Have a wonderful New Years Eve, or Day, where ever in the world you are ... and I will continue to fix my blog, with a little help from my computer geek kid, and my friends.
By the way: Duchess...if you are reading this...my calendar loving son with autism has aleady asked me for a new Artbeads Calendar for 2011. He slept with it on his bed all last year! Spelled it out to me right after midnight tonight!
My choice for Bruce's Sad Song. NOT The River. Thunder Road. or, of course, Philadelphia. But my personal choice: Thunder Road, because it is sad AND crazy. Here is a fairly good version from youtube, above.
My rebuttal to Spinner's sad songs list. Terrible list. Space Oddity--a sad song, or a good song? First off--A Good Song! geesh! This must be some kind of a guy thing, like chick flicks are for chicks. that is just a good song. She's Leaving Home is right up there with Eleanor Rigby and I resent the fact that they only had one Beatles song on there. UGH.
here are my Crazy songs:
I used to have TONS more, in the days of Napster. If anyone else has any, share them with me! Crazy is my middle name!
PS: I am so insulted by Spinner because I truly love sad songs, and I usually respect and enjoy Spinner. They don't seem to have recognized the majors ones and couldn't if they tripped over them. The River, over Thunder Road? You are kidding, Spinner.
A short introductory preview from Youtube of a class which I just took at Beaducation with the wonderful Lisa Niven Kelly.
The class, as you can see, is for her "Continuum Earrings", which involves seed beads, coiled wire and wire spirals.You can make a matching pendant if you wish as well! It's FABULOUS!
I cannot describe my fascination with combining the modern and the ancient, but these earrings, particularly if you choose to oxidize the wire ( there is a free class on that at Beaducation you can use) really take elements from both time periods and create something beautifully unique. Possibly that is why they are called "Continuum Earrings". Time spirals on! Just my thought. They could be equally at home in a museum of ancient jewelry or in a hip store in downtown NYC. Make them and you will invigorate yourself after these crazy holidays during which we have all been running around doing too much. It's time to have a little peace and quiet to yourself, and taking a class from Lisa Niven Kelly or her selection of expert fellow teachers at Beaducation is just the thing to chill you out and get you interested in creating beautiful jewelry again. Take my word for it!
The "Continuum Earrings" are shown above at Beaducation in their photo in a berry color--you will learn how to spiral the little decorative pieces at the top of the ear wires as well!
The class, as taught by Lisa, uses step by step sections which are clearly videoed for you. Once you buy the class, you can start and stop as you wish. There are two parts to this particular class which Lisa recommends you go to two of Beaducation's free tutorials and take a look at, if you are a neophyte in those areas. A good idea.
The first part of the class is an introduction. Then Lisa shows the tools needed and then the class begins, divided into sections with the times of each section shown right next to the video as you watch it. I was truly entranced by this fascinating pair of earrings, which she makes using matte size 15 chartreuse seed beads in the video. Also, as always, I was totally impressed by her friendly manner and her completely terrific professionalism. They don't come any better than Lisa. Also, if there is anyone who perfected the online tutorial website before she did, I will eat my hat. I have been following her career since day one and she is just world-class.
Lisa now has a collection of teachers, as I mentioned, at Beaducation, so you can select from all sorts of super knowlegable people, and super diverse projects--she has something for everyone. If you haven't been there lately, I recommend that you go! If you have NEVER been--hie yourself there! You will fall in love with making jewelry all over again. Take my word for it! And what a wonderful time of year to energize your own self when you have been doing so much for everyone else. Forget about the leftover turkey, and cozy up with a cup of tea and some projects, like the "Continuum Earrings", or a selection or selections of your own choice, at the great website, Beaducation!
got to see my grandkids and grand-dog! I think my oldest son and his wife look great! I am very proud of this sweet family. And no--this is not my house. My house does not look like this pretty house at all! :)
Jewels, my Prima Dolly Fair Blythe Tokyo, customized by Zaloa27, wearing her wonderful Christmas outfit by Godesia on Etsy! Tree earrings from a fun kit at Artbeads! Little felted bear from G.B.
A Bead A Day Lisa has received permission to share a project from her book, A Bead in Time! This necklace, using softflex wire, was inspired by a colored pencil drawing!
Beads & Books Michelle shares a handmade polymer clay ornament by Diva Designs and her favorite chocolate candy recipe. (You'll need to keep up your strength if you're going to bead over the holidays!)
Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi starts to work with resin cubes she made earlier in the year.
The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Sue Kennedy of SueBeads offers up a really beautiful assortment of goodies in this week's Thursday Giveaway! Find out how you can win them!
About.com Jewelry Making Tammy looks at least year's resolutions and thinks about 2011. Share your resolutions or lack of them.
Art Bead Scene Come make a sleigh bell bracelet with ABS for the 6th Day of the annual 12 Days of free projects!
"Sylvie", named for Sylvie Vartan, a PD Paris Blythe, dressed for the season in a Polly outfit, all embroidered and felted and crocheted. Custom by Zaloa27. She also appeared this month in Australian Beading magazine in a different photo
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
This song above is in honor of my father, Bob, who raised me as a Catholic in a town full of Episcopalians. We were outcasts, and yet my mother was Episcopalian. She put up with our religion because she loved my father. She didn't have to convert to Catholicism (not sure how they did that but I think my Dad got a special dispensation) but she didn't attend any church on Sundays at all. She just hung out at home, in her pink satin fifties high heeled open toed slippers (how did they walk in those at 7 in the morning?) and her fancy robe, waiting for us to return from 8:00 mass, and getting ready to make scrambled eggs, coffee cake and bacon. That menu was only for Sunday and holidays. The Herald Tribune was the paper my parents read, and we ate in the dining room, on special place with festive, ornate place mats decorated with pretty Christmas themes. The doors to the living room were closed and we couldn't see our tree, which we had only just decorated on Christmas Eve!!!
So you see... My sister and I had to wait a very long time to open our presents until after church, after breakfast, and after the Herald Tribune, which was a VERY large paper.
Finally my father would fold up the paper and place it to the side of his plate and say, "OK girlies, line up in front of the door, youngest first!"
I was the youngest, and this was the only thing in my life which made being youngest better. I got to open the doors to the magically transformed living room--which was sparkling from the tree: the ornaments and tinsel and lights twinkling, and sparkling from the mantelpiece above the fireplace, where my mother had arranged the most amazing collection of bulbs and lights and evergreen boughs. That she had done in advance, and we had also hung all the Christmas cards all over our windows and on our bookshelves. It was so beautiful!
I had a sofa which was MY sofa, my sister had a sofa which was hers, and my parents used their own usual chairs for the pile of presents which were awaiting each of us at our specific stations.
My sister, my mother and I each had Christmas stockings and so did my father. We had really big, loosely knit stockings you could really put a lot of stuff in. My grandmother had started a tradition of cutting things out of magazines --little phrases--and our stocking presents were wrapped in tissue paper with these little phrases taped to them. We were supposed to guess what was inside from the hint. I remember one which said, "Sparkle Plenty!" , to give you an idea, but the present I got after unwrapped it--well I don't know what the heck it was. And I have a really good memory!
My mother would wrap our presents impeccably. My father would go out on his own (for the most part to the hardware store) and when he returned, he would have a big collection of stuff. So eventually he would drag a big garbage bag into the room and, at the time he felt was right, he would dump presents he had chosen for each of us onto the floor, in brown paper bags, and then ceremoniously hand them to us. They had his scratchy left handed writing labeling each one so you would know it was for you. You never knew what you would get from my father. I got a tin submarine once, which I could wind up and try to make putter around in the marsh at the bottom of our lawn. I loved that.
My mother's presents were more like this: books, nightgowns, at age twelve a piece of jewelry and from then on we each got a piece of jewelry always, perfume (I got Fleurs de Rocaille by Caron, or Hermes Caleche, my sister got Diorissimo by Dior, I think.
Dolls when we were younger, sweaters when we were older--it was never ending because our relatives gave us stuff too.
At the end of all the unwrapping, my father would ball up all the paper and throw it into the fire despite my mother begging him not to. It made a lot of smoke and flame, and it smelled awful, but he liked doing it. "Bob, don't DO that!" she would say, every year.
At the end of all the unwrapping, my sister would burst into tears, overwhelmed by whether or not she should exchange a slip or a sweater someone had given her (what, oh what should she do?), and she would have to be put back to bed to rest before the Christmas lunch at my grandparents' house. The overwhelming excitement got to her every time!
At the end of all the unwrapping, I would be realizing that I was going to have to wait 364 days until the next Christmas. The thought nearly killed me every single year. Then I would go read one of my new books.
