud between Elizabeth and her cousin Mary by Katy Steinmetz:

"Scotland and England have been frenemies for centuries as Mary Queen of Scots knew well. Mary became Queen of Scotland as a babe and was next in line for the English throne after her older cousin Elizabeth I. Elizabeth, however, refused to acknowledge Mary as her heiress and was threatened by the Roman Catholics who saw Mary as the true queen. So when Mary foolishly ran to Elizabeth for help, following some poor political and personal decisions, the ever cunning Elizabeth did not come to her aid. Instead she had her cousin locked away for the next 18 years of her life and, after an assassination plot was revealed, ordered Mary's execution at the age of 44. Thankfully, beheadings don't factor into most family rivalries these days."

I chose to highlight this tumultuous royal relationship with a heart pendant that has nails embedded in it. The pendant is by Maku Raku and you can find others at Allegory Gallery. I decided to make a two strand necklace to show the two family lines of the Tudors and the Stuart's and used purple to showcase the royalty.

I had a blast at bookclub meet up and can't wait for the next book! Thanks to Andrew and William for hosting us every month! Check out our Facebook page for Inspired by Reading and Allegory Gallery's website.

 

Inspired by Reading -- January 2017

Inspired by Reading: A Place of My Own by Michael Pollan

It's been a while, but I've managed to make some pieces for this months book club book. We had a fun meet up at Allegory Gallery, we were missing a regular but we welcomed a new member. We had some wine and brownies and I finished three necklaces all with a house themed art bead. 

First is a Jade Scott pendant with African turquoise and glass bead dangles. 

The Summer Wind pendant I paired with wood beads on leather.

The third is a Humblebeads house with hand knotted pearls. 

Make sure to check out every one else's projects on our Facebook site.