Art Charm Exchange Reveal and Auction

Welcome to the reveal of the Art Charms I've made for this year's swap and auction for Beads of Courage. The hostess of this event is Jennifer Stout Cameron at Glassaddiction blog.

 

  The theme for this year was: soar.

  Searching for ideas online I've found a mantra of a fiction character that sounded just perfect:

"I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar!"

   Can you guess who that character was? Hoban "Wash" Washburne, the pilot of Serenity, a smuggling ship of the Firefly series.

As my favorite part of Autumn are the colors of a changing nature, I've decided to make leaves ... in three colors: reddish, yellow and green.

photo by Jen Cameron

 

photo by Jen Cameron

 The charms are made of polymer clay, textured with real leaves and formed by hands (no molds were used), then colored with chalks and acrylics and varnished to a high shine.

 

  

 The charms are available at a Charity Auction for Beads of Courage on eBay. All the money raised will go to Beads of Courage: the program is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen children and families coping with serious illness.

  Buying a charm at the auction you can get a double satisfaction: you receive a piece of art and you help seriously ill children at the same time. Isn't that great??!! 

Please visit also the blogs of the others participants, you won't regret!!

2014 Art Charm Exchange Participants

Jennifer Cameron: http://www.glassaddictions.com/blog

Alenka Obid: http://pepita-handmade.blogspot.com <-- You are here

Alicia Marinache: http://www.allprettythings.ca

Andrea Glick: http://zenithjade.blogspot.com

Caroline Dewison: http://blueberribeads.blogspot.co.uk

Cassi Paslick: http://badatbeingmom.blogspot.com/

Cate van Alphen: http://fulgorine.wordpress.com

Cheri Reed: http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com

Chris Eisenberg: http://www.wanderware.blogspot.com

Cory Tompkins: http://www.tealwaterdesigns.blogspot.com

Elisabeth Auld: http://www.beadsforbusygals.com

Genevieve Gabbert: http://www.glassaddictions.com/blog

Jami Shipp: http://celebratinglifewithdamamashipp.blogspot.com

Jenny Davies-Reazor: http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog

Jill Bradley: http://www.jillybeads.blogspot.com

Kim Dworak: http://www.cianciblue.blogspot.com

Lee Koopman: http://stregajewellry.wordpress.com

Lennis Carrier: http://www.windbent.net

Lesley Watt: http://www.thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com

Mallory Hoffman: http://rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com

Melissa Trudinger: http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com

Michelle McCarthy: http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com

Monique Urquhart: http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com/

Moriah Betterly: http://mlbetterly.blogspot.com

Nancy Dale: http://nedbeads.blogspot.com

Nancy Smith: http://wirednan.blogspot.ca

Niky Sayers: http://silverniknats.blogspot.co.uk

Perri Jackson: http://ShaktipajDesigns.com/blog/

Renetha Stanziano: http://www.lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com

Shai Williams: http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com

Sheila Prosterman: http://catswithbeads.blogspot.com

Susan Delaney: http://susandolphindelaney.wordpress.com

Susan Kennedy: http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com

Terri DelSignore: http://artisticaos.blogspot.com

Toltec Jewels: http://www.jewelschoolfriends.com

Vanessa Gilkes: http://culturezine.com/blog/

Be happy,

Alenka

Custom Order Earrings / Uhani po naročilu

Polymer clay beads (made by me), metallic sead beads (tubular herringbone), wire.

Be happy,

Alenka

Key Chain and Twinchie Swap

  Another swap at the FB International Polymer Clay Swap group is concluded for me - and this time the packages had to go a looong way - from Slovenia to Australia and the other way, too.

  My partner in this swap was Penny Houghton of the Smelly Nelly blog. She "takes pleasure in making 'stuff' from anything she can lay her hands on". She loves walking through the forest discovering new bugs, plants and animals.
  We have many things in common - both have two little children, love the same colors and neither of us is very keen on pinks. We both love Twilight saga and crime too (she says you are never too old to love a good vampire saga and I agree completely).  

  But let's see what I've sent to Penny (click on the pictures to enlarge):

 - a key chain that is a part of my last series (you will certainly recognize the technique of my previous post):

 The lobster clasp can be removed and the donut can be used as a pendant. I love to make multipurpose items.


- the twinchie: I've used a slice I had left from Julie Picarello's workshop I took in April of this year:

 I have to say I'm very happy with how it turned out. The colors of the slice were just perfect for someone living in Australia - representing sea, land and desert ... 