So, concerning that song above: That was my father's favorite to sing on the way to Mass (the way we sang it didn't sound this way but isn't the Celtic Lady great?), however we sang all of the carols. There and back. Heading in to church, my father would race in his hat and jacket and coat and I would race after him. My sister would walk waaay behind us, trying to pretend she wasn't with this set of crazy people. But when we sang in the car,she was with us all the way. We would scout the ground for patches of snow--was it a White Christmas? Those were the BEST! The singing was so happy. My sister and I would harmonize and my father would sing in his lower tenor voice. We knew all the carols because of school. At the time, school was not separate from church and we went to assembly every morning, pledged allegiance to the flag, listened to the Principal read from the Bible!!! and sing hymns! Can you imagine that? And when praying, the Catholics in our school, of which we were about ten strong in a school of 130, would lift our heads during the end of the Lord's Prayer, because Luther had added a section to the original prayer which was not accepted by the Catholic Church. We would just stare politely until they were finished.
Anyway, Christmas was great and lunch was always great with our relatives and grandparents and we all wore silly hats which came from those British snappers (crackers) with little plastic toys and fortunes in them, and as I am sure I have told you before, our dog would lie at my grandmother's feet and inadvertently ring the buzzer for the maid who was serving, and the maid would come out, and stand there with her arms folded, looking more and more annoyed when my grandmother didn't request anything, and finally my grandmother would realize what had happened and apologize for Josie, our dog.
Then we would come home and be woozy from all the days events and it would be dark--at 4:00! We would all chill out and absorb what had just happened. Another great Christmas, sweet and spicy like the gumdrops we hung, in the ornaments shaped like snowflakes, in our amazing fir tree decorated so wonderfully.
Here is our gift from one of our sons with autism! So pretty I had to photograph it!
Did you think I would leave you out on Christmas Eve? No, not I! I will tell you a story from my childhood tomorrow . For now, be snug in your beds dreaming of sugarplums!
Who is this fantastic, energy filled lady above, holding two of her marvelous, creative books focusing on the expert use of color concerning beading and jewelry? Where can you find an interview with her, and see some of her incredible, beautiful, meaningfully color infused jewelry designs? Please go to Lark, here: to read what Margie Deeb has to say about the "wonderful world of color", as we used to put it. Margie truly knows what she is talking about.
"Merry Christmas Tree" earrings with sterling ear wires
"Visions of Sugarplums" necklace with memory wire, blue and green Swarovski Elements bicone crystals, and penguin Santas
"Snowflake Mittens" with hill tribe bells on blue cord necklace--this is very jingly!
Rings & Things
wonderful lamp work holiday-themed lamp work beads!
I don't know how I got so lucky, but I got a wonderful box full of lamp work beads, all holiday-themed, from Ring&Things ! As a Rings and Things blogger and design partner, I have had the pleasure of working with them before. They could not be nicer and they certainly got me in the spirit of the season with the beads I am sharing with you here, some of which I worked up last night into designs just so you could get an idea of the VAST choices you have offered to you from this great bead store! It's like a PLETHORA of jolly holiday happiness when you see what you can get from Rings&Things. I decided to make a few different styles of things so you could see some (by no means all) of the beads available. The tree earrings on the top are slightly larger in size than many of the beads I was working with. All of these beads require a crystal or metal or glass seed bead on your head pin when you begin, because their holes are a tiny bit larger than average. This is to be expected. I made the tree earrings last although I had my eye on them from the start! What a perfect gift for a teacher, or a best friend, or even a best friend FOREVER! Note: you could use a single bead of this size as a focal pendant. It would be great! I topped each earring with a clear Swarovski Element round and that looked pretty to me--better than the green bicones I had thought I was going to use. The twinkle was more Christmas-sy.
