Bead Table Wednesday: Picasso Jasper Jewelry Set

BTW: New Goodies & New Jewelry

Kristi Bowman Components

OK, I admit it.  I’m completely smitten with Kristi Bowman’s copper components.  I already have a bunch that I haven’t yet made into jewelry, but when she had a sale last week, I had to get more!  So here’s whats on my bead table today.

Copper components by Kristi Bowman Design

Whispers Necklace and Bracelet

I also have a necklace and bracelet set on my bead table.  They are made of one of my favorite gemstones: Picasso jasper (aka Picasso marble).  This grey stone has endlessly fascinating black lines which crisscross through it, like some crazy road map.  It looks awesome with wine red garnets and a bit of metallic gleam from Thai Hill Tribes silver.

The “Whispers Necklace” has quiet colors, like whispers in the evening.

Whispers Necklace

Picasso Jasper is so beautiful!

The “Whispers Bracelet” has contrasting diamond and oval shapes.

Whispers Bracelet

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

Bead Table Wednesday: Blue Owl

~-:¦:-••-:¦:-••-:¦:-• Here’s a link to  my Bead Soup post. •-:¦:-••-:¦:-••-:¦:-~

BTW: Blue Owl Bracelet

The little green owl bracelet that I wrote about in mid-September sold last week.  I was kind of sad to see him go -you know how you have favorites? – but fortunately I had already purchased a new blue owl from ceramic artist Marti Conrad.

The new bracelet is under construction now, on this Bead Table Wednesday.

Blue Owl Bracelet

I’m using mostly Picasso finished periwinkle blue glass beads, but on one side there is a lampwork glass bead and an amethyst.  On the opposite side there will be a dangle of blue lace agate, Czech fire polish glass and a brass spiral.

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I encourage you to visit the BTW Flickr group and see what is happening on other bead tables.

Bead Table Wednesday: New Copper & Some Reorganization Progress

~-:¦:-••-:¦:-••-:¦:-• Here’s a link to  my Bead Soup post. •-:¦:-••-:¦:-••-:¦:-~

New Beads, Pendants and Charms!

Yesterday I posted about meeting Kristi Bowman at Shipwreck Beads.  During our visit I bought 2 sets of charms from her and a really awesome pendant.  These are the lovely goodies that are on my bead table today.

These two sets of charms will become earrings.  I especially love the pair on the right.  I don’t know if I will be able to part with them.

Copper charms from Kristi Bowman

This pendant has the most amazing patina.  It practically glows.  I’ll have to really think about how I can do it justice.  You can see more of Kristi’s copper components in her Etsy shop, Dream Some.

Sea urchin pendant from Kristi Bowman

I also brought home these beads from our shopping spree at Shipwreck Beads.

New beads and pendants from Shipwreck Beads

Studio Update

Last Wednesday, I wrote about my studio/guest room reorganization.  I didn’t get as much done on that front as I had hoped.  It was a busy week.  I had a birthday, we went to the beach, my daughter and her boyfriend visited, I met with Kristi etc.  Good, happy things; but very busy.  So, as you can see in the picture below, the overall appearance is still a disaster (embarrassed to show this).

Yikes!

But, when you zoom in on things, you’ll see that the chaos is being beaten back!

Labeled IKEA drawers for bead storage

This corner was a tumble of clutter.  (You can see how it used to look here) It looks so nice now!  I took out the white shelving and moved it to the den.  The wooden IKEA drawers are mostly sorted (& labeled–love my labeler!)  by bead color, however there are also drawers for all my pearls, and drawers for sterling silver, copper and brass. The picture below shows another similar set of shelves, with more IKEA drawers, near the door.  You can also get a peek inside my cleaned up closet space.

Shelving by door & a peek into the closet.

This side of the closet used to be just piles of junk.  Look!  There is even some empty space!  The back of my car is now filled with stuff to take to the Goodwill.

I put a small bookcase in the closet to hold craft supplies

And here’s an organizing hint:  The white shelves above the closet rod are designed to hold shoes, but I use them everywhere I need additional shelving.  Just look at how they increase the usable space above the rod!

