Summer time is for Succulent Pots

I have really enjoyed making the succulent pots and its a great way for me to help fill the kiln as it takes 100's of beads to fill the kiln.  Sometimes having a few larger items to take up the space in the kiln is nice.  My pots are organic and free shaped and I often make them and gently drop them while still wet to let gravity aid in the formation, much like the landscape is formed naturally.  Send me photos of how you use your little succulent pots and I will post them to share.

I made this one for my mom for Mother's day, it is the color worldly mix and I have similar in the shop

This one is a rustic truck red and brown, I love the way the red flowed down the pot

Cobalt and copper brown rich tones that would look great in your home

This one is a nice teal green 

This color is slate and it always looks as if the piece was buried for a 100 years before finding it again

Beautiful Cross Pendants

Patty is a stay at home mom to four boys - she has been creating for as long as she can remember.  She adores romantic sentimental Victorian jewelry, charm bracelets, colored pearls, birds,vintage hearts, padlocks and lockets. She also has a more Bohemian side which loves Czech glass, silk and bright colors. …

I love what she did with some of my cross beads and wanted to share them with you.  

New Colors

I have several new glazes, fun colors with a hint of sparkle.  The colors have a lot of dimension and texture even though the glaze is smooth.  Rich tones of green, blue and a tomato red.  I have a few more but I haven't had time to fire those pieces yet.  Listed in my shop with lots more options.

This shade sure looks great with turquoise

Also two new this purple shades.  The first is more of a cranberry and the second a true deep purple.

Please send me photos of your finished products using my beads and I will post them on a upcoming blog.

No shoes for the shoe makers children, no jewerly for the bead making potter

Have you ever heard the old proverb about the shoemaker who was so busy making shoes for his customer that his children went without shoes. Well that applies to me, except my children have shoes I just don't often have time to make myself jewelry.  Which is silly considering I have 100's of beads and supplies.  

So here goes a crazy story....

I went last week with a pottery cuff bead to the local craft store to buy a few beads to coordinate with one of my sea green beads, which are actually more brown than green but that's the glaze color so to keep me from being confused I use the glaze name.

ramble --- ramble  

While I am holding my bead up to the round beads on display trying to find a match while frustrated with the terrible fluorescent lighting blaring down from over head.  A nice lady shopping at the same time commented on how much she liked the bead and she proceeds to tell me that she donates 100's of bracelets to benefit cancer patients.  Knowing I had more of this bead I offered her the bead as a gift, which she declined but instead wanted me to make her a bracelet with the beads I had just chosen and the cuff bead tin hand.  

So I made this for the nice lady and I will get it to her later this week.  

LOL  I am glad she is getting a treat for herself since she gives so much to others.

Now on to the shoe proverb...

I made her a bracelet, I made one for a friend and I made a handful for a donation to a scholarship fund raiser.

Wait, I didn't make one for me yet.

But I will...

I did not take photos of the process but wanted to explain the details.

Open up a jump ring for each side of the bead, then I knot the elastic thread onto the jump ring and I hide the knot in the cone shaped bead next to the jump ring.  I then thread on how many beads you need for your wrist side and end with another cone.  I then stretch the elastic and tie a knot which I loop on to the other jump ring and that knot is hid under the cone.  I close up the jump rings, and apply a dot of glue to the elastic knots, let the glue dry overnight and then cut the end of the elastic that is left from tying the knot.  I can make one in about 15 minutes.

Bracelets Ready for Summer

What a delightful bit of eye candy!!!  Lyn Schultz sent me these photos of the bracelets she made recently with my beads.  I love the colors she used and her little details.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.  If you have photos of your designs using my beads please share and I will add them to the blog.  Happy May! Cindy

Beautiful Bohemian Necklace

Marlee Loves Roxy made a striking necklace with tiny Czech beads and one of my cross pendant beads.  It is a lovely design that would compliment many outfits.  Please shop her store for beautiful romantic Boho pieces.  Enjoy!

