Featured Artisan Jardin De Lillian

This weeks Featured Artisan is Kalyene Sue Bacon - Jardin de Lillian. Truly unique

jewelry designs! You can find Jardin de Lillian on:

Blog

Etsy

Facebook

Sherry Serafini’s Sensational Bead Embroidery

Sherry Serafini's latest book is a true work of art! It looks and reads more like an art book, than a pattern book. So beautiful in fact, that it would make a lovely coffee table book. The numerous project photos are simply breathtaking!

It is set up differently from most other pattern books in that it has a chapter at the beginning that delves into the various bead embroidery stitches, color theory, design, tips, etc. Then, for each subsequent project, Sherry gives a supplies list and then verbally describes the steps for each project. If you're a visual person, you might find this a bit more challenging since there are no step by step photos. However, bead embroidery is essentially a freeform art form and she does have the specific stitch descriptions in the front of the book.

Here's a bracelet I made inspired by Sherry's work, similar in design to her Fade to Gray Cuff. I'm pretty happy with it. What do you think?

Featured Artisan - Breitwerk

This weeks Featured Artisan is Deni - Breitwerk accessories & Gifts.

Deni has delightful creations in her shop. There is something for everyone!

You can find Breitwerk on:

Zibbet

Blog

Facebook

TADA!!!!!

I've been admiring (OK...LUSTING OVER!) Katwise's gorgeous sweater coats for some time now. She creates fabulous coats out of recycled sweaters. Each one is a true work of art. She recently put up a tutorial in her etsy shop for a nominal fee. I snatched 1 up right away! I'm not a lover of the sewing machine, but her sweaters are made on a serger. Did I mention that I didn't have a serger at the time?? That didn't stop me though! My friend Michelle had one she wasn't using so we traded, a serger for beads! Isn't that how the Dutch bought Manhattan from the Indians? lol!

While getting up the courage to make my 1st sweater, I started collecting any old sweaters I could find, mostly from Goodwill & the Salvation Army thrift stores. The sweaters naturally had to be washed really well and then it was time to cut! Very scarey!

Then it was Serging Time! I was inspired by one of her sold coats that was done up in black and purple. Here's a photo of the back view. I even managed to make thumbholes! I'm so proud of myself!

I made it on the short side....because, well, I'm short! ;-) I also decided against making a hood for it. I'm undecided how to finish off the collar. Am debating between fraggles as Kat calls them, which is a fringey type look or some sort of ruffly collar. Will have to play with it some, but am pleased as can be! Thanks Kat!

Finding Charm - Featured Artisan

This week's Featured Artisan is Sarah - Finding Charm! Sarah has

beautiful creations in a wide variety of styles and colors! You can

find Finding Charm on:

Artfire

Etsy

Blog

Facebook

Closing In On a Thousand!!

 

I just looked at my facebook fan page and I'm at 900 fans! I'm tickled pink, but of course, I wish it was more! I have almost double that number of friends somehow. I know! I know! I'm a very popular girl. lol!

So.....when it gets to 1,000, I plan on a big giveaway, but to my fans only, so you MUST go to my fan page and select 'like' in order to be entered. And invite your friends! Share the link of facebook! Here's the direct link:

LA Jewelry Designs on Facebook

As an added incentive, check my facebook page later today for a special sale announced to my fan page only! Happy shopping!

Want to Play With Fire???

I have the pleasure of writing for Things Crafty. With their permission I've copied my review of Jeri Warhaftig's new book, Creating Glass Beads, below:

Now that I have your attention...... :-)
I recently had the opportunity to read and review a book by a fellow lampwork artist, Jeri Warhaftig. I had the pleasure of meeting Jeri some time ago. She's immensely talented and very eager to share her knowledge. I've read her 1st book, Glass Bead Workshop, and now, Creating Glass Beads.
While the book's purpose is to take beaders beyond the basics, the intro covers all the basics; from tools, glass and torches to annealing and ventilation. Safety is something that can't be stressed enough when dealing with hot glass and a torch.
Rather than chapters, Jeri has designed the book with Sessions, each one devoted to a different bead style. She 1st gives instructions on how to make the specific bead, with step by step photos and then includes photos from her various testers of beads they've made using those techniques. I loved seeing some of the bead variations that her testers came up with. Great eye candy!
Overall I'd give this book two thumbs up!
Her book is available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

In The Scheme of Things....

