Waxed Linen Cord Blog Hop - Final Design

So, the waxed linen cord blog hop definitely took me out of my comfort zone, but I did have a lot of fun working with (what is for me) a new material.  I used two boro lampwork beads from Stoney Marie Designs, two of my dangle lampwork beads, some czech glass, and brass rondelles.   I had a lot of fun pulling together a tray of great beads from my bead stash and mixing and matching the materials.

I love the little knotted ends, so I wanted to make sure that the design had a lot of those.  This was the most fun part of the design for me.

Below is a list of all the designers who participated!

Diana Ptaszynski - http://www.suburbangirlstudio.com 

Kelsy Vincent - http://jillofalltradescraft.blogspot.com

Susan Kennedy - http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com

Linda Landig - http://lindalandig.wordpress.com

Kashmira Patel - http://sadafulee.blogspot.com

Jenny Davies-Reazor - http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog

Vanessa Gilkes - http://www.culturezine.com

Sandy Huntress - http://keepsakecrafts.net

Kay Thomerson - http://KayzKreationz.blogspot.com

Sarajo Wentling - http://sjdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

Kari Asbury - http://www.Hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com

Rebecca Anderson - http://www.songbeads.blogspot.com

Melissa Trudinger - http://www.beadrecipes.wordpress.com

Ann Schroeder - http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com

Shai Williams - http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com

Blanca Medina - http://www.peru-medesigns.com

Cheryl Brown - http://www.dragonflybeads.ca

Johana Nunez Rivera - http://www.artincendi.com

Lori Bowring Michaud - http://www.artfullyornamental.blogspot.com

Kelly Morgan - http://www.silverparrotdesigns.blogspot.com

Barbara Bechtel - http://secondsurf.com

Kristen Stevens - http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Janet Bocciardi - http://www.honeyfromthebee.com

Kathy Lindemer - http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com

Lesley Watt - http://www.thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com

Susan Kolovson - http://www.beadinspired.blogspot.com

Jayne Capps - http://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com

Michelle McCarthy - http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com

Cynthia Deis - http://shinylittlethings.blogspot.com

Karla Morgan - http://www.TexasPepperJams.blogspot.com

Erin Siegel - http://www.erinsiegeljewelry.blogspot.com

Becky Pancake - http://www.beckypancakebeaddesigns.blogspot.com

Kelly Hosford Patterson - http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com/

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson - http://www.sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com

Inge von Roos - http://www.ingetraud.wordpress.com

Carolyn Lawson - http://www.Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Linda Younkman - http://www.lindysdesigns.blogspot.com

Sandi Volpe - http://www.sandivolpe.com

Toltec Jewels - http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Michelle Mach - http://www.michellemach.com/blog

Jen Cameron - http://www.glassaddictions.com/blog

Dorothy Winchell - http://www.winchell-clayworks.com/myblog

Darlene Mansue - http://www.d7studioblog.blogspot.com

Getting Ready for the Waxed Linen Jewelry Blog Hop

So, a little package of awesome waxed linen showed up in my mailbox today from White Clover Kiln and it looks awesome.  I turned on some great music in my studio and started digging through my bead stash. Although my studio assistant (Crusher the dog) was absolutely no help, I was able to pull some of my beads and some cool metal, wood, and gemstone beads to compliment the waxed linen. I also pulled in some more art beads from Staci Louise Originals and Suburban Girl Studio.  I have no idea what's going to happen with all these goodies yet, but I guess that's the fun of trying something new!

Beads getting ready for greatness!

Studios assistant failing on the job.

April Contest - Two winners will receive FREE BEADS!!!

To celebrate the launch of my new Wix website, two winners will receive one strand of encased nuggets!!  In order to be eligible, simply place your next order using my new website (hmbstudios.com).  In May, I'll draw two lucky winners who will receive one of the strands pictured here.  

Fresh from the torch! These fabulous shades of green, yellow, cream, orange and red are bright and fun for spring. Coming this week to my website and Etsy store!

Wacky Chunkies!

Yay for new wacky chunkies in my Etsy store! Wacky chunky beads are chunky discs made by randomly combining 5-7 colors of glass and then spiraling the glass to make fabulous discs. Because of the randomness of the colors used each set (and sometime each bead) is unique. Snatch them up!

Snow, snow, snow

The most wonderful thing about being snowed in is making beads! I've been so bust this past winter making disc beads, that I've finally stopped to take some time and make some other shapes! These guys are thin sprees. The thinner size makes them lighter weight, so you can use them for earrings or a design that can't accommodate the heavier glass beads. My free bead winner this month will receive a matching pair of thin sprees...maybe the ones I make this weekend while I'm snowed in!

Smooth Chunky Discs

More new stuff for this spring are the smooth chunky discs. I used to make these a few years ago and then switched over to the bullseye discs. I thought I'd bring them back this spring, but with a twist - the second color on the rim to make them really pop. Keep your eye on my Etsy store for these discs and some other colors coming out soon.

