Chocolate, Beads and Love - Bonbon Bead Workshop

Chocolate, beads and love - they all produce the same chemical reaction in the brain, I'm sure of it! We've all had the rush of finding a swoon worthy bead, one that makes your heart beat a little faster when it's in the palm of your hand. Your head starts swimming with ideas and the possibilities of what to make with that tiny treasure.

Now think of a melt-in-your-mouth, melt-your-soul chocolate confection. My friend Erin introduced me to Moonstruck chocolates years ago and they are a bit of heaven on earth. Think of artisan treats lining a display case, each piece of handcrafted chocolate a delectable treat with delicate sugary details decorating their chocolate shells.

Imagine beads that look good enough to eat, each one displaying layers of leaves and flowers as a sweet bonbon. Like learning to create heavenly European chocolates, the secrets of these scrumptious Bonbon beads will be revealed in my next online beadmaking workshop. Sign up today to save your space and you'll be creating your own mouth-watering beads just in time for holiday gift-making!

Let's take a look at the color palettes of the beads that will be featured in the class:  

Bright and cheerful, these candy-cane inspired colors are fun and playful. They are elf-approved hues that are a jolly treat! These are the beads that will be making during the class and the recommended color palette to start. These beads will make whimsical ornaments and stocking stuffers for the young-at-heart on your gift list.

The Woodland Holiday color palette will feature chocolate browns, sage greens, cream, purple, copper and rose colors. This collection will work beautifully with rustic and earthy jewelry designs. They are florals that can be easily translated into non-holiday designs for those who are little more down-to-earth on your gift list.

Twinkling snow, frosted branches, glimmering icicles, the winter wonderland color palette captures the icy hues of the season in gold, creams and dreamy purple of twilight. Pair these beads up with pearls, golden-brass findings and shimmering crystals to create your own winter wonderland jewelry designs. Wear these gilded pieces to upcoming holiday parties.

Classics never go out of style and for the traditionalist I couldn't resit these red, green and gold creations that would bring instant holiday glam to any outfit during the season. These will also make beautiful ornaments, start checking off your gift list! I have the perfect ornament project included in the bonuses using these beads - they will be your go-to gift this year.

Can you hear Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies chiming in your head now? As visions of plum, violet and lavender dance in your head this color palette offers another non-holiday take on these bonbon beads. Purple, everyone loves it! And you can see by using a monochromatic color palette these beads are transformed into flowery designs that would look great for your bohemian chic jewelry creations, your garden-inspired designs or ultra-feminine jewelry.

You'll get the inside scoop with detailed videos taking you step-by-step in mixing colors, creating the leaves and flowers and decorating your beads. Along with the videos you'll have step-by-step written directions with photographs. You'll learn finishing tips to offer more design options - we love having options don't we? You'll discover the easy tricks I use for making beads in a flash and you'll soon master making your sweet bonbon beads and ready to transform them into jewelry and gifts.

And then you can dive into the 10 bonus projects featuring the bonbon beads. Because as lovely as a pile of beads are, seeing them in action and having great gift ideas can take tons of pressure off during this busy time of year. Create them into gifts to fill stockings and put under the tree, give as treasured presents during Hanukkah or design jewelry to wear to your holiday shindigs -  making this the class that keeps on giving!

Don't worry if you've never made a bead before, you will be a bonbon bead expert by the time you are finished with the class!

Sign up here and save your spot today - class starts on November 7th but you'll have lifetime access to the class and videos. Work at your own speed and schedule before the crazy holiday festivities begin!

30 Words: My Work

Endless possibilities.

A rainbow at my fingertips.

A clever chameleon.

Roll, twist, shape, 

Manipulate.

Transformed, refined,

Elevated. 

Now a little piece of art.

Inspiration.

A connection.

Passed to your hands. 

 The premise of 30 Words Thursdays is simple...

Take an image (preferably one you shot, or have permission to use).

Write 30 Words about it. No more. No less.

Share your link with Erin at Treasures Found.

Merry Little Owl Holiday Ornament Tutorial

This may seriously be the cutest thing I've ever made.  I hear Jack Nicholson in my head yelling, "You can't handle the cuteness." And he's right, I can't! I need to make more right now.  Okay, well maybe I can wait until this afternoon when I host my annual ornament making party with the fam. 