I had some wonderful news to share, which in the scheme of things seems SO inconsequential! My friend, Michelle Plumb's niece, Leiryn, a little girl with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, underwent scans this week to see how/if her cancer is progressing. Her parents received the most wonderful news. There has been NO GROWTH in the cancer in the last 18 months! She is completely stable, and the doctors are baffled!

I am overwhelmed with joy for this little girl who I have never met, yet feel a connection to that I cannot explain. I'm overjoyed for the family and for this precious little girl.

To those that may be curious as to my personal news, I had a set of lampwork glass beads that were in Artfire's Daily Collection today & they sold! I'm happy, but it doesn't compare to the news about Leiryn! THAT'S what it's all about!

Why We Need To Support Our Local Artists and Small Businesses

With the holiday season fast approaching I'd like to share this sentiment that I found on a friend's wall on Facebook:

When you buy from a local artist or a small business, you are not helping a CEO buy a third vacation home. You are helping a parent put food on the table, a little girl finally gets those dance lessons or helping a student pay for college. Our customers are our shareholders - and they are the ones we strive to make happy. Thank you for supporting artists and small businesses!

Are you up for a challenge??

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan and admirer of the ladies that make up the Bead Mavens. I've never met a more talented group of seed bead artists! They each have a unique style, which makes for an interesting challenge they've put forth. Their new challenge, called the Maven Meld, asks that you submit a finished piece that melds or incorporates at least 2 of their tutorials. Clever, huh?

I love working with seedbeads myself and am so appreciative of these ladies' hard work in putting forth truly remarkable designs. I've purchased several tutorials myself and so I've decided to donate a $25 gift certificate to my Artfire shop to one of the winners. Please go to their website for details on how to enter and check out the other fabulous prizes on the Bead Maven blog. I can't wait to see all the fabulous creations!

Here are a few inspiration photos from the Bead Mavens themselves.

Mikki Ferrugiaro

Nancy Dale

Cynthia Newcomer Daniel

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting......Tap! Tap! Tap!

I've been having a blast making these ring tops for interchangeable rings & pendants. No matter what I'm working on in a particular session, I try to make a few of these too. So fun! I've sold out all my rings and waiting for a new supply to come in.

There's just one person in the US that carries the rings that I know of so I ordered from the UK this time around. She had a snafu with her mail, but they're now on their way! I sit & stalk the mailman every day! :-) Meanwhile, these are a few ring tops from my most recent torch sessions.

What do beaders and those with dreadlocks have in common??

Give up????

They all love using spirals! Here are some spirals I've been working on recently. My friend, Mikki Ferrugiaro, is working on a book with a very unique spiral pattern that I got a sneak peak of (it's gorgeous!). The pattern uses spirals for the focal piece. She makes poly clay spirals as well. They're so beautiful that I had a hard time telling them apart from the glass. It's great to be able to have options. Change out the focal for a new look to coordinate with any outfit.

I sold some recently to people wanting to decorate their dreads. Here's a photo of one of my beautiful customers with a spiral in her hair. I love it!

Interchangeable Rings!

So excited about this new ring system I'm working on! The band is stainless steel and the tops are interchangeable! They just screw on & off so you can switch them up to match whatever you're wearing. & they come in different sizes, both the rings and the tops. How cool is that??

This is the 1st one that I made for myself, but will definitely be ordering more rings & supplies if anyone is interested.

