Take some memory wire - my creative space

Take some memory wire - you know, that springy stuff like a slinky?
Add some silver tubes...
Or some rubber tubing...
Mix in some random beads...

Or some bright stone beads....

Or some freshwater pearls...

And what have you got?
A wonderful selection of easy-to-put-on bracelets!

What's in your creative space this week?

Hop on over to My Creative Space at Village Voices on Kidspot to see what others have been up to ...or to join in!

My creative space - is a mess!

I got out some beads to make some earrings -

but my work desk is a mess!
Never mind - I just made a little space and carried on.
The task of tidying up was too great and I just wanted to make something!

 I have also been supplies shopping today - just a few things, some findings, beading wire and chain.
I love new supplies.

I love the different colours of craft wire -

This and these will become earrings -

I'm joining in with My Creative Space on Village Voices over at kidspot.
Pop on over and have a look!

I've been shopping - again! My creative space.

Bead shopping, of course!

Buying lots of lovely summer brights!

I'm so looking forward to summer - are you?

Actually the main reason for my shopping trip was to get some chain - so that mission was successful!

Oh, yes - and some more bits of brightness!
Delicious - yes?

A while ago I had some cute beads which I made into sweet little earrings....then I lost them, sadly.
So while I was in Sydney last week I just happened to pop into the button shop in the rocks and picked up some more.
Can't wait to get these turned into stud earrings.

Meanwhile back at the workbench - I created some simple silver pendant necklaces.
Next I need to make some gold and brass ones ready for my next market >>>>>>>>

What's going on in your creative space this week.

I'm joining in with My creative space over on village voices - pop on over to have a look or join in.

Using up those bits and bobs - my creative space

We all have them don't we?
Little odds and ends....bits and bobs....stuff left over from other projects, stuff you don't use anymore, stuff you bought by mistake....you know how it is!

Here is one of my solutions to beady bits and bobs -

Memory wire bracelets with random (or carefully selected) arrangements of all sorts of beads - the brighter and more un-co the better!
Actually some designing is required to get a good balance of sixe, colour and shape - but the end result is artfully chaotic!

What do you do with your odds and ends?

If you would like to see more creative spaces or join in pop on over to Village Voices on Kidspot

My creative space

Another Thursday - another creative space. Don't they seem to come round quickly
Actually I don't mind toomuch becasue if I havn't created anything for a few days it makes me go and get my making hat on!

This week I'm playing with my bead stash again as in an earlier post.

I've been transforming them into bracelets as these are easiest way to use up odd beads.

How's your creative space going?

If you would like to see more creative spaces or join in you can do so here.

7 on sunday - ceramic bead artists - blogtoberfest day 23

Many years ago I was a potter - strange, but true!
And then one day I became interested in beads and jewellery and I thought "I could make pottery beads!"
But did I?.....Well, no I never did, because I became totally obsessed with glass beads and stones ...and you know the rest....
So maybe this is why I am so drawn to ceramic beads and pieces and today I'd like to share with you some of my favorites.

My most favorite ceramic artist has to be Round Rabbit.
The designs are always unique and amazing - glazes so beautiful and always something different, like these asymetric pendants -

pendants by roundrabbit

Round Rabbit's shop is in vaction mode at the moment, but you can see more of her work on her blog.



In complete contrast Jennifer Jangles makes bright, vibrant components - such fun!

necklace set by jangles

I posted a few days ago about my Kylie Parry purchases - this pendant has got to be one of my most faves of Kylie's pieces -

Maku studio acheives wonderful colours and textures by firing their pieces in a raku kiln.
(check out this listing to find out about raku)

raku starburst by Makustudio

Artisanclay uses recycled glass to embellish their handmade pendants  -
Delicious!

deep rich greens and blue sparkly pendant by artisanclay

Earthenwood have been in my radar for a long time!
And the thing that I love is that they don't stand still, there's always something different

bicycle pendant by earthenwood

And for some really out-there other-wordly ancient artifact-looking creations check out wondrous strange.
I am strangely drawn to these raku faces.

soon will be winter moon by wondrousstrange

What do you think?

Do you love the organic, earthy look or the bright festive ones, or the more sophistcated ones?

Do you have any favorite bead artists to share. I'd love to see them.

 In the meantime -

You can find my weekly giveaway here.

Please leave a comment and I'll add you to the draw next Tuesday.

You can find blogtoberfest participants here.

Blogtoberfest giveaways are here.

My Creative Space - blogtoberfest day 20

 This week I have been using up some of my bead stash.
I'm sure you know what I mean when I say I have quite a stash!
And I'm sure more than one of you is guilty of having a stash of some kind - a fabric stash, a wool stash, a paper stash...or if you are like me you have many stashes!

So although I bought quite a few new beads last weekend I was inspired to revisit some oldies.

 I have had these hand made lampwork beads for so long I can't remember where they came from or who the glass artists are, so if you are a glass artist and you recognise your beads here please reveal yourself!

They are most sparingly used in bracelets.

While I was foraging in my stash I found these sweet little handmade glass drops. I remember using them for bracelets before but this time they became earrings...with some earwires that I bought ages ago for some long-forgotten project.

 I have sold quite a few pairs of earrings through madeit this week and I've had a craft swap to do ...but, shhh, I can't show you that yet!

 Here is some of my new bead stash and I'm dieing to do something with the green and orange beads!

If you would like to see more creative spaces or join in you can do so here.

You can find my weekly giveaway here.

Please leave a comment and I'll add you to the draw next Tuesday.