  This is rally one of my favorite twinchies (& inchies included) that I've ever made - I've almost kept it for myself ... :-)

  The set:

~~~~~

And here is what I've received from Australia - that was a very generous package, all created by Penny: 

- a beautiful sugar sculls key chain:

 Penny also put my initials on the back of the white scull:

The sugar sculls are very popular in Australia, she says (and I know that also in both  Americas). In Slovenia we are not very familiar with sugar sculls and the notion of celebrating life with them as it's for South America and other cultures. However the ones mady by Penny are really really cute!!! I'm afraid to ruin them using them as a key chain, my handbag is always too full of almost anything you can imagine, so I preferred hanging it near my pc desk so I can treasure it and smile to it from time to time :-).


- the twinchie:

Front side

Beautiful colors!! And look at the back side, it's so interesting, too, just like an abstract painting:

Back side

  - and she also included a beadwoven sugar sculls bracelet:

Sorry for the picture, it's not really the best, but the little sculls are perfectly made!!


- and it's not finished, she also made this beautiful zentangle card with my name on:

Thank you, Penny, you really spoiled me :-D    
It was a great pleasure to be your partner in this swap!!!

Be happy,

Alenka

 

Pendants for School Teachers...

... of my older son.
Obeska za učiteljici mojega starejšega sina.

Polymer clay, alcohol inks, bronze gilding wax, wire, cotton cord, gloss varnish.
(Click on the pictures to enlarge)
Polimerna glina, alkoholni inki, bronasta patina, žica, bombažna vrvica, svetleč lak.
(Z povečanje slike kliknite nanjo)

I'm back!

  What a busy period and so stressful!!! Specially at my day-job. I was feeling so exhausted and empty and was not able to create. I've even stepped out from one of my favorites challenges - A Time to Stitch!!! Hope this period is over, at least I'm trying to recover and make a step forward ...   

  The only thing I was able to finish lately is a custom order as a gift for kindergarten teachers: sun - ornaments from polymer clay (click on the picture to enlarge):

Be happy,

Alenka

Workshop with Julie Picarello / Delavnica z Julie Picarello

  I've spent last weekend in Ljubljana at the workshop with Julie Picarello. She's such a nice lady other than a great artist!
  Prejšnji vikend sem preživela v Ljubljani na delavnici z Julie Picarello, ki je prav prijetna gospa in ne samo uveljavljena ustvarjalka s polimerno glino!

  First day workshop was Magpie Mokume - learning the mokume gane technique Julie uses in her work and making a cabochon. I was familiar with this technique already, as my first polymer clay book I've ever bought and read and tried to apply to polymer was Julie's Patterns in Polymer, but learning from the artist is a completely different thing. She showed us many tips you can not learn from a book.  
  Prvi dan delavnice je bil na vrsti Magpie Mokume - spoznavanje s tehniko mokume gane, ki jo uporablja Julie pri svojem ustvarjanju, in izdelava enega zaključenega kosa za nakit (npr. obeska). Njeno tehniko sem sicer že poznala, saj je bila prva knjiga o polimerni glini, ki sem jo kupila, prav Julie-jina Patterns in Polymer, vendar pa je učenje v živo popolnoma druga zgodba. Julie nam je pokazala en kup praktičnih trikov, ki se jih iz knjige ne naučiš. 

  Well, let's go back to the workshop - there are two difficult things in this technique: choosing the color combination and (the most difficult) slicing. Oh, slicing!!! The first day I was not able to get a single good slice ... :-( ... but managed to get some slices that were big enough to make two cabs.
  Če se vrnemo k delavnici - v tej tehniki sta predvsem dva zahtevna postopka: izbrati ustrezno barvno kombinacijo in (najtežji del) rezanje plasti. Uh, to mi je dalo vetra!!! Prvi dan nisem uspela odrezati niti ene popolne rezine... .-( ... a sem kljub temu dobila par rezin/plasti, ki so bile dovolj velike za dva zaključena kosa.

 I've alread used this one with a piece of shibori ribbon to make the brooch for the Shibori ribbon blog hop:

  Prvega sem vam že pokazala, saj sem ga uporabila pri izzivu Shibori ribbon blog hop:

  
  However, the second one is my favorite! I think I'll use it as a pendant for a necklace.
  Osebno mi je bolj všeč drugi kos - ki ga bom najverjetneje uporabila kot obesek za ogrlico.

  Even if the slices were everything but perfect, I really love the color combination used for it.
  Čeprav so bile rezine/plasti vse prej kot perfektne, mi je pa barvna kombinacija, ki sem jo uporabila, izjemno všeč.

  The second day we worked on a Button Blossom pendant. At first we've repeated the steps from the first day: mixing new colors, imprinting the patterns and ..... slicing!!! I have to say the slices of the second day were much more even than those from the first one. I was really happy with it!!! 
  Drugi dan delavnice je bil namenjen izdelavi Button Blossom obeska. Najprej smo ponovili korake, ki smo se jih naučili prejšnjega dne: mešanje barv, vtiskovanje vzorca in ... rezanje plasti!!! Moram povedati, da mi je tokrat rezanje bistveno blj uspelo in sem dobila kar nekaj skoraj popolnih rezin.   


  And I've also managed to complete the piece at the workshop:
  Na delavnici sem uspela tudi dokončati izdelek (no, verižico sem obesila doma):

