Copper.

Why do I love copper so much? It is warm to look at and cool to touch. You can beat it with a hammer and it gets even better! Throw some liver of sulphur on it and it is darkened to a beautiful chocolate. Rub that patina and it just POPS! Love. Love. Love.

It makes friends with every medium. Glass. Ceramic. Gems. Paper.... I think it would be friendly with an old shoe.

Bohemian Dream! Bohemian Inspired Jewelry Is Here!

I have been a fan of Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegel for a few years and was so excited for them when I heard about their new book! Alas, patience is not my strong suit and waiting for what seems like an eternity for Bohemian Inspired Jewelry to arrive was just about the end of me! Luckily it was so worth the wait! A few select guest designers are featured, including Denise Yezbak Moore, Mary Jane Dodd, and Tracy Statler. The book design is lush and the projects are inviting! It is always exciting to add a few new techniques to your design tool belt and there are many I am excited to try like the half-hitch knot and the half-hitch knotted loop! I had a chance to play with a few design ideas in the bohemian theme....

Thank you post person!

Inspiring designs from Tracy Statler and Denise Yezbak Moore!

So many ideas!

You can find links to other blogs sharing their Bohemian Inspired Jewelry designs at the Beading Daily Blog.

The book is being offered at a discount here http://www.interweavestore.com/Jewelry-Making/Books/Bohemian-Inspired-Jewelry.html

Or you can find the ebook here http://www.interweavestore.com/Jewelry-Making/Books/Bohemian-Inspired-Jewelry-eBook.html

Happy designing!

Gemified!

This studio would be decorated with sparkly gems from floor to celling if I had my way! It was mothers day so my lovely family indulged me with a trip to Gem Fair! I was looking for pinks for a necklace for my mom... I found a lot more!

A few things that have helped me at Gem Fair...

Take a camera. Take photos of booths and items that you might want to contact or look at after the show.
Even photograph what you purchased so if you want more you can send the vendor a photo list for easy reorders.

Make a list of colors you need or bring photos of items you want to color match that way you don't loose the original item.

Buy something not on your list. Even if I have a list, buying at least one thing that is out of my usual comfort zone will inspire creativity. Of course I don't want to blow my budget on things that will not be useful, but a $5 item usually will not break the bank.

It never hurts to ask. Even if the price says "50% off", ask for an additional discount, you never know what kind of deal you might get if you don't ask!

Bring the BIG purse.

If you have a shopping tip, please share!

Obsessed!

It looks like this style of bracelet is pretty popular! And rightly so! I found this fantastic tutorial for the ladder stitch over at Lima Beads and have been happily creating bundles just for this project. So far I haven't been able to part with the three I've created. Such a fun technique...

Art Bead Scene: Studio Saturday with Gaea Cannaday

I am so pleased and honored to be a contributor for the Art Bead Scene Blog. Today is my day to share a bit about my studio....

You can spend a day, in and out of the studio, with me! Project included!

Art Bead Scene Blog