With just a few crafty materials you can whip these up.  You can get fancy with handmade hooks or keep it simple with waxed linen or cord.  I have several variations that I'll dish about down below.  If you make some of these you MUST show me! It's required.  By law.  Okay, it's not, but I would love to see what cutie pies you create.  You can share them on my Facebook page with me.

Supplies:
White polymer clay*
Acrylic paint - I use Folk brand craft paint (several colors plus raw umber)
Paint brushes
Plastic mechanical pencil
2" brass headpins
Pewter bead caps in different sizes
Waxed linen
Paper towels
Alphabet stamps (rubber stamps or metal stamps)
Wire cutters
Round and chain nose pliers

Optional - Clay sculpting tool with a fine point for carving details, you can find them in the polymer clay section at craft stores.  The ends kind of look like a dental tool.

*I like Sculpey for these kinds of projects.  It's easy on the hands and has a great matte finish that takes the paint nicely.

Safety:

• Work surface - cardstock, glass, tile - don't work directly on a table, polymer clay can eat the finish.
• Don't use kitchen items with clay, you must have a dedicated polymer clay pan. (Hello Dollar Store.)
• Wash hands thoroughly after handling clay
• Keep on eye on baking clay and use an oven thermometer to make sure you have the correct temperate.  

Make the Owls
1. Roll a 1" ball of clay in your hands.  Don't worry about measuring, just guesstimate.  Pinch the clay on one side to form a point for the ear, repeat on the other side.

2. Use the end of paint brush to make the eyes.  

3. Create a triangle with a tiny piece of clay. Press it onto the face of the owl, smooth out the edges with your finger.

4. Press the tip of the pencil (with the no lead) to create dots around the eyes.

5. Use the sculpting tool or headpin to create an oval shape for the wings. Trace out little feather shapes in the wing area with the sculpting tool.

6. Stamp words onto the belly with letter stamps.

7. Poke a hole through the length of the owl with the headpin. Bake according the manufacturers suggestions.

The last 3 photos show a few variations.

1. Use the tip of the pencil to create a feathered belly instead of stamping a word. 

2. Make a pointed nose and then press it down.

3. A simply nose option is to form a flat triangle instead of a pointed one. 

Painting:

1. Paint the owl the main color all over.

2. Antique the owl with brown paint, whip off immediately.

3. Paint the words a different color, whip off excess paint.

3. Touch up the color around the face and body of the owl. 

3. Paint around the eyes with just a little bit of paint, almost a dry brush.

4. Paint the feathers on the wings several different colors.

Wash your brush when switching colors and dry it completely each time.

 Finishing:

1. After the owl is dry, add it to a headpin.

2. String on two bead caps, upside down.

3. Trim the wire to 1/4" with wire cutters and form a simple loop.

4. Tie on waxed cord.

Each one will have his own personality! Create them in the colors that match your holiday decor.  I could see some in metallic colors too.

Remember if you make some, I'd love to see what you create!

This post has been added to the Art Bead Scene's Ornament Blog Hop, check out the great line up of creative ornaments here. 

F.A.Q.s

I was featured on Polymer Clay Daily today, which is a thrill and has brought in a round of polymer clay questions.


1. How long have you been making beads?
 I have been making beads for 19 years.  They started out homely.  We are talking beyond humble.  I am self-taught and there was only one polymer clay book on the market way back in the day.

I make beads every day and hundreds of them a week.  We work full time making beads and this is our family business. 

2. What kind of clay do you use?
I use mostly Premo.  I hardly use a color straight out of the package and spend lots of time mixing my own custom colors.  I buy all my clay locally when it's on sale at the big craft stores. 

3. How do I get the matte finish? How do you paint your beads? What is your watercolor technique? 
To paraphrase my friend Erin, "Heather has a proprietary technique that she has developed over the years to get those amazing colors and beautiful finish."  (See below)

4. Do you sell tutorials for beadmaking?
Because we make our living selling beads, I don't offer beadmaking tutorials.  I offer lots of tips on making jewelry and running a business here and on the Art Bead Scene.   That is where I try to give back to the creative community.

I do have two online tutorials that you can check out and feel free to give them a try.  I don't offer any other technique tips, but I do have a few resources to share below.

5. Do you have tips on beadmaking?
I encourage you to find what works for you - play, make messes and mistakes, take chances, ask yourself - what if I do this or that to the clay?  There are so many great books and online tutorials, have fun experimenting and finding ways to use them to tell your own story. Go beyond a technique and use polymer clay as a tool to make something with meaning.

