ABS Editors Take February Monthly Challenge

Carved Celtic Knot Pendants

This months inspiration is "Amapolas by Edward Julius Metmold

I was testing glaze colors on these pendants from my Celtic Collection. They are from Duncan's Courtyard Collection of glazes. You get interesting lights and darks depending on how thick the glaze is applied. My favorite is the top pendant that has more of the orange rusty colors. 

The painting has a range of reds, salmon, orange, pink and a bit of brown (in the butterfly), along with the pale yellow background. 

The pendants will go in the Bead Monthly Challenge on Pinterest.

Visit all the participating editors pages.

Art Bead Scene

Humblebeads

Songbeads

Something to Do with Your Hands

ABS Editors Take the October Monthly Challenge

5 Art Bead Scene editors took the Monthly Challenge. 

We hope you will also take the challenge with us this month!

This is my necklace using Milton Avery's painting, Autumn, as inspiration.

I used my Branch Buttons to represent the tree/branches in the painting.

The Circle Buttons & Beads along with the tiny clay beads bring color. I liked the contrast of putting two very different ceramic components in the same piece. The branches are realistic and the circles/beads are more of a modern style.

Three strands of different elements were used for interest, texture and depth. 

Autumn by Milton Avery

The color I cannot replicate in a glaze is the fuchsia. I have had so many customers request a bright pink but its just not possible. That is the one color missing in my necklace.

I wrapped the ceramic rings with brass wire and created wrapped loops. On the opposing side I wrapped the ring, strung ceramic beads onto the wire then wrapped the other side. Ceramic components were put together with jump rings. 

As you can see with the Branches any of my buttons can become jewelry components.

The tiny clay beads were strung together with memory wire. Chain is Vintaj brass.

I used another ceramic ring for the clasp. The hook for the clasp is made from twisted brass wire. The ring is attached with deer suede. I like the juxtaposition of suede with the chain/bead elements.

Please visit all the Art Bead Scene editors pages for our Challenge Blog Hop

Art Bead Scene

Humblebeads :: Heather Powers

Mary Harding Jewelry :: Mary Harding

Tesori Trovati :: Erin Prais-Hintz

Something to Do with Your Hands :: Claire Lockwood

Vintaj + Art Bead Artist= Art Bead Partner

As some of you may know Vintaj has started a great new partnership on their blog, Art Bead Partner.

They choose the theme, Art Bead Artist and partner with them for a month using their products and the art beads (buttons) made by the artist.

Here are the details from Jess at Vintaj:

"As you know, here at Vintaj we LOVE working with Art Beads! We are all huge fans of Art Bead Scene and follow many bead artist’s blogs, incorporate their unique handmade components into our jewelry and share some of their sites on our Favorite Art Beads page. Today I’m excited to announce a new blog feature ~ our design team recently came up with the concept of featuring a monthly Art Bead Partner to reflect our design themes."

I am very fortunate to be their Art Bead Partner for August. I created a new collection of buttons and beads just for this partnership. I was so thrilled to be asked to be an Art Bead Partner, I had to make something special. 

This is the Circle Collection shown being used as components. 

Clay is a changeling, any button can be a component, pendant, charm, clasp etc.

You get the picture. If you see a button and would rather use as something else, ask if it can be changed for your use.

Bracelet by Jess Italia using the Four Circle as a component. Stitch Markers double as charms.

Earrings also made by Jess using the Circle Beads.

Take a look at Vintaj's Gallery they have great ideas and designs using their finding and embellishments. 

Art Bead Partner Special!

Get 20% off minimum order of $20 using code ABP20 from Creative Impressions in Clay. 

Put code in the voucher box.

Vintaj Art Bead Partner-Necklace & Bracelet by Betsy Kaage

Betsy from Vintaj Natural Brass created these two great pieces using component from the Circle Collection. She used chain and finding from Vintaj. To get of list of everything she used check the blog post.

Concentric Circles used in the bracelet.

Rings used in the necklace.

Have a great day!