The second piece was the one I made first. I made it purposely to show you two things: 1) how to "ground" a piece by using one bead repeatedly throughout a design--see the snowmen? They are used every other bead! They are my theme, or base, bead. They help you not get confused, as you look at the necklace! and 2) I really wanted you to see approximately half of the styles I received from Rings & Things, in one necklace. Let's look at them! I got the smiling snowmen which I have mentioned, adorable peppermint candies in green and red (I loved those and considered making earrings from them too, but I ran out of time)--you can see one of each of those at the ends of the necklace by the crystals; and now we will start from the left and go to the right, skipping over the snowmen. We will look at all the beads I chose! I picked a sweet red mitten with a white cuff, decorated with green, then one single selected bead from a terrific feisty bunch of Emperor penguins(note: many of these beads can be used way past the holidays if you are making gifts--they are so flexible that way!), a cool narrow-ish shaped tree which came from a pack I can envision using in a myriad of ways, starting with chain...let's see where are we? I went on to choose one fabulously cute gingerbread man who stole my heart, then a brilliant red stocking which is just as charming as can be, and a teddy bear Santa who sweetly completes the round up, to the final snowman and peppermint candy, before the crystals begin on the right. I wanted to use blue and green crystals because the necklace was SO joyful in color. Also I felt I needed to lighten the weight of the necklace. All glass lamp work beads would have been too heavy, I think. The dangles at the ends are my pride and joy: two penguin Santas. I crack up every time I look at them! So as you can see I had a ball making this necklace with these great lamp work beads from Rings & Things.
The piece I made which is shown at the bottom is NOT for people who don't like a lot of cheery noise! I love the jingle of bells at this time of year, and these mittens were irresistible!!! to me. I interspersed the hill tribe bells (which I had here at home) with the WONDERFUL, colorful mittens--I love the little snowflakes on each one--don't you? So cute! The cord just ties behind your neck. It is a charming, easy necklace!
Thank you so much! to Dave Robertson. What a marvelous store with such a huge selection of lovely beads for this time of year, and for all seasons as well!
Dave Robertson Internet Marketing Rings&Things
You Rock!--jean Find Rings&Things at the link I put above in my entry, above, and also check these links out, below:
Jim visited from CA on Monday! This is great cause for celebration! That crazy Panda hat on his head is not his but when you arrive from Los Angeles and get whupped by the kind of cold we have been having, you will sacrifice your normal look for ANYTHING warm. I like the hat, anyway. He gave Jim his Christmas present early and Jim flipped out--it was the early DVD of "The Wall" filmed somewhere like Berlin. and a T shirt from the new tour of The Wall with Roger Waters. Everyone who sees the present tour is blown away by it. Jim saw it courtesy of Jim's agent, who is the agent for Roger Waters for this tour of The Wall going on now as well as Jim's agent. Have I confused you enough? Jim and Jim both think it is in their top three concerts they have ever seen!
I stayed out of that part of the conversation because my all time favorite concert was Garth Brooks in NY (I saw it on TV) and my second was Bruce Springsteen in 1985 at the Meadowlands.
Interestingly, for you Beatles fans, Garth Brooks grew up listening to the Beatles, and his Chris Gaines album, which I love, which my kid Sandy gave me, is a paean to The Beatles. I just figured it out the other day.
Am I ready for Christmas? NO! What to do, what to do!!! Any suggestions? Are YOU ready? comments anyone?
PS my kid's band: The Ruse -- rusemusic.com GREAT band! here:
So much cool news from Duchess and Artbeads.com this week! Important!
From Duchess: We would like to invite you to participate in our $100,000 Free Gift Card Giveaway and help share the gift of beading with your friends and family. For this giveaway you can choose up to ten of your family, friends, and fellow beaders to receive a free $10 Artbeads.com gift card. Time is of the essence because this promotion ends in just a few more days on Wednesday, Dec. 22nd. For complete details, visit this page: http://artbeads.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8e27e3ab8cde8100ec5404720&id=56de180412&e=fe8659e6a6
It would be really exciting to hit our goal of giving away all 10,000 gift cards and we are more than half way there but time is running out. It would be wonderful if you could help us reach this goal by sharing this free gift card opportunity with your friends and blog readers.<--That is YOU! Every Artbeads.com customer is eligible to help us give away these gift cards.
Jean says: I would like you, my readers, to let me know by email if you want to be on my list! Please email me at jyatesnewyork@aol.com .
You must already be a customer of Artbeads, however, to give out cards yourself!
THEN Duchess adds: "And, as if that was not enough, we just kicked off a giveaway for a new Apple iPad! We even bought the iPad with 3G capability so you can get online just about anywhere. It would be so exciting if you won!
