Bead Soup Mix Challenge

I don't know why, maybe I'm feeling whimsical or maybe it's because my bead stash is currently in a crazy jumble but I have had bead soup on the brain all weekend. I have a design floating around in my head but time is short this week. (How does that happen on Monday!)

So let's play together. Create a bead soup piece of jewelry with at least one Humblebead in the mix.

• Post a comment below with a link to your creation by Friday. 
• On Saturday I will draw a winner for a $50 gift certificate from Humblebeads. 
• Link can be from your shop, blog, Facebook page, Instragram, Pinterest but it has to be a new creation and it has to your link. 
• Make sure you leave an email if it's not in your profile. 

Grab those beads and let's create!!!

Here is a great blog post I wrote last year for my Mojo Challenge will all sorts of tips for creating a bead soup piece of jewelry.

And if you have a copy on your shelf pull out the Bead Soup book by my friend Lori Anderson. It's awesome and deserves a re-read. In fact I'm going to pull out my copy to read over again this week.  (That's an Amazon affiliate link above.)

Muffin Challenge Winners

Wow, I have just skimmed through your blogs - I will dig into them tonight. But I am super impressed by everyone that joined the challenge! You worked hard to get those pieces finished and it seems muffin tins are magical creativity portals - who knew! What a great start for the new year. 

If you missed the challenge I encourage you to give yourself a deadline, fill up 6-12 muffin cups with everything you need for project in each cup and then spend a few hours cranking out the work! 

You'll have a finished pile of jewelry before you know it! 

I noticed several mentioned that they did edit as they went along creating, I did too! Sometimes a bead just tells you what it needs - so listen! 

So let's move on to the three winners that were chosen by random from all the qualifying entries.

The first place winner is Michelle McCarthy who has won a $75 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com.

My two runners up are going to receive a little gift bag worth $30 from my bead stash! 

Strega and Shaiha are my two other winners! Email me your mailing address ladies, I have goodies to send your way. 

So did you love the challenge? 

Do you want more challenges in 2015?

What are some challenging issues you have when it comes to making jewelry? 

Chat with me in the comments below and I will find fun and creative ways to keep you inspired! 

New Year Muffin Tin Jewelry Challenge

I ran this challenge a few years ago on the Art Bead Scene and I have had several folks ask if I would do it again. What better time than to start the new year with a bang! Join me for this fun challenge that will get you making new jewelry and using up some of your bead stash. 

The challenge is simple:

Fill the cup of a muffin tin with everything you need for one project - so the focal bead, accents, chain, findings - whatever you would need to complete one project and put that in one cup.  Repeat with the other 11 cups.  You now have 12 projects in a portable container ready for you to put together.  Grab your pliers/tools and sit somewhere comfy with your muffin tin and put each piece together knowing all your choices have already been made - your mission is to simply arrange those beads in a sassy design and complete those 12 projects as quickly as possible!

So let's play!  

Grab a muffin tin and put together 6-12 projects by January 4th (Midnight EST).  This will be the perfect way to beat those post-holiday blues and jump start your New Year! 

Take a photo of your muffin tin and one photo of all finished projects (at least 6) - blog, facebook or add it to a free album like Flickr and share the link below with the Inlinkz tool.  

On the 5th, I will pick one random winner to receive a $75 gift certificate from Humblebeads.com and two runner-up winners for a bead stash gift of $30 worth of beads from my studio, it will include Humblebeads and a few surprises that I've picked up from the big bead shows this year.  

When you leave your comment make sure it has your email or connects to your profile with easy to find contact info, so I can reach the winners. 

Pictured above are treasures from Bead & Button and include art beads from: Golem Beads, Vintage Meadows, Lisa Peters and Humblebeads.

An InLinkz Link-up

Pin It to Win It Contest

I'm busy this week working on the final details for my retreat so I won't be able to work on marketing mojo as much as usually. I thought hey - you guys could help me this week and we'll turn it into a fun contest.  And what better place to play than my favorite social media site, Pinterest!

So on to the contest.  First up - what can you win?
A $50 credit to my Etsy shop and the item you pin! *

How to play:
1. Pin your favorite Humblebead from my Etsy shop.
2. Share the link from your pin in the comments below.

