Swap 'n Hop - All the beads and challenges! :)

I feel a little bit bad to show what I got because my beads seem to be still on their way. My partner in the swap 'n hop is Kathy from Bay Moon Design. I follow her work for... some.... time already (okay, it is for so long that I really can't tell you anymore ^^). 

The beads I send to her came back to germany with the comment unknown address. I send them again on their way and hope they will finally find their way to Kathy! But maybe even if I feel bad about the delay and keep Kathy waiting, maybe I should look on the bright side: The package was not lost, just send back! (okay, now you may say, but it is again "on the road" but I have hope!). Also in all the years I am sending and receiving packages from all over the world just a very few were lost. Strangely all problems were always just from and to the USA (I am in gemany) but then... maybe that is just by chance and being a researcher I know I shouldn't trust any data with not enough samples and not double-blinded ;)

I was just on my way to Hasselt, belgium, looking at the postbox when Kathy's package arrived. Since I really was way too curious to wait for several days, I took it with me! So the beads came from the usa to germany just to travel to belgium and then back to germany. So it was in the middle of the night, being tired from the flight and travel, but I just had to open it! (the images I took back home).

The two green beads I couldn't resist showing two times are my absolute favorites! Organic, tribal, with a lot of texture, looking moos overgrown... just love them! I like everything Kathy send me but you know the moment a bead is really "yours"! This was the case with these two. 

Kathy gave me two challenges: The big butterfly and using pink. I had to smile at her challenge to use pink because she is right, it is not my favorite colour but it fits perfectly for the pink advent calendar I make for a very close friend every year! So just perfect! The butterfly was a real fun challenge and I am soooo excited what Kathy will say to the results! 

Last but not least: She added a tin box full of sea shells! Oh, thank you so much Kathy! It made me smile and I will use several of them for new molds and also try to integrate them in some jewelery! 

PS: I will tell you more about the single beads and show you the details in the finished pieces... because I started nearly instantly to use them I couldn't take more single pictures ;)

"Blush" - Earrings

A new pair of some of my long earrings. This time with some vintage buttons. Look at the back, you still can see some of the sea shell. I just love these old mother-of-pearl buttons where you can see the original material they are carved from! All the other colours, from also some white vintage czech glass beads. some old pressed glass diamon beads and new czech glass beads, they are all lovely and the first word coming into my mind was "blush". The colours of flowers around, the lovely blush of your skin, a small hidden smile...

"Urban jungle" - Earrings

You ever made somethig you instantly fell in love with... just to realize to can't keep it because it doesn't look good on you? I so wanted to keep these earrings. I just wanted! I love their organic look, their movemet, how long they are but still they don't look heavy but light due to the movement, all the red sparkles and organic texture... I could go on and on. 

They speak to me, they are really me... and still, with my hair lenght at the moment, my red hair colour... it didn't go together. I took me some time to say good-bye to them and to take them with me to a market. I even prized them completly true (still struggling with that) and up until now they were the most expensive earrings I had.

They sold. At the first market.

But at least I know they are loved and this is why I couldn't keep them. They should not be hidden and forgotten, covered in dust in the last corner (I know I exaggerate ^^), they should be worn and loved!

The big red ceramic connectors were from a giveaway I won from Niky (go over to her blog silverniknats, she creates gorgeous pieces, especially with old coins!) and are made by Petra from scorched earth. The were my first beads from her but I think I need more now...! ;) The tiny lampwrok beads under the organic looking big czech glass beads are made by Michelle Marie Bryant.

"Dreaming" - Bird mask made with polymer clay

Do you know this kind of surreal feeling: Hey, I actually made this? 

I have it with this bird mask. 

It is made with polymer clay (Fimo classic as well as a lot of other scraps of clay I had at hand... some of it even neon yellow!). At first I used a paper template to cover with metal foil and then a first layer of polymer clay and bake it. In a second step (a step that took weeks, I just worked on it from time to time) I created the beak and added the feathers. Every single feather was cut in shape and formed onto the mask. Just a very basic and simple shape with clean lines to make a feather but because they are all different, it is working really well. 

