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Lookie what's under the Christmas Tree!

  • Dec. 13th, 2009 at 1:05 PM


I am feeling full of holiday spirit this year, the likes of which I have not felt in many, many years! I have set up a Christmas tree for the first time, and decorated my fireplace with garland and lights and a wreath that I made. It is very twinkly here, and it makes me happy! I thought I might like to share the holiday love today.

I recently received this set of adorable lampworked glass beads from Rings and Things! I think they are really sweet, and I could see them being used for some fun holiday jewelry. I think they would be great for other holiday crafts too, like embellishing ornaments, or to decorate a little mini Christmas tree. They make me smile, and I think you will like them too!

I am going to give away the whole set of the lampworked beads above, along with the Christmas Tree Candy ornament that I made, which is also in the picture! I think I will do things a little differently this time... instead of a blog giveaway, I am going to ask you to go and comment at my Facebook page. If we are not Facebook friends yet, please go to http://www.facebook.com/earthenwood and add me! I would love to see you there.

I have a few pairs of these Candy Ornaments in the Etsy Galleria along with a bunch of the very popular Queen ornaments in solid colors.

The holiday themed glass beads used in the previous post, specifically referenced as from Rings and Things, were provided as promotional gifts by for review or design partnership purposes.

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After Show Wrap Up

  • Dec. 10th, 2009 at 12:02 AM



It has been a crazy few days. The Potters Market was a huge success both in general for the Market and for me personally! While I was working, I had come up with a dollar amount that I was striving for, and my actual sales DOUBLED that number! So I am quite thrilled and very happy that all my work paid off. Having help from my assistants KT and Brendan really helped, along with the moral support of Jeremy, *the awesome-est roommate/brother evar* and of course my sweetie Alex. It was a success, it was a ton of work, it was a lot of fun, and whew! I am glad it is over for another year.

I am starting to wind down and am looking forward to spending time at home and with friends for the holidays. I have a just a few days left before the end of the holiday rush to get a few more things listed on Etsy, in particular... I have some new ornaments and tiles listed in the Galleria, and will add a few more soon.

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Preview of Steampunk Style Jewelry

  • Dec. 2nd, 2009 at 5:48 PM


I am interrupting my crazy-flail-getting ready for the Potters Market madness to blog about this cool preview of a cool new book coming out soon. It's Jean Campbell's Steampunk Style Jewerly! This is going to be an amazing book! It is available for preorder now (I recommend going to Ornamentea to order it... you get a free steampunk starter kit with your order!) I was scrolling through my Facebook and saw Jean post about this preview, which was blogged over on Craftside. It just happens to be a pair of earrings I designed for the book, using clock hands and a pair of my porcelain gear links. ooh this is exciting!


heh. I am also amused that in the midst of my flailing/working tonight, I will be tearing my studio apart to look for a bag of the very clock hands that I used in the earrings above, in order to complete my new clockwork/steampunky ornaments. Whee! I know there are here somewhere!!! Back to work...

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More Studio Sale Pendant Mixes!

  • Nov. 27th, 2009 at 3:14 PM


I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, however you celebrate! I had a wonderful time! I had the awesome challenge of going to two family dinners with all the fixings. I was a little afraid I would overeat and feel sick, but I did a good job of having just a taste of everything and not eating until I was super stuffed. I have another party to go to tonight, so we shall see if I continue this trend, *laugh*

I am very pleased with how my sale has been going! I had a steady stream of shoppers all of yesterday and last night. I sold more than half of my new pendant mixes, so I gathered some more together and am listing them now before I head out to the party. Don't forget... each completed sale in my Etsy shop comes with a free gift this weekend, and with free shipping!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend! gobble gobble!

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Earthenwood Thanksgiving Sale!

  • Nov. 26th, 2009 at 1:40 AM


This weekend, starting first thing tonight at midnight until Cyber Monday at midnight, I will be having sales and giveaways in the Earthenwood Etsy shop! Here are the deals:
First, all of the new pendants that I have been showing you this fall are on sale! I have marked them 20% off for the weekend. This sale includes Dragonfly Rising, Lotus Butterfly, Spiralling Mayfly, Lock and Key, Deco Scarabs, and Everlasting Heart designs! The discounted price is shown in the listing, and as always... free shipping in the USA!

