The Etsy Beadweavers September Challenge!

The Etsy Beadweavers challenged our members to create something to "Show Your Colors". I'm sure you will agree that we did just that! The entries show a range of seedbeading techniques and stitches, different types of items, and a myriad of colors! What talent!

Here is a picture of all twenty of the entries. And here's the link where you can go to see each entry up close, visit the artists shops, and vote for the one you like the most! http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

And here is my entry - a 7 1/2 inch tall beaded glass bottle. Actually I used a hot sauce bottle that was perfect for the hot fiesta colors of the beads. I used the cap that came with the bottle and stained it to match the bronze colored seed beads. There are over 10,000 beads in this piece! And perhaps 30-36 hours were used to complete it.

Just Listed On Ebay!

Beadwoven Pearl Sunflower Necklace

Perfect for Autumn!

This necklace features a large sunflower beadwoven with light orange freshwater drop pearls. The center of the sunflower is made with dark brown matt seed beads.

The sunflower sits on a bed of three peyote leaves in dark green matt seed beads.

The sunflower and leaves are about 2 3/4 by 2 1/2 inches.

The neck chain utilizes a modified St. Petersburg chain stitch with the same green and brown seed beads. The neck chain measures about 20 inches and is fastened with a gold-plated lobster claw clasp and ring.

Labor Day Weekend Trip

I just got back from an 8-day trip visiting my sister and her husband, and my niece, her husband and my great-niece Summer Marie who just had her 1st birthday. She is a doll as you can see below! The picture is Summer at 8 months - hope to have a more updated picture soon!

My trip covered 3 states - Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. Kentucky and parts of Tennessee were in the midst of a severe drought complete with brown grass and dying trees. Mississippi fared better and seemed to be getting adequate rain. All of them were very hot and humid.

I did manage to stop at one bead store - the sister shop for the online shop Land of Odds. Great selection of seed beads. I like choosing seed beads in person rather than ordering them online. There's something about feeling strands of seed beads, and holding them up to the light to better see how they shine that one just has to do in person. Needless to say, I came home with quite a few strands!

Saturday Night Specials

Saturday Night Specials on Etsy! Every Saturday evening between 5 PM EST and 6 AM EST, Etsy sellers post special sales in their shops, and wow, there are some great deals. Let's see, my items are 20% off during this sale, and it's the only sale I participate in regularly. The sellers list their specials on a forum thread that is started new each Saturday under the Promotions section.

Here's the link for this week's Saturday Night Specials thread! http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5206636

Have fun shopping! I sure do!

I Just Joined...

http://indiepublic.com/ What a nice site for networking with other artisans! You can share photos of your work, videos and join special interest groups. I joined the Land of Etsy and the Great Lakes Michigan groups!

And speaking of Etsy, every Saturday evening from 5 PM - 6AM EST, there is a forum thread called Saturday Night Specials (under the heading of Promotions). Sellers post special sales in their shops and usually offer great deals. I'm one of the moderators once a month and tonight I am proud to be the host. There is another thread (under Etc.) called the SNS Chat where sellers participating can chat and get to know each other. Come join us! It's a fun time and of course some incredible shopping for handmade goods of all kinds!

A Big Thank You!

To the Etsy Glass Artists Street Team for featuring me and me work on their blog! Here's the link to the feature article: http://etsyglass.com/blog/index.php/2007/08/07/etsy-bead-artist-judy-russell-beadbug/.

It all began when I used a fused glass cabochon made by willowglass of Etsy in the brooch below. I love combining other components with seed beads! Another example of combining shows in the earrings below made with Czechoslovakian moonglow buttons.

Summer Fruit!

New Earrings! Yummm! Who can't resist dark sweet cherries and brightly colored apples?

Sweet Summery Bracelets!

Newly beaded and just listed - one on Ebay and the other on Etsy! I really love the pastel colors!

Ebay Special Interest Groups Got A Facelift

Not so sure I like it yet however. The old group pages were more individualized. But it's new and perhaps we'll all get used to it. I hope.

Speaking of the Ebay groups, I'm a member of several jewelry groups there. The first one I joined several years ago is the Glass Seed Beaders Group and that group will always be the most special to me - of course - I use a lot of seed beads. And it's a very small group compared to the other jewelry groups. But they are a talented bunch and very welcoming to anyone interested in those teeny, tiny seed beads.

