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My art group met last night and we got to play with something new – for me. Clay… old fashioned stoneware clay.
It was messy, it was cold on the hands, it was totally new and I loved it! It’s a short meeting so I only got twelve pieces done but I can’t wait to glaze them.
Clay Stoneware Pendants
The best part? We get to do more next month!
It’s so cool having a middle school art teacher in your group :o)
Deb H
Summer Beach
What better way to celebrate a holiday weekend than to take at least one day and do only fun, play kinda stuff 
Going to see the movie The Last Airbender was a treat, I liked it so much we actually saw it twice over the holiday. I then dashed off to Borders to get the book, only to find it’s a graphic novel… can I bring myself to read a graphic novel? I can roll with the times, why not?
Simple Pleasures
An easy beading project was just the ticket for a relaxing afternoon. The bracelet was a “build your own kit” from Alada Beads where I just had to pick the colors; my favorite colors of aqua, sea green and copper. I had enough beads and components left over to improvise some matching earrings. Sometimes simple is very satisfying.
Aqua OOAK button bracelet
But that got me looking at the assortment of fused glass buttons on my design table. I’ve been designing buttons for a wholesale catalog. This, besides being a lot more time consuming and a lot more work than I could ever have imagined, has left me with a rather large selection of single OOAK (one of a kind) buttons. Looking at these with my freshly finished bracelet (above) in my hand was a short leap to the next project.
Button Bracelet
I raided my stash of novelty yarns and found some lovely aqua sparkly stuff, not too hairy – I don’t like hairy. I raided my stash of large beads and found some glass dangley things too (technical term, that). After a few false starts to try to achieve my vague vision, I settled on crocheting the novelty yarn with the buttons, beads and dangles not-quite randomly picked up and crocheted in the chain.
Button, button, who has the... ?
The yarn was mostly rayon and not disposed to wear as durable as I might like. In an effort to avoid strewing buttons and beads in a trail behind at the local RAVE (like I even know what one is, do they still have them?) I threaded Tigertail through all of the buttons and beads and cinched them up snugly to the right length. Adding a toggle catch with crimps was the final touch and viola! This would be a marvelous way to use any and all kinds of shanked buttons, I see more in my future!
Deb H
PS – we can see the town fireworks from our back deck, they were beautiful but Shadow (our rescue husky) did not like them one little bit. It’s a real experience when a 65 pound dogs keeps trying to climb into your lap!
So, do you remember the glass beads that hubby made for me a little bit ago? If you don’t – never fear, here is the photo.
lampworked glass beads
I actually found time to wire-wrap them into rings.
Blue Glass Ring
The blue one goes with nearly my entire wardrobe and I have already worn it several times.
Spring Glass Ring
The yellow one is sooo spring like I find wearing it just makes me feel happy I’m sure it’s the reason for our lovely sunny weather and days in the 50′s over the weekend. Sooooo untypical of a Michigan March. I’m reveling in it
Key to the Universe
And of course, having a willing torch wielder at my disposal, I talked him into trying his hand at melting glass onto some old skeleton keys I’ve been collecting (for who knows what) over the last several years.
Key to my heart
I just knew they would be really cool for something one day!
Key to my Zen place
And he had to do one in my favorite color (this week), aqua!
These are just waiting to be used in something really wonderful. I’ll let you know what it is as soon as I find out.
Deb H
Blue Flying Saucer Bead
And even though “lolli-gag” mode feels like unproductive time spending to me because I’m spending more time playing with stuff than doing anything in the way of serious work, I’ve not been doing “nut’n”.
Aside to my daughter, the writer and English major -> I could hear you groan at that last sentence 2500 miles away – chill, girl!
I have played a little with wire and even coerced DH to heat up his torch! Top photo is a blue flying saucer bead that looks like it will grow up to be a ring to me ;o)
Glass Bead - Spring!
The next bead is so bright and cheerful I must make a ring to help me think “spring”! But, that’s for the next time I dig out the wire.
The "Turtle Moves" earrings
This time I just whipped up some cute little earrings for my DD (you know, the one who is forever correcting my grammar ;o) because I had these adorable silver charms in my box and thought she needed some just for FUN. She also is a huge Terry Pratchett fan and loved the whole “the Turtle Moves” thing. I only had one turtle so she also got a frog – she’ll adjust.
Drama Queen earrings
And because life is not all silliness, she got some simple wire and glass bead earrings in black and red for a more dramatic mood. Appropriate for a Playwright.
Deb H
Yes, it’s Talk Like a Pirate Day, I’m just dorky enough to try but not cool enough to pull it off, so I’ll spare you and stop here 
Although I’m sure that Pirates of the Caribbean is on the watch list for tonight.
Cruising Borders (I do that a lot) I could not resist the Summer 2009 issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry. It had such fun rings on the cover. I just happen to have a nice, squishy glass bead that DH made for me so I gave it a try.
Step by Step Wire Jewelry - fun rings!
I used 14 gauge, half round, dead soft Sterling Silver wire as it’s what I had on hand. Heating the ends of the wire until they beaded up turned out to be more challenging than I expected but, with DH’s help it actually worked I then hardened it with a rubber mallet.
Fun Spiral Glass Ring
Now to talk Jack into making me more squishy or flat beads!
Deb H