Everyone who places an order between now and the end of the year will get an automatic entry for a chance to win.(note from jean: stay out of my way on this one, people!--oh.--just kidding)
There is an alternate way to enter for those who don't want to place an order. Here's the link to more info about this: http://artbeads.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8e27e3ab8cde8100ec5404720&id=4940f019b8&e=fe8659e6a6
Well, that's all for now. I wish you and your family an inspirational and Happy Holiday Season!
Warmest Wishes,"
Duchess
Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean is delighted to present one of her latest book reviews of a remarkable book called 500 Plastic Jewelry Designs. Come and immerse yourself in the fascination of the heights which can be achieved using this medium through the brilliance of a collection of fantastic jewelry designers!
The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Want to win some luscious lucite components from The Hole Bead Shoppe? Seize your chance in this week's Thursday Giveaway!
500 Enameled Objects, A Celebration of Color on Metal
will end late tonight and the winner will be announced on Wednesday! Hurry to sign up on my Dec. 7 post, and make a comment about the book if you want a chance to win it! There is still time!
for Lark Jewelry Books by juror, Susan Kasson Sloan
a review by jean
This collection of plastic jewelry designs in all sorts of forms (resin, latex, rubber, epoxy,acrylic, polyester, and thermoplastics) fulfills its promise of breaking new ground in a breathtaking way. It is indeed a 21st century book!
I was floored by the high calibre of striking innovation offered by the collection of pieces in this gloriously varied book celebrating plastics in jewelry form.
I have a tie to plastic. As a child in the 1950's, my sister and I used Bakelite napkin rings at dinner. I used to chew on mine --it tasted good. While I don't recommend this, you will find Bakelite, the earliest form of plastic(developed in the 1930's), in this book. I also had a full-on fabulous meeting with the first form of polyethylene. My grandfather was the head of a liquor company which he was diversifying. He wanted to concentrate on chemicals instead of liquor in the fifties. One day he brought over to our house, for us to see and play with, an egg carton full of colored polyethylene eggs which had hard plastic chicks inside. It was the first polyethylene anyone had seen. A flexible plastic! My sister and I were astounded at how the eggs popped open and then retained their shape as you pushed them back together.
Even without those experiences, plastic has played a major part in my life as a child of this modern era.
However, NEVER, have I seen anything like this remarkable, visionary collection of jewelry, created by designers all over the world.
Some pieces are forward-thinking in their style, such as the charismatic, mysterious, circle shaped design by Carla Pennie McBride. "Untitled", it is made of sterling silver, epoxy resin, mulberry paper, and India ink. It is fabricated, stamped, inlaid and oxidized.
It looks like a universe vortex to me. Possibly it will took like a coin or a totem to you as you come upon it while perusing this book.
I wish to mention that the above piece employs sterling silver. That is another very wonderful thing about this book. It isn't only plastic which is utilized as material for the designs which are in this book. It is simply that each item celebrates plastic in some form or another as its major driving force. There are, within 500 Plastic Jewelry Designs, all sorts of pieces which employ, in addition to plastic, gold, gemstones, silver and other traditional jewelry materials.
Another example of a fascinating find you might come across and respond to would be one of my favorite pieces: Chris Jensen's Golden Lego Pendant. Designed in 2007, This witty piece is extremely charming.
It employs a green Lego, 14 karat yellow gold, diamonds, and chrome diopside gemstones. It has been cut, cast, riveted, and tube set. It is a stunning commentary on how we think about what is wonderful and beautiful as we grow up from children to adults, and it is more than that--it's a fancy Lego. You have to LOVE it!
One set of bracelets which I liked does not use anything but a form of plastic: foam. The photo shows two hands shaking : each one is wearing a different style of asphalt tone to black toned foam. One is a bangle and one is called a noodle bracelet. They are vibrant and wild looking in design. These are by Joe Churchman. I think they are very cool. Plastic alone in the form of foam is used to fabricate these incredibly imaginative bracelets.
For a change of pace entirely, admire the robotic style ring by Katja Prins from her "Machines are US Series: Ring 2004. It looks like a plug with a snapped out mechanism. Remarkable and so edgy. It is made of silver and plastic.What adventurers these designers are! This ring called to me the way Japanese toys do. I found it to be beautiful in a very original way.
In the meanwhile, if you are wondering about "beauty", as I have not mentioned it more than once or twice, do not worry. The photos of the pieces which you will be viewing in 500 Plastic Jewelry Designs depict only beautiful creations. In particular, I would like to mention a more classic piece (but it is all plastic!) by the, wonderful artist, Yuka Saito. This piece is called "Ocean" and is a luxurious, gentle, sensual, falling necklace of blue petals or water droplets, made of polypropylene and nylon. You couldn't find a more beautiful necklace anywhere in the world.
