Bead Table Wednesday: Spring Cleaning

I have had 3 shows in the last month and my studio reflects the chaos that results from show preparations.  I’ve been making as much jewelry as possible, creating hang tags and earrings cards – but not cleaning up after myself.

My computer desk

Now that my shows are over for a while, I need to focus inward a bit.  I’m posting pictures here of how my studio looks today, with the intent of holding myself accountable for showing you better organized results next week.

Clutter on the bookshelves to the right of my computer table.

2 Saturdays ago, I was at the Olympia Artists’ Garage Sale.  I sold not just jewelry, but also surplus supplies.  I filled 2 plastic shoe boxes with beads I no longer wanted.  I had sold about 2/3 of the beads, when a couple approached my booth and asked if I would sell all the remaining beads for $10!  For sure!  So that was the start of my spring cleaning efforts.  I also sold some display items I no longer wanted. The more unneeded stuff I can clear out of this room, the better!

Photo set-up and antique Hamilton printer’s cabinet

Cluttered jewelry work table

I made a number of new earrings, bracelets and necklaces for my shows this month, but I haven’t  listed them online yet.  So along with cleaning up, I intend to list new jewelry.  Be sure to follow my Linda Landig Jewelry Facebook page, as I will post all my shop updates there.

Close up of cluttered jewelry work table.

Bulletin boards and white boards that need hanging up.

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Visit the BTW Flickr group and see what others have on their  bead tables.

Monday Musings

• Happiness is having a Golden Rain Tree right outside your kitchen window!

Golden Raintree

• Even if sales are slow at a show, its worth it if you make a new friend. I met Sharlynn of Ashar Gems at a show on Saturday.  We visited on and off all day and we even traded jewelry.  I now have an awesome woven-wire pair of earrings that Sharlynn made.  Check out her shop.  Lots to love there.

• Did you ever read Make Way For Ducklings when you were a little kid? I was driving south on Interstate 5 last week when I saw a mother mallard duck and about 9 little ducklings making their way across 6 lanes of traffic!  They’d already safely negotiated the 3 northbound lanes and were now waddling across the southbound lanes.  Cars slowed and changed lanes and the mallard family made it all the way across Interstate 5 to the wildlife reserve just west of the freeway.  Whew!

• I am so proud of my student teachers. This is the last week of their internship and they have all grown and learned so much!
• Now that I’ll have more time to myself, I really, really need to clean my studio!
• The baby bunnies in the woods by our house are adorable.

• It is not good to forget to turn on the timer when baking a cake.
• I am getting better at being strong and assertive when the situation calls for it.

I Heart Macro – Raindrops

 I ♥ Macro Sunday!

I’ve been really busy with a show each of the past two Saturdays.  But I did manage to snap 2 macro photos – not the greatest shots in the world, but it is these or nothing!

After the rain

After the rain

 

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Lori of Studio Waterstone  hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.

I Heart Macro – Rhododendrons

 I ♥ Macro Sunday!

I have always loved  rhododendrons.  Here’s a worthless trivia factoid: The official Washington State flower is the rhododendron.  But that’s not why I love them.  As a kid, my parents would sometimes take us to the Seattle arboretum.  They had old rhododendron bushes there that were as big as small trees.  We could hide under the rhododendrons and pretend we were in a house made of flowers.  Isn’t that just the greatest make-believe scenario:  Living in a house made of flowers!

Rhododendrons

Rhododendrons

Rhododendrons

Rhododendrons

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Lori of Studio Waterstone  hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.

Bead Table Wednesday: Artist’s Garage Sale

The town I live in, Olympia, WA, is a pretty funky, artsy place.  We have a fun, annual event called the Artists’ Garage Sale.  Now this isn’t your ordinary, run-of-the-mill spring garage sale.  Oh no!  This is over 70 artists, gathered together and selling excess art supplies (canvas, tools, beads, instruments etc.) and lower priced art works.  The booth fees and $1 entry fee goes to support and promote the arts and area young  artists.  This Saturday will be the third or fourth time I’ve done this sale.

