Bead Soup Reveal #1

Yesterday was the first reveal for Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Hop, and where was I but stuck in bed. I managed to visit a few sites here and there, in between doses of cough meds.  I was so happy to have escaped the crud going around at work this winter, till my dear hubby brought it home with him and decided to share it with me.  For the first day or so, I was so hopeful that it was just an allergy. But no such luck. It has settled in and seems loathe to leave.
   This was the weekend I had put aside to indulge in blog hops and finish up my own bead soup.  My first piece went together so quickly that it really surprised, but I am stumped with how to handle the focal I received from my bead partner Stepha.  I had a few ideas but so far they have not looked as good when I worked them up as they did in my head.  Luckily I still have two weeks to go ...
   I haven't been able to visit a lot of the blogs yet, but I have seen some absolutely gorgeous work done by this year's bead soupers.  Check them out at Lori Anderson's Pretty Things.

Studio TIme Revisited

I had an uninterrupted day in the Studio, exploring the Controlled Marbling Technique a bit more. Still making beads rather than pendants, or other shapes.  I think the main reason I am not making pendants like Lynda does is that I HATE to sand.  Lynda gets her marvelous finish from sanding and sanding and sanding .... I am not that patient.

The tiny yellow beads are from the mixing of the litte bit
that was left over. No wasted clay!

 Lynda does say in her tut that a little clay goes a long way. I made one veneer sheet and got all these beads out of it. This time I ran the stripes vertically rather than horizontally.  Next time I am going to aim for narrower stripes.

I also finished up some beads I started a few weeks ago.  I had a bit of pad left over from the Hidden Magic beads I made. This time I took slices from the side, layed them close together to make stipes.

Clay Day

  Our guild has a quarterly Clay Day and I finally got to attend one.  Usually I have to work till midnight the night before and just can't get up early enough to make the 30 or so mile drive  worthwhile.  I actually had a 3 day weekend made the most of it.  Saw the new Wizard of Oz movie (midnight showing opening night - stories of Oz were always my favorite books as a child and that love still continues).  Saturday was spent making beads and talking with friends at Third Place Books. Afterwards, I got to visit with my kitties (pardon ...not "mine" anymore... now part of the  Maria et al family) in their new home. They certainly did not take long to move it and make it their own.  Running around like they owned the place.

    Clay Day was very inspiring.  Maria was working with translucent clay, so I got out the inks and colored a some clay too.  I had a new "skinny" border texture sheet that I used to get the crosshatched look.

Not Antiqued

Antiqued

 I decided to play a bit with controlled marbling (a la Lynda Mosely).  When I got done and looked at the veneer, I was not all that pleased with it. To tell the truth, I was trying to do it from memory and think I missed a step or two. Rather than wad up the clay for bead guts, I sliced it into strips and made beads.  I found a rolled cane in my tool box (heavens ... I don't even REMEMBER making it ... wonder how old it is?)  I reduced and added slices to the striped veneer just for fun.  I really like the final look of these beads.

Colors used: Wasabi, Fuchsia, Ecru and white/

When I got home, there was more experimenting to do.  I had some tinted translucent clay left over ... humm, wonder what will happen if I marble it and use it as a veneer.  As you can see, it is really hard to see any variation in color between the different tinted clays.

Found a different bulls eye cane to use for detail

The tints show up a bit better in these longer beads

I am not giving up on this idea. I have a weekend coming up and more experimentation to do.  

If I am not playing with the kittens that is!  Only two left but they are sooo adorable, and such a distraction.

I hope that Tofur keeps his blue eyes.

Zinger waiting patiently for the door to open.

Kitties in new home

Two more of my fledgings have left the nest.  They have landed in a very good home, with my guild mate Maria and her family.  She emailed me today to let me know that  they started playing right away, using the kitty litter like good little kitties, and seem to be settling in OK.  She sent a few pictures track their progress.  Lydia made them a little house with a "Welcome Kitties" sign - it is sooooo cute.

All tuckered out in our new home.  We've had a busy day.

That just leaves Tofur and Zinger (yes, I finally named the last one) still with us.  Maybe we will keep them, if I can't find a good home.