New Favorite Spring Beads from NKPDesigns!

I've been relaxing and taking some time off this Spring, but that doesn't mean I don't still DREAM about BEADS!    While I'm spending more time "dreaming" than "doing" these days, I thought I might share some of the beads and jewelry I just find the "dreamiest" as I relax!    Today, I'm featuring some of my favorite Spring beads from Natalie Pappas of NKP Designs.   
 
In case you haven't had time for bead shopping lately, here are a few suggestions from me! 
  

Dancing Daisy Porcelain Bead

This one reminds me of a perfect apple, made all the more cheerful with Natalie's "dancing flowers" included!  What a perfect focal bead this would make for a whimsical necklace!   (From NKPDesigns on Etsy.)

Peachy Cream Textured Nugget Ceramic Bead

These remind me of the pottery whistles Natalie creates!  (I encourage you to take a look at those too!   They also make creative jewelry as well as being functional whistles!)    These beads are just as delightful but without the sound.  Love the creamy white and soft peachy accent holes!   What a lovely summery necklace they would make.   Gorgeous with any type of beads, but I keep picturing pearls!    (From NKPDesigns on Etsy.)

Natural Tones Sprig Round Stoneware Bead Set

It's morel mushroom hunting season in the midwest and when I first saw these beads I was reminded of the rare delicacy!    Just as morels are well-hidden by nature,  leaves cover these bead treasures as well,   Yum, morels, and very yummy beads!      (From NKPDesigns on Etsy.)

African Violet Porcelain Oval Sprig Bead

Who doesn't love African Violet's?  I find this oblong focal bead irresistible!   String it up with more purple or make a necklace with a garden full of colors!   (From NKPDesigns on Etsy.)

 

Dark Pinks Daisy Stoneware Tablets

Look at the colors in these beautiful tab beads!   Daisy images in lovely natural clay color with a dash of dark pink to make them just perfect for Spring.   (These are from Natalie's store:   nkpdesigns.com)

Mint Green Leaf Seed Square Stoneware Beads

A set of beads all matching in design and color but in several sizes with imprints that look like leaves or flower petals.  Perfect in minty green!   I dream of a necklace from these.  What do YOU dream of?      (These are from Natalie's store:   nkpdesigns.com)



If you ask me tomorrow, I would probably come up with an entirely new list; that's how much I enjoy Natalie's creations!  So be sure to check out all the current options at Natalie's two stores:

• NKP Designs on  Etsy
• NKPDesigns.com  

Enjoy the bead peak!  Hope to see you again soon!  ~Sharyl

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Image Credits:

All bead photos NKPDesigns

Graphics from wpclipart.com

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Color and Flower Inspired Works!

In my last blog entry, I discussed how colors and flowers frequently inspired my jewelry and bead making. I invited feedback from my readers, and I'm thrilled to have some responses to share!  (Keep them coming!)

Shirley Jones Moore makes intriguing components from seed beads!   She mentioned in her comments from the last post that she was very inspired by color.

Sparkle Berry Cubes

Galaxy Bead

 

And sure enough, just look at these fabulous colors for Spring and  Summer!   You can find more of Shirley's components at:

Shirley Moore Designs (ACM)

There is lots more to see, 

including this red/white Peppermint Twister pair!

Great color and delightful photography!

From Natalie Pappas, creator of fabulously unique pottery beads, we have this lovely bead inspired by flowers!

Peach Rose Porcelain Bead

NKP Designs (Etsy)

Also check out Natalie's other store and blog on her website:

NKPDesigns.com

To see more of Natalie's flower-themed beads,
click:   Here!

And finally, I've included a couple of my own most recent flower-inspired pieces of jewelry.  

Fresh Flowers and Relic Necklace with artisan-made pottery beads and copper accents

Metapolies™ (Etsy)

<Includes artisan-made pottery beads by Natalie Pappas (NKP Designs), Marti Conrad (Marti's Buttons-n-Beads), and Jenny Gholson-Morris (EclecticPrairie). Focal flower bead is by Tracee Dock (Classic Bead).>

Daisy-in-heart necklace, pottery pendant, lampwork beads, hand-made, artisan beads, OOAK

Metapolies™ (Etsy)< Ceramic focal by Suzieqbeads.  Polka dot lampwork beads from Crazy Lady Glass.>


To see more of my flower items
just click:   here! 

