Facebook Winner Announcement

Example of an Initial Pendant

Well, mom and I are still working our way through all the Bead Soup blogs.  We wanted to thank everyone who came to the blog and left wonderful comments on the pieces we did for the Bead Soup Party.

I guess you guys are waiting for us to announce the winner of the Facebook giveaway.  I thought I would show the process of what we did to pick the winner.  Mom likes it when I show the process, so here we go:

First type up all the names in a Word document

Cut the names out

Fold the names and put into a bowl for drawing

Have a friend draw the name out

And here is the winner

The winner is Courtney White Breul.  Congrats Courtney!! Thank you again for all of you who participated in our first Facebook giveaway.

But wait - if you didn't participate in the Facebook giveaway, never fear, mom and I are having another giveay in a few weeks.  This will be our "Birthday's Giveaway".  My birthday is on March 13th and mom's birthday is on March 14th.  I am sure mom doesn't want me to tell everyone, but this is me so I am going to tell, mom is turning 60.  Of course mom just keeps getting younger and younger, so this is no big deal :)

For the giveaway mom and I are thinking of a enameled copper bowl, enameled copper pendant and an assortment of our lampwork glass beads.  So, stick around when we post the giveaway and you will have another chance to enter.

February Monthly Challenge Piece

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose by John Singer Sargent

February's monthly challenge piece is a painting by John Singer Sargent called "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose."  This painting is to be the most favored painting of all his work. It is universally believed to be one of his masterpieces. Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, the title lifted from the light-hearted lyrics of a popular song, is a triumph of John's use of light which would never be equaled in quite the same way.

Carnation, Rose, Lily

Mom and I based our piece on the flowers in the title of the painting.  Mom hand sawed out all the flowers and then I enameled them (only some swearing was involved).  The enamel colors I used are: carnations - white, iris, jungle/willow green; rose - flame red/orient red, jungle/willow green; lily - white, orchid, transparent soft yellow and jungle/willow green.  The necklace is accented with pearls on Sterling Silver headpins and the flowers are connected with 16 gauge stainless steel jump rings.  Mom came up with the name of the necklace "Lei It On Me" because it reminded her of a lei and the necklace is as long like a lei.

Mom is now crashed on the couch after finishing putting this together tonight.  I think she slathered Bio Freeze all over her neck and shoulders and doesn't plan on moving any time soon.  Mom you are a rock star to finish this up.

Reminder that mom and I are having a giveaway on our Facebook page.  If you would like to participate, please go to our Facebook page, like us and then leave us a comment of what two initials you would like us to make into a pendant and what two colors you would like us to use.  Drawing will be on Monday, 28 February.

Our First Facebook Giveaway and BTW

Example of a pendant with initials

Mom and I have had a Facebook page for EB Bead and Metal Works for about six months.  We have yet to do a giveaway there to reward our fans. Since the Bead Soup Party is going on this weekend, mom and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to do a Facebook fan giveaway.

We will be giving away a pendant with a person's initials sawed out.  The above picture is an example of a pendant we have done in the past so you have an idea of what we will be making for one lucky winner.  We will also be including some of our lampwork glass beads in this giveaway.

If you would like to participate, please go to our Facebook page, like us and then leave us a comment of what two initials you would like us to make in the pendant and what two colors you would like us to use.

Disclaimer on colors: Enameling is a tricky business.  We will do our best to accommodate your color preferences.

We will have the drawing on Monday, 28 February.

BTW for 2/23/2011

A quick post for BTW.  This is our piece for the Feb. Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge.  Mom created pearl dangles and now we just have to hook the enameled pieces and dangles together for the necklace.  We are calling this necklace "Lei It on Me".  I hope to have this done tonight and pictures taken.  We are almost done with our pieces for the big reveal on Saturday.  Both mom and I are so excited and I am so ready to share!

