My Bead Soup!

My bead soup is here!!! And I love it!

Just look at these fabulous pendants from my amazingly talented partner:

Pamela Petry of Seeing is Believing
Look at that birdie (top right)! I like the other two, but I'm in love with the bird.

And look at my bead soup!!!
I'm so looking forward to diving into these beads and creating something lovely.
I love all the turquoise- the flowers, the crystals, and the glass rectangles.

And the wood! Look at all those fun shapes.

Come back September 17 and see what I create!

Bead Soup Blog Party Partners

For the list of Bead Soup Blog Party September 2011 participants and blogs, please go HERE.

Okay, I tried to do this really cool post with all the partners listed, but I could NOT get my computer or Blogger to cooperate. Instead of a neat & attractive list, I got this huge scrawly lengthy mess. And I tried to edit it, and for whatever reason could not achieve success.
I'm sorry. I wanted to have all the partners right here, easy to find, and then when somebody got to my site, they could just go down the list to the next partners... But I absolutely could not make my computer choose to participate.

Pioneer Park

Today was our final day for working at Pioneer Park!

Much as I love the quiet time of going in to the little cabin on Monday to sell stuff and perhaps to bead or read, I am delighted to have the day back. Now I will be home for my husband's days off and we can spend some time together.

The only bad thing about our summer jobs is that we both do retail/tourist stuff. Which means we rarely get days off, and if we do they are never the same day.

So all summer he has had Monday off, and I have worked on that day. Not that moms really get a 'day off', but I wish I had a day with Jake. A whole day with little to nothing planned... or to go for a long drive just Jake and me.

Saturday Smiles Return

I haven't been able to do my smiles in a while because of SUMMER.

During summer I:
go to Farmer's Market twice a week (Wednesday & Saturday),
go to Pioneer Park once a week (Monday),
madly string and twist jewelry to keep up with the demand,
take my girls to swimming lessons,
take care of my mom,
take my youngest to her twice a week therapy sessions (Occupational therapy, an entirely different story, and a getting better all the time situation)
and try to keep food in the house.

It's a busy life. I like it, but that doesn't mean I keep up with everything.
During the summer, I don't keep a particularly clean house, I don't make hot dinners every night, and I don't get to read much. And my blog suffers...

However, school started Thursday of this week! Which means summer is just about over here in the far north. And I can blog regularly again! =)

So-
Three things that make me smile:

1.) New school supplies
sharpened pencils, clean erasers, new crayons, fresh paper

2.) Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden books
I love this urban fantasy series- gritty mysteries with werewolves, vampires and fairies. A new one just came out and I haven't been able to read it yet because of SUMMER! But I'll have it read very soon.

3.) Fairy tales
I prefer the old country fairy tales, Grimm's Fairy Tales, the Andrew Lang's colored fairy tale books - Donkeyskin, Puss in Boots, The Golden Ball, Rose Red... They fired my imagination and fueled my dreams. As much as I enjoy the Disney cartoon versions, his re-telling of the old stories were much sweeter, lighter and more pious than the originals. The originals were gritty, cunning and blood-thirsty enough to satisfy any vampire addict.

362!!

That's how many people are participating in the Bead Soup Blog Party!
That's crazy!

Bead Soup Blog Party

I'm so excited to be in another Bead Soup Blog Party!!!!

Lori Anderson of Pretty Things absolutely rocks, and she arranges for a lovely bead soup party regularly. I got to participate in the second one, and here I am again for the fourth one!

The way it works is pretty straight-forward. You sign up, and through Lori's magic you are paired up with another jewelry artist. Each person chooses the ingredients for a bead soup: a focal bead, some coordinating beads and a clasp. You put your ingredients in a package and mail it to your partner, and wait eagerly for their package to arrive! Then you take the ingredients they sent you and turn it into something fabulous.

The only requirements are that you must use the focal and the clasp. Of course, you are encouraged to use some of the beads, but that's not the point. The point is that you have the opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone and work with new ingredients, and new styles. The creative exercise of working with new materials may be challenging, but it is always fun.

Thank you, Lori! I am in awe of your willingness to participate in something magical.

Fun Day- Pearl Leaf Bracelet

I love making my leaf bracelets. I thoroughly enjoy making the leaf components. And even though it can be tedious, I am so pleased with the bead braiding when I am done that the whole creating/stringing process is fun, too.

The first step is selecting the metal for the leaf component- I prefer pulling discarded copper from the bin at school. I love the pieces with character, the ones that have been worked and heated, beat up and abandoned.

After choosing the perfect metal, I heat it and put it through the rolling mill with leaves. Then I cut out the sections I like best, shape them and file them down smooth. To use them in my bracelets, I need to drill holes on either end.

After completing the component, I take them home and string the perfect beads and chain into very short strands. Then I braid them and attach them to the central component.