I will be selling some excess beads, (well maybe not some–it’s actually a lot), some booth display items and my handmade jewelry.  I will be offering jewelry in a price range of $14 – $80.  Right now my bead table looks like a wreck, but within that wreckage are efforts to create a large stock of lower priced earrings.

My work table–sigh….. I need an organization intervention!

I’ve made these lower priced earrings so far.  I will be offering them for $15 each or 2 for $28.

Artists’ Garage Sale Earrings

I’ve been making use of Heather Powers’ suggestion to use muffin tins to organize my projects.  Each muffin space has the beads needed to create a pair of earrings.  Whenever I have a bit of time, I can just pull out my muffin tin and set to work, with everything right at my fingertips.  I blogged about this organizational tool here.

Muffin tin bead project organizer

After the Garage Sale, my friend Lee Anne French, and I are going out to dinner together.  I’m really looking forward to getting a chance to visit.  Lee Anne will have a booth at the sale too.  She makes delightful, affordable jewelry, which you can find at Saturday’s Garage Sale or in her shop:  Baubles Handcrafted Jewelry.

If you are local, I hope you will stop by and say “Hello” at the Artists’ Garage Sale on Saturday!

 

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Visit the BTW Flickr group and see what others have on their  bead tables.

Get In Gear

I just couldn’t seem to get myself in gear on Monday.  My husband and I went to the beach (about a 2 hour drive) and I slept all the way to the beach and back.  I love walking the beach and listening to the waves and the cry of the sea gulls, but I got tired sooner than usual.  I went to sleep again right after dinner that night.  The next day I actually fell asleep for a nanosecond while driving.  Scary!  Nothing bad happened, but it could have.  I got home safely and slept all afternoon.  The next day I felt fine again.  What was that all about?

Get In Gear Earrings

So that’s the back story for the name:  “Get In Gear Earrings“.  The gear shaped hoops are the obvious inspiration for the name.  But it is also true that on some days it is just plain difficult to get in gear.  I can’t promise that these earrings will actually boost your energy level.  But they sure are cute, and they will probably at least put a smile on your face.

Get In Gear Earrings

The brick-red ceramic hoops are handmade by Karen Totten of Starry Road Studio.  I dangled contemporary trade beads and firepolish glass within the hoops and suspended the earrings from handmade brass ear wires.  I picture these earrings with jeans and a matching brick-red scarf.  So get in gear and head over to my new Etsy shop to check them out.

These earrings hint at Steampunk style, without going full-bore in that direction.  Steampunk:  Like it? Hate it? Never heard of it?  Comment below!

One Crayon Color Challenge

Add Spice To Your Life With Orange

I love color!  The tagline for my business is:  Luscious Color.  Lasting Quality.  Its  color that makes my heart sing!  So when I read that Sally Russick, of  The Studio Sublime ,was hosting a color challenge blog hop, I signed up right away!

While playing with some crayons, Sally got the idea to host this color challenge.  Participants each chose one color to work with – and one color only! We could use all shades and variations of our chosen color, but  no other colors.  For someone who designs for the joy of rich color combinations, being confined to just one color was, indeed, a challenge.

I chose the color orange and had the good fortune of having been given a number of orange art beads recently.  I received orange spacer beads from Erin Siegel in a bead swap at the Philadelphia Bead Fest in April.  After the bead swap we had a drawing for door prizes and I won the fantastic orange polymer clay heart by artist extraordinaire, Staci Smith. The two enamel beads near the pendant are by Barbara Lewis of Painting With Fire.  There’s also one small lampwork bead by Radiant Mind.  The remainder of the necklace consists of artisan and commercially produced ceramic beads, handmade Indonesian glass, pressed glass, copper and brass.

“Orange You Glad I Love You?” necklace

I wanted to challenge myself a bit, so I strung the pendant and beads on cotton cording.  I’ve only done a few necklaces and earrings with cording and I’m having fun experimenting with it.  I’ve recently started making some of my own clasps.  The clasp on this necklace is hand formed and forged of brass and it hooks into an orange resin ring.

“Orange You Glad I Love You?” necklace, with handmade clasp

I haven’t had time to add this to my shop yet, but if you are interested, contact me or leave a comment below.