Nothing better!

Nothing better than making beads! Well, there is 1 thing! It's seeing them used in creations by talented jewelry artisans such as Ileana Munteanu. I'm truly honored to see my beads used in such a work of beauty!

What says summer like fishies??

I'm so bad about designing beads ahead of the seasons for some reason. Probably because I often just make whatever the mood calls for in a particular session. I recently got some peacock stringer from Avenue Beads and decided to see what it would do in a fishie bead. And, boy, am I glad I did! The colorful stripes on the body of the bead comes from the stringer. It has that great webbing thing that it does. The coloring is even more vibrant in person.

I learned this technique from Deb Crowley a couple of years ago at Glass Stock. Sadly I was unable to attend this past year due to health issues and will miss this year as well due to a friend's wedding. Don't anyone invite me to anything next Labor Day! I am going to Glass Stock, come hell or high water! hehe!

I don't usually make them in the winter because my studio is too cold and it's much harder to keep the entire bead heated at all times. I was constantly wafting it in and out of the flame to avoid any cracking and am really pleased with what came out of the kiln today.

This fish is pretty big and took me the better part of an hour to make. It's about 2" in length. I was so excited to share it, I didn't even take it off the mandrel. You get to see it in all it's glory, bead poop and all. ;-)

Kiln goodies!

I had some custom orders I worked on this past week & then got to play with some new frit and glass I was testing. Here's what came out of the kiln today.....well, truth be told, it was yesterday, but just didn't get to clean them up right away.

Never Forget!

This Monday is Holocaust Remembrance Day. It's a day for us all to remember those that perished in the Holocaust, Jews & Christians alike. The more time that goes by, there are fewer survivors left on this earth to prove to the world that the atrocities did in fact occur. It saddens me to think that there are still people that don't believe it ever happened. I can't fathom how they can deny it still. Never mind those that were killed in the camps, but did the survivors tattoo themselves with numbers??

As the day approaches I think of my grandparents that I never knew, my parents' brothers and sisters that were killed, my father's 1st wife and 8 year old son. With all the horrific atrocities that occurred, I smile when I think of my mother (a survivor) who is alive and well and who will be celebrating her 90th birthday in 2 weeks. And of my father (survivor) who lived to the age of 91 when he succumbed to leukemia. And of my uncle (survivor), my father's older brother, who passed away a month shy of his 100th birthday. Take that Hitler! :-)

Aloha!

No, sadly I am not going to Hawaii. But some of my beads are. It's amazing to me that for just a little bit of postage, my beads get to travel and see the world. If only it were as simple as that for me!

And of course some vinyl tubing to keep them all in place.

I love my customers!

I love making lampwork glass beads, but it's not often that I get to see them in finished pieces of jewelry. Today, however, 2 of my customers posted photos of their finished pieces. Nothing makes me smile more!

This first one is a fun necklace made by Michelle Plumb using beads from several glass artists. I'm honored to have mine included. The white with black spots (ermine) bead at the base of the heart focal is mine as are the 4 cards.

This lovely bracelet was made by my friend, Mary Alexander of Dreamweaver Designs. It's a beaded kumihimo bracelet using Unicorne glass beads which complement the lampwork focal (mine) just perfectly.

Can You Smell the Roses?

Cabbage Roses, that is.....

1st of all, is it really a month since I posted?? Part of me often wonders if people are even interested in what I have to say. Plus, quite honestly I've been spending more time on the torch recently. Not being able to torch for about 3-4 months made me miss it terribly & I itch to light up the torch @ any opportunity. And boy, did I have fun making over 50 (I always make extra, just in case) of these sweet little floral beads. Here they sit getting their final bath before heading out the door.

OK, so now that that's out of the way, I recently finished a custom order for someone. Had so much fun making these & when I look at them now in their colorful splendor they just put a smile on my face. OK, so we had a dusting of snow earlier this week, but can spring be far behind?