"Creating with Cabochons" Blog Hop Reveal!

When I saw that Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime was hosting a blog hop on "Creating with Cabochons," I'll admit that my attention was grabbed but my reaction torn. Should I run toward the fire or run away from it? I've been avoiding cabochons since I started making jewelry.  I'm thinking in particular of setting stones in silver bezels.   I see people who do it very well, and some who don't. I watched a video some months back where the instructor seemed to struggle a great deal with it. That didn't make me leap to try it.

I know I'm not ready for that,...but, I've had another idea I've wanted to try for a very long while now, and this gave me the perfect little push to try it out.  So I signed up and gave it a try!  

Not only have I had this idea in my head for nearly a year now, I've had the piece I wanted to use for almost as long. It's not a stone or ceramic piece though.  It's a wooden tile art piece from "More Skye Jewels" (temporarily closed) that I asked Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp NOT to drill a hole in.  This was a departure for me.  Typically I ask for holes in her art tiles, tell her how many, and the placement.  This time I was brave and daring!    (I hope you can envision me in a cape and mask with hands on hips!)

I should have thought to take a "before" photo, but alas...

I was finished with it before I thought to take a picture.   I was slow to join the "key" movement, but really liked the colors in this tile and the simplicity of the piece.  The placement of the key image on the wooden tile seemed perfect for my experiment in framing it with metal.  I cut it all freehand so as to hold the tile in place and avoid covering the main key image with my metal "flaps."

It looks pretty "rugged" and it is.

I had a sort of steampunk image in mind all along.   I cut the frame out of aluminum.   (I had planned to use copper, but this aluminum seemed just the right gauge.)  After filing all the edges, I gave it a worn, industrial look by beating the metal up with stamped letters and a ball pein hammer.   

There is a built-in bail which I made by leaving a longer piece of metal on top and rolling it from back to front.  I bent the sides to frame the tile, then bent back enough to remove the tile so I could paint the metal frame.   I mixed green and black patina to come up with this dark grayish color, and applied several coats, then a sealant.  

I wasn't using a torch to anneal the metal though, (don't even know if you can anneal aluminum like you can copper)...so although it remained fairly flexible, I didn't want to over bend and break it.  I had trouble getting the flaps to remain flat against the tile.

With the blackened brass chain, I like the overall look of this, but think it needs to be redone, and didn't have the time or heart to start over right after I finished this attempt.   Preferring not to damage the wooden tile, I did not continue trying to flatten the flaps once it seemed it wasn't going to work using the tools I currently have.  I did have plans for finishing the necklace using some miniature black keys and some jasper beads that nicely complement the colors of the tile.  

Forgive me for not completing my work.  I decided against finishing my piece as is.

I learned a lot from doing this, and want to try again, hopefully with better results the next time!  (In addition to doing a better job with the metal frame, I think it needs something at the bottom to hang dangles from, including the miniature key charms!) If anyone has other suggestions for me, please include in the comments.  This did not end up as a "masterpiece" to show off, but turned out to be a real learning experience and work-in-progress.  I'd like to learn more from you about how to improve it!  

Many thanks!

~Sharyl

You've seen my example that didn't work so well, be sure to visit the others in the "Creating with Cabochons" Blog Hop.  There are sure to be some excellent examples there. I'm eager to see them myself!  

Our Host:  Sally Russick

D Lynne  Bowland
Alicia Marinache           
Lynn  Jobber           

Jenny Davies-Reazor           

Jo-Ann  Woolverton           

Marde Lowe           
Dawn Doucette           
Mary K McGraw           
Gloria Allen           

Cheri  Reed           
Sonya Stille           
Elizabeth Owens Dwy           
Veralynne   Malone           
Tania Hagen           
Lynsey  Brooks           
Christina Miles           
Holly  Westfall           
Kathy  Lindemer           
Patti Vanderbloemen           

Therese Frank           
Adrienne Berry           
Liz   E 
Tanty  Sri Hartanti           
Ginger Bishop
Renetha Stanziano           
Marlene  Cupo           
Sandi Volpe           
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson           <---You are here!
Niky  Sayers

Mischelle Fanucchi           
Tracy  Stillman           
Skylar Bre'z           
Ann Schroeder           
Paula Kramer
Jess Green           
Susan Kennedy           
Stacie  Florer           
Cathie  Carroll           
Susan F.  