You can find blogtoberfest participants here.

Blogtoberfest giveaways are here.

I've been shopping! - blogtoberfest day 15

....so I went to the Sydney Bead and Gem show.
I had a shopping list....

but I bought a lot of Oooh shinys that were not on my list!

...as you do!

Mainly glass beads and some turquoise-look stones -

More sparkly glass - 

Love these bright graduated stones -

Orange coral, howlite, more bright "smartie" beads, green heat treated stones, amazonite, green stones, moonstone (hard to see) -

 Fire agate, black agate, howlite, blue heat treated stone, blue agate, fluorite, lapiz, orange coral -

Yummy rough-cut rose quartz, amethyst, green kyanite, and natural moonstone -

Plus some hill tribe silver and bits and bobs.

I'm going to have fun!!!

Have you bought any supplies lately? Want to share?

You can find blogtoberfest participants here.

Blogtoberfest giveaways are here.

And my giveaway is here!

Bead table Wednesday - blogtoberfest day 12

I recently bought these cute pendants from Kylie Parry. 

 

They are sitting on my desk with a few other beads....waiting.

You can find blogtoberfest participants here.

Blogtoberfest giveaways are here.

You can find my giveaway here.

My creative space

 Hi and happy Thursday to everyone!

 How has your week been so far?

I have been doing some serious creating, realising it's only one week until the start of the spring fair season.

With that in mind I have been making some spring themed jewellery like these bird's best necklaces.
Now I realise that the bird's nests are not new, and I didn't invent them, but I had a stash of czech glass pearls that I wasn't using plus a few other round stone beads that needed a purpose.

 These wire-wrapped pendants are perfect beacuse they use 3 little round beads and wire (that I already had).
Also although there are plenty of these on etsy I haven't seen them out in the markets here, so they will be a bit of freshness on my stall.

 Next up - I've had a few requests for stud earrings.
The other week when I was in sydney for my wedding anniversary I had a bit of shopping time and as luck would have it our hotel was almost next door to the most fabulous button shop "Buttons buttons buttons". I always love having a poke around in there and picked up some sweet little buttons to use for earrings.

What do you think?

And that's about it for now...back to my creative space to do some creating, however if you'd like to see more creative spaces or join in then pop on over to Our Creative Spaces.

See you next time!

My week

 This week I've been doing some bike-riding and some supplies-buying!


I am feeling so much better and the weather has been beuatiful - double incentive for getting out and riding!
I persuaded hub to come with me on the Prospect Reservoir loop.
 It's a 34km circular ride, all on bike paths in Western Sydney. The path is not terribly scenic even though it follows the evocatively named Orphan School Creek for a goodly way.

Here is an example of urban decoration!

But then surprise!
A lovely buddist temple, with ceremonies going on - chanting and incense, it took me right back to south-east Asia.

Another day I ventured further west to the circuit of the Olympic rowing course.
This is such a great asset as open space in the west!

Unfortunately part of the path was closed while a group was testing a solar powered car for the solar car challenge.
Space age or what?

And my supplies-buying-spree!
Not on my list - painted wooden discs.

 Also not on my list - coloured lava stone beads
.

 Irresistible - coloured leather thinging

 You guessed it - not on my list either!
Does that happen to you? you end up with a lot of things you just cant leave in the shop!

And a pile of beads in my workspace that just happened to be there at the same time and became a necklace!

Do you sometimes create like that? Serendipity!

My creative space

Lovelovelove these flat drop Czech glass beads!


They look like lollies!
But I'm not going to eat them.

What have you been creating?

If you would like to join in with this weekly meme or just have a lokk at others creative spaces pop over to our creative spaces.

Mad about - earrings

I am mad about earrings!
It's how I started along this crazy path 16years ago.
Are you sitting comfortably? then I'll begin....

We'd been living in Tucson, Arizona home to the biggest bead and gem fair in the world and there was no shortage of fine creative types producing lovely and wondrous earrings.
Then we returned to Australia and nothing - no earrings! It's hard to believe now when there is such a flood of jewellery designers, but I just could not buy earrings that I liked. There were no earrings at the craft markets or gift shops. There were no on-line stores like etsy and madeit.
So I wandered down to the local Spotlight store and found some beads and decided to make my own. Of course I didnt have all the things I needed to make earrings and the beads were pretty awful, but that is how I started.

I still love earrings from the most splendidly simple and classic -

rocket earrings by finchbird

through enormous handformed porcelain discs with the look of ancient relics -

porcelain earrings by Round Rabbit

to dainty enamel studs -

enamel studs by rmdjewellery

Sometimes all you need is a beautiful handmade glass lampwork bead -

soft blues lampwork earrings by andyjusty

or a luminous little cabouchon of glass that you have made yourself (if you have a glass fusing kiln!)

bright and transparent sky blue studs by RadicalGlass

None of those?
How about using little beads to make a bigger bead for your earrings -

fountain of seeds earrings by fredbeansnook

or different types of beads combined with cabouchons -

celeste earrings by triz

or go wherever the beads take you -

oysters with pearls freeform earrings by KristinsSilverStrand

Do earrings have to be matching?
I dont think so - but they can tell a story -

the perfect fit by ReneeLoughlin

or share a theme -

flit and fly by leaestella

they can be incredbly lush and decadent -

kyanite, ruby and apatite earrings by Maykela

What are your favorite earrings?

I feel I have only touched the tip of the earrings iceberg.
I think I'll have to bring you some more another day, but for now please leave a comment because I'm going to give away a pair of earrings at the end of the week!