Finished the Clay Projects

Just a quick post to say that I've finished 3 of the 4 clay necklaces I've been working on. The red design is similar to one that I've made in the past. However, I found some new spacers - they hug the red beads and add a classy look. If you click the picture you can see a larger view. The blue and gold necklace is a new design for me. It's not really my style and I have no idea what it will match. However, as my sister, Mandy, likes to say, "it doesn't need to match it just needs to GO." So, if you think it will GO with one of your outfits let me know...this could be your next Christmas or birthday gift. :)

Beading at the Beach

We flew to Provincetown (or P-town) today to spend some time on the beach. P-Town sits right at the tip of the Cape. It's abour a 3-hour drive from our house but only a 25 min flight! I say "we" flew because I got to take the controls again for a while. Today I praticed heading, altitude, and flying in circles. I tried lining the plane up for a landing...but it was just too much to do for a newbie, I had to hand the controls back to Vern at about 2 miles out.

Anyhow, we spent the day on the beach which is just a short walk from the airport. We packed a picnic dinner and enjoyed watching the seals playing off the coast. I packed my bead bag and finished a design that I'd started at Newport beach a few weeks ago. The larger beads have a seashell look....which I think accounts for the beach inspiration. Vern snapped a few pictures showing the work in progress and the finished product. This one's not really my style; so, I think it will either become a future gift or part of my inventory.

One of my girlfriends has asked me to do a beading party in July. I'm trying to stock up on a few pieces so I can display my work at the party and hopefully sell a few. I'm still struggling to set prices. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think I could charge for this one?

Great Barrington Bead Shop

A few weekends ago we flew over to Great Barrington (in Western MA) to visit the local bead shop. By the time we got there we only had about 30 min to shop..again! Why is it that when we travel to these far off places I'm always in a time crunch. Anyhow, the shop had a beautiful stone necklace on display featuring a central donut shape and lots of bangles. After our trek, I designed a similar piece for my summer collection (shown below). It's a perfect accessory for summer tanks!

Weekend Warriors

Thanks to clear skies, Vern and I were able to fly back to PA to celebrate Father's Day. I watched my niece and nephew at the Beaver Airport while Vern took my Dad and Brother up in the Cheetah. Later we flew to Grove City to visit my good friend, Jackie, and sister Mandy...and of course, no trip to Grove City is complete without a stop to Ann Taylor. We flew back to Beaver for dinner with almost the entire family (we missed you Tam & Adam). At dinner, my parents announced that not only was this weekend their anniversary....but their 35th wedding anniversary. WOW! Congrats Mom and Dad. :-)

As we enjoyed our dinner and conversation, I spotted a few past jewelry gifts and some blogging opportunities! My sister, Mandy, is wearing a St. Patty's Day inspired clay creation; my mom is wearing a wire working creation; and I'm sporting a harvest colored beaded necklace. My sister-in-law wasn't wearing a Patty creation...but has promised me that at some point tonight she'll put on her jewelry and pose for a photo. Watch this space!

Vineyard Fun

Last weekend we took a trip to Martha's Vineyard to bike around the island with a few friends from work. Really beautiful place and a fun group to hang with. As I packed for the trip I realized that I may need to carry my things in a backpack for a very long ride! So, it came down to essentials - biking gear, clothes, and beads. I packed up the red beads I'd been working on along with a small bottle of gloss, a paint brush, beading wire, and a few silver spacers. I painted my beads while explaining the coolness of polymer clay to onlookers. Fortunately, I had enough beads and supplies to make 2 necklaces. Pictured here are the 'almost done' projects.

I discovered there is also a neat bead shop on the Island in Vineyard Haven....expensive...but really fabulous selection! Unfortunately, I only had 15 min to browse the shop before catching the ferry. Not even 1/4 of the time I needed to check out the collection. At least we'll have a destination for our next flight to the Vineyard!

On the biking front, I cycled about 65 miles this past weekend. Not a fast pace, but great weather and a good long ride to get my heart back into the sport.

Playing with Clay

I've been using clay as a new material for my jewlery making hobby. I watched my sister fashion decorations for a doll house and discovered that polymer clay could be used to design beads as well. While I still enjoy beading with crystals and stones...making my own beads truly makes me feel like an artist. Tonight's projects incude a deep red flower design and a fun summer blue design. It usually takes me about 4 hours to complete a necklace. The picture shows my work in progress. I start by creating a design in the shape of a fat sugar cookie. Then, I extrude the clay (by rolling) to shrink the design to about 1/4". There's so many things to do with clay....but my favorite technique (shown here) is to cut small slices and laminate a clay ball with the pattern.