Sunday, October 08, 2006

Designer Quest

Well, today is the posting day for the entries for this Designer Quest held by the Australian Beading Forum. The pack this time was showcasing some new ceramic beads and provided by the Australian online store Crystal Flair.

Here is my entry.

Necklace contains aventurine beads along with the various ceramic beads. So, as before, my aim is to have 3 people vote for me in the people's choice awards after the main event. I did better than the last few times in the fact that I didn't add too many extra things. The only things added this time are head pins and a little bit of wire. I didn't use one of the clasps though. It will be interesting to see how others used the supplies.




Saturday, October 07, 2006

Every bit counts

Well, I have spent the last two days at the Sydney Bead and Gem show. Caught up with some people and manned the stall for Guru Creations. I took some of my wrapped beads that I posted below and was asked to do a magazine project based on the idea but kept simple. I'm excited. Every little bit helps. This was possible because of a contact I made last year at the show. Austalian Beader Magazine has become a fabulous magazine for beaders. Most of the projects in it are fairly basic but beautiful. The layout is really great and there are heaps of articles included about trends and artists and events which not all the magazines have. I hope this goes well and I do become published.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Being Australian

Now, I love being Australian but.....

Everytime you need to do something with other people in other countries they are in a completely different time zone. Not as in 5 hours different, but they work at what is my 1 and 2am. Really quite frustrating. I think I'm going to be short of sleep some weeks. I wonder if daylight saving will make things better or worse?

On the up side, I have found some very good American based networking groups that I will, hopefully, be able to gain much from. The ad of the previous post is for a fair that I am a part of. It's on for the coming two weeks. Small Business owners are showing their goods and you get to talk to the owners about who they are and what they sell and why they think their products are worthwhile. There are also discounts and special offers being given. Hopefully it will be another avenue for me.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Ad for Small Business Referral Network

Win a Shopping Spree

Visit our events and sign up to win a $25 Shopping Spree with our vendors in October.

Two ways to get in you may sign up once and then if you make a purchase from any vendor this month you will get extra chances to win.

Two Weeks of event starting Oct. 1st thru the 15th. Come join the fun. Win Prizes and find the BEST Pre-Holiday Prices of the year.

Shop online and save Gas, SaveTime, Save Your Sanity. Get it done early and relax right through Thanksgiving.

http://expo-connector.com/chat.htm

Pictures of my wire wrapping work

Finally, I have been able to borrow a camera to photograph my work. I have been making so much lately and it has been frustrating not to be able to show what I do. When I sell things I will be able to buy my own camera, but that is a while off yet. I have made necklaces and earrings, but the things I am most proud of are my wire wrapped beads. I'll show them off today.

First up, an absolutely gorgeous lampworked bead by Wendy of Guru Creations. She's going to send me broke that girl, I just cannot resist her work. I wire wrapped it in 14k gold filled wire and am really thrilled with its simplicity. It looks really classy.

Another lampworked bead by Wendy. I'm not quite so happy with this one. I couldn't get the wire to bend enough and so, in my opinion, there is too much going on over what is already a busy bead. Oh well. It's sterling silver so I'm not just going to cut it off. I'll see if anyone bites. I do like the curl at the bottom of both these beads though. It makes them better balanced than others I've done.

This is a Carnelian bead I bought over a year ago. I just loved the orange and the shape and that touch of white patterning at the top. So pretty. One of those purchases where, once you've bought it you have no idea how to use it. Finally I thought of this pattern and I think it's stunning. Simple, elegant and very special. I think I will buy some carnelian beads and string it somehow. The loop at the bottom of the sterling ended up facing the wrong direction to what I intended but the design ended up better that way anyhow.

This last one is a bead by Anne Dundas. She makes beautiful lampwork beads. I have used a lot lately. This one was so much smaller than I expected it to be that I was at a loss as to what to do with it. I was quite excited to realise I could wrap it. It's not the best, but it's not too bad and it's the first one of this shape I've done. The loops are too small for my liking but that was all the wire I had left. Again, sterling silver.

I'd love people's comments on these wire wrapped beads.