New to the Etsy shop are a variety of Studio Sale Pendant Mixes! I gathered together some of my older pendants and grouped them with matching beads to make these fun new Pendant Mixes. Some of these items are from the old Earthenwood product line and are discontinued or are now being made in limited quantities. These mixes include at least one handcrafted Earthenwood porcelain bead, which is paired with an assortment of co-ordinating glass and stone accent beads. All mixes are under $20, perfect for gift giving for the beader on your holiday list!
The first 12 people to complete an order from the Earthenwood Etsy shop will receive one free small pewter glazed ceramic Everlasting Heart charm! This is a new size of heart, shown here with the popular larger heart pendants.

Not ready to shop that early? No worries... When I run out of these special giveaway gifts, I will be substituting with a random assortment of other gift beads and charms and buttons all weekend long, through Cyber Monday! Every order will come with a special gift from me!

I hope you all have a great holiday weekend! I will be enjoying time with my family and friends, but will keep checking in to my email, blog, and facebook, if you have any questions or comments about the sale.

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Jaded Machine Necklace

  • Nov. 25th, 2009 at 8:02 PM


This is another necklace that I designed for the new book Chain Style by Jane Dickerson. It is similar in style to another steampunk inspired necklace I made with round gears that was in Beads 2009... a variation in color and details. As this one was coming together, the repeating little green crystals reminded me of east Indian style beadwork, and it makes me daydream about the mixing of steampunk, Victorian era, and India.

I have added Jaded Machine to the Earthenwood Galleria, even though it is a hard one to think about saying goodbye to. I am sure it will go to a wonderful home that will appreciate it!

I have two sets of gear links like the ones in Jaded Machine; one in Acid Metal as shown and another in Desert Pine. I plan to list those in the Etsy shop tonight, after I finish with the holiday sale mixes.

Tonight at around midnight, I will be launching my big holiday sale! I will make a post here and send out a newsletter, so stay tuned. I hope to catch all of you early birds for some holiday shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving, All!

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Project Ideas at Art Bead Scene

  • Nov. 25th, 2009 at 12:02 AM



I wrote a post for the Art Bead Scene today with some ideas for using my dragonfly pendants. I also used the great wooden components that I got from Rings and Things a little while ago. I have this necklace listed as a kit on the Earthenwood Etsy shop.

Whee! I had a whirlwind weekend making ornaments! I counted 225 of them! I am pleased with that number, I think it will be enough to make a nice display at the pottery show. I am looking forward to how these are going to turn out... I don't really know, honestly, as I am still glaze testing. I am also getting ready for the holiday weekend. I have a few sales and specials going on in the Etsy shop (I will blog about it and send out a newsletter soon). Back to work (and maybe even a little sleep tonight!)
\\

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Ornaments

  • Nov. 22nd, 2009 at 6:58 PM



I am in full gear for holiday production right now, so I haven't been blogging much. This weekend became Ornament Weekend! It is very late in the year for this, seeing as the Potter's Market is the first weekend in December, and I need to get these ornaments dried, fired, glazed, fired, and finished with ribbons and embellishments before then. Oh, I also need to make a new display! eep. Anyway, I started and am on a roll, and am going to make as many as I can tonight and part of tomorrow, and then move on to finishing orders and jewerly.

I have a couple of new ornament styles this year. One is a star design that goes along with the Now Showing line. Another is a clockwork/steampunky/geared design that is similar to the Toolbox Treasures. I think they are both fun! I also brought back some of the Candy Ornaments and the Queen of the Ornaments! They will be slightly different than before (a bit more simplifed in the finishing... just a ribbon... because the finishing is the part that will kick my butt in a couple of weeks when I am scrambling to get finished) The stamps are the same. I never even really got to show the Queen ornaments in the last couple of years, because I had a misfired kiln full of them once, and I think that turned me off of remaking them.

Want to see what my day looks like? Here are two tutorials I wrote about the ornaments: the Candy tutorial and the Queen tutorial.

So yeah, sorta last minute for ornament making, but I think the holiday bug has bitten me! I am more excited for the season than I can remember being in many, many years! I am going to set up my own tree for the first time, and decorate the house a little. I want to have a home full of twinklies and candy canes and holiday cheer this year! It makes me all warm and squishy thinking about it.

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Product Playtime: The Ebony Door

  • Nov. 19th, 2009 at 7:06 PM


I recently received a package of goodies from Rings and Things as a part of their blogger program, and included in the package was this crazy cool wooden chain! It is big and chunky, and appears to be cut from one piece of high quality wood, as I don't see any seams (if there are, they are immaculately put together). I have never seen anything quite like it available for beaders. The chain I received is a long and short chain link style made of Ebony and I couldn't wait to play with it! I figured some big chunky pendants would work well with it, and the color and shaped matched my new oval key and keyhole pendants perfectly!

