Fruit Salad Necklace

Distant Cousins
Photo Credit: Jameson Best.

Brightly colored fruits and vegetables are a great example of nature’s best offerings coming together in one place. Our favorite produce is often the most colorful, which is no coincidence. Not only are these foods delicious, but they are exceptionally good for us, too. Nature always manages to draw us in with her vibrant reds, greens and yellows.

The Inspiration:

I remember reading about Tagua when I first became interested in beadwork. I was instantly drawn to the material, not only because of its good environmental reputation, but because of its unique beauty as well. It was months before I finally got around to buying a few slices, and once I had them sorted and stashed, I completely forgot about them.

While looking for materials for another project, I came across my little collection of Tagua pendants, and decided it was time to finally put one to use. So I picked a nice pear-shaped piece in lime green, and set it on my workspace as a reminder to make something exotic as soon as the opportunity arose.

The Beads:

The shape and color of the pendant I chose reminded me so much of a piece of ripe fruit, that I decided to run with the idea, and chose beads to suit. I picked transparent orange and yellow 11/0 seed beads, with silver lined chartreuse 8/0’s for accents.

The Beadwork:

Since the pendant was drilled front to back, I went with V-shaped St. Petersburg chain, and anchored the pendant to the beadwork with a pink roundelle. With the beads all together, the fruity theme comes right through. I think it looks like a bowl of sliced papaya, kiwi and pineapple. I like the way the Tagua pairs with the tropical colors. This necklace has me yearning for summer!

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading

Inspired Beaders: Nancy and John Chlpka

Beads and nature always go together. The world’s first beads were inspired by nature, and by early humanity’s need to make use of everything at hand. Leftover shells, animal feathers, quills, bones and interesting stones were all used to make primitive and wonderful beads. Today, not all beads are natural, but even man-made ones can be used to channel our affection for Mother Earth.

One style of bead art that captures nature’s charm is the beaded gourd. Made from dried and hollowed vegetables, these charming works of art can remind us of how beautiful nature is. We often keep the natural world at arm’s reach, but artists like Nancy and John Chlpka give us the opportunity to embrace it again. The beautiful gourd bowls, birdhouses and jewelry from their shop, Wet Dog Studios, can inspire the Earth-lover in us all.

Inspirational Beading: How did you become interested in working with gourds?

Nancy: John gave me one as a gift. I got to wondering "Could I?" and for the last ten years the answer has been YES! Initially John hung around for the heavy lifting but about three years ago the gourd bug bit him, too. He has primarily stuck to pyrography and carving, but just last month added selections to my bead order!

Inspirational Beading: What kinds of beads do you usually use to embellish your work?

Nancy: On a gourd, bone beads are my absolute favorite. I'll often color them with a natural dye such as coffee or beets. Also, combining them with glass or shell beads can really make a design pop.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have a favorite color or finish to use?

Nancy: I've used every color in one project or another but usually find myself in the brown family. My designs use mostly a matte bead accented by intricately carved or flashy glass beads.

Inspirational Beading: If you could master any new technique, what would it be?

Nancy: I've finished a lot of gourds with rims of woven natural materials, and I'm experimenting with stringing beads to give gourd bowls a "necklace" finish.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Nancy: Anyone with an interest. I think people become so busy they ignore their own creativity. John and I spend hours at Art Festivals answering questions for up and coming artists - it's wonderful!

Nancy and John Chlpka live in rural Western Pennsylvania with their two dogs. The dogs play an important role in the business. Spike is Director of Human Resources, and Vegas is Director of Special Events. Both helped coin the motto for the business: "There's Nothing Friendlier Than A Wet Dog!" All are big supporters of the Animal Rescue group.

Nancy and John are frequent speakers at Art Guilds and Garden Clubs in their area, spreading the word about gourds. Both have won awards for their artwork and in addition to their Etsy site they are featured at The Blue Heron Art Gallery in Volant, Pennsylvania. Nancy and John are members of both the American and Kentucky Gourd Societies. They source their art-quality gourds from nearby suppliers, such as Front Porch Crafts of Kentucky.

To see even more of their designs and wares, including wood carvings and antique glass, visit Wet Dog Studios on Etsy.com.

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and Wet Dog Studios

Poster Sketch: Spring Flowers

As artists, it’s very important that we occasionally look up from our work and smell the flowers. This isn’t just because it’s good to take a break once in awhile, or take some time to embrace the little things in life. The beauty of nature is such a wonderful source of inspiration, and if we’re always at the workbench, we might miss it. This week’s Poster Sketch is dedicated to one of Spring’s most precious treasures - the flower. These creations could not be possible without the help of a little muse called Nature.

