I’ve worked with ARTS and ACT before. This time I  created three mixed media collages that will be included in the auction and I’m excited about them.

The first one is Memories: Kyoto. It’s  a collage of torn paper, watercolor, and my glass beads.

The next one is Waiting for Spring – also mixed media collage with my glass beads.

The last one, A Closer Look, may be my favorite. It is made using photographs of one of my beads that was inspired by a moth. I enlarged the photographs, played around with them and made the collage. The auction for it will include the simple pearl and glass bead necklace I made with the bead. ( The necklace is not shown.)

All of the pieces of art are the same size, and I believe the bidding starts at $200. (Contact all the links below to find out more.)  There are some amazing pieces of art in this auction, and Karen tells me I already have some bids on my pieces. You still have until February 18th around 8 or 9 pm to bid.

I really enjoyed creating these artworks, and I am excited that money will be raised for a cause so close to my heart – Art for Rural Texas. Our local school systems (and probably yours) are not providing much, if any, art education. Here in Fayette County Texas  using ARTS and ACT, we are making a big stab at providing it ourselves. Your bids and purchases will help with the funds we need. You know, art is not just about appreciation of what is fine and beautiful in life, it is about encouraging creativity, learning to problem solve, learning to be expressive, and gaining the ability to communicate on a deep level. As Karen so aptly says, “Art speaks when there are no words.”

 Join in, have some fun, buy some great pieces of art, and make a difference in the lives of hundreds of children.

Art Auction and Reception Tickets are $35 each

4 or more tickets: $25 each

February 18, 2012 – 6 pm to 9 pm

Sterling McCall Event Center, Warrenton, Texas

RSVP online: info@artsforruraltexas.org or call 979-378-2113

http://act4art.org/

If you can’t attend, register for a proxy bidder. Don’t miss this opportunity!

I’ve made a necklace and a bracelet using my soup mix from Barrie Edwards – and a few beads I added of my own. Barrie made the focal bead with reticulated silver set with a pink tourmaline (I think that’s what the gemstone is), and I decided to accent it with a triple strand of beads composed of pearls in pink and white, and sterling silver curved tubes and other beads. It seemed a shame to have the matching clasp she made hidden at the back of the neck, so therefore, I made a bracelet so that the clasp could be center stage.

For the bacelet I added some larger lampworked beads I made to compliment the smaller beads Barrie made. I tied it all together again with pearls and sterling silver. I am pleased with how the two pieces came together, and each can shine on its own – or they can be worn together.

There are more than 300 people at this soup party! You’re going to have some fun bouncing around to see what was made. Take some time, break the list up into segments if you need to – but whatever, go enjoy for beady creativity. Visit Barrie here to see what she did with the soup I sent her, and follow this link for all the  party-goers.

I finally received my soup beads yesterday! Wow – they took a long time getting to Texas from B.C., Canada, but worth the wait. Barrie made the focal and the clasp herself, as well as those darling pink lampworked beads. A multi-tasker, that’s for sure. She also sent pearls – must be telephathy, since I sent her pearls as well. That one picture on the bottom right – not a bead, but a sticker. Nice inspiration though, got me thinking.

So now I am moving the beads all around on a white plate I pulled out for them, adding and subtracting things from my stash, and generally getting the visuals working on cooking up a new recipe for these fun ingredients. See ‘ya here on September 17th for the reveal.

P.S. Check out “What’s New” on my website. I’m gotten a start uploading the new jewelry I’ve made for my next show in Midland, Texas.

This poster for American Crescent Cycles is the inspiration challenge this month over at Art Bead Scene. I have been so swamped I haven’t participated in the challenges in months. I’m producing jewelry for an upcoming show in Midland, Texas (Septemberfest). So why not combine two projects? With that in mind, I made not one but TWO necklaces inspired by this poster. I’ll have them both for sale in Midland (unless someone snatches them up before then).

Anyway, here is the first one. I used faceted citrines as the necklace base, to pick up the color of the wonderful dress. I ran with the soft yellows, mustards, and ivories for the flowers and made all the glass beads. The glass leaves I made were a mix of not quite green and greys like those in the bottoms left of the poster.  I’m not a “literal’ interpreter – I prefer just to use the general color scheme inspire me – and then I play. What do you think?

For my second necklace I was inspired more by the woman’s wonderful flowing hair. I made glass curly q’s and also used these georgous baroque pearls with grey/ brown undertones. I made some ivory glass flowers, and added little hints of the patterns on her dress around the faces of some of my glass flowers. Which one gets your vote? I like them both, and thanks, ABS, for the inspiration. Follow along for a blog hop on August 31st and see who else was inspired.

The Bead Soup is getting ready to go on the stove. Beads are flying back and forth across the county – and my beads are on their way to Barrie Edwards in Canada. Can’t show you yet what I sent. Dontcha wanna know?  Barrie works with silver and gemstones. I’m really looking forward to this challenge. Meanwhile, look at some of her recent creations. Wow!

 Bead Soup Party is like that: We participants don’t know what beads we’ll receive (we could hate them, they could be bad, bad, colors, the focal could be just blah, whatever) – yet rising to the challenge of making something wonderful out of materials we might usually never give a second glance to is such fun. I love seeing what other participants come up with, as well as seeing what I can come up with. Inspiration? Yes, big time.

So, go on over to Lori Anderson’s web site and sign up to participate in this design challenge. Watch this space to see what transpires with the beads I ship away and receive in return.