Thank you, Sally!  This was a great idea for a challenge!

“Orange You Glad I Love You?” necklace

The links to all the other participants are listed below.

Hosted by:

Sally Russick  http://thestudiosublime.com

Red

Therese Frank  http://theresestreasures59.blogspot.com

Rochelle Brisson  http://acreativechelle.blogspot.com

Lisa Lodge   http://pineridgetreasures.blogspot.com

Malin de Koning  http://beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.com

Bobbie Rafferty   http://beadsong.blogspot.com

Orange

Linda Landig  http://LindasBeadBlog.com  You are here!

Cherrie Fick  http://designsinthelight.com

Beth McLarnan http://threetrees-art.blogspot.com

Cece Cormier  http://thebeadingyogini.com

Renetha Stanziano   http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com

Tanya Goodwin  http://pixiloo.blogspot.com

Jean Welles  http://jeanawells.blogspot.com

Amy Severino   http://amybeads.blogspot.com

Rebekah Payne   http://treewingsstudio.com

Lola Surwillo  http://.beadlolabead.blogspot.com

Judy Turner   http://silver-rains.blogspot.com

 Yellow

Jennifer Justman  http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com

Rose Brisson    http://ahteesblog.blogspot.com

Kim Bender  http://www.kimmykats.com/

Heather Powers   http://humblebeads.blogspot.com

Shelly Joyce  http://www.aujourlejour-shelly.blogspot.com

Blue

Cherie Reed  http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com

Rebecca Anderson  http://songbeads.blogspot.com

Hope Smitherman  http://craftyhope.blogspot.com

Patti Vanderbloemen  http://myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com

Michelle Buettner  http://MiShelDesigns.blogspot.com

Alicia Marinache  http://allprettythings.ca

Charissa Sloper   http://blog.obsidiansoda.com

Sonya Stille  http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com

Maria Grimes  http://mariagrimes.blogspot.com

Nancy Saccoccio  http://risingdesigns.blogspot.com

Sandi Volpe   http://sandivolpe.com

Joanne Tinley  http://daisychaindesignsjewellery.blogspot.com

Catherine Pruitt  http://boobeads.blogspot.com

 Green

Mary Harding  http://maryhardingjewelrybeadblog.blogspot.com

Karin Gilman http://www.qaygee.blogspot.com/

Jayne Capps   http://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com

Lorelei Eurto  http://lorelei1141.blogspot.com

Melissa Meman http://melissameman.blogspot.com

Alice Peterson  http://alice-dreaming.blogspot.com

Jenny Davies Reazor   http://www.jdaviesreazor.com

Cynthia Machata    http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com

Melissa Essenburg  http://chinookdesigns.blogspot.com

Regina Santerre  http://reginaswritings.blogspot.com

Lauren Streets  http://ornthoughts.wordpress.com

Elizabeth Auld  http://beadsforbusygals.com

Purple

Tracy Mok   http://bumblebeadsdesigns.blogspot.com

Jennifer Judd Velasquez http://jenjuddrocks.blogspot.com

Marti Conrad  http://marticsclay.blogspot.com

Lori Anderson  http://prettythingsblog.com

Donna Bradley  http://strandedbeads.blogspot.com

Courtney Breul  http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com

Linda Younkman   http://lindysdesigns.blogspot.com

Susan Kennedy  http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com

Lisa Liddy   http://Lisaliddy.wordpress.com

Tracy Stillman  http://www.tracystillmandesigns.com

Dawn Doucette  http://designsbydawnmarie.blogspot.com

Brown

Diana Ptaszynski   http://suburbangirlstudio.com

Shannon Chomanczuk  http://formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com/

Janice Everett   http://JLynnJewels.blogspot.com

Karen Williams  http://Baublicious.blogspot.com

Black

Kashmira Patel  http://sadafulee.blogspot.com

Heidi Post  http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.com/

Birgitta Lejonklou  http://lejonklou.blogspot.com/

Holly Westfall  http://silverrosedesigns.blogspot.com/

Karin Slaton  http://backstorybeads.blogspot.com

I Heart Macro – Magnolias

Its time for another I ♥ Macro Sunday!