Fun Day- Sun Pendant

My sun pendant necklace- The pendant is cast from a wax carving.

First, I carved the sun pendant out of wax, and attached several wax sprues (the funnels that allow the molten metal to reach every part of the pendant). Then I suspended the wax in investment, which hardens kind of like cement. Next, I burned out the wax in a very hot kiln. When the mold was complete, I poured molten metal (I chose rosey bronze), into the mold and let it cool. Next I broke the hardened investment off and cleaned up the casting, which came out dirty and grungy looking. After cleaning it up and cutting off the metal sprues, I polished and tumbled it.

After I was satisfied with the appearance of the sun, I chose the red Jasper cabachon and glued it into the bezel cup. Although I am not completely satisfied with the beads and structure of the necklace, I do like my sun quite a bit. I have some thoughts and ideas circling in my brain as to how I will change the necklace itself, and I'm probably going to change it up a bit in a couple of weeks.

Fun Day- Phoenix Necklace

I twisted wire, pearls, crystals, carnelians, and moss agate together to create my Phoenix Necklace. I love the glow and amazing diversity of the carnelians! Each one was completely different from the others. My favorite elements were the sparkly fire opal Swarovski crystals (of course) with the pearls running a close second; however, this piece was fun to create from beginning to end. Every element was a joy to choose and place within the over-all design.

When I found the leaf focal point, I immediately thought of the Phoenix myth- a beautiful bird burns fiercely and is reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix arises, reborn anew to live again.
I wish my skills as a photographer equaled the beauty of the carnelians and the amazing depth within the moss agate. I am growing in my photography skills, but I've got to grow faster!

SOLD!

I just want everyone to know that I sold this piece today. =) And it was expensive, too!

Go, me!!!

Saturday Smiles

Things that make me smile! =)

1.) Posting on my blog
Although it may be rare, I still smile every single time.

2.) Sleeping Kitty
My kitty-cat curled up in that little ball with her tail over her nose - adorable.

3.) Bed before Midnight
I RARELY make it, but oh, when I do! It's wonderful. And I don't just smile, I glow.

bio frustration

I've been asked to prepare a bio for Pioneer Park, and I am EXTREMELY frustrated. Not happy with what I've done, and wishing I hadn't put this off so late...

Here's what I've got so far.
*****

Rebecca Sirevaag grew up along the Western coast of the U.S. Her dad was a forester and botanist, so many of her fondest memories involve the outdoors he loved: agate collecting on Oregon beaches, tramping through the forests of Oregon and Washington, and camping in Death Valley.

In the early eighties, her family moved to Kotzebue, Alaska, the largest Eskimo village. A couple of years later they arrived in Fairbanks, where Rebecca focused on music and English in high school. She attended UAF and graduated with a B.A. in Theatre and Music.
Upon graduation she moved to Fort Worth, TX to focus on the performing arts in the context of her Christian faith. She joined a Repertory Theatre Company, appropriately called The Company and spent the next 5 years acting, singing and dancing across the U.S.

She moved to Seattle, WA to teach Theatre & English, where she met her husband, Jake Sirevaag, who is currently visitor staff at UAF's Museum of the North. She continued to perform and direct multiple theatrical performances.

Enter BEADS- Rebecca had always performed in the more ephemeral arts- singing, dancing, acting; however, when she was put on bed-rest for three months during her first pregnancy, books could only help her deal with the boredom so much...

Her sister, Beth came to stay with her in Seattle, and shared her passion for beading.
Rebecca has been working with beads for about the same age as her oldest daughter, Deborah- eight years. Maybe she’ll get to do more performance art when her daughters are older, but for right now she is delighted to share her love of beads, metal-smithing and wirework.
Her favorite beads are crystals, glass, and chains. Her favorite metal is copper, and her favorite medium is wirework.

Saturday Smiles

I'm going to do these when I can, but I'm not sure how consistent I will be during the summer. I want to go to bed!

1.) Petunias

I love any and all flowers, but for some reason petunias just make me happy. They have such happy faces, and they don't smell awful like marigolds.

2.) Listening to my girls giggling together

They have had a lot of time together this summer, and they are enjoying each other more. I love seeing them figure out how to compromise and play together. Yes, they have had some pretty big fights, but I would say they've done more giggling than arguing

3.) Camping

Jake & I both like to go camping and it's sad how little we've been able to do together. Since we've never had much excess money during our ten years of marriage, it took us a while to build up the equipment we would need. We're hoping to get to go at least once this summer.

With my neck and back in such a mess, I have to have a pretty elaborate sleeping set-up or I can't function the next day. But it's worth it!!

