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!

Ok, I think I am done with being all super secret about the new project I have been working on! Alex (drummermc ) and I started a little side business based on some cool items we found at a video store that was going out of business. We are recycling DVD backer cards into really neat jewelry! We have called the business Now Showing Studio, and have set up a new Etsy shop and a blog and have been working hard to get some pieces designed and listed in the shop. There will be many more to come, and I will blog about it occassionally here on the Earthenwood blog, but please go and bookmark the new sites, because the news will go up there first! Help spread the word if you like what you see...

Thanks also to Skennedy, (atdt1991 ) who made the graphics for Now Showing!

Oh, and I set up an LJ feed for the Now Showing blog, but LJ seems to be wonky and is not updating feeds properly (according to the LJ known issues).  Feel free to add it to your reading list, and let's cross our fingers that I did it right.
 

Hey! It has been a couple of days since I last blogged. I have been busy working on clay work for several orders, which I finished this afternoon (at least the wet work is done). I also appear to have caught a little cold, so I have been resting and watching movies and doing clay while working on the still secret new idea! I am totally re-energized with this, and I can't wait to show you! But first I need some help with research.

I have recently become very interested in film and movies. Not that it didn't interest me before... I like movies, of course. But I have recently begun to really think about them and how much they add to our lives. I have also been looking at film and movie theatre imagery and movie poster artwork, and have been feeling the romanticism of the cinema throughout time. It is a fun new source of inspiration for me!

I wanted to ask all of you who love movies for some help with finding links to good film sites. Blogs about movies, review sites, that sort of thing... share with me your favorites! This info will help me with part of the new project, which I promise to tell you about next week. Thanks in advance!

The image above is a filmstrip stamp that I ordered from Simon Says Stamps, which will work its way into some of the packaging and display for the new project. It's a Tim Holtz design... wow I love that guy! I got a few of his stamps and supplies, which is really great stuff.

Today has been an odd day of constant movement, but I don't feel like I really did anything. Looking back, I know I did... I got quite a bit of stuff done, actually. Its sort of odd stuff though, bits and pieces here and there. It adds up, but it can be hard to see it as a big accomplishment. One of the small tasks I did was listing a set of beads, shown above, in my Etsy shop. Two sets, actually, as one was requested by a customer, and I made a few extra. These beads are the ones used in the Treasured Secret necklace design that was created by Jess Italia Lincoln that appears in the Best of Stringing Magazine special collectors edition magazine, shown below. It is a lovely piece, made with lots of Vintaj brass and glass beads along with my porcelain pieces. I love the asymmetry of the design and the way the bird is used as a toggle. I also love the combination of the pale milky glass and my pewter glazes against the brass. Nicely done!

Speaking of secrets and treasures, I have a little bit of both of those today! Yesterday, I was out on a lovely window shopping date with Alex and we came across some unusual materials in an unexpected spot. We both immediately knew we had to have them and spent much time picking out our treasures. They were plentiful and cheap items, and although we didn't know what we would be doing with them, we knew they would be a great crafting material. Today, I made a sample of something that we are going to start to make, and I am super excited about it. But alas, there lies the secret... because I don't want to show or tell any more about them until we are ready to sell them! It might turn into a little side business... just what I need! hehe. If only I had enough hands to keep up with my ideas. Anyway, keep checking back... I will reveal it someday soon, before the holidays!

I am taking a break from a great autumn weekend to tell you about an event I am planning for next week. I am participating in the Beads of Clay Open Studio Event. It will be a day of several ceramic bead artists blogging live, sharing their studio spaces and stories, and having special deals. I am not sure exactly what I will be doing, but I am brewing up some fun things. I know I will be showing my new work for the first time, and will have a couple of giveaways and specials. So stop by the Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Blog next Sunday, October 25th, from 1-4pm. This is the first time I have done something like this, and I am really looking forward to it.

Wow, it was an insanely busy week! The BOGO Etsy sale was a huge success (it is still on, by the way, until tomorrow night!) I even added a dozen or so more new sets to the sale late last night. Two days were spent on shipping this week, with help from my awesome shipping assistant! Whew! I hope to have everything shipped by Monday. Just another quick round of shipping today and I can take the weekend off! Tonight I am planning sushi and going to a Halloween party, and tomorrow I am hoping to go to a pumpkin patch! Maybe a hay ride! YAY I love autumn. Hope you all have a great weekend, too.