Done, Done, and Done

Cell Phone Case by Lori at Waterstone

If you have never been to Lori's blog, Waterstone, go there now.  Don't walk, RUN!  I have been drooling over her bags for several months.  When she posted the bomber jacket bag I was lusting so bad and then it sold.  Well come to find out mom bought it for me for Christmas (I have the bestest mom!).  Well, earlier this year I bought an Iphone and I wanted a cell phone case to keep it clean.  I convos Lori to see if she still had some of the bomber jacket left, and she said she still had some scraps and this is what she created for me.  I love, love, love it!  Now aren't you all just plain jealous :)

I finally completed enameling the pieces for the February Monthly Challenge on Art Bead Scene.

Roses, carnations, lilies

Depending on how mom feels tonight (she got a partial root canal this morning and they cleaned out a bunch of infection) I am hoping I can nag her to get this put together so I can take pictures of it.  Mom has it all laid out but she just needs to assemble it.  Come on drugs, kick in for mom!

I did finally post the four pendants, two necklaces and three bowls out on our Etsy site.

I am in talks with mom for another giveaway.  I would like to do a giveaway for the folks on our Facebook page and maybe another giveaway during the Bead Soup Blog Party.  I will try and sneak my ideas past mom while she is on pain pills.  I will keep you posted on what we decide.

UGHH!!! - !@*#

I am trying not to swear on the blog, but today is a good day to do it.  How do you like my symbols for swearing.  Did you know that the swearing with symbols is called "grawlix". Just thought I would share that little bit information.  It is always a good day when you learn something new.

I did finish up enameling the Feb. Challenge pieces and I will post an image of the finished pieces tomorrow.  Mom plans on putting the necklace together tomorrow night.  She is a little frazzled right now so she isn't going to try and work on it. 

The computer seemed to acquire another @#$* virus this morning while she was looking for juried art fairs.  If you don't remember we had a virus on the computer a few months ago and lost everything.  At least now we have Mozy as a back up, so didn't lose pictures again, we just lost everything in our Favorites list.  Mom and I are so freaking pissed off at Best Buy it isn't even funny.  Won't bore you with the details, just mad. 

I have taken pictures of the ginkgo, lilies of the valley, butterfly and moth pendant and I will post those on Etsy tomorrow (need to unbury my laptop to work on photographs - typing on mom's laptop right now).  I took pictures of three enameled bowls and two necklaces that I also plan to list. 

Just six more days until the Bead Soup Blog Party starts.  We are so excited and can't wait to see what everyone has created.  Make sure you come back on Saturday because I will have a blog roll of all the participants posted for your viewing pleasure.

ZenTangles, Compliment, and Enameling Session

Original by Beth

We have a monthly meeting, that is now mandatory, though it has nothing to pertain to us we still have to attend this meeting.  I have read some about Zen Tangles and I have seen other people working on them, so I thought I would give it a try.  The box is about 5-6 inches square.  I did close my eyes to start with the beginning design and then I just went to town.  This is about two or more hours of work.  I am really proud of it because I really don't like to draw.  Mom really liked it and she thought it would be a great pattern for a scarf.


Jan. ABS Challenge Piece

A few weeks ago, during the huge snow storm of 2011, mom and I received the most aweseomest email.  It was in regards to the January Art Bead Challenge based on the painting by Wayne Thiebaud, Brown River.  A relative of Mr. Tiebaud's sent us an email saying that the necklace was wonderful.  Needless to say that made mom and my day for that wonderful compliment.  So, here is my advice to you all, do challenges!  You never know who is out there looking at challenges or blogs!


Mom Filing and Sanding

I don't know how long it has been since mom and I have worked on pieces or enameled anything.  So, today was the first back in the garage enameling in weeks.  This is a picture of mom, not wanting her picture taken, filing and sanding.

This is the next wonderful picture of my mother flipping me off.  Isn't she just great.  I love the cheese eating grin on her face.  I guess I will keep her since she likes to saw.