For me, in all my beadmaking I want to tell a story about the beauty and peacefulness of nature.  I want my work to be a break from the fast-paced world and remind people to take a step back and find something green to calm their soul.  And you thought I was just making leaves and birds, there is so much more there.  I often try to share the story or inspiration behind the beads and give you glimpse into why I picked a motif or symbol.

If you are thinking of selling beads, my best piece of advice is find one or two techniques that you love to use and create a collection of beads that are based on a theme or inspiration.  It might be reaching back to your roots, interpet a few favorite poems or something like pick images that make your heart skip a beat and think about how to use those elements in a bead.

And my final piece of beadmaking advice (p.s. - this is for those selling their work).  Don't copy.  Ever.  (Good points in the comments) You are so much more creative than that and have so much more to say.  Don't cheat yourself out of creating something really rewarding by trying to take a shortcut.  Carve out a spot for yourself in the bead world by creating something that only you can make.  No one has your experiences, vision or voice.  I love the quote, "Be yourself, everyone else is taken."

Resources: 

My Tutorials:
Seashell Tutorial
Wordy Bobby Pins

Whenever I had a burning polymer clay question, I would head over to Polymer Clay Central and for inspiration you can't beat Polymer Clay Daily.

Tutorials I Love:
Feather Cane
Leaf Pendants

Favorite Polymer Clay Book:
Perfectly Paired

I highly recommend Cynthia Thornton's book, Enchanted Adornments for more inspiration on creating personal stories and symbols in your jewelry/beads.

Polymer Pizzazz 2 Giveaway

I don't give much info on this blog about polymer clay, because my focus is on inspiring jewelry designers and all things beady.  But I do know that there are polymer folks who visit the blog, just because they love all things polymer.  And who wouldn't? Polymer clay is like the most awesome stuff on the planet. 

So to make it up to you polymer peeps, I'm having a giveaway just for you this week.  First, one lucky winner will get these 4 texture sheets that I love using.  There is a linen texture, faux bark, stripes and dots.  So much fun to press in the clay and paint over to show off the texture.  This set comes from a blinds sample book that Jess brought home from an interior designer's office.  He is good at collecting weird random things that turn out to be genius.  The four sheets measure about 2 1/2" square. 

The second part of the prize is an advanced copy of Polymer Pizzazz 2, which will be out in April!!!  Yes, you can win it here first.  It has 25 eclectic projects from notable polymer clay artists like Pam Wynn, Barbara McGuire, Lisa Pavelka and Christi Friesen - to name a few.  The projects range from whimsical to modern.  There is an interesting mixed media section that you'll have to check out. 

Okay, so you do have to work for this prize.  Share the title of your favorite polymer clay book and one online polymer clay resource.  Folks are always emailing me asking for that and I never have a good answer for them. 

My two favorite polymer books of recent of Ancient Modern: Polymer Clay + Wire Jewelry by Perfectly Paired: Designing Jewelry With Polymer and Metal Clays. 

I'll pick a winner on Friday, March 18th.

P.S. Online resources - Sorry for the confusion!  I didn't mean material sources, but your favorite online resources for tutorials, lessons, videos, inspiration, etc.

Last Minute Gift Project - Wordy Bobby Pins

Here is a super easy project to whip up for last minute gifts or stocking stuffers. I knew I had a hit when my girls were trying to sneak away with their favorites. I made a dozen or so for nieces and my daughter's friends.

You'll need the following:

Plus: paper towels and small bowl of water.

To finish them you can use an acrylic matte varnish or Renaissance Wax.

Optional: 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper.

Skill level: beginner

1. Condition a small amount of clay until it's soft. Roll a pea-sized ball of clay and press it into the bezel.

2. Use the cutting blade to cut the clay flush to the bezel - skim the blade over the bezel horizontally to cut off the excess clay.

3. Stamp with the letter stamps.

4. Bake according to the manufacturers directions.

5. After they cool, brush on a thin coat of paint and wipe off the excess with a paper towel. Let dry and coat with varnish or wax.

Variations: I used a headpin to draw designs into the clay like the leaf and snowflake here and owl above. The dots were made with the headpin and the owls eyes were made with the flat end of the headpin.