Constellation Beads

Fresh out of the kiln are these little beauties. The idea for these beads came from a very happy accident. It combines several different colors to come up with a great bright reactive blue on a pop of orange. The black dots turned out very organically shaped and remind me of constellation drawings.

Steampunked Honey Bumpy Lampwork Discs

New set for 2010! This is a new set that I'm making and if I do say so myself it's totally yummy. I used ambers, creams, and metallic black to create a fun and versatile set of discs. They range in diameter from 16-18mm and can be made on 1/16" or 3/32" mandrels. My inspiration for this piece actually comes from the great variety of Steampunk jewelry that you can find on Etsy. I tried to come up with a set of beads that feels organic and mechanical all at once. I think using the amber and cream tones along with the metallic black really achieves this! 3 strand inches of "Steampunked Honey"! This set is available on my website and my Etsy store.

I got these really cool pink opal briolettes last week and I've been dieing to use them. A lux pair of earring in the bright and fun colors that I love (available in my Etsy jewelry store). I of course has to include a pair of my handmade lampwork beads. The beads are made with a reactive glass that gives them a milky, wispy color. And then I popped in a bunch of carnelian dangles.

I was looking to make something funky this weekend and here's what I came up with. I started with this really cool milky clear funky donut beads and connected them with my galaxy beads. It's finished off with tiny sterling silver faceted beads and chain. I offer galaxy rondelle beads in a variety of colors in my Etsy store and the bracelet and earrings will be available at my jewelry site.

Well, it seems as though I've been obsessed with etched beads lately. It was actually quite difficult for me to get used to the etching process. I'm very attached to the beads that I make and they all look delicious after they come of the kiln and are cleaned. How could I subject them to the harsh etching process and take away their beautiful luster? Wouldn't I be betraying their trust? However, after a certain point, you need to take the plunge and etch the beads. Luckily for me, my husband, Harry, is the etcher in the household (like the bad cop). He takes the beads into the laundry room, he etches them, and they come out with a beautiful matte finish. I think they are lovely! They work really well with shiny gemstone beads for a lux look. On the other end of the spectrum, they also work well with ceramic and polymer clay for an earthy look.

Me and My Helper

Harry and I are two weeks in to the basement and glass studio remodel. In the meantime, I'm making beads on a temporary set up. Morty, the dog is very busy helping as you can see! The remodel is moving along quickly as it is mainly painting, trim, and installing new cabinets. However, there's tons of stuff in the basement that needs to be moved around as we paint. I can't wait to for my new setup!

Focal, Disc, and Rondelle Sets

I've been making these really cute disc sets that include one focal, two discs, and two rondelles. These are great for designers who are looking to make a necklace with matching earrings! I currently have these listed in my Etsy store.

Large Hole Discs

This was a fun project. I got a request from a designer to create discs with a larger hole (approximately 5mm). The larger hole accommodates 2 strands of cord, seed beads, ribbon, etc so they can be used as a pendant. Each large hole discs is 20mm in diameter and costs $3. Please contact me directly to order.

Minty Treasury

My Minty Green Discs were included in an Etsy Treasury created by bythewayside today. Minty green discs are an old favorite of mine. They are a great color especially for spring jewelry. I currently have over 20 colors (transparents and opaques) of discs in my Etsy store. Stop by to check them out! You should also check out the store of bythewayside. She is currently selling vintage goods. Thanks for including me in your treasury!

A Day at the OCEAN Treasure - Etsy

My Metallic Juicy Beach Glass Rondelles were included in an Etsy Treasury created by Jennifer of pinklilypress today. These newer beads featuring black metallic reactive glass are some of my favorites and they work really well with blue and green ocean colors in Jennifer's treasury. My metallic series is currently only available on Etsy, so stop by to check it out! You should also check out the store of pinklilypress. I love the designs and illustrations she uses on her stationery, greeting cards, and other paper products. Kudos on the Treasury Jennifer!

Easy Beading Volume 5

Just a reminder that my disc bead bracelet is going to be in Easy Beading Volume 5. This is the same bracelet that was in the July 2008 issue of BeadStyle magazine. I'm very excited! I'll be having a sale to celebrate in this spring. Those of you who get my mailing list will get details on this soon. If you'd like to join my mailing list just email me!

Wacky Chunky Discs

Wacky chunky discs are thicker and larger than I normally make my discs. They are all hand-formed. I do not use a press or other tool when I make these...just gravity and heat. Each discs is made up of several different colors, which makes each discs really unique. I would not be able to exactly remake a set, there are just too many variables. The size lends itself well to necklaces and chunky bracelets. I'm currently selling these in my Etsy store.

Yikes....Ice!

It's super frozen outside, but we managed to get out and about today to get our Christmas tree. It was a mistake to wait so long, because all the trees available were iced over...can't exactly bring an iced Christmas tree in the house. We ended up going to Lowe's, where there were 3 tiny reject trees left. One of them was perfect for me though and we got it for a great price!