I have to say that it is a privilege to have this book. It is amazing, it is astounding, it is clever and intelligent, it is heartbreakingly gorgeous. If you collect books about jewelry, it will inspire you to the utmost. The juror, Susan Kasson Sloan, with her great experience and background, was the perfect choice for this book, as was the editor, Marthe Le Van.
Finally, if you look on page 311, you will find Kandice Mascotti's "Bunny Bath Bead" ring. It's a red bead bunny made of plastic, it is set in a sterling ring, it is GREAT ... and it looks good enough to chew on!
note: If you like, go to Amazon.com and look under the photo of the book to see some pictures I took of some of the inner photos, using my own camera. It's worth it! Go here: --jean
Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean has a new book giveaway! 500 Enameled Objects--a celebration of color on metal--what a divine, mesmerizing book to own and cherish! Please come and sign up for this very special giveaway!
The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton This week's Thursday Giveaway is brought to you by Cindy Gimbrone, the Lampwork Diva! Enter to win an assortment of inspiring jewelry components!
A Bead A Day Jewelry Stringing vs. Stitching... Have a passion for one or the other? Stop by and express an opinion or encourage someone to try a new approach!
Beadshop.com is having an Ear Wire sale! See above! They have some of the most beautiful ear wires I have ever seen! What a gorgeous store! Always on the edge, too! Beautiful, edge-y and jawdropping offerings.
When I got my email announcing the above sale, in addition to other cool news, I also saw this! :
...And so I was also absolutely smitten with Emmit, wearing these incredible deep colored, rich looking cherry quartz beads!!! which are available at a REALLY reasonable price! You must consider these as a gift! Quickly strung up, they would be the perfect Holiday Treasure for whomever received them!
Here is what Beadshop.com had to say about Emmit and these beads adorning him
"Emmit, our littlest mascot, is such a poser! Here he is with our newest, red hot beads, Siren. Don't be shy about dressing up your furry friend for the holidays, just don't leave them (or infants) unattended."
then they said on the link page :
"Siren
Cherry Quartz Dyed Faceted and Graduated 6-14mm Beads
$24.00/strand
“Wow!” Thatʼs about all we can say about this sensational, sexy strand of drop-dead gorgeous red beads. The color is rich and saturated and so reminiscent of the 1940ʼs, it begs to be kept as a complete strand to mirror that vintage look. We canʼt promise these can be ordered again, so enjoy while you can! Total length 14-1/2 inches.
Sold by the strand (55 beads)
Making Elegant Jewelry for Special Occasions pearls crystals wirework
from the publishers of BeadStyle magazine
review by jean
This alluring book, Making Elegant Jewelry for Special Occasions, from BeadStyle is a compilation of a number of talented designers' renditions of crystal, pearl, and wire jewelry for occasions from proms to weddings to daytime casual (yes,you can be casually elegant in the daytime! You will see!). I was attracted to each and every delightful design. Why? Because these creations are easy to make, are very chic and pulled together, and each one is refreshingly different from the other.
After an introduction (stressing the options the reader will be afforded by the book), there is an initial guide to the techniques and tools which he or she will require. This is a good idea in the case of this book because in my opinion you could be a complete novice and make something beautiful utilizing a project of your choice from this glamorous book.You need the tools and techniques, therefore. They are nice and clear.
In that way, this fun book is very down to earth.
No high flying instructions, just simple focused projects appropriate in style from teens on up to ladies celebrating their 20th, 30th, and more! anniversaries.
Are you the mother of a bride? Find your necklace in the wire section. I suggest "Branch Dressing" by Jill Italiano. It is very delicate and has a variation I like as well. Are you the actual bride? Kathie Scrimgeour has your crystal choker, "For a Special day"! What a look with a strapless wedding dress. Perfect!
Other designs I liked: Jenny Van's totally cool "Diamond Alternative" using Swarovski crystal elements in the Galactic shape. I have always been attracted to that very unique shape. Van nailed what to do with it however, and furthermore it's easy. I love her project!
There is a Lucite necklace, "Pretty in Pink and Plum" (make your choice) by Lori Anderson which I found really different and very feminine. The earrings and the earring variation are terrific on that one!