Succulent Pots

I just love all the succulents you can buy at the local plant stores and the great variety that is available.  I made a bunch of little pots to display these wonderful specimens.  They are all small about 3 x 3 inches and are glazed in a copper brown that has gold flecks or sparkles.   The pots are hand built with a organic feel, with curves and crevices in free form designs.  Made of clay, shaped, dried, fired, glazed inside and out and fired again before becoming one of a kind pots.  They were glazed with a food safe glaze and should be hand washed only.  The pots are listed in my shop, the succulent are not included and are only shown to help showcase the potential of the pot.  Succulents are available at your local nursery and can be easily added to the pot.

The Tale of Two Texas Gals

Another Texas gal, Kerry Best with Kerry Best Designs is from Allen Texas about three hours North of me.  She has been making some great wrapped designs with my cuff beads.  Kerry commented on using my Captured Moments Pottery Beads " I'm also in Texas and love making all kinds of jewelry, but beaded wraps are probably my favorite. Your cuff beads really add a unique look, and everyone loves the quotes. The last set was so popular, I sold them before they were finished."   Well you can see why they sold so quickly as they really are cute.  Kerry has other fun wraps in her shop at Etsy.  If you have photos of designs you have made using my pieces send them to me so I can showcase them on the blog.  If you have sent photos in the past and I haven't used them please send them again.  Enjoy!

This one is in Stormy Blue

Malachite Green

Copper Brown

Where have I been?

Hello, It has been way too long since I have posted.  We started the process of moving late last year and we have successfully done so now, if you don't count the boxes I need to unpack or the art that needs to be hung....OR you get the idea.

I have bowls full of beads that I finally photographed yesterday and I will be posting them as soon as I can. 

Also I have had some lovely designs sent to me by customers, and if you sent me some photos and I have not posted them then please re-send and I will post soon.

Here are some great bracelets made by Susan Dorado with Blue Licorice using some of my cuff pottery beads.  Her shop on Etsy has lots of cute designs.  I appreciate her sharing these photos with me.

Aromatherapy bead used on this design

This image shows the back of the bead where you can add essential oils

I really like the double strand that she has used in this design

This is the Elli bead in copper brown with the whimsy design

Add caption

This one has such an earthy feel to it and it is accented with a cut Karma bead

This design was made by Anna Brasher, it is a unique mix of leather and peals and one of my pendant cross beads.

A sneak peek of some beads I will list soon.  These have a nature theme to them.

Dandelion pendant bead

Great earthy feel of land and water

This one reminds me of the Japanese wave paintings

It's summer...pull out the canning jars.

I was raised in the country and we canned everything we couldn't eat fast enough.  There is even a family story of a near feud between two of my great aunts due to canning jars not being returned.  When I was a kid the jars often contained SWEET jam or SWEET pickles.  If the jars were empty we drank SWEET tea or SWEET lemonade out of the jars. In the spirit of summer time canning I have made these SWEET pottery cuff beads and I have included a quick tutorial on how to make a cuff bracelet faster than you can peel a bowl of peaches. 

In a mix of blues, browns and greens

In Indian Summer

 Super simple, just take a leather cuff and punch one hole to match up with each of the holes on the bead and then punch an additional hole approx. 1/4 inch from the outside of the first two holes.  I just hold the bead in the center of the leather and I use an ice pick to make a small prick in the leather where the hole will need to go.

 Then I begin sewing the bead to the leather, I use waxed linen thread from the box chain craft stores (look where they sell leather).  After stitching thru the bead and leather a few times I tie it off in the back.

 Here are a few good shots of the knot in the back.  I find that the wax string stays tight and does not come undone.

 

Repeat with the other side and cut off the ends when you are done.  And faster than you can peel a bowl of peaches you have a SWEET cuff bracelet.  Enjoy!

 

I also wanted to share two beautiful designs using my cross beads.  The first is a Elli cuff bead made into a great bracelet by Southern Grace Jewelry and a beautiful necklace with one of my worldly mix cross pendants by Topa Topa Designs.  Enjoy!