Vintaj Art Bead Partner Blog

The Four Circle Button (shown below) with 2 holes on each side was used as a component for a bracelet by Jess Italia at Vintaj.  Isn't that a cool bracelet!? Click on the link to go to their blog you also get a great tutorial for image transfer onto metal.

Circle Collection

Have a great day!

Art Bead Scene Sponsor Spotlight

Mamacita Beadworks

D'Arsie Manzella of Mamacita Beadworks makes buttons and beads from lead-free pewter. All of her beads and buttons are sculpted and cast by hand. Buttons are versatile for so many different items.

Creative Impressions In Clay

The above buttons are from Tari Sasser's Graphic Collection of buttons. Most buttons can be glazed in any color you can imagine. Receiving yarn and fabric from all over the country, Tari matches buttons for her customers. Imagine...buttons.

D'Arsie and Tari both make other items. I like to take the opportunity to show buttons whenever I get a chance.

Prizes for Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge

This month we'll have one lucky winner for the Art Bead Scene's Monthly Challenge.

Tari Sasser of Creative Impressions In Clay has donated a pendant (1 7/8" x 1 1/2") with 3 charms dangling from the bottom. Tari's Fun, Funky & Functional buttons are made with a low fire white clay and brightly colored underglazes.

Visit Tari at her website, blog, etsy, twitter and Facebook.

D'Arsie Manzella of Mamacita Beadworks has donated the beautiful Pewter pendants, button and beads for this months challenge. D'Arsie creates her wonderful components out of lead free pewter with much love and care.

 Visit D'Arsie on her website, etsy and Facebook. 

Get your Art Beads, Art Buttons, Art Charms or Art Pendants out, start creating and enter this months challenge! 

 Submit photos of your wonderful creations using one or more Art Beads.

"Insula Dulcamara" painting by Paul Klee has many different elements that can be used for inspiration, bold black lines, soft hues of brown, green and blue, red dots or leaves.

We can't wait to see where your creativity takes you with the painting for this months challenge!

Kandinsky Inspired Button

This button was inspired by Kandinsky's Improv No. 23.

It is a one of a kind 2" button.

I used white clay and colorful underglazes.

I love Kandinsky! You can win this button by entering Art Bead Scene's Monthly Challenge.

This button would look fantastic on a felted bag or a wrap!

Also for Art Bead Scene's Monthly Challenge you could a win a $30 Gift Certificate from Ornamentea!

How cool is that 2 prizes this month for entering!

Studio Saturday at Art Bead Scene

Geisha Buttons ©

I just can't get the song "Turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so..." out of my head.

OK, so I'm a bit warped. We warped ones are what make your world interesting.

These new buttons go with the genre of this month's Challenge. Unfortunately they are not that new in my studio. I am embarrassed to say how long they have been hanging around. They have finally been glazed and I fired them last night. Nothing like being on top of things.

My friend requested Geisha buttons for a knitting project she was working on. I'm sure it's been done for quite a while and she has moved on to many more knitting adventures.

There always seem to be more pressing things that need to get done; making& filling orders, kids, husband, grandkids, making&filling orders and making&filling orders.

These should never been put off this long. I'm sorry Kristine, I will mail them this week.

The colors turned out great with the boldness of the red and contrast of the yellow. Background color is a light celadon, which needed to be a muted color so the design and other colors would stand out.

The "Procrastination Queen" question this week is:

:: What project has been sitting around your studio and for how long? ::

Leave a comment on Art Bead Scene's Blog and you could win the Round Geisha design shown above as a Pendant.

© Tari Sasser :: Creative Impressions In Clay

Art Bead Scene-June Monthly Challenge

The inspiration for this month's challenge is from one of my favorite artists and paintings, Wassily Kandinsky, Farbstudie Quadrate (Color Study of Squares).

Kandinsky was a Russian-born artist, one of the first creators of pure abstraction in modern painting and is regarded as one of the originators of abstract painting, or abstract expressionism. His forms evolved from fluid and organic to geometric and, finally, to pictographic. Kandinsky, an accomplished musician, once said `Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.'