I linked the pendants to the chain with some brass and gunmetal heavy jump rings and hammered brass circles, and then was trying to decide what to do for a clasp for this chunky necklace. I wanted something big and industrial looking, and remembered the Idea-ology Swivel Clasp that was also included with the R&T package. I clipped the chain off of it, and used it as the clasp. Perfect! It is listed for sale in my Etsy Galleria.

This necklace is chunky and funky and really different! Before I got the chain sample, I had seen it in the catalog and had to try it, so I also have a piece of the Bayong, more rust colored chain below. Maybe I will work on a bracelet for that chain. It is really fun to play with such innovative new supplies!



The wooden chain and clasp used in the previous post, specifically referenced as from Rings and Things, were provided as promotional gifts by for review or design partnership purposes.

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Metamorphosis

  • Nov. 17th, 2009 at 12:17 AM



I finally finished the smaller version of the Lotus Butterfly pendant. In a way that seems appropriate for a butterfly design (metamorphosis and all), I carved the smaller one from the large one. I just took half of a wing, and altered it from there. That saved me quite a bit of time. I have them finished in charms and links in a bunch of colors, and have them photographed, but its too late tonight to edit and do any listing. Soon, though!

In other major change news, over the weekend, we tackled a very difficult task of cleaning a very messy room of the house... the storage room in the basement. This little room was the catch-all for everything that I couldn't store upstairs. And it was scary. I couldn't even walk into the room anymore, it was just piled with stuff. Most of the items are display and packaging supplies... things I only need once and a while. After a show, I would usually just toss them into the room. It also was filled with a lot of my old ceramic work, much of which I have disposed of over the weekend. It was a very cleansing thing to do, and I was dragging my feet and being crabby about it, but Alex helped me and organized everything and encouraged me when I got overwhelmed. Now there is space to spare! I don't have a before picture (way too scary) but here is the after picture.
Next up in the great studio cleaning will be the craft closet in my bead room. But now that there is some space in the basement room, with an area for more shelving, I will have space to store the closet stuff! There are almost no more embarrassing and scary places in my house anymore! yay!

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Now Showing at Studio Saturday

  • Nov. 14th, 2009 at 11:17 AM



I wrote a big blog post about Now Showing Studio for Art Bead Scene's Studio Saturday today, complete with a giveaway of the three pendants shown above to one random winner. Want them? Click on over and tell me about your favorite movie snacks in the comments and you will be entered to win!
As I wrote over there a little bit, I am a bit torn with this new line. It is just like what happened with Earthenwood in the early days... beaders and crafters have been asking for the pendants not as finished jewelry, but as supplies to make their own jewelry with. While we intended this to be a finished jewelry line, and will continue it as such, I am thinking of adding some simpler pendants like the ones shown. I think I might offer them for sale with a simple piece of black cord, so it can be sold as a simple-to-make necklace or just as parts. I would love to hear your thoughts... both from the beaders and crafty types and those of you who read this blog who have been wanting me to sell finished jewelry.

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Under Lock and Key

  • Nov. 13th, 2009 at 10:31 AM

I am fortunate enough to have three of my jewelry designs featured in the new book Chain Style by Jane Dickerson. I recently got my copy in the mail and I am really impressed with it! It shows so many different ways to work in chain, interpreted by several different designers. The projects are detailed and rich looking, but none of them are overly complicated. It is a great source of inspiration for those who are new to beading, as well as seasoned beaders. I can tell by looking at the projects, having worked in chain for many, many years, that Dickerson did a great job of finding the designs that fit her aesthetic for the book, with designs that pushed simple chain and beading techniques to the limits! It is a visual treat and an inspiring look at the great creativity that can be found in the seemingly simple idea of chain.
For many years, I have hoarded the pieces that I have had published in magazines and books. I liked to keep them for when I have a bead show, so I could make a nice display of finished work to give my beading customers ideas about what to do with my beads, and to show off my recent press. It sort of just became a self imposed "rule" that I keep it all, and I have had the good fortune to have had a lot of pieces published over the years, so at this point, I have a huge collection of finished jewelry pieces hanging around the studio. I have decided to start letting them go, so I started with posting this one, Under Lock and Key, in the Earthenwood Galleria on Etsy. I figured the holidays would be a good time to offer finished jewelry, so I intend to fill up the shop, slowly but surely...