Enter as many times as you'd like.
One link per comment please.
I'll pick one random winner on October 29th.  

Have fun and happy pinning! 

*One Exception: excludes grab bags or bead bundles.

This contest is now closed.

Humblebeads at Lima Beads

I met the Ali from Lima Beads at Bead & Button this summer where they picked up a nice collection of my beads.  I was excited to hear from them in September and that they were planning to carry art beads on their site and wanted to place an order.  I'm so honored to be included as one of their first featured artists.  I blogged about it on the Art Bead Scene today along with a contest to win a grab bag of beads with Humblebeads, Jangles, Green Girl Studios and C-Koop.  To enter create a Fresh Pick, like the one above and leave a comment on the ABS. 

Humblebeads at Lima Beads

Sisterhood of the Traveling Beads Giveaway

This is a box full of goodies from my studio purge. 

One woman's tossed out beads is another woman's treasures! 

The giveaway: The entire box of goodies, over $200 worth of beads.

The stipulations: You'll pay for shipping: $8.95 for flat rate priority mail.

The rules: You'll take what you want from the box, add in items from your own bead stash to replace the items you took and do the same giveaway on your blog. We'll keep the beads traveling for as long as we can.

To enter: Leave a comment, include your email.
Bonus: Blog, facebook or twitter about it to enter twice.  Leave another comment letting me know you helped spread the word.

Deadline: March 26 at 12pm (Central time)

International bloggers: I'm sorry, but due to shipping only those in the U.S. can play along.  But I'm suddenly feeling really bad for my non-U.S. blog readers.  If you are outside the states leave a comment and I'll also draw one international winner for a bead grab bag from my Etsy shop.

So let's take a closer look at this box o'wonders:

Metal beads of all sorts.

Some bead soup mixes with pearls, stones and glass.  Glass beads, crystals, lucite flowers and some goodies from Rings & Things.

A whole mess of older Humblebeads.  Experiments and earlier versions.

Art beads, some left over form the Bead Cruise.  Gaea, Jangles, C-Koop, Marsha Neal, Earthenwood Studio, Lisa Shifflet, Summer Studios and more.

Felt and fiber beads

Seed Beads

Findings and stringing materials.  Some from Hobby Lobby, silk cord, memory wire, fan pull kits, chain and bead wires from Rings & Things. 

McGrabbies - Mom and Jess tried to steal some of the goodies.  Don't worry, I fended them off.

And yes, days later and projects passed my desk is still clean!

Good luck everyone.

Poppy Fields

Hey, there it is...the whole dang thing.  I wanted to wait until today to show it off so that I could send you along to the Vintaj blog to vote for your favorite design in their latest challenge.  Click on the image to see it larger.  Hmm, you'll see if 12 is my lucky number.

The ceramic bead in the center is from Earthenwood Studios.  The big round beads throughout are Elaine Ray. The lampwork ruffle beads were a gift from Rosanne, she'll have to clue on the name of the artist. I also have some of my branch beads in copper.

Fun with Focals - Day 5

The inspiration: Cynthia Thornton's Seek Wisdom Lariat from the Winter 2007 issue of Stringing.

My Version: This one really had my muse jumping up and down.  I choose to work with findings in an unusual way to create a focal element.  I filled 3 Vintaj bead pod toggle clasps with pearls and wire-wrapped them together to create a modern, sculptural element.  I also used a square toggle clasp as part of the pendant along with a leaf and bird from Vintaj.  I completed the focal with a 3-hole spacer bead in my branch design and finished the necklace with keishi pearls in cream and coffee bean brown. 

The assignment: Use a finding in an usual way to create a focal element.  (Designs with clasps in the front would count!)

You have until Nov. 6th to add a link to this post with your version of today's challenge.

The grand prize is a $50 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com!

Read the full details for the contest here and a chance to win a year's subscription to Stringing magazine.

I'm looking forward to seeing your creations and hope you have been inspired to play along!

Fun with Focals - Day 4

The Inspiration: Silvija and Taya Koschnick's Chained Labradorite pendant from the Fall 2008 issue of Stringing.