Meanwhile, here’s a little inspiration of my own – a recent necklace I made for the show in Ruidoso. Enjoy!

Where did these ideas come from? I don’t know. I do know that my mother always encouraged me to “make something up” – so I did. I’m still “making something up,” and ideas usually flow freely. There are times though, when I don’t feel too inspired. So what do I do? 

 If my well of creativity feels dry, I give it a break to replenish itself. I quit working. This is not easy for me to do. I must be an “A” type of personality, since I can barely stand not to be doing something, especially making jewelry. So I run around asking Jim for permission – “Is it okay to take the day off?”  Knowing how I am, he always says, “Yes, you need a break. Go relax.”  Somehow his permission helps, and I take my coffee (by a summer afternoon it is iced coffee) and sit in the living room staring out at the birds, the trees and the fields. I love watching our big Texas sky and if I stare long enough I will usually see an animal wander by – this morning a beautiful bushy tailed fox surprised me.

Other times I take a walk,  water my garden, read, or nap  – all things that my A type mind declares are just sinful to do during the midst of what “should be” a work day.  Yesterday, after reading most of the afternoon, I went along with my sister to a music concert. I rarely allow myself much time off ( I’m a full time working artist), and it was wonderful. I enjoyed the music, – and lo and behold, in the middle of being immersed in listening, an idea for a necklace floated into my mind’s eye. Today I’m going to make the beads I envisioned in that necklace.

I still don’t know where the ideas come from exactly. I do know that if I allow myself to open up, to breathe, to be, that my creativity  will appear.

Two beautiful plump Bob-White Quails drifted into my garden one day. Look at those feather patterns - ah, inspiration there!

A two2 day show actually takes us six days. A day driving there, a day setting up, two days showing, a day driving home, and day six  for recuperating and doing paperwork, order assemby, etc.  But the time away from the torch and our benches sets our creative juices afire. The wonderful art we see  at the shows inspires us, as do the sights we see while driving and visiting cities so different from our tiny town. By the time I’m home my sketchbook is brimming with ideas. So some fun new jewelry will be coming to Kerrville.

Here’s the e-mail ad. I’ll give you a real sneak preview later after I take some photographs. 

Jim and I took a short, but lovely vacation in January to Big Bend National Park.   Even though we have lived in Texas for nine years, we’ve only recently be able to visit this magnificent spot.  Wintertime is not the park’s peak season, but we didn’t care. The place is awesome, in the real meaning of a very overused word. I took buckets of photographs, and will be inspired for months and months. I pulled out three of them for you, and in a week or so I will share the jewelry I’m making using the palettes.

 These grasses were  in a spot named Javelina Wash.

According to a book I purchased this cactus is named the Purple Prickley Pear. I wouldn’t call it purple myself, but oh, love the colors.

This photo was taken from Sotol Vista Overlook.  The sotols are the yuccas with the tall spires.  The air was crisp and clean, the day was lucious, and the sky made me want to jump up and into it. Such a spot. I’m still remembering  how grand it was to be there.

Enjoy the inspration, and visit the other blogs for even more.

Monday, Feb. 28th
Brandi at Brandi Girl Blog – You Are Here!
Erin at Treasures Found
Jen at Jen Judd Rocks
Shari at Exploring the Wonders of Life

Tuesday, March 1st
Karen at Creative Thoughts and Inspirations
Julia at UlvDesign
Jessa at The ReArtingDotNet Blog
Lyn at Lyn Foley Jewelry Blog

Wednesday, March 2nd
Jescalyn at Peach Honey Love
Paige at Paige Maxim Designs
Katrina at Ma Joie Press
Jenni at Jenni’s Beads

Thursday, March 3rd
Christie at Displaced Urbanite
Rachel at TatterBeans
Brittany at The Home Ground
Cindy at Sweet Bead Studio

Friday, March 4th
Rachel at Balanced Crafts
Wren at Each Day
Kelly at Mackin Art
Kristy at Simply Shiny Blog

We are having another one, and Lori Anderson is the hostess, again. She’s an inspiring jewelry designer, and a very sharing, caring lady. I’ve only met her online (would love to meet her in “real” life) but I know how much she gives. Organizing the swap of hundreds (yes, this time around it’s over 200) of participants and their beads is a big task. She’s coached us along the way, and the back scenes process is in full swing.

My partner is Christine Damm. She sent me a wonderful assorment of beads (the polymer ones she made). Aren’t they spectacular? The patina elements are from Shannon Le Vart. Then there’s amazonite chips and beautiful smooth agate rectangles. Deep orange maple leaf agate. Oh, I am goin to have such fun coming up with a design. See the patinaed flower bead peeking through the top of the collage? That was a special surprise gift, just for me. How nice is that! I’ll keep you posted on how my creation is coming.  The big reveal is February 26.

Beads Christine sent to me for the Bead Soup Party

 Here is a peek at what I sent Christine.  I included my glass flower beads, glass lentil beads, and my glass head pins. I found the focal at a flea market. What is it? I don’t know, but thought it was interesting. The lion and other creature I discoered at Antique Weekend here in Round Top–I think they are furniture pulls. The brown beads are freshwater pearls, and the others are copper or brass. I’m looking forward to seeing what Christine creates. A challenge like this is so inspiring, and ideas are stewing.

Beads that I sent to Christine