To create the distressed look I rubbed the painted design on the sandpaper after it was dry.

To create an antiqued finish like the "why not" set above, coat with a second layer of dark brown paint and rub off the excess.

Remember to create a left and a right side bobby pin when using letter stamps.

Depending on the design you create these are perfect for toddler through teen.

All my gifts have been created, the tree is stuffed with goodies underneath awaiting the big day. I'm looking forward to taking some time off to spend with my family. My last day for orders is the 20th and I will be on vacation until January 2nd. Hope you are finding some joy and peace amid the hustle and bustle!

Forgot to mention that all items can be found at Hobby Lobby both in the store or online.

October Skies

For the Vintaj trunk show I created lots of limited edition pieces. The beads had a successful run in Galena and have returned home. This was my favorites from the batch. I did a whole collection of beads called "October Sky" that featured leaf and branches canes. There is a yellow/orange - blue/muted purple theme going on that I'm lovin. I really miss the leaves changing colors, we just don't have that here in SA.

Along with this style I did a few other bezels with a mix of canes and painting, but I'm going to do a layer of resin on top of those. They should be ready next week, if all goes according to plan.

Here is the back of the pendant, it's a Vintaj piece that I've dapt (or dapped, I'm not sure which way it's said and it's too late at night for googlin'.)

Thanks for the words of wisdom on pricing. I hope that by sharing my struggle I can help someone else who is in the same boat. It's always hard to talk about that kind of stuff and I was feeling a little exposed yesterday. But I'm glad I had the chance to hear your encouraging words.

It's Alive!

I had some serious technical issues when I tried to publish my website yesterday. It took me until around 3pm to finally have the shopping cart and new beads up and ready to go! Oh computers, we love them and we hate them.

Don't forget I'm giving away free beads this weekend! Visit my site for more information. Humblebeads.com

A few of the new beads. Many of the new items have had a short run on my etsy shop, but are now part of my regular line. This includes my Van Gogh Beads, Winter Branches and William Morris Blue Cuff.

Toggles! Use them as buttons or clasps. I love these. I have them in my Branch colors and in bright leafy designs, called Petals.

Monet Cuff beads, possible the most beautiful beads I've ever made! I have disk beads that match. Yeah for art beads inspired by artists!

Some of my new Petal beads, including toggles and disk beads. The cuffs are my ol' favorites, but now they have buddies.

Are you ready for the snow to melt? (I'm still wishing for the cold) Spring Branch beads will help! I love these ones too!

And a set of matching disk beads. Isn't polymer clay just the most amazing stuff on the planet?

Now I want a day to play with beads and work up some new designs!

Still working on the site, including updating my links and some of the other pages.

Blog News

A new month means a new challenge on the Art Bead Scene. September's theme is "When Beads Collide." We are challenging designers to use art beads from 2 or more different artists to create their entries. I know I have a stash of art beads that I've been saving and hope to dig into them this month to join in the fun!
You can win over $100 in art beads from myself and Joan Miller.

In other blog news I am now the editor of Polymer Clay at Craft Gossip. Join me 5 days a week for the dish on polymer clay. I've been searching the internet for fun projects to share along with news on books, events, artists and products. Please pass the news along to your polymer clay friends!

Spring Beads

Okay, so I guess wishes are beads because my table is now full. Rings & Things shows are always filled with tons of semi-precious stones. So that's what I stocked up on and findings, but you didn't want to see pictures of headpins, did you? Oh, I did get all sorts of copper and blackened brass findings. Here is the new bead stash burning a whole into my table, just waiting for me to come bead.

Stones, pearls, wood and copper beads.

A HUGE carved jade pendant, 3 inches wide.

Various stone pendants


Yes I did find some birds, at the local stamp/paper arts store. They were bright brass and I blackened them with Silver/Black Patina. They are so tiny. Won't they look cute with these?


Here are some beads with the branches theme that I made last week.
So that's my bead table. Show me what's on your table awaiting some of your creative flair. Post about it on your blog and put a link in my comments section.

Under the Sea

You must go look at this jewelry. Robyn Gordon's polymer clay and mixed media jewelry inspired by the sea is just amazing.

And here are a few of my jewelry creations inspired by the mysterious world beneath the blue.

Needle-felted forms embellished by beads.


Polymer clay beads inspired by various sea urchins. I can't wait to go snorkeling again in Cozumel, only 23 days to go!