Michelle Caballero       
Sabine Dittrich           
Kristina Johansson           
Kimberly Sturrup-Roberts           
Melissa  Meman           
Cheryl McCloud         
Michelle  Timms           
Cindy  Pack           
Lynda  Carson

Cynthia  Machata           
Julia  Harris           
Karin  Slaton
Ingrid  Anderson           
Karin Grosset Grange
Jasvanti  Patel  
Inge  von Roos
Molly Alexander

Toltec Jewels  

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Art Bead Scene July 2013 Monthly Challenge Reveal: Olga in Armchair

Portrait of Olga in the Armchair, 1917

Pablo Picasso

Oil on Canvas 130 × 88.8 cm

(Please note this art is copyrighted and is to be used only as inspiration.)

From Art Bead Scene July Monthly Challenge

For this month's Art Bead Scene challenge, 

I wanted to design with the colors 

found in Picasso's painting of Olga, 

incorporating some of the lines and shapes, 

more than specific objects, such as the flowers 

(although that was tempting too!)

I focused on the dark green,

the grayish blue, the faded pink, and the amber.

Design, wirework, and clasp by me (Sharyl McMillian-Nelson).

Art beads by Natalie Pappas and Serena Thomas.

Handmade pottery focal bead by Natalie Pappas, NKP Designs.

The lines on the bead remind me of the folds in the dress fabric of the art piece. 

 The color is also similar to the fabric.

This long focal dangle also is reminiscent of the climbing flower vine 

on the chair in which Olga sits.

The copper-plated leaf component was purchased, but I added a coat of black patina to it to darken and better go with the lines in Natalie's bead.

It echos the lines and shape of the leaves in the vine design found on the chair.

I used a copper headpin to wire wrap this handmade lampwork spacer bead

 by Serena Thomas of Serena's Beadery, aka Taneres to this copper filigree metal.

More beads from the colors of flowers and vines represented in the painting:  
muted grayish greens and blues, pink, and amber.
Along with several types of stone and copper beads,
are transparent amber and gray lampwork spacer beads  
from  Serena's Beadery.

The front and side parts of the necklace are linked with large copper hoops

 and a small bit of soldered copper chain.

The beads that make up the sides and back of the necklace 

are Dragons Blood Jasper in deep red and forest green 

with accent beads of copper and African Turquoise Jasper rondelles.

I handmade a simple copper hook for a back fastener.

There will be an ABS BLOG TOUR HERE

on Wed., July 31.

Just click the link above on that day to get the guided tour!

Thanks for stopping by!   Your comments are always welcome! 

Special thanks to ABS and to bead artists, Natalie and Serena, for their inspiring beads!

~Sharyl

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For those participants in the upcoming blog hop, below is the final list you can paste into your entries.  It has not changed from the one sent the last time.  Many thanks!  ~Sharyl

Blog Hop Participant List:

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson     Sharyl’s Jewelry    (Host)

Kashmira Patel   .....    Sadafulee...always in bloom! 

Lisa Lodge   .....   A Grateful Artist - Pine Ridge Treasures 

Tanty Sri Hartanti   ....   TJewellicious by Tanti      

Kathy Lindemer ....  Bay Moon Design    

Laren Dee Barton ... Laren Dee Designs      

Melissa Trudinger  ... Beadrecipes    

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Val's Ceramic Garden Winner's Announced!

My thanks to all of you who stopped by in the last two days to read the post about Valerie Garber, and my thanks to Val for being our special guest!

