UFO Weekend

To those of us who are makers, the term UFO has another meaning. I am talking about the infamous Unfinished Objects.

I am one of those artists who just loves making the beads, but then am at a loss for knowing exactly what to do with them when done.  I have cubbies full of UFO's, beads I have made, projects I have started ... but I am trying to get more organized and actually finish something.  Lord Opuson was out of town, so I could just sit and play with my beads all day Sunday.  Heaven (so what if the weeds are taking over ... beads are more important, right???).

I first meet Christi Friesen on a Lisa Pavelka Clay Cruise out of New Orleans.  I think it was 2008 or 2009 (as I get older, the years blend together). I had admired her work and when I finally got a chance to take a class, I jumped at it.  She is such a dynamic instructor that   I begged her to come and teach in the Pacific Northwest. After about a year (her schedule is so full it takes a long time to get pencilled in) it became a reality. She presented classes in Everett and Edmonds, and naturally I signed up for both.

Her Everett class was a Firebird, that I FINALLY got strung this weekend.

 On the next Polymer Cruise I took when Christi taught, I was lucky enough to score a few of her heart pendants. She has told her classes, that whenever she gets stuck creatively speaking, she starts making hearts and soon her juices are flowing and ideas abound.  So that is why she usually has a plethora of hearts to pass on.  I finally found stones that matched her lovely heart pendant.

On this I made pendant, also Christi inspired that I made after her Edmonds class, I combined Steampunk and Floral elements. The large bronze colored section in the middle is actually a stone that I incorporated into the piece.

 Call it just one of those things, or perhaps the universe sending a message ... but I found this heart on a grape the other day.  Even if it was just a random bruising pattern, it still made me smile.

A moment of Zen

Asymmetrical Challenges

As mentioned in a previous post, I am a gal who likes symmetry.  Things gotta match.   The trend toward asymmetrical jewelry, while fascinating is also scary to me.  However I find myself  strangely attracted to it,  even though it bothers my inner sense of balance.
  One of my goals for this year is to expand my range into actually making more jewelry pieces, rather than just the beads. I enjoyed the challenge of the 52 earrings/year project, and taking part in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Hops.  These have forced me to expand beyond my scope and interested me more in jewelry design itself.  I have a bead stash (who doesn't?) that is crying to be used, not to mention making my own beads,  so what is stopping me? Why am I afraid to put some beads on a string??? And when I do attempt stringing, it takes me forever ... I find myself stressing over exactly which beads to use, make and remake the string a dozen times.  This does not lead to a very happy experience in the long run.  I want to enjoy the process, not stress over it.
   Hence the latest experiment (bet you were wondering when  I going to get to the point).  I thought I would try the leave it to chance method.  The first try was with a strand of coordinated beads from a bead show years past. Easy to start with as some one else had picked the beads for me, thus reducing the stress of having to think to hard. Into the bucket they went and I strung them as I pulled them out.  The only bead placement planning I did was with the triangular shaped beads.

That idea worked so well, it lead me to attempt an even more challenging project. This time, I had to go through my bead stash and pick the coordinating beads myself.  I still left the stringing order to chance,  except for the  spacer motif. I must admit that I really like this set.  Now I have the stringing bug, which is good since it is too cold in my studio to do any clay work.  I have to do something to keep my fingers busy this winter.

And here is your moment of cute .

Some one has exploring feet
(taken with cell phone so pardon the focus)

Finding Nino

I have not been playing with clay since the cruise, so I decided to spend Saturday in my studio. But first I had to clean it a bit .... mistake!!!!!  I found some beads that I bought recently and decided that I would string them instead.  Since doing the Bead Soup and hopping all over the blogosphere getting inspired, I have been thinking more about how present beads than feeling the need to make them.
   Of course, my studio is not set up for stringing, so I have to hunt through bins looking for wire, crimps, hooks, etc.  Can find them all except the crimps.  So off to the friendly local bead store ... another MISTAKE.  It is their anniversary and everything in the store is 20% off.  I tried to be good, really I did, but I found these lovely abalone beads in all sorts of shiny colors ..., they are kinda like potato chips to me.
  Got the crimps and was finally able to finish the necklace and earrings to match.  I had found another set of beads that I also made up.  Now, I am no great shakes at design, so these are rather simple, but I am pleased none the less.

Finding Nino

 I know that one is not supposed to take pictures in sunlight where shadows are being cast, etc. Not professional. But I kinda like the shadow play where it makes ripples on the bottom left.  It shows the texture of the beads.

The second set I don't like as much, but it was a learning experience.

Sunrise Sonata

And here are some of the Abalone  beads I was telling you about.