At the end of 2005, a group of at least 20 beaders from GSBG got together and made a tapestry of 48, 4" x 4" squares. The tapestry was auctioned off on Ebay in early 2006 and the proceeds went to Habitat For Humanity in the Gulf Hurricane areas. Each person poured their hearts into one or more of the squares. One of our members, Trish Whitecloud (http://stores.ebay.com/Apache-Blue-Girl-Bead-Market), put the squares all together to make the tapestry and hung it from a wooden rod. There was also a pocket on the back of the tapestry for a journal, where each beader talked about the inspiration for the square(s).

Pictured below is the final Tapestry, and then my square called "Nature Fights Back".

More Pictures of the Artisan's Market!

It was a beautiful Ann Arbor Sunday, about 75 degrees, and sunny with bright blue sky. The Market had a steady stream of buyers all day and everyone was serenaded by wonderful guitar music!

It's Official! Etsy at the Market!

Yes, there's going to be an Etsy Show called Etsy at the Market on September 30th! We're going to have 50 plus spaces at the Artisan's Market in Ann Arbor.

Kate Kehoe (chicalookate) is organizing it and I'm helping. If you are interested in receiving an application and more details on July 15th, please join our Etsy at the Market Google Group.
http://groups.google.com/group/etsy-at-the-market

I've been enjoying the Market so much, I purchased an annual spot! But I'm still beading and below you will see a very pretty necklace I just made!

Something New!!!

I've been working very hard on designing my own cabochons for use in beadwork or vintage styled jewelry. I wanted mine to be original and decided to use my own drawings! Yes, besides beading, I draw too, mostly in colored pencil or pastels, and almost always with flowers or animals as the main subject. The print is decoupaged on a vintage glass cabochon and set in vintage brass bezels or reproduction settings.

The Newest Bracelet!

Another great Sunday at the Ann Arbor Artisan's Market! I'm even thinking of buying an annual membership. They run from April or May all the way to Christmas. It's under a roof but it might get a little cold in December. Michigan usually gets most of it's snow after Christmas, but once in a while, it snows in late October!

Anyway, this bracelet is done in beautiful violet and lavender on a garden green two-drop peyote band. I just listed it on Ebay!

Ann Arbor Artisan's Market

What Fun!!! Ann Arbor has always been known for welcoming arts and crafts (as evidenced by the nationally famous Summer Art Fair) and the Market just adds to it's reputation. On Saturday, it's a Farmer's Market, but on Sunday, it's just for Art!

Despite three rainstorms, everyone had a great time. There were three other Etsy sellers there and another friend of mine from graduate school (one of the professors)!

The sign!

My table during high winds!

At the end, when most have left.

Kate Kehoe (chicalookate)

The 4th of July is Coming Soon!!!

Celebrate in style with a beaded necklace and bracelet beaded in the diagonal peyote stitch and embellshed with lots of star-shaped buttons (found in a fabric store). Can a patriotic necklace and bracelet look feminine? I think they do! Very delicate! I just listed them in my Etsy Shop!

Two Blog Posts In One Day!

Well, it's just that I am very proud of a bracelet I just listed on Ebay! I've had the Czechoslovakian button in the center for quite a while and this must have been the week where my beads just fell into place around it. I love the colors - my favorites.

The third picture shows the beading on the band, and the second picture shows the toggle closure.

Summer is Coming! And Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

I just finished this bead crocheted bracelet! I was looking at beads at my local bead shop and was drawn to these colors - pearly white, pearly yellow and a deep transparent yellow. And when I got home, I found some great focal beads to use with them! As you can probably guess, I have quite a stash of miscellaneous beads after 6 or 7 years of collecting.

And the best thing about bead crochet? It's slightly stretchy so it works well for a bangle bracelet. This bracelet is listed on Etsy!

And For This Week!

A new pair of earrings made with the prettiest Czechoslovakian glass flower buttons, and more of the falling beaded leaves. Can you tell that I love beading leaves?

Another new necklace using a Swarovski black rivoli! The sparkle from rivolis just can't be photographed as well as they look in real life!

I Found Some Great Chocolate!

In addition to having a great time at the show last Saturday, I met a wonderful woman who makes fantastic chocolate candy! Her chocolates come in several versions like chocolate and walnuts or chocolate and pecans. And, they are beautifully presented in nice boxes. These chocolates make great favors for bridal showers, wedding receptions or other large parties and she makes the candy fresh before shipping!

Pandora Brown
http://mpandorasboxes.com

Jules Meets Chester

My dog Jules got to meet Chester, a 3 year old Great Dane adopted by my stepbrother, Jim. The dogs were not invited to my stepmother's house for Mother's Day - probably just as well as they might have broken something.

The Meeting - Jules is scared!

The Meeting Goes On

You Almost Fit Under Him!

Take It Easy Kids!

Equal Attention

Beginning To Calm Down

Much, Much Better