Learn How

I love to remake old jewelry pieces and use replica pieces and mix them with lampwork beads in my jewelry work. There is something exciting about bringing old things back to life! Here is a very simple piece. I took a chain that I bought awhile ago and never wore and turned it into  cute and modern bracelet and earring set. A little cutesy, a bit trendy, yet a favorite for years to come!

A very simple design. It uses jump rings to connect everything and linking beads using eyepins. Here are the techniques:

Step 1 A jumpring is a circle of wire with a split in the middle. To open a jumpring, place a pair of chain or flat-nose pliers on each side of the opening, with one pair positioned at 1:00 and the other at 11:00; open the jumpring by moving one pair of pliers away from you and holding the other one steady.

Step 2 Reverse the motion to close.

 Make sure you don"t pull the ring apart but only twist it and it will close back together beautifully!

To add the lampwork beads:

Step 1 String a bead on a piece of wire. Bend each end at a 90-degree angle.
 
 

Step 2 Bend each end into loops.

Step 3 Grasp the loop firmly with one pair of flat-nose pliers and use another pair to wrap the end of the loop tightly around the wire.

That's it! Link everything together with jumprings and you're done. It works up very quickly and makes a beautiful piece! Imagine this same design with these beads:

Or these:

They would all make a fabulous design and yet be very different. You can make the same design over and over and by varying the beads it appears completely different. And with lampwork beads the piece becomes an heirloom because it is a one-of-a-kind piece!

Ode to Beans

I have been traveling to St. George every weekend for the last 3 weeks to go to nutritional cooking classes with my daughter. Ihave learned to cook beans. Ok, ok, I know. I really should know this stuff by now. But those of you who are familiar with me know that I am more artist than cook (yes, cooking is an art, just not MY art!) and anything in the kitchen is fair game for the studio (and much more likely to be used there than in the kitchen!).

My Bean Pantry!

Beans are such a mainstay of life, but honestly, they have been a mystery to me. Until now. I really had no idea that such amazing health benefits could be had in the simple, yet complicated bean. Thank you Janet Hailstone for teaching me! A wonder in the kitchen Miss Janet is! And an even bigger wonder to be able to interest me in better living and yes, the 'art' of cooking. I am soaking two types of beans as I type and sprouting. Yahoo!!! It seemed so impossible but I LOVE IT! And since I have been cooking this way, I feel great!

You never know when an idea will spring to life. As I was sitting in class Saturday it struck...I will have a 'Bead Soup' party! A what?!!! A bead soup party, a party where we taste great healthy food (trust me, it's yummy! And this from the eat out queen!) and bead! Please join us! PLEASE!! (not that I am begging or anything!) And if you are in the St. George area, we will have one there, too! (thanks for volunteering, Kel! :)

So I have learned that cooking is in fact part of my 'new art' and beads of course, are a staple. It will be great fun! I will let you know how this all develops as I move forward with this plan....See you there!

NEW BEADS (Just click picture to visit my store)

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