This is today's enameling set up.  I have all the enamels out so I can work my way around the tables.  I sort of work in an assembly line format.  I also have the screens and trivets laid out where I can get at them to lay the pendants on.


Enameling pendants

 

Enameling pieces for the Feb. Challenge

I did finish enameling the pendants but I am still working on the pieces for the February Art Bead Scene Challenge.  I am done for the day, after six hours of enameling, my feet hurt and I am starting to be tired and I don't want to make any mistakes.  The pieces for the challenge are smaller than the other pendants I enameled and they are a pain in the butt!

Here are the pendants I did finish enameling.  Sorry about the poor quality of photos.  I plan on taking better photos tomorrow, but here is a preview.



Butterfly



Lillies of the Valley



Finch



Ginkgo

 

Moth

Tomorrow I plan on starting bright and early to enamel.  I also want to get the moth, butterfly, lillies of the valley and ginkgo pendant listed out on Etsy. I also have two other necklaces I would like to take photographs of and post on Etsy.  The finch pendant I plan on using in a necklace with the egg beads made by Kelley at Kelley's Bead Studio.  Mom and I still need to put our pieces together for the Bead Soup Blog Party.  I guess that is it for the list of things we need to do.  I hope to accomplish most of that list tomorrow, if not, each night this week.  Just so you know, mom is shaking her head at me and my list of things.

I am off to put my feet up and veg for a bit.  Have a great weekend!

Giveaway Alerts - Beads by Laura and Andrew Thornton

Cupcake Bracelet - Beads by Laura

If you have never heard of Beads by Laura, I so recommend running over to her blog.  She is having a giveaway of a cupcake bracelet.  Doesn't just make you want to run out and buy some cupcakes to snack on?

 Here is a closer look of all that awesomeness!
To win all that sweet goodness, head on over to Laura's blog and leave a comment.

Green Girl Studio pewter pieces

Andrew Thornton is back from working with his students and the Gem Shows and he is back with a bang.  This Thursday's Giveaway is brand new pewter pieces from his family at Green Girl Studios.  To win all these goodies run, not walk, over to Andrew's blog to enter.

We are Back and BTW

Happy Dancing Kitty (not one of ours)



Hello!!!!  Mom and I are back.  I am still coughing, going on week 2.  Last night I took some of my cough medicine with codeine, because I went on a coughing spree.  I ended up staying up until 2:00am and then getting up at 5:45, which makes for a long day. I thought I would work on making some fishscale beads for mom, but as tired as I am right now I figure I would burn something important, so no torching tonight - rats!

I know it has been awhile since we have done any posts about stuff we have worked on or made, but today is a great day to show what we are preparing to enamel this Saturday since it is BTW (Bead Table Wednesday).


BTW

Here is what mom and I are working on:


These are pieces mom and I are using for the February Challenge on Art Bead Scene.  Mom sawed all the pieces out and now they just need to be filed and sanded.  We have already filed and sanded four of the pieces and we still have these and pieces in a little container to do.  I am so looking forward to enameling those little suckers (not)!

These are pieces that will be enameled this weekend.  Sorry, for some reason blogger rotated the picture and I can't upload it correctly.

Our bird pendant that still needs to be enameled.  I have an image of a finch so I know the colors I want to enamel the pendant.  Next to the pendant are beads from Kelley's Beads.  These are the last of the egg beads I bought from her (I still have three more I need to do something with).  I also want to incorporate ribbon, but I am not sure how yet, just threw it on the tray so I wouldn't forget about it.

I hope to have more to post this weekend.  I hope by then I am done with this cough and I have lots and lots of enameling pictures to share with you.

Have a great week!  It is hump day - celebrate!

Junk Room Cleaning and Favorite Things

Mom and I took Thursday and Friday off to work on her laundry room and my junk room.  We finished re-painting mom's laundry room yesterday and then mom came over to help me with the junk room today.  So far we have done two Goodwill runs, I have a bag of clothes for two of my friends to go through and three bins of stuff I need to go through.  The three bins has stuff that I need to look at to shred, file or just put away.