Bead Table Wednesday

Okay, it's Bead Table Wednesday, and my bead table is in our Farmer's Market box... (The box we throw everything in that goes to FM with us- our gift boxes, bags, money drawer, earring racks, water bottles, lunch, etc.) My tray is at the bottom of the box, I might add. And the tray is a mess, anyway.
So, I'm going to TELL you what's on it, and let you imagine.

Here goes:
1) I have three completed items- two leaf bracelets, and my sun necklace. I hope to get good pics of them in the sun tomorrow.
2) I have a leaf bracelet I need to complete.
3) Two projects that customers brought for me to repair. (Yes, we do some minor repair work, and we don't charge very much either!)
4) Pearls to create a pearl wire necklace.
5) Flowers and beads to create a Y wire necklace.
6) a random assortment of beads that need to be put away from projects I've finished...

So, that's my mess, and yup, I hate working in a mess. So I'm hoping to complete several of these projects tomorrow while I'm at FM. However, tomorrow is a day that the girls have to come with me, so I'm not expecting to actually get much done.

Still loving all the pretty beads!

Break

I am not keeping up with everything!
I've got Farmer's Market, Pioneer Park, swimming lessons, PT for me, OT for Abigail, church... Whew. I'm a little stretched out. I can tell I'm feeling overwhelmed because I've finished 4 books in the last 5 days. Definitely a strong indicator of a need to escape.
Things are selling faster than I can make them, and I've got to get my stock back up. I've had quite a few of my wire pieces sell, and I haven't had time to replace them.
So, I'm taking a break from FB and most of my computer stuff. I'll try to keep up with Bead Table Wednesdays, but I don't think I'll get to my Saturday Smiles til school starts again. I have high hopes, though!

Bead Table Wednesday

What's on my Bead Table?
A RAINBOW! (only a single one, sad to say)
I'm working on a chime/mobile project... And hoping that these rainbow dangles will be the perfect finishing touch.

Do you remember the old light mnemonic? ROYGBIV? I'm delighted to say that yes, I do remember it. And although the way I use it is probably not what my science teacher had in mind, I bet she'd be happy I remember it. =)

Still loving all the pretty glass beads! (and the wood ones, and the stone ones, and even some of the plastic/"resin" ones...)

Fun Day- Two Finished Pieces

One of my leaf bracelets

To create the leaf component:

I softened the copper with the torch, and textured it with a hammer. Then I ran it through the rolling mill with the leaves. Next I sawed around the leaves, and filed smooth the edges. Finally, I drilled the holes on the sides, and formed it to the proper shape.

When I got it home from the metal-smithing workshop I chose some lovely blue glass beads and braided the little strands all together.

Balance Pendant

The pendant is created with bluestone, silver, copper and nickel silver.

First, I textured the copper by hammering and folding it. Then I cut out each oval and filed them smooth. Next, I soldered all the pieces together. After soldering, I added the letters and used liver of sulphur to patina the metals. Finally, I slipped the bluestone cabachon into place, and burnished the setting.

When I got the pendant home I was delighted to discover I already had some lovely bluestone rounds to match the cab.

I created some bluestone links, found some fabulous chain and beaded it up. I'm very pleased with the end result.

Song- The Redeemer

The Redeemer
by Sanctus Real
from the album Pieces of a Real Heart

Sometimes I just want to start over
'Cause everything looks like a wreck
And I need the courage to carry on'
Cause I can't see what's ahead

And there are places I've wished I could be
Battles I've wanted to win
Dreams that have slipped through my hands
I may never get back again

But I'm still a dreamer, a believer
Oh, I've lost my faith in so many things
But I still believe in You
'Cause You can make anything new

Sometimes I just wish we could say
All the things that are easy to hear
Ignore the injustice we see
And explain every unanswered prayer

But I'd rather speak honestly
And wear a tattered heart on my sleeve
'Cause in the middle of my broken dreams
Redemption is here

And I'm still a dreamer, a believer
Oh, I lost my faith in so many things
But I still believe in You
'Cause You are the answer, the Redeemer
Oh, I've given up on too many things
But I'm not giving up on You
'Cause You can make anything new

I don't have every answer in life
But I'm trusting You one day at a time
'Cause You can make a weak heart stay alive
Forever

This is where heaven and earth collide
I lift my hands and I give my life
This is how my weary heart stays alive

Oh, I'm still a dreamer, still a believer
And You are the answer, the Redeemer
'Cause You can make anything new
Yeah, You can make anything new

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

We've got vacation Bible school this week. The girls are attending and I'm teaching part of the pre-school (4's & 5's) class. So I am exhausted. I will not be posting a BTW (bead table wednesday) photo. I'm sorry.
I need to go to bed and get ready to get up early tomorrow.
Till Saturday!
Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Bead Table Wednesday

These pearl necklaces are selling as fast as I put them out! So, I'm trying to keep up. And it's hard. =) Which makes me happy.