Here's another bracelet that I made at bead retreat. The pattern is by Jamie Cloud Eakin. I did change it a little. If you have never heard of her you are missing out on a great bead embroidery artist. She has authored 2 books that are a bead embroidery  bible to me. I have bead embroidery books from several authors but Jamie's are the best. She brakes bead embroidery down into several steps and gives you lots of options for each step.  She doesn't just show you projects, although there are several, she shows you how to design bead embroidery.  There is even a purse project embellished with bead embroidery . There is lots of eye candy in the gallery at the back from many bead artists. I cannot count all the things I have learned from her books. If you want to learn bead embroidery I suggest that you read "Beading with Cabochons" and "Dimensional Bead Embroidery" both are authored by Jamie Cloud Eakin.

Hi all. I got to go to my first bead retreat the 13th through the 16th. It was the most fun I have had in a long time. I got to know the others in my bead group better & they got to know me. We learned new techniques & the pic I am showing today is one of them. It's a bracelet made with the new Czech twin(2 hole) beads. I used copper & light peach. The button is vintage & it reflects lots of colors. The class didn't have an edging on it but Kathy did picots on hers & I liked it. Next Doris showed me an edge with a picot & a small drop on one of her bracelets. I decided to do a picot with a large drop in the center of the picot. I am pleased with the outcome and I hope you like it too. I have wore it 3 times already. When I got home my Mom was in the hospital. I spent most of the rest of the week with her. It's not serious but she needed help when she first came home. I didn't have access to internet at Mom's so that's why I haven't posted until now.

I am posting this pic in honor of Lori Anderson. Lori is a awesome woman who gives so much to all of us beaders. She is struggling with pain. In response to her pain she dyed her hair pink. To show our sympathy to her pain many of us who entered the Bead Soup Blog Party dyed our hair pink also. Lori is the organizer of the BSBP & she does an outstanding job.  If you get a chance please check out her website. Pink is my favorite color & I am proud to show my support of Lori.

The amazing Lori Anderson of the Bead Soup Blog Party fame is having another book giveaway. Her blog is  http://www.prettythingsblog.com/ 
Here is a copy of her post. You should check it out. I'm entering.

NOW!  The last three books for review and giveaway!  Read up and then go to the bottom of the post to see how you can win!

"Color, Texture & Casting for Jewelers:  

Hands-on Demonstrations & Practical Applications"

by Carles Codina

Casting is a specialized jewelry technique, so right away you must know this is not your ordinary jewelry book.  That, really, is one of the things that makes it so special!  I mean, how many times have I looked at a cast piece and wondered "HOW do they DO that???".  Now you can learn!

This 128-page paperback book is in two parts.  Part 1 covers color, texture, and finishes.  Part 2 covers modeling and casting.  Plating and Mokume Gane were fascinating to me and seemed surprising accessible.  YES you will need special equipment, but if you are ready to really take your jewelry design to another level, this is an invaluable resource.

"Beading With Crystals: 36 Simply Inspired Jewelry Designs"

by Joan Campbell and Katherine Aimone

Holy moley.  What a lot of eye-candy!  And guess what?  It's good for anyone at pretty much any level!  Some projects are very simple, and some involve more skill, but it's a fabulous book for any crystal and bling lover to have!

This 142-page paperback book is beautiful and STUFFED with information.  I found it easy to follow.  The designs range from the wear-every-day to the opulent-night-out styles.  Truly, something for everyone.  Hard to give this one up!

"Heat, Color, Set, & Fire: Surface Effects for Metal Jewelry"

by Mary Hettmansperger

Oh man.  I totally had intended to keep this one.  But I showed it in the collage above, so I'm sticking to my word and giving this AMAZING book away.  Sniff, sniff.

A hardback book with 128 pages, this book is for metal-lovers everywhere.  It goes into different surface treatments such as etching and torching.  She even uses grout and concrete!  (I should have kept this book, I should have kept this book....)

There are 21 unique projects, and they're all very cool.  The first 51 pages are full of techniques and tips, so combine those two and you have a book you're going to be reaching for ALL the time to take your jewelry adventures all over the place.  Oh I envy you!

Here's how to win one of these books!

1) Leave a comment

2) Blog about it

or 

Facebook about it.

(If you are a non-US reader, I can ship you this book 

if you would share in the shipping cost.

You can figure shipping at www.usps.gov.)

This is a fast giveaway!  

Winners will be announced on Sunday, September 16th.

Hi, today's pic is of a necklace & bracelet. My sister-in-law saw a necklace with a blue labradorite stone, a blue chalcedony stone, a silver starfish, & a pearl that she liked. She asked me if  I could make her a necklace & bracelet with these stones, She thought it looked like the ocean. So here is what I made her. The other stones that I added are opals from Peru. I drilled a real shell for the focal.  I didn't crimp the crimps on the bracelet yet because I want her to try it on & she may want some changes. I am pleased with how it turned out.

At last the final piece from my bead soup. It has been an extremely busy summer for me,  so my posts have been neglected. From now on they should be more regular. Anyway here is my bead embroidered necklace & earrings. I used the small yellow stone beads & the 14mm yellow stone beads from Anitra, my partner. I used yellow calcite with her stones. They were left over from the necklace that I made for my sisters birthday. I think that they match well.  The blue stones are blue lace agate. I embroidered with the small yellow stones, seed beads, bugles, peanuts beads, yellow flower spacers,  & a Swarovski polygon crystal.  I sewed jump rings to the under layer for attaching the straps. The backing is tan ultra-suede. This is the largest bead embroidered piece that I have made. I also used light blue opaque bicones, yellow seeds,  & gold plated heishi spacers in the straps. The clasp is gold plated pewter. I am proud of this piece.

I have one more pic. It is not bead related. I have been living here since the early 80's & I have always grown morning glories. This year I have one vine that is white. I have never had a white one before. Yeah!