Jane Konkel created a trio of earrings, "Maid to Order", for bridesmaids which are each super and different: classic bride, modern maid, and gypsy maid.
There are so many outstanding designs in the book. I suggest you buy one copy for yourself and one for your best pal or for a niece or daughter who is just starting out creating jewelry. It is a wonderful thing to be able to create something really pretty without confusion. The
technique section and the tool section truly are sufficiently clear so that your teen or you, yourself, will settle in happily using this book, Making Elegant Jewelry for Special Occasions as a reference guide for elegant special occasion jewelry for a long, long time!
"The classic art of enameling is experiencing a well-deserved renaissance—and it’s stunningly captured in this lovingly curated survey. More than 300 international contemporary artists have contributed museum-worthy pieces, which range in scale from David C. Freda’s Green Slipper Brooch and Harlan W. Butt’s Maine Teapot to large sculptures and public art. Some of the creators take a minimalist approach, using only soft colors and matte finishes, while others exploit the material’s vibrant palette and glass-like surface. The broad technical applications include everything from simple sifting and torch firing to complex cloisonné and plique-à-jour."
jean: This giveaway is courtesy of Lark Publishing. I would like to thank them for their generosity! This book seems to me as if it will be a breathtaking collection of items.
Enameling is really in fashion right now and, as far as I am concerned, it is one of the most beautiful effects which can alter a surface of any object which it can adhere to.
Please don't be shy about signing up for my giveaways! I love it when you do. Please leave a comment on the giveaway day, which would be today, 12/7/10, even if you have to go back and find the day!
I will choose the winner next Tuesday, a week from now, using Random.org.
I will announce the winner on Wednesday and then he or she may email me at my address, here: jyatesnewyork@aol.com
Please include your home address in your email so we can get this gorgeous book, 500 Enameled Objects, out to you right away! I will be reviewing it, as I do with all the books I receive.
Note: I use a review copy. YOU get a brand new copy!
a true story sent to my sis from one of our relatives. She sent it on to me.
The year is 1940. Germany is marching through the French countryside. Italy has thrown down its white glove. France and Britain are losing troops by the handful and in the summer French leaders sign their surrender. Pictures are taken of Adolf Hitler posing with the Eiffel Tower at his back.
Before all these events can transpire, a young woman, the granddaughter of the exceptionally beautiful Marthe de Florian locks her Parisian flat for the last time and flees the city for the South of France, leaving her life behind.
Seventy years later at 91 years old, the woman passes away without ever having returned to her Parisian home near the Trinité church in Paris.
Even though she never returned, she continued to pay rent on the flat and at the time of her death, the matter of assessing and selling her estate was turned over to a team of experts and auctioneers who then discovered the existence of the mysterious flat.
When the door was unlocked for the first time, one member of the team remarked that it was like stumbling into the castle of Sleeping Beauty where time had stood still since 1900. The team described the smell of dust, the cobwebs, the silence. They describe how it felt to stand there and see the frozen world for the first time in seven decades.
Of the many treasures they found, a Micky Mouse toy dating back before the war. But the item that has set the world abuzz was a mysterious painting of a beautiful woman in pink muslin evening dress. It was an exceptional painting, but one of the experts had a clue as to who the mysterious painter might be and why this painting was such an exceptional find.
Among the items cataloged in the apartment were passionate love letters tied with colored ribbon. Powerful men were among her ardent admirerers, but it was the calling card of a famous artist – Giovanni Boldini – that clued them into the identity of the painter. The woman was Marthe de Florian, Boldini’s muse.
The mystery of the painting deepened when no mention of the painting could be found in any record or account of Boldini’s work. And then the miraculous- a single reference to the painting by the artist’s widow. The painting dated to 1898 when the actress was 24. The painting had never been exhibited before. There was no record it had ever existed but for this one mention.
The painting went to auction and sold for $3 million dollars. It’s a lovely painting, sure, but the most important part of this was the storyis that a single apartment could stay untouched for 70 years hiding history and treasures. That glamor could freeze in time, covering a mystery in dust and forgotten memories. This isn’t a story just about the apartment and the painting, this is also a story about the war, about the time period, and the women wrapped up in this story. Marthe de Florian, her daughter, her granddaughter, and the artist’s wife who lived through her husband’s public and famous lover and muse.