Row 1:

Wool Felt Flower Pin by murdockdesign
Blue Holiday Statement Necklace by pulpandpaisley
Woodland Black Gemstone Bracelet by joanniel
Margaret Necklace from madebymoe

Row 2:

Ladybug on Flower Game Tile Pendant by SimpleSundries
Sunflower Garden Wide Peyote Cuff by time2cre8
Yellow Sunflower Cuff by jodihorgan
Mardi Gras Flowers Necklace by VanBeads

Row 3:

Crape Jasmine Necklace by MaryTDesigns
Sunny Days Clip On Earrings by enchantedbeads
Spring Garden Lavender and Yellow Bracelet by PacificJewelryDesign
Vintage Inspired Lavender and Green Drop Earrings by LeanneDesigns

Row 4:

Sparkly Crystal Flower Pendant by MadeByKatarina
Daisy Bead Crochet Lariat by LevyMarina
Arden Necklace by RachelleD
Poppy Pin by cordavalera

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and Etsy.com

Introducing The Empanda Blog Award

Receiving recognition, or a thumbs up from our peers is a wonderful feeling. When a fellow blogger receives a meme award, and chooses to pass it on to you, it’s a great compliment - a sign that you’ve been noticed and that your blog is pretty darn good.

Recently, I was inspired by some of my fellow blog artists to create an award of my own. The Empanda Award is named for the Roman goddess of kindness and generosity. Also referred to as Panda, her temples were true sanctuaries, and often distributed food to the needy instead of hoarding it.

The Empanda Blog Award is for bloggers who inspire us with their kindness and generosity. It is for bloggers who do good deeds, such as sharing their knowledge freely, or promoting the work of others.

I am giving the first official Empanda Blog Award to three very special bloggers, who have given me much reason to smile over the past few weeks. Their hard work and friendly nature are great examples to anyone who is trying to stand out in the realm of blogging. They are:

Marsha L. Wiest-Hines of Haute Ice Beadwork. Marsha is an amazing artist, with a flair for color and interesting techniques. You can see her work on Etsy, and among the Etsy BeadWeavers.

Christine Wilson of Christine’s Beadworks. Her designs are beautiful, and her blog is always filled with the work of artists she admires. You can see her work on Etsy, Artfire and Facebook.

Janet Trieschman, creator of The Craft Map. I can’t imagine how this lady ever gets any sleep - she’s always finding new ways to promote handmade artists and crafters. The Craft Map features links to some of the best handmade blogs, categorized lists for Twitter and Facebook, Artfire and Etsy groups, and a helpful Craft Forum.

The Empanda Award Rules:

The Empanda Blog Award is not a traditional meme, but a greeting card of sorts, for very special bloggers. There is absolutely no obligation to accept or pass on the award. Recipients are encouraged to display the Empanda badge on their blog, and link to the person who sent it, if desired.

To share the Empanda Award with others:

1. Write a blog post and ‘nominate’ one or more bloggers who have inspired you with kindness and generosity, and link to them.

2. Contact the bloggers via convo, email or blog comment, to let them know that they have received the award.

3. Include the Empanda Blog Award logo and rules in your post.

4. You do not have to be tagged or nominated to pass on the Empanda Blog Award - feel free to use it any time you want to recognize a great blogger!

I would like to thank Marsha, Christine and Janet for inspiring this award, for all of their hard work, and for their wonderful blogs!

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading

Inspired Beader: Fen Li

Every now and then, a beader will come across another artist’s work and think “Why don’t I do that?”. Even the most experienced jewelry designer can be mesmerized by what others can do with beads. We look at beautifully sculpted peyote stitch vessels, or embroidered masks, and wish that we had the time to learn how to do it. What we may not realize is that by putting off that desire to learn, we could be missing out on our true calling.

One artist who did take the plunge is Fen Li of Bead Flora. Just one look at her amazing French style beaded flowers, and you’ll wonder why she ever did anything else!

Inspirational Beading: When did you first begin working with beads?

Fen: I first became acquainted with beads when I was a little kid… I was probably 6 or 7. I was over at my cousin’s house and they had a strand of pearls on the wall, and I took it down and ran my fingers over the pearls. I looked forward to going to their house… but the next time I went, it was no longer there.

I began with seed bead jewelry in high school. I invented my own designs for chokers and bracelets. It was finally in 2002 when I discovered French beaded flowers and found my calling.

Inspirational Beading: How did you discover the art of beaded flowers?

Fen: I had just gone to my first Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee. I had new beads and books on making seed bead jewelry. I decided to search the internet for inspiration. I came across French Beaded flowers and was hooked since. I stayed up at all hours of the night looking at the beautiful flower creations.

Inspirational Beading: Is there a type of flower design that you're still eager to try?

Fen: Ideas are always brimming over in my head. I want to create a peacock-inspired flower bridal bouquet. I’m debating if I want to do that with roses or calla lilies.

Inspirational Beading: Do you have an all time favorite bead color?

Fen: Silver.

Inspirational Beading: Who do you hope to inspire with your work?

Fen: I hope to inspire fellow artisans to embrace the value of their work and time.

Fen considers herself to be “a stickler for quality beads and fine craftsmanship”. You can stay up to date with her latest designs by following her on Twitter and on Facebook. To see even more of her beaded flower creations - from wedding bouquets to hair accessories - visit her Bead Flower Jewels shop.

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and Bead Flora