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Enchanted Adornments

  • Nov. 11th, 2009 at 9:12 PM



I had a delightful weekend for my birthday celebration, and it has taken me a few days to get back into the swing of things. I am keeping busy with orders and getting ready for holiday sales, but I wanted to take a quick break to write about a new book that is on bookshelves. Cynthia Thornton's Enchanted Adornments has finally come out! I have been eagerly awaiting this book release, and not just because I was fortunate enough to have my Queen Mab necklace below added to the gallery section of the book. That was quite an honor. I knew this book would be great, knowing Cynthia and her magical work. And it certainly is great... it is absolutely gorgeous! There are all sorts of enchanted sketches and drawings throughout it, and the projects are wonderful! I was definitely inspired to want to try new techniques after just a quick flip-through. Just like Cynthia's delightful Green Girl beads, the book is full of fantasy and steeped in traditions of fairies, stories, and magic. It is a breathtaking journey through her creative process, and I think that readers of this book will be in for a fantastical treat!

You can enter to win a copy of Enchanted Adornments and a selection of my new beads! They are some of the prizes offered in the Art Bead Scene challenge this month. Create your own enchanted fairy themed jewelry using some art beads, and enter to win! Details over on the Art Bead Scene.


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Newsletter, New Stuff, and My Birthday!

  • Nov. 6th, 2009 at 12:58 PM


I sent out my newsletter last night announcing my new beads in the etsy shop, introducing readers to Now Showing, and a big sale at my website. If you aren't on the newsletter mailing list, you can view the newsletter here and take advantage of the sale too! For those of you who did get the email... did the mini-etsy shop at the bottom come through in the email, and did it work properly so you could click to etsy? I would love some feedback on that, please.

I still have a few more hearts and the keys and locks to list today. I am also working a bit on another etsy shop (I know! I am crazy!) This is one I set up a while ago for my tile and ornaments, but havent' really had a chance to utilize much. I thought I would revive it, call it the Earthenwood Ceramics Galleria, and start listing some of my finished jewerly in it. Maybe some tiles and ornaments if i can get some made for the holidays. I just don't like to mix it in with my etsy bead store for some reason.

Well, there is much to do today. And the weekend is every full with social gatherings. Sunday is my birthday! YAY, me! I will be off celebrating! see you all next week.

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Fairy Feller and Dragonflies

  • Nov. 5th, 2009 at 10:21 AM


I wrote a big post for Art Bead Scene today all about the Fairy Feller painting, so I think I will keep today's blog here short. I wanted to show some of the new small dragonfly charms and links alongside the big ones. I am really in love with both of them, and I am dying to play with them! I have ideas for bracelets with the links and the charms. Maybe today I will get a chance to play!

The links, charms, and pendants with holes (instead of wire loops) are sort of new for me. I designed them so that I can put holes in them this time. I have to make that consideration in the design, so it doesn't look like the hole interrupts the design. The wires are less conspicuous, but they have their own design and construction problems, so I figured I would give this a try. So my questions to the beaders out there is: Which do you prefer? The wire loops for charms and links, or holes. Also, I would love to hear what you would make with these little dragonfly links with two holes. Do tell!

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Double Challenge Prizes and New Listings

  • Nov. 4th, 2009 at 11:36 PM

I promised yesterday that I would show the prize for one random winner who enters the Art Bead Scene November Challenge using an Earthenwood bead or component. Here it is! It is a selection of four of my newest beads, all in a pretty peacock color. The small Dragonfly Rising link is about an inch round. I love this new design and can't wait to do some beading with them! I also made a smaller version of the scarab, and made that a link too. I think it will make a cute bracelet, or a necklace with a little charm dangle. And this is the first time I have shown the new Heartkey and Heartlock pendants, which I really adore. I think they would be fun for a pair of friends, with one of each of them getting one and making matching friendship necklaces!

Tonight, I edited all my pictures and listed a bunch of new Dragonfly Rising pendants on Etsy, both small and large. I also listed the Spiralling Mayfly pendants. Whew that was a lot of work. I have pics of the new hearts to list next, but I am starting to fall asleep at the keyboard here!

All this hard work is leading up to my upcoming newsletter. I have my annual big sale planned, so I hope you will sign up for the newsletter to get the news! I only sent one or two emails a month, so it is a good way to keep up with me. To sign up, you can use the form on the homepage of my website.

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Fairies and a Double Challenge

  • Nov. 3rd, 2009 at 11:03 PM


I am honored to have been given the opportunity to choose the source of inspiration for November's challenge over on the Art Bead Scene. It is the painting shown above, The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke by Richard Dadd, which is one of my favorite pieces of art. I hope it will inspire others the way it has inspired me. It is full of very detailed imagery, with many fairies and flora and fauna. I will be giving away the prizes below to the winner of the challenge, and will be popping in as a guest blogger during the month!