The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Celebrate the holidays with Vintaj! Check out one of their limited edition kits or one of their beautiful pieces of finished jewelry!
"Robot Best Friends Forever", earrings by jean yates
Any jewelry designer who is really serious about submitting to magazines knows that the lead (pronounced LEED, not led, ho ho) time (is this the right term, even?) is a long time from when the jewelry piece submitted, once accepted, is going to be in the actual magazine. And then sometimes it even gets postponed more!
I remember my first set of bracelets which were accepted by the "Salon" (remember the Salon section?) section of Belle Armoire. I was SO EXCITED!
Then, when they appeared in the magazine it was a year later and I was a year older and wiser. I had stopped calling them every week. Boy were they sick of me! I was proud of the photos when the mag was finally in print, but I was moving on and had a few other magazines and books looking at my designs.
Now, consider these little robot BFFs. The cool thing I like the best about them (other than the fact that all components came from one store, fusionbeads.com-so simple!) is that they make GREAT holiday gifts (the store has a pretty teal as well you can work up for Christmas gifts, they are not too expensive, as they are lightweight wood, painted in a hip manner, and even less expensive if you change the lever backs which are sterling set, with CZs--but that is a personal fav. of mine. I wired them with gunmetal head pins and used cyclamen and opal Swarovski crystal round Elements. I liked the cloudy look of those crystals with the wood. It is pretty to me.
Continuing on: suppose, rather, you want to give these to someone on Valentine's Day, for example: your sister! Hey! You could each have a pair!
Another idea: Feb. is Amethyst birthstone month--what a delightful birthday gift for a February baby! Or babe!These are the perfect color!
Finally, if you get these in teal and add Aquamarine crystals and your choice of another Swarovski crystal round Element, you have your March Pisces friends' birthdays covered. Or yours!
I hope you liked these ideas. I try to think ahead, really far ahead, every time I make jewelry. And covering a lot of bases is fun!
One more good point is, if you don't buy your seasonal components in advance...they could get sold out. That always disappoints me a lot!
see that little thing on the top right of the picture? it is part of one of my deep dark secrets!
Hi, it is I, jean yates.
First off, I am going to tell you TWO SECRETS--WAIT--THREE! about me today.And even if you have been reading this blog for the whole four or so years I have been writing it, you have never read these before.
1) I type my name in lower case because I am THAT SECURE. Hahaha. Mystery solved.
2) I am about to embark upon a new writing project. It is a book, but not a jewelry book.
finally:
3) One of my kids threw up on my keyboard a month or so ago (poor guy---it was just the juice he gets his meds in) and that is why I haven't been writing as much.Try as I might, I couldn't fix my computer and my 20 year old geek son appeared from his room WAY AFTER THE FACT (we are talking days!) and said to me, "Why didn't you tell me? I could have fixed it" !!!
Oh.
However I have a new laptop and will get organized enough to install the software within the year!<--Get it? A joke.
Until then I type using a tiny on screen keyboard because I lost my letter "a" and my letter "q". It actually took me several days to notice the loss of the q. Apparently q doesn't play a big role in my repertoire of words but the "a" sure does --it is even part of my oh so cool lower case name. Try getting an on screen keyboard without the use of an "a". What I have been doing in order to communicate with my fan has been Sisyphus - ish.
--e.e. cummings--are you listening?
Going to find a pic of my little floating keyboard. Every review, every post, every comment I have been making has required it! I work hard, by golly! And I usually have the typos to prove it in every business letter I have ever sent out. That's secret number 4. jean of arc
The cover of Easy Beading Vol.7--a glorious necklace by Katie Hacker, using her own Katiedids (copyright) focal. Available for preorder now!
Hey, everyone! I don't just review jewelry books! Sometimes I am in them!
I just found out that one of my recent necklaces, which I made with the help of Artbeads bead store's kindness, appears in this lovely book. These Easy Beading books are always beautifully photographed, fabulously fun, and perfect for all levels of beaders.
I know I don't have one of those lists on the right side of my blog of recent books I have appeared in. However, I DO have some super books I have been in recently, which I am quite pleased with. I just don't know how to put them on the side of my blog. Ha, ha,ha!
I shall write an entry later this week (whoops, it IS later this week) about them!
In the meantime, check out Katie's "sucess fou!" as the French would say -- or WOW!!! design -- as you and I would say!
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