My Version: I love this technique and have wanted to give it a try for a while now.  I pulled out the gunmetal chain for my design.  I chained up a faux beach glass bead, added in a chain tassel, a Humblebead branch lentil and strung this long elegant pendant on 3 different strands of chain for texture and interest.  What you can't see it that I used chain to create a bail for this pendant.  (The chain on the focal bead is only on one side.)

The Assignment: Chain up your focal bead!  This works great for stones, ceramic or glass that have flat sides and large plain surfaces.

You have until Nov. 6th to add a link to this post with your version of today's challenge.

The grand prize is a $50 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com!

Read the full details for the contest here and a chance to win a year's subscription to Stringing magazine.

Fun with Focals - Day 3

The Inspiration: Kathy Thompson's Refreshingly Green necklace in the Spring 2009 issue.


My Version: My necklace is long leap from the inspiration piece in the magazine. The focal used jump rings as embellishment and here I paired clusters of jump rings to create a "nest" for my owl bead.  I also used another cluster of Vintaj etched jumprings as a bail.  The leaf is from my favorite leaf-maker, Every Heart Crafts and the necklace is finished off with a simple silk ribbon in a soft earthy green.

The Assignment: Use jumprings as embellishment for your focal piece, the more the merrier!

You have until Nov. 6th to add a link to this post with your version of today's challenge.

The grand prize is a $50 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com!

Read the full details for the contest here and a chance to win a year's subscription to Stringing magazine.

Fun with Focals - Day 2

The Inspiration: Cynthia Thornton's Burning Bush necklace from the Fall 2006 issue of Stringing.

My Version: The focal element of this project used ribbon as a bail.  I made a little ribbon from some silk dupioni that I had on hand as the bail for my bird pendant.  I paired up the focal bead with striking red Czech faceted glass, copper spacers, humblebeads branch disk beads, brass jump rings and chain.

The Assignment: Use ribbon, string or leather to create a bail for your focal bead/pendant.

You have until Nov. 6th to add a link to this post with your version of today's challenge.


The grand prize is a $50 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com!

Read the full details for the contest here and a chance to win a year's subscription to Stringing magazine.

Fun with Focals - Day 1

The inspiration: Teri Bienvenue's Cowgirl necklace that appeared in the Summer 2007 issue of Stringing. 

For my version  I used Czech faceted glass, copper spacers, clusters of etched Vintaj jumprings, a humblebeads branch disk bead, Vintaj brass wire and chain.

The assignment: Create a horizontal focal using chunky beads lined up on wire. 

You have until Nov. 6th to add a link to this post with your version of today's challenge. 

The grand prize is a $50 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com! 

Read the full details for the contest here and a chance to win a year's subscription to Stringing magazine.

Fun with Focals Challenge

Have you seen the Best of Stringing? Humblebeads abound - I have a necklace and an earring project in this issue. Molly Schaller created a necklace using a few of my disk beads and Cristi Clothier has an amazing necklace using a limited edition set of orchid beads.

One of the most interesting features in the magazine is the Fun with Focals section. It includes 30 tips and innovations for creating interesting and clever focal elements.

I was so inspired by this feature I picked my favorite 5, came up with my own versions and have partnered with Interweave Press for a new contest and a challenge.

There are two parts to this contest, one is a random drawing and the other is a creative challenge with assignments!

The Best of Stringing Drawing:
Grand Prize - a year subscription to Stringing Magazine
Runner Up - a free copy of the Best of Stringing
How to enter:
Leave a comment here answering this question - For focal beads are you more likely to grab an art bead, a metal pendant or a large bead such as stone, wood, shell, etc.?

One entry per person.

The Fun with Focals Challenge:
Prize: $50 gift certificate from Humblebeads.com and a signed copy of the Best of Stringing.

How to enter:
1. Each day this week I'll post my version of the Fun with Focals project along with the assignment to follow along.
2. You'll have a week to create a piece of jewelry inspired by the assignment and put it online. It can be on your blog, facebook page, flickr or other online photo album or in your Etsy shop, etc..
3. Put the link to the creation in the comments of the matching post.

