paper beads

In looking up altered book things I came across this nifty bead tutorial from A Storybook Life.

serendipitous

I was trying to find out if the picture at the bottom of this post was by the same artist that's popped up in several blogs lately (the answer, btw, is yes: apparently the PC online world is in a summer state of mind these days) when I came across this instead. Don't ask me how the search for one led to the other, but I'm so glad it did. I love iconography anyway, and this is so wonderfully expressive and just lovely. I could stare at these offerings for a long time, and probably will (until my baby wakes up again, anyway).

Cassowary Jewelry

This is fantastic. Not only the transfer, which takes advantage of the characteristic desaturation of polymer clay transfers to add a certain vintage quality to the piece, but the color scheme of the whole is just perfect. Can I be that necklace when I grow up?

creative taskmaster

I wish I knew of a good 'to-do' online widget. Right now I use listography, but it's far from ideal for that.

BOHs - soak bottles, sketch out ideas
Pansies - add more pastels before sealing
Faces box - second sepia wash
Teapot box - major repairs with ivory
Tea cozy - call Yarns Etc to see if they have the yarn I need
Knitting markers - test rings idea
Mesa beads - finish reaming

I also need to clean up both my craft area - it's starting to get a little cluttery - and the room around it (which is long past cluttery). Also I need to revamp my creativity folder and expand the area for ideas. And, unfortunately, it's time for Gikow's book to go to the library. That's a book I'd like to own.

Also the trash needs to go out. But that's neither here nor, unfortunately, there.

way back machine

I love this necklace by Heather of Humble Beads. I have such a hard time putting together things in a creative way that I am in awe of anyone who can.

(In a mostly unrelated note, I found this picture, unlabeled, in my inspiration folder and was able to do some minor internet sleuthing to attach a name to it. Go me.)

Lentils, lentils everywhere

I love lentil beads but I'm always at a loss for what to do with them. And I can never get double strand necklaces to hang right. But Barbara Fajardo solves both problems very neatly with this beautiful necklace.
I had a dentist appointment yesterday and then consoled myself with craft shopping; Joann's and Michael's both have good coupons this week so I was able to get two of the big bricks of clay and a new set of stamps - now if I only had time to play with them!

More Contests

Contests are fun because they essentially give 'prompts' for creativity. The one I mentioned yesterday, and Two more contests to mention today.

Fire Mountain Gems' annual contest is rolling around again, with the deadline on April 15th this year. The problem with them is you have to use their components, so I'd have to design something around their sale page, rather than just what I have on hand. Possible, if I can find something inspirational on their page, but the deadline is coming up awfully soon.

The other, slightly more doable is the Bead Star 2009 contest - plastics is the polymer clay category, though several others look doable too. The deadline for this one is May 1st.

Time to get started!