I thought it would be fun to offer a secondary challenge to those of you who enter the Art Bead Scene challenge! I will offer a separate prize of some of my newest works to one person who submits a piece to Art Bead Scene using an Earthenwood Studio bead or component. To be considered for this prize, you must first add your photo to the Art Bead Scene Flickr group, following their rules. Then add your photo to the Earthenwood Gallery Flickr group. At the end of the month, I will randomly choose one piece as the winner! Time to finally get those fairy beads out of your treasured bead stashes and make something with them! Come back tomorrow for a picture of the prize. And also check out the brand new Dragonfly Rising, Lotus Butterfly, and Spiralling Mayfly pendants that I have recently listed in the Earthenwood Etsy shop.

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Extra Links, New Listings, and Day of the Dead

  • Nov. 1st, 2009 at 11:29 AM


I hope you had a happy Halloween! I had a great time! Today is part of the celebration of the Day of the Dead! I figured in the spirit of the weekend celebrations, I would show the tiny sugar skull charm pair that I made for a special order. There is one pair left, in the Etsy shop, if you want them. I think they would make an adorable pair of earrings.

I also listed some of the new Dragonflies and Scarabs if you have been waiting for those. I have more to photograph, plus some new butterflies that I am in love with! My kiln with the first batch of butterflies overfired, so the glazes look really different, but they are still really neat and I will photograph them and list them this week.

Whew! It's November now! This is probably going to be my busiest month of the year, but I am ready to take it on! Let's start with this week's Extra Links:

A Bead A Day
Looking for a great way to commemorate a special moment or gift? Design a piece of jewelry!

About.com Jewelry Making
It's like Wal-Mart, only you want to be there in this virutal tour of Shipwreck Beads.

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene is having a book fair. Read up on your favorites!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi has finally discovered how great polymer clay is.

Cindy Gimbrone aka the Lampwork Diva
Not thinking about your holiday gift list yet? Cindy helps get you started with a Knot Ready for Prime Time Lucky Knots and Friends Projects so you can get started now!

Jean Campbell
Jean celebrates her favorite holiday by showing off her costume and some very cool baubles

Jewelry & Beading
Krystal Backer, beading artist, shares her creative inspirations with Cyndi.

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Have you been following Lorelei's Necklace Round Robin? Come take a look at the finished pieces!

Snap Out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean reviews a delightful book by the editor of BeadStyle: Cathy Jakicic

Strands of Beads
Melissa shows off her favorite necklace created for Cynthia Thornton's Enchanted Adornments and winner in the metal clay category of the British Bead Awards

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Happy Halloween!

  • Oct. 31st, 2009 at 3:24 PM

Happy Halloween, All! I spent some time yesterday and today working on some more horror movie card jewelry pieces for Now Showing Studio while watching scary movies. I am going to list a few more today before I get on my Steampunky Brewster costume and head out for Halloween fun. I just wanted to share this new bracelet first. Seriously, what girl doesn't need a Seed of Chucky charm bracelet? hehe. Have fun and be safe everyone!

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Skeleton Crew

  • Oct. 28th, 2009 at 11:09 PM


Well today was a busy day of working. Whew! Running Earthenwood and starting up Now Showing Studio is quite exhilarating! I think that starting something new is just the thing I needed to give me some new energy for my regular work. One thing that has been a huge help and change for me is having people do some of the tasks for me. Having a shipping assistant come and pack up my orders saves me so much time (plus we have a blast working together). And having a packaging and assembly helper is awesome! All the little things that you don't really think about that need to get done in a business... well, I have her help with those, and we work, and watch movies, and *poof* they are done! These are things that I was doing all myself, when i could have been spending time on the creative parts of the business, or the things that I can't really have someone else do. I hope, in the end, that hiring this help makes it worthwhile for all of us. I am enjoying the experiment, and I do think it will be good for business.

Above, is one of the new Now Showing necklaces. This one was cut from a Creepshow dvd backer card. Spooky, huh? I have been working with various horror movie cards, but I think I am going to move on to the anime cards soon, because I think the horror themes might be a little limited to Halloween, and the Anime ones are super fun to do. I just listed a bunch of pieces cut from a Dragonball Z card!

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Melanie Brooks (aka Alycia Von Kylnfyre)
Earthenwood Studio

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