Come to the Party!! The Bead Soup Party!!

Here are todays first Bead Soup Gems!  

Take the time to go through the entire list.  

It is totally worth the trip!! 

Saturday, June 19th -- blogs 1-13

1. Lori, Pretty Things

2. Lorelei, Lorelei1141

3. Norma, Moonlit Fantaseas

4. Beth, EB Bead and Metalworks

5. Katie, KatieBead

6. Kimberly, Bahama Dawn

7. Debbie, Prairie Emporium

8. Lisa, Joolz by Lisa

9. Kate, Tropical Blonde

10. Janet, Singing Woods

11. Julianna, Juls Beads

12. Erin, Treasures Found

14. Jen, Jen Judd Rocks

There are some wonderful people who just happen to be great jewelry designers and bead makers here!  

My partner is Emanda Johnson and you can get a sneak peek at what she did 

with my handmade polymer Alamo Beads beads soup ingredients today.  

Her big reveal is tomorrow so check back.  

You will have to hold your breath until June 25th to see mine.  

(Don't really do that! You will miss all the loveliness in between LOL)

PS Bead Soup Party is on!! and a sneak peek of mine...

I just realized that yesterday was the 16th!! 

"Oh Blather" as Pooh Bear would say. 

But that means-

  The BEAD SOUP PARTY has started!!!

 so go to: www.prettythingsblog.com 

to find your way to all the wonderful jewelry that has been created.  

I will be posting mine on the 25th of June, 

but here is a little peek at my creation. 

Accidental Starry Nights Art

I thoroughly enjoyed the "23 Days of Inspiration" posts on Heather Powers of Humblebeads Blog.  

If you missed it go check it out here.  

One of her posts was a wonderful video about Van Gogh's art titled "Starry Nights".  

I immediately remembered something very cool that happened to me. 

 I am a firm believer that there is a power much greater than us that runs the universe. 

 It always amazes me and makes me feel wonderful when that power seems to be speaking through me.  Several years ago I was in a small fiber group that enjoyed trying new techniques. At one of our meetings we were painting on fabric with Shiva Paint sticks and I created several pieces free hand including this one. 

The fabric was dark blue with the lighter spots on it and I simply created a swirl 

and trails like a shooting star.  

I didn't think twice about it.  Here is where that power I am talking about steps in.  

A few years later I had to choose several photos to use in a polymer clay class where we learned how to do photo transfers onto clay. 

This is one of the photos I chose.  

And here is the pendant I ended up creating using that photo transfer. 

The image is reversed in the photo transfer process and there it is.  

Van Gogh's Starry Night!!

I am sometimes possessive of what I think are "My Ideas" as an artist. 

 Then something like this happens and I remember I am part of the universe and like everything in it I have a place.  I am so glad that power has such a wonderful sense of humor!!

Do you ever feel your inspiration comes from an energy outside yourself?  

Tell your story here in the comments, I would love to hear it.

I had a play date with resin this week.

I have been wanting to pour resin on some polymer clay pieces again to create the faux lamp-work look.

These are unusual because I first mono-printed clay with acrylic paints and then sprinkled with embossing powders. If you have never mono-printed it is fun and easy.  The method I used you dab paint on the inside of a cut open sheet protector.  Close the protector sheets so that the paint is in the middle and rub the paint around with a spoon or your finger. Then open it up and place a sheet of clay on the paint. Pull it off and you get some nice color effects on the clay.  I sprinkled the embossing powders right away  before the paint dried.  The first two did not have a high enough frame to pour the resin in so they will remain like this.

The frames on this next set are bulky and were very time and clay consuming but I needed to build up an edge that would hold in the resin.  I learn from my mistakes and there was a huge learning curve with the making of this set . All the better for next time. 

Here you can see that the resin adds a glassy watery effect to the embellished clay.

I mixed a lot of resin so I also had fun filling a candy tin and bottle caps with beads, shells, watch parts and other paraphernalia I had on hand.  

And let me not forget the lovely little song bird I snapped a picture of at the Alamo this spring.  He was singing his heart out.  

MY SECOND GIVEAWAY!!!!

I will be randomly choose a winner who will receive one of these amazing bottle caps next Sunday June 20th!! 

All you have to do to have a chance to win is leave a comment with spectacularly easy but secure ways to attach wire or rings to the back of my bottle caps without the use of fire! 

Please be specific if you are suggesting a certain product and include where I may obtain it.  

I would like to be able to attach these as charms and pendants in my jewelry.

Thanks!! 

Have a soothing Sunday!!