Get Ready for Bead Soup Blog Party sign up!

Its time once again to sign up for the Bead Soup Blog Party. My friend Lori wanted help getting the word out to all you lovely bead and jewelry makers.

Remember, this time it's a lottery for 200 people (so Lori doesn't lose her mind with all the work from last time!)

Get crackalackin' on your soup ingredients in case you are one of the lucky 200!

Studio Saturday with Claybuttons at Art Bead Scene

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

This weeks winner is ErinS. Congratulations! You have won a Holiday Pendant from Jennifer Heynen of Jangles. 
Send Jennifer an e-mail with your address and she will get it right out to you.

This week we visit the studio of
 Tari Sasser at Creative Impressions In Clay.

Happy Saturday to all and welcome to the glamorous life of buttons! Wait, it's glamorous?! I didn't get that memo. Above is what I have been working on. Snowflakes and Alpacas...sexy (hmmm, right.) 

Clay is a muddy business and it only became remotely sexy with the movie Ghost. Believe me, Demi Moore I am not. Most potters detest even hearing that reference. 

I haven't thrown on my wheel for quite a while but really need to just for therapy. Like Calgon, take me away. There are times you need to have your mind go somewhere besides the task at hand.

Or the mess at hand. This is the usual mess on my work counter. Take your arm and push any and everything to the side so you can begin another project. At some point you will have the time to clean up the mess. 

Time is something I haven't had a lot of in my studio. I have started working outside of the studio. Something I haven't done for many, many years. You do what you have to do. 

I work at a wonderful gallery. What better place to be than a gallery and be able to look at art all day. It's an American Art and Craft Gallery. Yes, some of my jewelry is being sold there. 

I get to explain how items are made and techniques used. I love that part of my job and it helps customers understand what is put into making art. Along with the prices that go with the art.

The owner of the gallery uses Wholesalecrafts (lots) and also attends shows to purchase items for the gallery. I just realized yesterday that she placed an order with our own Virginia Miska. 

Since I am now uber curious to learn about Wholesalecrafts, 

My question(s) is:

Do you use wholecrafts.com? Is it worth the cost? Has it been a successful tool?

Do you vend at any of the wholesale shows to sell and market your art?

Answer one of my many questions on Art Bead Scene's blog and you could win the Celtic Buttons shown above.

My sincere apologies to the winner of my last Studio Saturday. 

I have misplaced your info, could you please resend. 

Feeling sassy as usual.

Tari Sasser

Creative Impressions In Clay

Bead Soup Blog Party

My Bead Soup Partner is Tania Spivey of Moobie Grace Designs. She makes beautiful Polymer Clay beads. I received 2 plus a clasp with another bead and her wonderful wire work. 

I stressed quite a while over this. Worried if I would make the deadline and not having any ideas that I thought were great. My daughter was in my studio the other day and I started pulling beads and findings out of boxes. Things are sorta still packed up from rearranging my studio. 

I found these beautiful strands of gemstone beads that I had forgotten about. They were brought from Russia and given to me by my son-in-laws mom. Perfect! The colors were just perfect. Kristen (my daughter) started throwing out ideas. She too knew I was stressed and offered help. I have been working on a large wholesale order and started a new job. I have been exhausted. Staying up till 3-4am glazing hasn't helped. I'm doing a show this entire weekend. My plate is overflowing.

Everything fell together after pulling loads of things out and putting them next to each other. Taking away and putting back..you know how the creative process goes. 

I use bright bold colors and Tania uses, as you can see, colors from nature. The Teal and Coral colors really work nicely. This absolutely pushed me out of my comfort zone. I really don't design jewelry of this type. I'm not the dainty flower kind of person. This was quite a challenge.

I finally got the photography right! I hate the days when I am photographically impaired. The first attempt was a total bust. 

Second attempt, I managed to get one photo I wasn't totally embarrassed to show, even though I didn't.

Three's a charm! You are looking at the results. I am very pleased with these.

Clasp close up.

My Bead Soup Partner, Tania Spivey of Moobie Grace Designs. Everything Tania sent me. 

I tried to use more of what she sent but it wasn't working. 

Please visit Tania, see is a very nice person plus she does beautiful work!
Click below for the complete list of all the Bead Soup Partiers. Visit all 362 of them!

Blog List

Thanks for visiting!

Bead Soup + Bead Soup Partner

I have been so busy with a large wholesale order, getting kids ready to go back to school and taking my son to college, I haven't had time to post about Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party. Plus I started a new job. Phew.

 I have not participated in a Bead Soup before so this is going to be interesting.  
Lori spends lots of time pairing up partners.


Here is the premise of the Bead Soup Blog Party:

You send your partner a Party Pack-

::  A focal  ::

 ::  Some coordinating spacers or beads  ::

 ::  A special clasp (not just a lobster claw)  ::

Some will send a smaller amount, some will send a larger amount, but you do NOT have to send an entire necklace or bracelet kit.  The idea is you will use the focal and the clasp, and if you wish, some of the coordinating beads,incorporating beads from your own stash. 

  The idea is to help you think outside the box and work outside your normal comfort zone, pushing you into creative directions you may never have gone.

Tania Spivey of Moobie Grace Designs

Tani Spivey of Moobie Grace Designs is my partner. Above is everything Tania sent. Pretty cool stuff huh? Tania creates these beautiful polymer clay beads. These have very small flowers with tiny brass beads in the center, wonderful craftspersonship. When she's feeling skippy she also works with wire.

Focal bead close-up

Focal bead + accent bead

Clasp

I need to get to work on planning out a design and how to execute the design using Tania's beautiful beads. 

Come back for the Bead Soup Blog Party on September 17. Everyone hops from blog to blog looking at all the wonderful creations that were made.

We Have a Winner!!

We have a winner for "Liking" Creative Impressions In Clay Facebook page.

Congratulations to Connected Elements Designs/Candyce Fitzloff-Westfield.

You have won the Circles pendant, shown above!


Please send me your info and I will get it mailed out right away.


Thanks to everyone who "Liked" my FB page!! Love being liked!

Vintaj Art Bead Partner

My month as Vintaj's Art Bead Partner is coming to a close. 
I wanted show all the designs the gang at Vintaj made with my pieces. 
The theme was Carnival Ferris Wheel.

Sweet Treats

Fancy Free

Fun Day at the Fair

Carnival Ferris Wheel

Carnival Lights

Remembering the Fair

Ring Toss

Ticket to Ride

Carnival Nights

Summer Fair

Thanks Vintaj!! It's been great to see your creations! 

Circle Collection

20% Until 8/15/11 using code ABP20

It's Time for a Give Away!!

I'm going to make this very simple. 

To be eligible to win,

"LIKE" Creative Impressions In Clay on FaceBook then 
come back here and post that you did.

Creative Impressions In Clay

Pretty easy!


If you are already a fan, thank you, 
post a comment below that you are already a fan to be eligible.


It would be great if you scrolled down the sidebar and LIKED/JOINED my blog also.

You could win the Circles Pendant shown above. A $30 value.


You have until 8/12 to "LIKE" and comment!