My/Moj Button Blossom

  No need to say it was a great weekend and can't hardly wait for another workshop ...
If I get back my pictures, I'll show you some more.
  Ni treba posebej izpostavljati, da sem preživela čudovit vikend in komaj čakam na naslednjo delavnico. Če uspem dobiti nazaj svoje slike, vam bom pokazala še nekaj utrinkov ustvarjalnega vikenda.

  Girls from Izdelovalnica malih umetnin, thank you very much for organizing this event.
  Dekletom iz Izdelovalnice malih umetnin pa se zahvaljujem za organizacijo tega čudovitega dogodka.   

Be happy,

Bodite veseli,

Alenka

    

Shibori Ribbon Blog Hop

  Hello! Today is the day of  the Shibori Ribbon Blog Hop hosted by Tanya Goodwin of  A Work in Progress.  Tanya had some gorgeous Shibori ribbon pieces, which she decided to give to 6 beaders to play with - and I was one of those lucky winers!!!

  I've never seen a shibori ribbon before, it was a totaly new material for me, so I was hardly waiting to get my package in the mail. This is the piece I had to play with:

 Beautiful colors - but how to make it shine in a piece of jewelry? I've searched online and found so many fantastic embroidery pieces with the use of a shibori ribbon, but didn't have all the materials needed to try bead-embroidery.

  This weekend I've attender a polymer clay workshop with Julie Picarello and for one of the cabs I've made the first day I've used just the right color scheme to combine with the piece of shibori ribbon I've got. And that was when this brooch was "born":

 ... and from a different angle ... 

   The cab needs some buffing to become more shiny, but I'm quite happy with the result.

  Thank you, Tanya, it was really a nice blog hop, I enjoyed very much participating. I'm pretty sure I'll take some more shibori ribbon to create with!

Now please  visit the blogs of the other participants and  see what they have done with their ribbon:

Tanya   (our host)

Maryanne

Alenka <--you are here

Monique

Carolyn

Mary

Catherine

Christine

Sharyl

Therese  

 Be happy,

Alenka 

Rustic Hearts / Rustikalna srca

  Feeling love ... 
  Ljubezen je v zraku ...
 
  Polymer clay heart pendants ... measuring 5 cm (2 in) per 3,5 cm (1.4 in). More to come!
  Obeski v obliki srca iz polimerne gline ... velikost 5 cm x 3,5 cm. Še več jih je v delu!

Available - if interested, leave a comment or e-mail me:

 Na razpolago - če vas zanima, napišite v komentar ali mi pošljite e-mail:

pepita.handmade@yahoo.com  

Be happy,

Bodite veseli,

Alenka

Featured bead ... / Objava ...

  My clowny bead was featured on the Art Bead Scene Blog as a perfect pairing - used by Monique of A Half Baked Notion for her necklace. Monique created the necklace for the March ABS monthly challenge inspired by the oil on wood painting Birds on riser (by Adolf Dietrich, 1944).
  Monique, ki jo lahko spremljate na blogu A Half Baked Notion je za marčevski izziv na Art Bead Scene blogu izdelala ogrlico, ki je bila izbrana za popoln par - popolna kombinacija celotnega dizajna in posameznih ročno izdelanih perl/koščkov (art beads). Med temi perlami je tudi moja. Vidite jo na spodnji sliki (tista pisana).

Necklace by Monique U. (photo by Monique)

Detail of the necklace - my polymer clay clowny (Natasha) bead (the colorful one) (photo by Monique).

You can find more about the necklace and the inspiration behind it on Monique's blog and on the Art Bead Scene blog. Well done, Monique!

Več o ogrlici in njeni inspiraciji lahko najdete na blogu od Monique in na strani Art Bead Scene bloga. Odlično opravljeno, Monique!  

Be happy,

Bodite veseli,

Alenka

8th Bead Soup Blog Party - My Partner and a Teaser

  I'm finally back blogging! It was a tough period at my day job, but hopefully it's over and I'll have more time to create and to blog.

  Let's go back to a much more pleasant theme - the Bead Soup Blog Party. I still haven't presented my partner. Can you guess who she is? Well, nobody else but the hostess herself!!! Yes, my partner this year is Lori Anderson!!! I was supposed to have another partner, but she had to step out at the last minute and Lori was so kind to step in. Thank you, Lori, it's a real honour to be your partner :-)

  I'm quite a newbie in this world of jewelry making and you probably know Lori more than I do. I just can say it's my third time participating in the Bead Soup Blog Party and Lori and her parties opened a whole new world to me and I'm so grateful to her for this. 

  I'm amazed by Lori's sense of combining colors, textures and materials and her generosity in the beading world. 
  Just look at these (the pictures are borrowed from Lori's blog), aren't they gorgeous??!!!

by Lori Anderson

by Lori Anderson

by Lori Anderson

 

by Lori Anderson

  

by Lori Anderson

  My soup for her is on its way over the Ocean and hopefully it will be soon in her hands. It is extremly difficult to challenge Lori with a bead soup, but I tried to make some beads that she usually don't use. I'm sooo curious to know what she thinks of my soup (hope she likes it) and what she will create with it!!!! 

  Do you want a teaser??? A sneak peek?? Hmmmm, here you have! Lori said she's a little tired of earth tones, so I've chosen some bright, summery ingredients.

 

  
   I wish Lori to feel better soon and to enjoy preparing and cooking this soup.

Be happy,

Alenka