Use of shoe shelves to organize craft supplies

I don’t anticipate being so busy this next week.  So hopefully this project will be completed by our next Bead Table Wednesday.  I’ll keep you posted.

Do you have any clever organizing tricks you use in your bead or craft space?  Please share your ideas in the comment section.  Everyone loves new organizing tips!

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I encourage you to visit the BTW Flickr group and  see what is happening on other bead tables.

Bead Table Wednesday: Rearranging the Studio

~-:¦:-••-:¦:-••-:¦:-• Here’s a link to  my Bead Soup post. •-:¦:-••-:¦:-••-:¦:-~

Ch-ch-changes

Today’s Bead Table Wednesday post will not be about what is on my table, but where my table is now. Warning:  Unedited pictures to follow.  These are true pictures of a project in process, not the finished product!

I like to say that I have a bead studio.  But really, I use the term “studio” very loosely.  It sounds good, yah, but in reality it is a guest room, with space for me to bead.  At the moment, there is just a twin bed in there, and we really need to have a double bed, s-o-o-o, I’m hauling furniture around, tossing stuff and moving book shelves into the den, to make more room.

Believe it or not, there is a twin bed in this picture.  Can you see the beige and white floral comforter peeking out from under the avalanche of junk valuable treasures? I had to clear everything off of two low book shelves, in order to move them into the den.  Some of what you see here, will be replaced on those book shelves.  For example, the wooden drawers you see on top of the dresser, will go back on the shelves.  Those wooden drawers are from IKEA.  They were a pain to assemble, because there were so many parts, but I totally love them for organizing my beads.  The black plastic wheeled unit will be moved over by my bead table.  The tall tripod is broken and needs to be tossed.  The black file box goes to the Goodwill, etc., etc.

There is a window, just to the right of the nightstand.  My work table used to be under the window.  But I plan to place the queen bed perpendicular to where it is now, so I had to get my table out of the way.

Yikes! Still got a lot of work to do in here.

The picture below is looking in the opposite direction; away from the window. The tall stacked disaster in the corner needs to be bombed cleared out.  I’m not sure where to put it all.  It includes my button collection (I love button clasps on bracelets).  I also have some of my packaging and shipping supplies here, as well as extra zip-lock bags for my beads and my earring cards.  The wooden shelf in front of the closet may go into the den with the IKEA boxes on it or it may stay in this room.  I’m not sure yet.

By the way, I used to hand-dye silk.  That’s one of my paintings, hanging over the book shelf.  It had been hanging on the wall, but I took it down, temporarily, when I started moving stuff around.

Those shelves have gotta go...

This last picture is of my new work space.  The bed and dresser are to my back.  The window is on the left and the closet and door are on the right.  My table used to be at right angles to the printer cabinet and the printers cabinet was about where the table is now.  By lining everything up on one wall, it takes up less space.  The white shelves on my table were actually meant as closet shelving for shoes.  It works great on my bead table to give me extra storage space.  The black unit to the right, on the floor, holds scrapbook papers.  I’m not a scrapbooker, but I do enjoy making handmade cards for family and friends.  The woven basket under the table holds bead boards and vellux bead mats.

My bead table and Hamilton printers cabinet.

Thanks for joining me in my studio/guest room today!  Next Wednesday I’ll share more photos of the progress I’ve made on this project.

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I encourage you to visit the BTW Flickr group and  see what is happening on other bead tables.

The Ultimate Bead Organizer!

A Gift That Didn’t Fit Under The Tree

In What is Santa Bringing? I wrote that I was clearing a space for a BIG gift from Santa.  Well, here it is!  Santa, (aka my wonderful husband and my father) gave me an amazing antique printers cabinet!  This solid oak Hamilton printers cabinet  is approximately 100 years old. Its 18 drawers are divided into many small sections which were originally used to hold letterpress type.  The many sections are a beader’s dream come true!  I can organize so many beads here.  Oh my, I am in heaven!   Well, I’d better get to work!  My bead stash has been growing faster than my storage capacities and now everything will have its own little space!  *Jumping up & down with joy!*

Just look at all those wonderful sections for my beads!

I LOVE you, Santa!