I went to the library last Thursday to drop off an audio book I’d listened to while commuting to work.  A garden near the entryway had several magnolias that were in full and glorious bloom.  So gorgeous that I had to share pictures with you!

Magnolia Blossom

Magnolia Blossom

I was fascinated with the starburst-like shape of the reproductive structures of the magnolias.

Magnolia Blossom

Inside of Magnolia Blossom

Center of a Magnolia Blossom

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Lori of Studio Waterstone  hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.

Bead Swap and Earring Lesson

Bead Fest

Bead Swap

Last Tuesday I wrote about my last minute trip to the Philadelphia Bead Fest and I shared the wonderful stash of beads I brought home with me.

A group of bead and component artists and jewelry designers had planned this trip together.  We all stayed at the same motel and had planned several activities together.   At 4:00 p.m. Saturday, we all gathered in the snack bar area, in the back of the convention hall.  Diana Ptaszynski of Suburban Girl Studio had organized an art bead swap for us.

Diana organizing us for the Bead Swap.
l-r Melinda Orr, Staci Smith, Linda Hanes, Jan Onipenco, Diana Ptaszynski

My bead  swap partner was Erin Siegel.  I was delighted.  I’d just met Erin for the first time that morning.  We’d eaten breakfast together while waiting for the rest of the group to arrive at the motel.

Erin holding the package of beads I gave her.

Me holding the package of beads I received from Erin.

Here’s Erin opening the package I gave her; taking out a copper component from my friend Kristi Bowman.  All in all, I included 4 art beads from Washington State artists.  To see all the beads I gave Erin, visit her post about Bead Fest.

Erin opening the box of beads and taking out a copper pendant by Kristi Bowman.

I got these great lampwork glass spacers from Erin.  I love orange and was so excited to receive these.    After the bead swap, Diana threw all the names back into the bag and drew out names for door prizes.  I won the awesome polymer clay heart pendant you see on the right below, (artisan made by Staci Smith).  Look – its orange!!!  I have a feeling the lampwork beads and the heart will be starring in a necklace together soon!

Lampwork beads from Erin, polymer clay heart from Staci

Bohemian Knotted Earrings

Erin Siegel and Lorelei Eurto have written a book together called Bohemian Inspired Jewelry.   Erin is going to teach 3 of the earrings from the book in a class at the August Bead Fest, (for more info on the class click here).  Erin wanted to give the class a practice run, so she taught our group 2 of the 3 earrings.  Using waxed linen thread in this way was a new technique for me and very fun!  I’ll be making more of these earrings, for sure!

Erin with an advance copy of her book - I got a sneak peek! This is a must buy!

Erin helping Diana and I with our earrings.

Vanessa Gilkes having fun with the earrings.

My waxed linen earrings part way done.

I’ll do one more post about Bead Fest later this week.  It will probably be mostly pictures of people who were formerly my online bead friends and who are now my “for real” friends!

I Heart Macro – Roots

Roots

You may know that I am semi-retired at this point in my life.  I work part-time for the University of Washington, supervising teaching interns.  Each week, I visit teaching interns in 4 different school districts,  I observe them teaching a lesson and we debrief together afterward, looking at what went well in their lesson and discussing ways to improve.  Two of the schools I visit have breathtaking views of Mt. Ranier.  Usually, when the weather is clear, I can’t take my eyes off of that incredible vista.  But the other day I happened to look down and I noticed these amazing roots emanating from the trees in the parking lot.  So I grabbed my camera and I offer them here to you for my Macro Sunday post.

These pictures make me question what anchors me?  What stabilizes my life and nurtures my soul? How can I grow my roots deeper?  Do you grapple with these questions, too?

tree roots

One thing that anchors me, is meaningful relationships with others in my life.  I nurtured some of those relationships while I was at the Bead Fest in Philadelphia last weekend.  Come back to my blog tomorrow to read more about how those connections were deepened.

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Lori of Studio Waterstone  hosts a weekly blog hop of close-up photos.
Visit Lori to get links to more great macro shots.