You may submit one link per assignment.
The winner of this prize will be randomly drawn from all the assignment links.

For both parts of the contest please leave your email if you don't have a blog account, so that I can notify the winners. Winners will be drawn at 3pm on Friday, November 6th.

Your first assignment will be posted soon!

Bead Trends Winner!

The lucky winner for the Bead Trends giveaway is Debbie from Pairie Emporium!

Debbie won a 6 month subscription to Bead Trends, provided by the magazine, and a $30 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com.

I want to thank everyone who played along and offer a 10% discount for your next  humblebeads.com order.  Use discount code BeadTrends09 when you check out.  This discount will expire on 10/21.

Picture above is my Harvest Dandelion that is featured in the Letting Go necklace.  That was the most picked project.  Letting go seems to be a common theme for many of us!

Bead Trends Giveaway!

When the editor of Bead Trends asked me to be the Featured Designer for the October issue I knew right away that I wanted to create a series of jewelry that reflected the seasons, my love of nature and incorporated art beads from some of my favorite artists. The 11 designs featured in the issue are some of my favorite pieces that I've ever created. Tomorrow I will share more about the art beads used in the projects.

Projects In the issue:

1. Water & Seed Necklace and Bracelet

(Pictured above, photo courtesy of Bead Trends Magazine)

A woodsy combination of seeds, wood and water inspired beads.

2. Blue Skies Calling Bracelet, Necklace and Earrings

Nests and birds take center stage amid blue lace agate, yellow opal nuggets and copper.

3. Seek Wisdom Necklace and Earrings

A wintery blue set with branches, kyanite and ceramic beads in frosty hues.

4. Tiger Lily Necklace and Earrings

One of my favorite flowers of summer, this tiger lily set features a mix of copper disks, keishe pearls, rutilated quartz and gunmetal chain.

5. Letting Go Necklace and Bracelet

A seed of knowledge: letting go of our worries will help us get closer to our dreams. This is the theme of this set with harvest inspired beads, trees, leaves, acorns and wood.

Did you know you can purchase a digital copy of the magazine? I did this the other day and it's awesome! You subscribe to one issue for $4.99. You pick which issue you want, uh go for Oct. 2009 to see my goodies, and it's instantly available online. You can download the issue to your computer. You can make notes, there are direct links to the suppliers, it pretty much rocks. Although I still like to hold a magazine in my hand, this is a budget-friendly alternative! Click here for more details.

To celebrate being the featured designer in the October issue of Bead Trends I am hosting a giveaway on my blog this week.

The prizes: Bead Trends has donated one 6 month subscription to their magazine (a $49.95 value) and I am giving away a $30 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com!

To Enter: Make a comment to this post. If you don't have a blog, please make sure to include your email so that I can contact you if you are the winner!

To Win: One random winner will be drawn from all of the comments on Monday, October 12th.
One entry per person.   This drawing is now closed, thank you!

Let's give you something to comment on other than kudos, although I do appreciate those:

From the 5 themes/projects mentioned above which one appeals to you the most?

my other love

I'm getting ready for the SCBWI's annual children's book conference next week. I leave on Thursday and will be gone for 6 days. It's always hard to leave my girls for that long. But then time flies when you are having fun and I plan on having my share of fun. The conference is in Los Angeles and I love having the chance to hang out with such a creative group of artists and writers.

I told myself I wouldn't go crazy getting ready for this event. There is a portfolio contest and in case you haven't figured it out, I'm a bit competitive. I can't help myself. So I caved and have been working on new samples for my portfolio - going overboard once again! You can check out my illustration work at Humblearts.com.

I will be gone until the 13th. My etsy shop will close Tuesday morning. Same drill, you'll be able to find my beads at Bello Modo while I'm gone. The free shipping continues until I close the shop, so you can save yourself a few bucks.

What is your other creative love, besides beads? Maybe quilting, gardening, cooking, photography?

Leave me a comment about it and you could win this resin/humblebead pendant. I will pick one random winner on the 13th.

Bead Star!