That is almost seven years of accumlated junk that I threw in the junk room.  When mom walked into the room she shuddered.  I asked if she was cold because I keep the heat low.  Mom said, "No, I am shuddering at the state of this room.".  I did take a few before pictures, but they are on my phone right now.  I think I will take photos of when I am done and post both sets of pictures together.  I still need to paint the room and hang a few pictures and I still need to go through the three bins and get them out of the room.  Mom said to work on the bins a half hour or 45 minutes this week and it will be done.

I am hoping to be working in the garage this weekend because the temperature is suppose to be in the upper 30's, heat wave!  Because I have been sick we also have not been working on any jewelry, so need to get back into that.  So, since we have done nothing new I thought I would share some of my favorite things I have found on Etsy.  Enjoy!

Going Green Bracelet - BeadsforEver



Annabel Leed Edgar Allen Poe's Muse - Imagine Studio



Pearly Dew Drops - Is Photography



Bee Yunomi Tea Bowl - OneClayBead



Stars & Swirls Pyrography Birdhouse - MotherSpoon



Pisces Zodiac Sign Notebook - GILDBookbinders

The Crud

I am home today sick with "The Crud". I finally went to urgent care this morning and they said I have a viral infection. I am thinking great, as I am about to cough up a lung. Mom calls to make sure I am alive, isn't she great! I have cough syrup to help me sleep at night. Now I just need to hope my voice comes back soon. I hope you all are doing better than I feel.

Beading Weekend and "The Crud"

Lily watching it snow

I don't know about you guys but it snowed here again yesterday.  I had to take a picture of mom's youngest cat as she sat in the window watching the white stuff come down.  When the flakes are huge, she is like a psycho kitty trying to catch them at the window.


Start of brainstorming for Bead Soup


It has been awhile since mom and I have done anything bead, metalsmithing, or torching related and I was jonesing to work in the studio.  Mom and I started our brainstorming session of what we wanted to do with the goodies for our Bead Soup pieces.  Oh, so you know, we have the goodies in the laundry room because Lily was trying to make off with the bag of goodies, so had to move the goodies to a place she is not allowed into.  This is the first layout of the goodies, mom got our beading trays out and we started breaking down what we liked and didn't like.  I am showing you the start because I nixed this idea and we came up with a different one for this piece.  We finally came up with ideas for three pieces and got the pieces on the beading boards to begin the putting together process.


Mom sawing out pendants

I had a whole list of things that I asked mom to saw out for me to enamel.  This is her working away at sawing those pendants.  The thing on her head is a maginfying glasses so she can see what she is sawing - her "old peoples eyes" need a little help sometimes :)


Torch table with glass for the Bead Soup beads

While mom was sawing, I went out to the garage to work on making beads as accent for the Bead Soup pieces.  The opaque green and the dark transparent green are two handmade glasses that I love to work with.  Mom especially loves it when I make my fishscale beads out of these two colors.  I didn't get a chance to work on the fishscale beads I was trying something else with the beads.  I still haven't seen how they turned out.  Mom just said "They are okay" when I asked if she liked them.  Nice mom :)  That means to me, make the fishscale beads kid.

Today I wanted to enamel but I am sort of feeling like the woman in the photographs.  I have felt sort of off all week, but yesterday I really started to feel bad.  As Erin, of Treasures Found, calles it "The Crud".  I have a stuffy nose, sore throat and (not sure how to explain it) a heaviness in my chest.  So, overall, I feel like crud.  I am taking mom's advice and I am not going to work in the garage today, though I really want to.



"The Captive Robin" piece we did for Dec. Monthly Challenge



"Winterwonderland" with Kristen's beads

So, instead today I will work on cropping, resizing and posting inventory on Etsy.  I think mom is going to work on sawing out pendants and pieces for February's monthly challenge.