I covered the baked mask with surface prep from Christi Friesen "Swellegant", added a first layer of black acrylic paint and then several layers of "Swellegant" silver. It will fill out little gaps and small details are lost. But that is perfect because then it looks more and more like one single piece and not a combination of different pieces. In the last coat of silver I added the darkening patina while it was still wet. After it dried I coated it at first with the sealant before I added highlights with the silver again on top. I am using this order now since I sometimes had the problem that even after waiting for several days to let the metal coat and the patina dry, if I would add new metal to highlight raised areas it would also oxidise.  

The curve of the side nicely goes into the curve of the beak. 

Just look how well it turned out with the beak and the nostrils and the tiny wee feathers around it. The beak was just smoothed out by hand before baking and I left it as it was afterwards. This has the effect that in all that irregularities the silver and patina formed their own organic pattern.

"Across the ocean" - Polymer clay turtle

It is odd that I am now using fb so much. I never liked it in the past and I am still not feeling comfortable with fbs (not really existing - yes, in this regard I am really european/german) privacy policies. But my family finally got me into it because it is the easiest way to let everyone participate even across oceans... and then I found all the special interest groups for beads, jewelery, art and polymer clay. 

They got me. *sighs*

One of the german polymer clay groups was hosting challenges from time to time. Last year autumn there was a challenge for either a snow man (no, thanks) or a turtle (ok, it is meant to be a challenge after all).

My idea was to create the typical shape of a turtle (in the ocean, not on land) and then use my new surface treatment to create the feeling of something old and overgrown. 

Organic, crusty, grown, ocean... 

In case you are wondering about the wire: This IS actually a bead. Maybe you could call it a pendant but honestly that is also just another kind of bead or not?

If you want to smile: Rumpel is still teasing me with my simplified definition of what a bead is... "...it has a hole in it" ^^

"Story beads" - Earrings

The same shape but a complete different style: Insteadt of the hammered metal pieces I use a long stretch of beads! They are fun to make and just look and move lovely :)

"Moments of colour" - Earrings

Huh... I didn't write really a lot in the last time. But I already prepared a lot of images (and yes, I am creating even more all the time ^^) and now, finally, I am coming back to show them to you!

Here some images how I create my dangling earrings:

All you need is thick wire. Mostly I work with copper but also with silver filled wire. Maybe as soon as the silver price is dropped even a little bit further also with pure silver ;)

I cut small pieces and anneal them with my Dremel torch. This is really necessary to prepare it for all the hammering. I also pickle them using vinegar and salt to get rid of the fire scale.

...this is after hammering! I use a normal small household hammer and a miniature amboss. Just look at the gorgeous texture! For oxidation I use liver of sulphur and to clean the upper part I use either steel wool (the one you get to clean litchen tools) or nail files ;)

To add a touch of colour and movement, I will add czech glass bead drops. I already have quite a collection of them in a lot of different sizes.... and I want more! Every time I see some bead drops, I just have to have them!

They look good with ready-made ear hooks as well as handmade one. Depends on the style you want and where the eye shuld be drawn to,

The beads are just wrapped with wire (0,6mm) that I also anneald, pickled and oxidised before using... oh, I nearly forgot: I also add a protective layer of Renaissance Wax and buff it slightly!

Some are longer, some are shorter... I made really a lot of them until now and I still love their look (that is surprisingly clean for me ^^). 

I am also not the only one loving them... nearly all I made are already gone! I would create more but it is difficult to hammer in an apartment late in the evening. ;)

"Just a thought" - Earrings

It is extremly difficult to catch the subtle colours of these bead combinations. I tried hard with different light settings (all daylight but the ancle and amount and weather conditions... ^^). I also tried to play with editing features... but no, there are just hints of colour. Beautiful but difficult to catch. 

I love their movement and how they catch the light. They are subtle even though they are really long. Oh yes, I am so into really long earrings today. I wear this style "long and dangling" all the time!

Last weekend I participated at my first market this year: "Happy Pop-Up Market". It was absolutely great, with cool music, a stunning location and even better food :) 

Next weekend you will find me at the "SonderpOsten". It will be just across the street in the park in front of our aparment! 