This is a new necklace design I put together using one of my Message Stick links and a Muse Stone tablet. I had two short pieces of gunmetal chain scraps lying around from my last beading session, so I came up with this design. I really like the little piece of smaller chain on the side of the Message Stick! I also like the asymmetry of the design, the side clasp, the little bit of sparkle from the crystals, and the contrast of the dark gunmetal against the pale pink porcelain. It's surprising sometimes how just messing around with beads and scraps can lead me to coming up with unexpected designs that I end up really loving.

I wanted to use this combination of porcelain components because I have several listed for sale in the Etsy shop, and I wanted to show one example of something to make with them. I will remind you that I am having my big BOGO sale in the Etsy shop, from now until Sunday. It has been going very well so far, and I am adding more stuff tonight.

I recently received some exciting beads from the fine folks at Rings and Things. As a Blog Partner, I was given the opportunity to choose something fun to use in my designs. With autumn here and my love of earth colors in high form, I decided to try some wooden beads. I have many, many earth toned beads in my collection, but they are mostly ceramic, glass, and stone. I really don't have many beads in wood or other natural materials. First on my want list were the Wooden Charm Connectors shown above. I love the detail in these laser cut discs! And the designs I chose are very contemporary and natural, which I think will look great with some of my own pendants (especially my newest line that is coming out this fall) After I ordered, Rings and Things announced some new Wooden Donuts, which I also would like to try next time I order. I already made one piece, the Woodland Mermaid, using the connectors, and am looking forward to making more.
I figured some accent beads to go with the wooden connectors would be good, so I picked out some Rudraksha beads. These unusual beads are the seed of a fruit and are used in traditional Hindu malas. I have always loved the look and texture of these beads! I also picked up a strand of round wooden beads that look a little like pumpkins or basketballs. I was impressed with all of these beads, as well as the rest of the selection of natural beads that Rings and Things has to offer.

Finally, due to a new FTC ruling, I need to specifically mention some info about the items I have blogged about here. I will be adding this little statement to some of my future blog posts, since I sometimes use items that are given to me from some of the companies that I associate with, and I need to mention when I am given free products for the purpose of blogging and review.

All items in the previous post, specifically referenced as from Rings and Things, were provided as promotional gifts by for review or design partnership purposes.

Well, I have been trying to blog all week, but it has just been too busy! I have a bead show tomorrow... The Bead Bonanza! I realized a couple of weeks ago that I would not be able to restock or have my new work done in time for the show, so I ended up cleaning out the studio and I am having a giant sale! I unearthed some beads I made a LONG time ago, some are almost 10 years old. It is kind of neat to see the old pieces, and to see where I have been and where I am going, artistically speaking. I think some of the themes repeat over and over through the years in different ways, which is really neat.

While I have been working on all the cleaning, I have been chipping away at some new work. (heh, literally chipping sometimes...I have been trying new things and have had some breakage, which is frustrating). I am super excited about the new pieces that are coming out! Unfortunately I was just a little too slow, and I won't have these new things to show this weekend. You can see a peek at the wet pieces that I just finished yesterday in the picture above. But I will have them done soon, and will be making a big deal about them in the next couple of weeks.

Anyway, that's what has been happening here. Time to finish getting ready for the show, and if you are in the Metro Detroit area tomorrow, I hope you stop by the Bead Bonanza and say hello!

One of the things I have come to love about my job is how flexible I can be with my time, and how portable my work can be. On more than one occasion, like today, I have been able to take part of the day off or travel with my work in order to help a friend. I can bring my sketchbook or a spool of wire and pliers, and spend time sitting in a waiting room. Its actually something I enjoy. Um, not my friends getting sick and hurt... but being forced to sit and sketch. My sketchbook and pencils are tools that I don't use enough, but I have been carrying them around with me much more lately. I have even been carving from the drawings! So forcing myself to sit still and just doodle is great. Plus it is good to be able to be there for friends.