If you missed out, be sure to check out her interesting life and work with ceramics and the women in Namibia.   More information can be found at these sites:

• her Etsy shop, ValsCeramicGarden, 
• her newest shop on GlobeIn,
• her blog, "Work of our Hands,"
• her business Facebook account, "Work of our Hands." 

Thanks to Val's generosity, we were able to have 2 sets of give-away gifts from her shop this time!   Winners were picked from those who left messages on the last blog entry, then were assigned a number, and the winners were picked by a random number generator.   And the winners are:

                                    Gift Set #1:  Flower & Leaf + Baby Elephant

                          WINNER:   PAM from KLASSYJOOLZ

Gift Set #2:  Orange Elephant + Blue Bird Pendant

WINNER:   SHIRLEY MOORE

Thank you all again!   Wishing you all a good week!

~Sharyl

P.S.  Yes, it's Sunday, but no outdoor nature photos today.  Instead we have photos of nature in ceramic form!    Flowers, a bird, and  closeups of  elephants--I don't get a chance for elephant shots every day in Kansas!   ;-)

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Image Credits:

Ivy:  http://www.wpclipart.com/page_frames/floral/garden_page.jpg

Photos of ceramics by Sharyl, April 2013.

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Welcome to Val's Ceramic Garden!

The talented Valarie Garber opened her Etsy shop,  ValsCeramicGarden, on Jan 29, 2013.   In that short time, she's already become quite a sensation!   And there are so many good reasons why.   Let me name just a few!  

Valarie does beautiful work on so many different levels. 

1) One area involves her ceramics.   As she says in her shop announcement, "I love clay and color, and adore gardens! Using porcelain, stoneware, or fired paper clay I focus on detailed hand painting usually with a floral theme."  

I'll show you a few of my favorites currently available from her store.  I will tell you, I've already made two visits and snatched up other favorites, but she just keeps adding more new ones!

Coral Ceramic Pendant with Daisy set

Turns out, I love flowers too... and I'm really into coral this year.... AND, I have a special fondness for polka-dotted ceramic beads!   :-)   How did Val know?!  

Dainty ceramic flowers

I bought one of these early this Spring. Can you guess which one?    Now sort of wish I had one of each!   :-)   Aren't they fun?

Double Daisy Ceramic Pendant

Val also sells these lovely (what I call, "3-D" flowers) in many varieties!   Just beautiful!

Of course, there are more than flower pendants, you'll also find the cutest birds, beads, mugs, and fairy garden cottages! 

2) Now if the ceramic work wasn't beautiful enough all on its own, there's more beauty going on behind the scenes!   Profits from Val's Ceramic Garden benefit her African women's project, "Work of Our Hands."  Beads sold in the Etsy shop may be made either by Val or by women from Namibia.  The description specifies which is the case. (I've purchased some of each and can assure you, either way, you get a great piece!)  

Val has also just opened another store, GlobeIn, so that she can sell the finished jewelry the Namibian women make at fair trade value.  

When in Namibia, Val spends a lot of her time teaching the women to make ceramics.  Below are a few photos of the women involved in the project:

I do hope you'll take time to read more about Val's life here and abroad, and read about the artisans in Africa, by looking at "The Work of Our Hands" blog!

And once more, (don't get spoiled, we can't do this every week!)... we'll have a GIVE-AWAY!   Val has generously donated some items so we'll have double-the-goodies!  

Gift Set #1:  Flower & Leaf + Baby Elephant

 Gift Set #2:  Orange Elephant + Blue Bird Pendant

To be entered to win, please visit one of Val's stores and/or her blog, come back and make a comment  here.  Please leave me some way to contact you.  (If you would rather your contact info not be made public, please leave a separate message with the contact info and I won't post that one.)  

Deadline to enter is 10pm Central time Saturday April 20, 2013.    Two names will be randomly chosen from those who enter!   

My sincere thanks to Val Garber for taking the time to work with me on this entry and for being the wonderful giving person that she is!   A special thanks too for donating items for the give-away!   Best wishes in your very fine endeavors!

~Sharyl

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Image Credits:

With the exception of the last two, photographs used on this page are the property of Valerie Barber and used under special permission.

Photos of the give-away prizes were taken by Sharyl.

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