I also really need this just to relax and get other ideas and thoughts... because at work it is really hard. Not the research itself, that is something that still fascinates and motivates me. But just one moment everything seemed okay and the next everyone is struggling, caught between the powerplays of the ones at the top. *sighs* ...and even while I know this logically, in  my heart I can't get over the fact that they just don't care. Not at all... not what broken pieces they will leave behind.

Creating calms me down and these earrings, they are called just a thought... just a thought but it made me smile :)

Bay Moon Design - Kathy Lindemer - My partner in the Swap 'n Hop from Bead Peeps!

All images show jewelery made by Kathy from Bay Moon Design :)

I am participating in the Bead Peeps Swap 'n Hop. Yes, I love bead exchanges, challenges and fixed deadlines! Not that it is easy for me to keep the last one... but no chance at all without one!

My swap partner is Kathy Lindemer from Bay Moon Design (and before you go on, you can find her blog here and since I am showing you her work here, go over to her shop here if you want to claim some of her work fror yourself :) ).

That was really a great surprise because she is not a stranger! We are both reading each other blogs for some time now. She is commenting on my blog entries quite often and you have to know, I am a sucker for some feedback and comments! Quite often she just made my day with her lovely comments! Now, what you should now: While I am loving comments, I am guilty of not commenting myself so much. But just to make clear: I am reading every single blog entry from you Kathy! :)

She already wrote her blog introduction for me: Uhm... now I am blushing! But I think I can try to blame it at the cold weather? Or so? ;)

I enjoy reading blogs and while a lot of people tend to neglect their blogs and/or change to fb, instagramm or other social media, there is just something special in blogs. Don't get me wrong, I also enjoy the fast answers and images fb offers, together with news, giveaways and bead auctions. But it is mostly superficial and extremly short lived. A blog shows you more of the person behind, their ideas, motives and inspirations. A lot of people start their blog soley for advertisment or just to try blogging without any real motivation for writing. I think that this are also the reason why so many blogs are short lived. Kathy is the opposite. She is not only showing her finished pieces but also shares her ideas, her travels and (what I really like) her experiments!

If I would have to describe her (just knowing her online, her work and her writings), I would describe her a curious and creative person who also has a need to experiment and to grow. Examples are her use of new ways to colour metal or start making her own findings for her jewelery (just you know, I blame her for tempting me to bu so many vintaj patinas!). She is also challenging herself quite often, her participation in this one just being an example, by taking part in a lot of blog hops, designing for Z-net show as well as organising new challenges herself.

Kathy also won one of my blog giveaways (some time ago already :)). Therefor I can even show you some of the pieces she made using some of my polymer clay beads! Please bare with me, I am just always curious what people create with my beads and wanted to share this with all of you (by the way Kathy: I send you beads from different artist, but... of course... there may be also some of my own included. But I don't think this may come as a surprise ^^).

I am not sure how to create a real challenge for Kathy since she enjoys working with so many different colours, bright as well as soft one, shiny as well as matt, wire, fabric, thread.... But this is my personal challenge.

Thank you Kathy for being my partner in this challenge!

PS: I think Kathy may have a preference for shades of blue, turqouise and green! Just having a closer look at her work again ;) Could be due to the ocean before her door....

On my worktable: Tins to pendants... (and maybe some day eben in finished necklaces)

Seing my blog entry with my tin earrings claiming that I used my leftover tin pieces... you may have wondered leftover from what or... just these tiny pieces? (speaking of the tuna can tin only) I also made a pendant and a bracelet bar. The tin in the picture aboce in from a black tea can...

...and the tin with the flowers from an unknown but already rusty tin. 

I also want to use one of the bitter lemonade bottle caps as a pendant insteadt of using them in earrings. Sadly here in germay most tuna cans are not as beautiful as the spanish ones (and also I just want to buy the resposnible and not net caught tuna) and... there are no new tea cans anymore! They now have fany packages, beautiful designed but... but... not made out of metal anymore! When did this happen? Where do I get more beautiful cans/tins now?

Of course they are now all in the box with my ongoing projects. ^^