October Fest Blog Hop 2013

 In the fall we do a lot of this.  Most of the time I try to mow it over and over so we don't have to rake, but this fall has been so wet and the leaves thick.  Frankly 2 acres is too much to take care of sometimes.  I yearn for a tiny little postage stamp of a yard.

 We also do a lot of this in the fall.  Jeff and I were married on the 27th and we did a lot of driving that year too.

 And we see a lot of this.  I have shows every other weekend this year.  In past years October has been my month of every weekend shows.  Some how they managed to spread themselves out this year but we do go later into November.

 It helps when you are stuck in the car for hours at a time to play with the features of the camera in your phone.  I also knit and have already finished a couple of hats for my Halos of Hope project.

Of course I have to make some fall beads and when I think of fall I think of leaves.

Everyone thinks of different things when they think of fall this is just a few of my ideas.

The October Fest 2013 blog hop is sponsored by Toltec Jewels the list of participants is below.  So go have some fun seeing what brings out the fall in everyone.

Andrea Glick-Zenith             http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/

Dolores Raml                      

http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com/

Karla Morgan                        http://TexasPepperJams.blogspot.com

Susie Harris                        

http://jewelleryjunkie.blogspot.com/

Susan                                    http://libellulajewelry.com

Mischelle Andrade               http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/

Kay Thomerson                    http://kayzkreationz.blogspot.com/

Billi                                          

http://billi-rs-rothove.blogspot.com/

Jean Yates                           

http://prettykittydogmoonjewelry.blogspot.com/

Kelly Hosford Patterson     http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com

Kathy Lindemer                    http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com

Liz E                                       

http://beadcontagion.blogspot.com

Jasvanti Patel                      

http://jewelrybyjasvanti.blogspot.com

Christie Murrow                    www.charisdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

Jodie Marshall                      http://marshalljodie.blogspot.com/

Andrea Trank                         http://heavenlanecreations.com/

Dini Bruinsma                       http://angazabychanges.blogspot.nl

Elsie Deliz  Fonseca            http://ladelizchica.blogspot.com/

Pepita                                    

www.pepita-handmade.blogspot.com

Karla Morgan                        

http://texaspepperjams.blogspot.com/

Kathleen                                 http://99bobotw.blogspot.com/

Vera Lynn                               http://veradesigns.blogspot.com/

Rana Wilson                         http://ranaleadesigns.blogspot.com/

Catherine King                    

http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com/

Lily Vincent                           

http://thecreativeklutz.blogspot.co.uk/

Janice Hidey (Janimar)      http://drawingthelinesomewhere.com/

Cory Tompkins                     http://TealwaterDesigns.blogspot.com

Candida Castleberry          www.spunsugarbeadworks.blogspot.com

Cynthia Kent Machata         http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com/

Alicia Marinache                   http://www.allprettythings.ca

Linda Anderson                   http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com

Leah Curtis                          

http://beadyeyedbunny.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Reno (JenRen)     http://jenrenjewelry.blogspot.com/

Robin Reed                           http://willowdragon.blogspot.com/

Tanty Sri Hartanti                  www.tjewellicious.blogspot.com

Lisa Lodge                           

http://gratefulartist.blogspot.com/

Ingrid A.                                 

http://lilisgems.wordpress.com/

Judy Turner                           www.silver-rains.blogspot.com

Gina Hockett                        

http://freestyleelements.blogspot.com/

Nelly May                                www.smellynelly.blogspot.com

Tanya McGuire                      http://tanyamcguire.blogspot.com/

Ahowin                                    

http://www.blog.ahowinjewelry.com

Sonya Stille                           

http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com

Pam                                       

http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com

Carol D.                                 

http://dillmansdallies.blogspot.com/

Asri Wahyuningsih              http://asribeadwork.blogspot.com/

Ginger Bishop                      http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com

Janine                                   

http://www.esfera.me/travel/blog/travel-stories

Shaiha Williams                   http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

Toltec Jewels (Rita, your hostess)  www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Caroline          http://Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

We are off to Des Moines, IA............

...............for the Des Moines Bead Bazaars second year.  The show is held at the State Fair Grounds in the Walnut Center Building.  The hours are 10-5 on Saturday October 26th and 10-4 on Sunday October 27.  Papio Creek Gems and Gifts are the promoters of the show and you can find more info on their website.  The fairgrounds has an interactive map if you are not sure where the Walnut Center is check it out.  It just so happens that Sunday the 27th is Jeff and my 29th wedding anniversary, so come and say hello.

 I did get a few more end of the day lentil beads ready to take with me.  You can see them in person if you visit the show. 

Hollow Beads

 A few weeks ago while at Sidewalk Arts Festival in Sioux Falls, SD I got to see a fellow artist who's name has totally gone from my brain cells.  I knew who it was when I was talking to her but I have been trying to find it for a week.  (If you see this dear you know who you are please send me a message.) Any way to get back to what I wanted to say was she had on the most beautiful necklace of etched hollow beads she had made.  It made me think that I had not made any hollow beads for a very long time and I wanted to play around with some.  Well the first day went very nicely.  They are different sizes but all look fairly round and weighted pretty well.