Speaking of friends, I also wanted to share a picture of the Love Bird Necklace, by my very talented friend Jean Campbell, which uses one of my heart pendants in metallic pewter. I noticed this piece in the recent issue of Creative Jewelry at the bookstore. It is a beautiful magazine! I was reminded of it today when I got my Beading Daily newsletter, because Creative Jewelry is now available as a full download on the Interweave online store!

Well, that's all the rambling randomness for today. Time to turn off the computer, make my buddy with the hurt back a grilled cheese sammich, and make some beads tonight.

Finally, I am at the end of my Crystal Week with one final necklace to show. I used a Sprig Coral Pendant from Art Beads as the seed of inspiration. It is a lovely transparent tan color called Crystal Golden Shadow. Of course, I love brown, so it was pretty easy for me to start working with. I like the twig-like shape of it, so I paired it with some great laser cut wooden discs from Rings and Things with branch designs cut into them. But I wanted to make sure to use more pastel spring colors with the browns. I chose to use one of my mermaid beads and a seafoam bubble bead, both with seafoam coloration, and I used pale aqua crystal beads in transparent and opaque to accent them. Then I contrasted with a bit of lime crystal, for a little something different. The asymmetrical design seemed to come naturally as I designed it. Perhaps breaking from symmetry comes easier with practice!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the pieces I made for Crystal Week as much as I enjoyed making them! Next week I hope to show you some new goodies I received for a new blog challenge, along with some pictures and thoughts about the new carvings I have been doing.

Of the awesome machinery of nature" -Carl Sagan

Today's necklace design is another exploration of steampunky and mechanical/industrial looking beads, but with a bit of a twist. I received the Olivine Swarovski Orchid pendant from Art Beads, and I knew I wanted to make something with it that resembled a propeller. I fumbled around with it for a while, but ended up wire wrapping it to a hammered silver ring. Naturally, I paired it with my Propeller Steam Stone and some additional steamy beads in the rich green Desert Pine color, to go with the olivine. I used some Vintaj brass washers and some hammered pewter rings, along with some Tim Holtz gears to give it a machine like look. But after watching the video below, I was inspired by the quote above, and it gave me just the thing to complete the necklace... a few natural references like the leaf pendant from Mamacita Beadworks, the scrolling Botanical Link from Green Girl Studios, and a few pewter oak leaf discs. It's a rather fun necklace, that makes a lot of noise and has a lot of movement, which I love.

 

Brr! The weather turned a little chilly today! I even turned on the furnace for the first time to prepare for the time we night need to turn on the heat... which might be tonight! Anyway, it seems appropriate that the new design that I have to show today is based on fire and furnaces. The Steam Stone in the center was inspired by steampunk movies that feature ovens and furnaces, and the Rusty Engine glaze color is so warm and reminds me of fire. I paired the Steam Stone with some Steam accent bead in a matching glaze, and added Swarovski crystals in topaz and red crystal pearls, copper accents, Vintaj brass centerpiece, and a Green Girl shibiuchi clasp.

Of course, the main inspiration for the whole piece was the Swarovski crystal Rock Pendant in Topaz from Art Beads. I started with the crystal, and wire wrapped it with some Vintaj brass wire, in sort of a freeform way, layering the wire wraps to make a sort of primitive and rough looking pendant. I really love this Rock Pendant... I think it is my favorite of all the crystal pieces I got from Art Beads to play with.

Well, it's past midnight now, and I am sleepy and a little chilly. Time to snuggle up in bed with the doggie and get all warm and zzz...

It has taken me some time to clear out a space for my new beading area in the studio and get down to work, but I finally got a chance to play with the delightful Swarovski crystal pendants that I received last month from Art Beads. Part of the reason it took me so long is that when I picked out the beads, I had several projects in mind instead of one major project. I have been a busy beader the past couple of days and I want to share the things I made with you this week.

The first piece I used was the Dragonfly Pendant in Crystal Satin. I really like this wing shaped bead, particularly the asymmetry of it. It is a very weighty bead with a large hole, and the shape looked like it would be perfect with my little fairy beads as a suggestion of wings.

