2011 Holidays in Portland: TQB Designs at Abernethy Art & Craft Fair

This is my one and only show for the Holiday season.  Here is your chance to see the breadth of my collection, all my new designs, colors and shapes.  Of course, after this you can always purchase my work at the retailers in Portland that carry my work year round (see my website:  tqbdesigns.com).  But, they don't always carry all the styles and colors.

As many of you know I love to support the Portland Public Schools and because this is just a one-day show, I was able to fit it into my schedule and hopefully do some good to bring arts to our kids:)  Please come out, if you can, and support this wonderful cause and buy some local art.  You'll feel better, I'll feel better, and our kids will benefit.  Thanks!

Pink

Thank you JMKAC Midsummer Festival of the Arts

I did find some time to make a few new things for the last show I did. I really wanted to do something unusual with my beads and found a secret stash of disk cores ( I had made these in the past many years ago). I was only able to make one pair of earrings and one pendant - and they were some of the first pieces to go, as was the new pendulum necklace.

So, this was a very successful show for me and as some of you may have heard already, I came away from this show with an Award: based on professionalism, originality, display, and quality of work (see, here I am in my booth) - and my husband did a beautiful job getting it exactly how I envisioned it I think:). Anyway, I have to say I was STUNNED! I wasn't at all expecting to be given an award - which allows me to come back to the show next year without being juried in or paying the fee. I'm excited already for next year... and I hope to get into a few other shows in the Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan area next summer - what a great part of the country! I had a spectacular time, the people were fantastic and I especially loved Milwaukee - it looks like it is in the midst of a resurgence and what an exciting time it must be to live there...

Thank you so much to the Judges at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center - I'm so glad you were able to see my vision of story telling through color and metal - it means so much to me. And thanks to all my loyal supporters out there - your words of encouragement and support are always appreciated and welcomed... really. xo

- Pink

Color Block Friday: What's in a Word? - 2008.03.28

Now, since I've been making these beads the most common likeness people use is berries. I love this, mainly because I could exist on berries everyday for the rest of my life! Okay, well... maybe not everyday but, you know what I mean. Organics, things in nature, etc... inspire me in what I do and how I work. Even the smallest phrase; collection of words, can bring about a different point of view with what I do. I take words very seriously...

For instance, take my newest color story "Bryant Park". I think of a big city with all its diversions. Cement, trees, colors of purple and gold - like royalty. This was my inspiration for this particular color story. Earlier this month I highlighted one of my newest colors "Crocus" in a gorgeous flowery shade of purple. I wanted to stay on the purple path and continue with Bryant Park by highlighting the other purple in that series: Mulberry.

This brings us back to the berry likeness. I can remember my earliest memory of my beads and how someone wanted me to make a bowl full and eat them like berries. Of course, in the early days, I didn't see this. Now, I wish I could remember who it was that gave me this image of organic delight. I now see my beads hanging from every tree, shrub and exotic plant. They are little pods, berries, and seeds. Droplets of water that glisten. Or, honey ladened buds of gold.

Next month I will have a new color story featuring some shades not yet used. 1st Friday in April... check it out!

xo - Pink

Color Block Friday - Luck O' the Irish - 2008.03.14

...and I don't even have a smidgen of Irish in me... But, how could I resist but to do Green for the Spring Season selection Color Block! Green is renewing, fresh, and representative of new growth, not to mention St. Patrick.

St. Patrick was credited with driving the snakes from Ireland (an early version of Samuel L. Jackson with "Snakes on a Plane"). St. Patrick's day came from his original Christian Feast Day (also may have also been the date of his death in 1737). When Irish immigrants came to American they started to celebrate this day, first in Boston, and then with the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City in 1766 (The History Channel).

Now that the history lesson is over (okay, I'm a history geek, I admit it), let's get on with the colors. I love green. I also have over 10 selections of green in my bead collection. Crazy I know but, I sometimes have a difficult time thinking up a color collection without adding some green.

With a fantastic selection of green in my Etsy Store - take some time to check out my newest earring design, made with cilantro - "Chained Earrings". These have a great, contemporary feel, especially with the long ear wire to balance out the chain dangle. I also have some new bracelets and necklaces in this mighty shade!

I think the bottom most images here has the best views of all my green shades and here's the list - starting clockwise from the top left: wasabi, vine, mint, granny smith, dill flower, pine, emerald, chartreuse, leaf, cilantro, olive, sage - 12 in all.

So get your green on this Spring!