 The second day did not go so well.  Things got a little wonky and just did not really shape up.

 Some of the second days were very wonky.  One I made into a monster bead and the other I think will need to have dangles come out of it's mouth.

 The third day went so much better that I really wonder what happened on the second day.  I am loving the bright colors.

 A couple of day three's beads are big very big.

But after all three days I like this funky wonky bead the best.  I know I am supposed to make the beads round and even but something about this bead begs to be copied. Like it's wonky shape is what makes it so much fun.  Now to see if I can every do it again.  I know I will be working on my hollows more though as I did not realize just how out of practice I am.

We are going to Nebraska.........

.........for the Lincoln Bead Bazaar this weekend.  The Bazaar will be held on Saturday October 12, at the 27th Street Conference Center.  The hours are 9-4 and the show is put on by the Nebraska Bead Society.  There is lots of parking and while I didn't get to go last year I have been told it is a great space for the show.  You can check the Bead Society's Blog or you can holler at me if you have any questions.  Do come out and see me if you are around Lincoln.

 I have been working on a new rose bead.  I wanted to have them to take with me to the show but I have not decided if they are really looking like a rose or not.  I do think they look sort of carnation like.  What do you think?

 Of course it does not help that once again my red is doing it's own thing.  This was supposed to be medium red but it is very orange if you ask me.

Free Tutorial on using a disc or flower bead.

So often, when we have a disc or flower lampwork bead we want them to hang where they face the front.  This tutorial is just a little trick to make them hang better and stay facing front and not flipping.

 You will need a lampwork disc bead, a headpin, 2 daisy spacers, wire cutters, and round nose pliers.  I also use a little dot of E6000 glue and a couple of size 11 seed beads.  These two things are not necessary but to me it makes a nicer finished product.

Take the head pin and put on one daisy spacer, (about 2 size 11 seed beads), the lampwork disc bead, and the second daisy spacer.  The seed beads just help to stabilize the head pin inside of the hole of the lampwork bead so you do not want any more than just fill that space.

 If you wish to use the dab of glue (E6000) that I like to use, it is placed just behind the back daisy spacer.  You want to use just a tiny amount and let it dry before going on.

 Once the glue has set, you take your round nose pliers and grip the headpin about 3/8 of and inch above the back of the daisy spacer.  I don't really measure this any more because I use the width of my fingernail.  You will want to make sure that the measurement is very close to the same if you are making earrings.

 You want to bend the head pin at a right angle.

 You are then going to make a loop.

 And wrap that loop.

 What you now have is a wrapped loop that is about 3/8 of an inch above the back of your bead.  I know this sounds like a simple thing but it is important that your loop is made and the excess wire has been clipped before going on.

 The next step is to bend the wire right at the daisy spacer making a right angle.  Or making the wire now parallel to the disc bead.  *** The biggest tip about this whole process is to make the loop and then bend the wire.  If you try to bend the wire first you can not get the wire wrapped around itself because you run into the bead. ***

 You are now ready to add ear wires if you are making earrings.

 If you want to make a pendant you will want to add a large ring into the the loop before you finish wrapping it.

 There you have it disc or flower beads used for earrings and pendants.

My love for this black metalic.....

 ........glass goes on and on.  I just love this glass.  I love all the colors that it seems to reflect and I promise these pictures do nothing to truly show it off.

 The Raku pottery look just amazes me every time.  I only wish it wasn't quite so pricey.

The little disc on the left has sort of a steam punk look.  I want to try making some more of those soon.

I have decided to run an October Fest sale in my Etsy shop.  If you use the coupon code OCTOBERFEST you will get 10% off when checking out.  Make sure to read Etsy's how to on using a coupon code if you never have.  Also their codes are case specific so make sure to us all caps.

Yarn bombing in South Dakota.

We have a winner of the September Give-A-Way.  KayzKreationz won the four red, white, and black disc beads.  I can not wait to see what she might do with them.  I am pretty sure there will be an October drawing but although it is the 3rd of the month I have not decided what it will be.  Check back though to find out the rules and what fun thing I might be giving away.

 While we were at the Sidewalk Arts Festival a couple weeks ago I noticed that the Pavilion was yarn bombed.  I didn't get to see it all but what I did see appeared to all be crocheted.

All sorts of things were wrapped the stair posts and lampposts.  Then I noticed that the trees around the museum were also wrapped.

Jeff went to take pictures for me and I guess touched something on the screen because all of the second batch of pictures ended up in black and white even though the colors were all so bright and fun.

I keep thinking that I have some fiber UFO's that would make the greatest wrapping, and it would make me feel like they had served a purpose.