I wired together a large pendant with the crystal pendant, a leaf, and a fairy bead and attached them to a large Vintaj butterfly filigree piece. Onto that, I layered a Swarovski crystal button and a Vintaj leaf. For the necklace, I used heavy bronze SoftFlex and wired it in and out of some Czech Picasso brick beads, brass beads, and colored crystal pearls (detail below).

Clearly, I was in an autumn woodland fairy kind of mood! And working in the browns and greens and bronzes was a good way for me to warm up to this beading session. But of course, I want to be able to submit these new designs for magazines, and the editors are probably looking for spring and summer looks right now, so I tried to keep that in mind in the next piece I made. Come back tomorrow to see it!

The fabulous Jean Campbell used one of my Leafy Face Stones in her recent project Eau Claire, which is featured in the most recent issue of Beadwork Magazine. This is a gorgeous project! The colors are beautiful and I love what she did with my Face Stone. Congrats to Jean, who was named one of Beadwork's Designers of the Year! Check out this project in the magazine, on bookshelves now. And I hope you will also check out my full selection of Face Stones, many of which have been brought back to the Earthenwood website.

It's Monday morning and I am waking up late and having my coffee, planning my day. I was looking forward to my Punk Fitness class today, but sadly, it was canceled. What a bummer. I guess I will check the website to see if there is something else I can take in its place. Maybe I will use the money to go and buy Wii Active, as I have been enjoying Wii Fit so much. Or maybe I will look into that fitness center I pass on the way to the post office. I am determined to get in better shape, slowly but surely. Oh, and dang it, I didn't see the hula hoop guy at the fair yesterday either! I will have to make my own, I guess!

Let's see, now my day looks a little different with these changes, so it's time to replan. I need to do some glazing today and some shipping. I listed a bunch of new charm and link pairs and bead assortments in the Etsy shop last night, as I am continuing with the studio cleaning. They have been selling very well, which makes me happy! I am looking ahead to a bead show in October, and I am getting a little nervous because I don't have much inventory, so it might end up being a whole table full of studio clearance. I guess instead of spring cleaning, I am in an autumn cleaning frame of mind. So I will continue to get my assortments together and list them on Etsy, and then pull them from the shop right before the show.

I have officially moved my shipping area back to the dining room, and I am happy with it again. It allows me to work when I have friends over instead of being locked away in my bead room. Also, I still hope to have some help with shipping someday, so it is set up for that when I need it. I was able to get my brother's printer to work with my laptop, so it is a pretty streamlined task at this point. Anyway, enough babble... it's time to get to some work!

  I wandered around the DIY Fair yesterday and thought is was really great! It had such a great atmosphere and energy to it... something really different from the classic art fairs that I have done and attended. It's so indie and focused on small businesses and handmade. I don't know, not much tempts me to return to my days of doing street fairs, but this show really did. I will have to consider it for next year. I am planning to go back today, for a few reasons. I want to see more (and maybe pick up a punk rock hula hoop if I can find that guy again!), and I also want to drop off some jewelry with vendors at the art fair who have a gallery called Domaci that sells my work. I haven't given them new work in a while. I pulled all of my resin pendants from the Etsy shop and I am going to consign those with them. I think they will do very well. I don't think I ever blogged the resin necklace above, which I decided to keep for myself for now! It is one of the last pieces I did in resin, and when I ever get a chance to do more, I want to do more like it.

Ok, lots of inventory to do before I go, so I better get to it. I shall leave you with this week's Extra Links:
About.com Jewelry Making
Loving some filigree, check out these new filigree jewelry projects.

A Bead A Day
Bead-wiring vs. bead-weaving...which do you prefer?

Barbe Saint John - New Jewelry from Forgotten Artifacts
Barbe goes crazy over Mixed Metals book

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene shows off her top art bead picks for this month's Kandinsky Challenge.

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
Cindy makes more Through the Looking Glass Nuggets Charms that match perfectly with Frost Links.

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmis creates a necklace using canvas and leather.
http://carmicimicata.blogspot.com/2009/09/van-gogh-meets-sticky-back-canvas.html

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Bead cones can be used in more way than one and Lorelei shows an example!

Jewelry & Beading
Why wouldn't we talk about fashion on a jewelry and beadwork blog?

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew announces his BIG SALE! Check out all the goodies!