Hot dog! I made it into the Bead Star finalists! I've been so anxious to show the entries that I submitted. The first one if titled Fragile Love. It features a pendant from Heather Wynn, a coral pendant from Green Girl Studios, a charm from Mamacita Beadworks and a polymer clay shell from moi. I mixed them together with some awesome smoky quartz, amazonite faceted rounds, apatite nuggets and faceted chalcedony tabs, all the stones happen to come from the recent Rings & Things show here in San Antonio. This entry is in the stones category.
My next entry, Ginkgo Gardens is in the pearl category. I have a strand of purple stick pearls, green keishi pearls and top drilled purple pearls. Strung in there are a few of my purple disks and two Elaine Ray ceramic beads. Those wonderful ceramic ginkgo leaves came from Tasha McKelvey. The silver ginkgo came from Shipwreck Beads and was one of the many treasures I picked out from my Bead Star prize last year. Funny, huh?

Notice a theme? I love to work with other artist's beads!

Go vote for your favorites right now! Voting ends May 30th.

This isn't my design, but I have to mention it. Erin from Tesorit Trovati has a few pieces in the competition too, this one features my Golden Kiss bead. Sweet! It's in the seed bead category.

I noticed a few of my buddies, including Lorelei Eurto who has a design in plastic's category. Did you enter this year?

We have winners!

(Ceramic Mixed Tape Necklace by CharityElise)

Hola Beady Friends! I just finished drawing the winners for my Mixed Tape Challenge, thanks to everyone who played along! I enjoyed the high school photos, ah the big hair of the 80's! Fun times. My two favorite song choices would have to be Brass Monkey by the Beastie Boys, thanks Gaea and Parents Just Don't Understand by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, sweet pick Cindy L.! Those two had me chuckling all day. All the entries were thrown into a basket and after some vigorous shaking two winners were drawn at random:

Mary McGraw - $50 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com or Humblebeads.etsy.com

Valerie $25 gift certificate to Humblebeads.etsy.com

But don't feel sad, I have a little surprise for everyone! You can take advantage of free shipping this weekend in my etsy shop or website. Use discount code m2008. And I have a tiny polymer clay starfish charm for anyone who places an order this weekend.

The playlist that I'm working to today:
Love: Lost & Found Playlist

Mix Tape Challenge

(Mix Tape Pouch by GoodKarma)

Okay, you know how much I love a contest that will have me laughing in hysterics with your entries so I've come up with a really good one!

Jess makes me all these crazy playlists, my mix tapes, that I listen to while I make beads. We both thought that would be pretty funny to see what kind of "mix tape" playlists we would create from our high school days. And that is the inspiration for this challenge.

So whether you were listening to the Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Cure or Nirvana, I want to hear your favorite songs from those angst-ridden, hormone-filled days!

Here is my playlist for curious minds:
Heather's High School Mix Tape

The Rules:

There are a few ways to enter and you can "earn" more than one entry depending on how much you participate. I will pick the winners next Friday, May 1st. Winners will be picked by random drawing.

1 entry - share your top 5 favorite songs from your high school days in the comments section.
or
Bonus entry - make a playlist to share on your blog and blog about this contest. (Leave the link to your blog post in the comment)

Triple bonus entry - your name will go in the hat a third time if you include a photo of youself from your teen years in your blog post about this contest.

The Prizes:
Grand Prize - $50 Gift Certificate to Humblebeads.com or Humblebeads.etsy.com
Runner Up - $25 Gift Certificate to Humblebeads.etsy.com

I'm a Bead Star Winner

Big news! Two of my designs won in the Bead Star competition from Interweave Press! Thank you for voting this summer. It was so hard to keep it a secret all these months. If I hadn't been so busy this week making beads I would have done my horn tootin' a little earlier!

My "Key to Heart Necklace" won 2nd place in the Hearts Category. Which came with a nice big ol' $500 gift certificate to Shipwreck Beads. It's like Christmas arrived two weeks early!

And my "Sea Urchin" necklace took home an honorable mention in the pearls category, which means I was able to pick the Interweave bead magazine of my choice for a year's subscription. Lucky! And it gets even better, both of these designs are in the Bead Star magazine which hits newsstands next week.

While you wait for the magazine to arrive, you can find my sea urchins in my etsy shop or on my website. Ah, I feel all shiny!