Free Beaded Necklace Tutorial

Fire Mountain Gems is giving us the free tutorial to this gorgeous necklace (click HERE). It is designed by Catherina Thomas. I love how it just slips through its own loop in the front and that pearl....wow, how dramatic!

Free Beaded Rope Tutorial

Here's a free beautiful rope necklace tutorial (click HERE) to use with your "Ruby's Convertible Beaded Cuff" (click HERE). It is a twisted tubular herringbone; sounds complicated, but it's not. It is from Squidoo.

Free Beaded Bead Tutorial

It's a slider, a beaded bead, a bead cuff, a caged bead, a netted bead, a "Ruby's Convertible", call it whatever, it is gorgeous. You can find the free tutorial from Ruby's HERE.

Ruby's is known for her "Convertibles" (click HERE) and her ingenious designs, her sense of color and her generosity in sharing.

Click HERE for her instructions on how to make the above. It is almost at the end of the page of Convertibles. Have fun. I know I will.

Happy Egg Day!

Hope yours is the hoppiest!!

Horse Abstract II

This is Rascal, another one of my friend's horses. I spent the day taking more photographs and getting a tour of her equestrian estate in Wickenburg, Arizona. Beautiful. I am having way too much fun!

Horse Abstract I

A friend suggested calling it, "Run with the Wind".

This is Gunner. He's a rescue. Isn't he magnificent? I have been commissioned by my friend to paint her horses; nine in all. I'm playing around with abstracts initially to loosen up, but truth be told, I am hopelessly in love with the freedom it provides, the bright colors and dramatic brushstrokes. What a rush! I am inspired by other artists, learning from them, giving it my own twist and having fun along the way.

Tiger Cuff Bracelet

I stopped at Goodwill the other day and picked up some beat up cuff bracelets; perfect for covering with cane slices. I painted on some liquid clay (upper left corner) and let it sit for 10 minutes while I made a cane sheet. Ran it through the pasta machine and then cut a strip to apply to the cuff. I trimmed the edges, baked it and voila--a new bracelet!

I'm A Bead Dreams Finalist!

Yesterday I received a letter from Bead & Button magazine (click HERE) saying one of the pieces I submitted to their Bead Dreams International Competition (click HERE) was juried in! Along with the letter was a contract giving them the rights to publish my piece. I feel like I have won the lottery! My piece will be on exhibit from June 3 to June 12 at the Bead & Button Show (click HERE) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest consumer bead show in the world. The Bead Dreams exhibit (photo below) is visited by over 10,000 people each year.

Unbelievable. My feet haven't touched the ground. Bead Dreams Do Come True!

Beaded Closure Tutorial

You can download the free pattern for this beaded closure (click HERE). It is worth the free registration as Rita Sova of Sova-Enterprises offers many free patterns, information sheets, graph paper and charts. I found this while scrolling through Beads for Brains blogspot (click HERE). Mandy of Beads for Brains has a great blog full of references, photos and info. She is always creating something interesting.

Plein Air Painting

Superstition Mountain

Over the weekend, a couple of us took a master class from artist, Becky Joy.

Becky Joy (in the hat) giving us a demonstration of her painterly technique (below). The wind was so bad, we had to move to the ramada and start another painting from another vantage point.

Her plein air paintings are full of light and softness with blends of color indicating shapes with very little detail. Just beautiful. Watching her placement of color, the varying brushstrokes and listening to her thought process was pure heaven.

Studio Clean Up

I cleaned up and re-arranged my studio. I like it this way. Now I feel like I can start some new projects I've been putting off.

Botanical Gardens Part II

Above are bright green glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly that greet you when you enter the Desert Botanical Gardens (click HERE).

Botanical Gardens Part I

My Plein Air Painters group went to the Desert Botanical Gardens to take photographs to use as references. We also got permission to come back next week to paint. Of course, my favorite is the second photo above. Textures. It was great!

Computer Class

This is my computer class on Monday mornings. Trying my hand at Photoshop Elements 8.

Great teacher and assistants, nice big teaching screen and two hours each week.

On Monday I learned how to do put a swirly blur around a focal point in a photo. Kind of what I felt like when I walked out of class. Wow, what a lot of info to pack into two hours. And then we are supposed to go home and practice at least once a day. Oh yeah, like that's going to happen.

Rolls Royce

This is what I like about living in a retirement community. I walk out of art club and here is this gorgeous golf cart. I mean, where else are you going to see this? Unbelievable.

Cake, Coffee & Beads

The Bracelet Group's bracelets. Each of us incorporated the crystals from the Paris flea market into our bracelets in different ways. I served desserts and drinks and we each did show & tell for our bracelets.

It was really special and I was so glad to be a part of it.

Whatever I could think of to decorate with beads, I did. Beads everywhere.

I used up some vintage beads on the napkin rings. The 2" memory wire is perfect for napkin rings and little girl's bracelets.

I made two wreaths for our front doors with the vintage beads....and yes, I still have some left.

Bead soup, like chicken soup, is good for your soul. What else are you going to do with all those spilled beads?

These soaps from Anthropology smell sooooo good, but needed some beads of course!

Free Polymer Tile Tutorial

The tiles can be made into a pin, pendant or a magnet. Hop on over to Craftbits.com for the free tutorial (click HERE).

Felted Bowl

My Easter Basket. I fell in love with this felted bowl the last time I was at the yarn store. It is about 28" around and feels scrumptious. I love the colors and the sheer size of it. And let's not forget the texture. Oh the texture! I thought I could knit that! And then remembered I can't get past a scarf so I treated myself.

Knitting

I got to the last two rows of this great scarf and dropped all the stitches. I love, love, love the yarn, so will do it again, but will invest in the right knitting needles. I thought I would save and buy some cheap wooden ones that had terrible points, but I pushed on thinking it's almost done....it was done all right.

Industrial Chic

Industrial Chic is Susan Lenart Kazmer's new line being sold at Michael's (click HERE).

I went back for more.

Free Beaded Baskets Tutorials #4

Four little beaded basket tutorials to add to your collection. Once again, they are from Beadwrangler.com (click HERE).

I'm almost done.

Free Beaded Basket Tutorial #3

A beaded basket to hold your jewelry. This tutorial is from BeadJewelryMaking.com (click HERE). OK, not exactly Easter.....maybe more Mother's Day, but toss a couple of beaded eggs in there and you're good to go.