Have fun with this vibrant color palette of reds, yellows, blues, purples and greens. Pull out the abstract art beads, grab a few brightly colored charms and let's see what you can come up with for this challenge!

Your entry this month can be influenced by the colors, pattern or whatever you choose to focus on for your creation. Just remember to include at least one art bead in your design.

The Prizes:
A winner will be randomly chosen from all the qualifying entries on July 1st.
Our sponsors this month are 3 Ceramic Artists Artisan Clay, Creative Impressions In Clay and Round Rabbit, please visit us tomorrow to see the prizes!

Featured Designer of the Week!
From all the entries during the month, an editor is going to pick their favorite design to be featured every Monday here on the ABS. We want to give our participants more time in the spotlight! Our Featured Designer will be this Monday, so get those entries in soon.

How to enter the Monthly Challenge:
1. Create something using an art bead that fits within our monthly theme. This challenge is open to jewelry-makers, fiber artists, collage artist, etc. The art bead can be created by you or someone else. The challenge is to inspire those who use art beads and to see all the different ways art beads can be incorporated into your handiwork.

***Beads by themselves and beads simply strung on a chain or cord will not be accepted.***

2. Upload your photo to our flickr group. Detailed instructions can be found here and click here for a tutorial for sending your picture to the group. If you can't upload to Flickr, send your entry and information to Heather.

Please add the tag or title JUNEABS to your photos. Include a short description, who created the art beads and a link to your blog, if you have one.

Deadline is June 30th. Photos are approved by our moderators, if a photo hasn't followed the guidelines it will not be approved. You may upload 2 photos a day.

What is an Art Bead?
An art bead is a bead, charm, button or finding made by an independent artist. Art beads are the vision and handiwork of an individual artist. You can read more about art beads here.

*** A bead that is handmade is not necessarily an art bead. Hill Tribe Silver, Kazuri ceramic beads or lampwork beads made in factories are examples of handmade beads that are not considered art beads.

p.s. If you have a blog, post your entry and a link to the ABS challenge to spread the beady goodness.

Art Buttons and Felt Flowers

I promised I would post the directions for this project a month ago. Sorry for the delay.

Supplies needed:
Felt :: 1" Button :: 3/4" Art Buttons :: Pattern :: 18 gauge wire
24 gauge wire :: Small pot

Make your pattern, I drew around the 1" button then added petals. Cut out the flower.

Cut 2" of 24 gauge wire, I used copper, any kind can be used. Center the 3/4" Art Button on the flower. Use a needle or piece of the 24 gauge and poke it through the button holes felt, wiggle it around to separate the fibers of the felt. Fold your 2" piece of wire lightly in half. From the back side of the flower, push the wire through the button holes to the top and twist once. Lay the wire down flat so it is out of the way. Putting the stamen wire in now keeps these 2 pieces together while adding the stem wire.

Cut 6" of 18 gauge wire. From the backside of the flower push the wire through one of the button holes. Approximately 1 3/4" through the flower, bend 90º, as you would when making a wire loop. Slide the long end of the wire up further from the top, enough so you can finish bending the wire to go back down through the other button hole. The wire will naturally want to curve and cross. Straighten a little as you go to make it easier to push it down through both holes. With your wire straigthened and through both button holes, slide the 1" button onto the wire and through both button holes. I used shell buttons because it's what I could find in my studio. Plastic would work also.

Wrap the short end of wire around the long piece of wire. Use your pliers to bend the tail of the wire into the stem.
Curl your stamen wire.
Repeat this as many times as you would like for your bouquet.

I used a small terra cotta pot for my flowers. A yogurt cup would work. Decorate the container. Put styrofoam, flower foam or in my case, clay (it was within reach in the studio), in the bottom of the pot. Place wood Excelsior, paper shred, easter grass, yarn, whatever you like on top. Arrange your flowers. Viola!! A gift your mother or yourself.