What's New? Bead shows, 400th sale, OH my!

Ring of Fire Donut

It has been quite a while since I have blogged about the new goodies in my etsy shop. And all the new things going on around the studio....

By the Fireside Pendant

I am very excited to announce that I will have a table at the Berks Bead Bazaar in Reading on February 27th and 28th.

Pink Bursts Button Set

I am also super super excited that I will be sharing a booth at Bead Fest Philly in August with Jennifer Van Benschoten! WooHOO!!! I am so stinkin' excited!

Big Pink Button Set

What else??? I am only 5 sales away from my 400th Etsy sale in my ArtisanClay shop! WOW! This last 100 went really fast! As always I will be giving a Fabulous prize to the sweet customer who buys the item that brings my sale total to 400. Oh, how I love to pick fabulous prizes! Summer Hodgeman had a fun suggestion, and I am going to run with it--

Rectangle 4 loop link

My fabulous 400th sale prize will be something I made just for fun, that you cannot be bought in my etsy shop. Exactly what that is.... I certainly don't know yet ;-) I have 5 sales until I have to figure it out

Handworked Blues 2 hole Pendant

Otherwise, I am working hard at working in wet clay, and my 30% off sale is still going strong. I am going to keep the sale going until I make a good bit of progress at paying off my husband's hospital bills. Funny how a couple of hours in the emergency room equals so many hours as a bead maker ;-) It's all good, I am glad he seems to be healing.

My brother bought his second business! Yay! He has now added Powdercoating to his Wet painting business. He does custom finishes for industry. Hospitals, military, lots of interesting stuff. He did a rollercoaster once for Disney World and then went for a ride when the ride opened. I have been helping him with the transition, since he is now running 2 businesses in 2 locations! Go get 'um big bro!

My serving of Soup

Check this out! This is what Janet sent me to work with for the Bead Soup Swap Party. I love what she chose! The wood and Heather Powers' Pendant are so my style! I can't yet imagine what I will make, but I certainly think it will have a feeling of spring with that lovely Bird Focal.

This must be the time for me to try my hand at working with Heather's beads. I just received my order from Humblebeads. I had won a Gift Certificate from Heather's Fun with Focals Challenge. Boy that was a fun challenge to try! I am so happy that I won, and that I even participated in the first place. It was so great to keep the challenge themes in mind in my work for that week. I think it really helped me turn out some great work. And... I think it is almost official-- I signed a contract today. One of those challenge pieces should appear in an upcoming magazine. Cross fingers-- The whole process made me SO NERVOUS! Head shots-- Bios-- Sentences! Ahh! I must be stronger now, because I am certainly not dead ;-0

Bead Soup

Bead Soup? What will be the flavor. Maybe something warm and fiery? Maybe fun and fruity? I wonder.

Combine ingredients: Calcite, Brecciated Jasper, Agate, Frosted Glass, Ceramic and Recycled glass pendant. Add house spices. Serve immediately.

This is for the Bead Soup Swap Party---I am sending these goodies to Janet McDonald. Here is Janet's blog I just got my package of beads in the mail-- I'll have to take a photo and show them off! I will make a piece of jewelry with them in time for the reveal date of the party!

Monochromatic Prize

http://beads-of-clay.blogspot.com/2010/01/monochromatic-prize.html

Jen Judd Rocks!

I know I already posted this on the Beads-of-Clay Blog, but I just couldn't stand to think that some of you might have missed it :-) I just love Jen Judd's Entries for the Monochromatic Challenge! And how about this photograph? I think it is a really good one! Of a really awesome necklace!!!

Jen also made these great earrings using Marsha Neal Rectangle charms! I really love the variety of beads Jen found to work with the theme!

Check out Jen's Blog to read more about her work!

New Work

I just unloaded the kiln today. It is always fun to see how things turn out.
I really like how the glazes look on this grey connector.

And this bright teal,

And new Cogs and sprockets and gears and wheels..... They remind me of visiting Stonehenge for some reason. I think it was hiking around and looking at the different rocks between Stonehenge and Salisbury. I never noticed rock like the ones in Salisbury before. I think I can remember a cathedral wall built with them....? My husband loves rocks, and has a collection, so I think if I ask him, he probably smuggled one home on the plane. I'm sure he knows exactly how they were formed ;-) (he says he did get one)

-- I haven't listed any of these beads just yet... I just opened the kiln today. If you are interested in anything, you can always contact me on Facebook (artisan clay) or note something on flickr (artisan clay) and I will make sure to get back to you before I add anything to my etsy shop :-)

Does anyone else like to work on the floor?

Look at me! I am so happy that I picked up a new pair of wire cutters that I just had to take a picture! I love them! They have a fancy compound action to make it easier on my hands to cut. I make hundreds of wire loops for my jewelry pieces, and some times it is quite a chore. I find the high temp wire to be really dense and hard on my hands. Did I say I was happy about my fancy new tool?

I am firing my kiln today :-) While I was sorting my beads and choosing colors, I realized how often I find myself working on the floor. I don't know, I guess I just like to spread out. I pile everything around me and grab this or that from in front or behind or over here or there.

Does anyone else like to work on the floor? I may be a little bit "different" but at least I get excited about my work ;-)

I hope you are having a great weekend!