Welcome to Inside the Studio!
Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you’ll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.
Congratulations Karin G!
You have won a pair of raku beads from Mary Harding.
Please send Mary an email with your information.
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I’m not sure that I am prepared for this Inside the Studio post – if you’ve visited my own personal blog recently, you’ll see that I’ve been noticeably absent for over 3 months now. 3 months! Can you believe it? Life has been rather upside down for me recently – moving from Ireland to Scotland, a mega craft fair, a few more craft fairs, turning my teenage bedroom into a studio (that took a while!), taking care of my family whilst trying not to forget about myself at the same time, a family wedding in America which was wonderful of course, but came at a most inconvenient time…..well, you can imagine, I haven’t known my you-know-what from my elbow (is that a British saying?!) for some time!
However, I think I’m getting there. Despite my own blog being silent for some time, I have blogged twice in the past few days. I’ve updated my etsy shop. My lovely cousin Eleanor is working for me before she jets off on a super exciting trip to New Zealand; just a day or so a week but goodness me, it’s making all the difference. I can make jewellery. I haven’t had a day/night where I’ve been up to 1am working, since I returned from America (believe me, that is a fabulous feeling!).
So we’re getting there, slowly but surely. Three steps forward and two steps back – it might not be quick, but it’s moving in the right direction! I was hoping that today I would have some new earring designs to show you – new, beaded {song}bead studs. But alas, I have been waiting all week for stud settings and super strong glue to arrive with me, but they still haven’t. Hopefully tomorrow! So instead, I have a bunch of new Songbead pieces in the shop to share. I have five craft fairs between now and Christmas Day, and so having Eleanor here, taking a little of the pressure off me, has really allowed me to create without guilt. Have you done that recently? Pencil it into your diary – make a date with yourself and some beads. You’ll thank yourself for it!
You can find some of these in my etsy shop.
You will see from the pictures above that I am still well and truly in love with hand-weaving my beaded {song}beads. I am loving experimenting with colour, pattern and scale….putting a little bit more of myself in each little bead.
Do you make your own beads?
Do you know that feeling?
Creating handmade from handmade is always a wonderful feeling, whether you use your own handmade art beads or someone else’s.
I’m giving away two pairs of sweet handwoven {song}beads this week – colours, your choice. Here are some of the choices available to the lucky winner:
To be in with the chance of winning – let me know, what is your favourite thing about working with Art Beads. What makes you turn to handmade in your work? I want to know! Leave your answer in the comments below.
Rebecca is a Scottish jewellery designer; currently living in Edinburgh, capital of her native land. You can read more about her and her work at her blog, songbeads.blogspot.com and see more of her jewellery at songbead.etsy.com. She also has a supplies shop at thecuriousbeadshop.etsy.com.
Carol Evans
November 7, 2014 at 10:50 pmI started out creating jewelry from all purchased items. Lovely as they were, I had this need to create the finished pieces from components I could make…. much like you with your song beads. I took a class in lampworking and was hooked. I now create each and every piece with my glass somewhere in the design. I find it much more rewarding handcrafting from something I have handmade. Thanks for sharing your beautiful pieces and best of luck.
Niky Sayers
November 8, 2014 at 10:04 amI find that most of the inspiration for my pieces comes from the Art Beads I use, I feel passionate about handmade things and mass produced beads just don't fire up my imagination.
Saraccino
November 8, 2014 at 10:34 amSometimes art beads just resonate with me. I bought a lot from Kimberley (Numiniosity Beads) because her organic ancient look just responded with me. I now have a lot of her beads and numi-sticks here… but still afraid to use them! I also bought drop charms from grubbi, lampwork beads from Julie… (just mentioning the last weeks) and all of them were fitting in the same scheme: Organic, etched, ancient, tribal, rusty.
I also make my own beads for a long time now. Being able to do this allows me to get the images out of my head and into reality. To create is something that keeps me sane and to make my own beads is the one part I enjoy most 🙂
Kathy Lindemer
November 8, 2014 at 12:04 pmAs I gain more skills, I am able to add more of my handmade components to my work. I love and appreciate artisan beads because they are beautiful and I appreciate the work that goes into them. There is always something handmade in my jewelry so that it is unique and I can share the art.
Ann Schroeder
November 8, 2014 at 3:25 pmAll of your designs are so lovely! I don't make my own beads. Maybe someday. But I love working with handmade. The idea of the creativity, love and care that went into those beads is so wonderful. I also find art beads so inspiring. They are what keep me wanting to make jewelry (or at least buy beads!)
Katherine Thompson
November 8, 2014 at 4:52 pmThe challenge of expressing the painting as best as I can with what I have. I came from a ceramic background so discovering the endless possibilities of poly clay' until I can get another kiln' really satifies my love of hand crafting and sculpting, and color blending, and…..it goes on and on!
Becky Pancake
November 8, 2014 at 7:22 pmHi Rebecca, Beautiful new designs. I always feel better about using handmade. Handmade gives you something that is unique not mass produced. I find making my own components very satisfying. It makes my designs feel more my own.
Shaiha
November 10, 2014 at 12:41 amI love working with Art Beads because they really tend to inspire my creativity. I will start with one bead and soon I have others laying beside it just begging to be chosen for my design.
Bobbie
November 10, 2014 at 4:40 amAh, Rebecca, it seems SongBeads and Beadsong are in similar boats — I, too, have recently moved to a new city and am in the throes of setting up a new studio and trying to find the time to rekindle the relationship with the beads. But looking at my art beads as I unpacked them is firing up my imagination — how best to complement their lovely colors, their wonderful textures, to enhance the artisan's creation with my own creativity? All the pieces you posted are fantastic!
bairozan
November 10, 2014 at 8:24 amArt beads are an inspiration and they can make you change a concept in seconds and make something how-come-I-didn't-think-of-this-before fabulous!
Christine Walker
November 10, 2014 at 5:52 pmHi Rebecca gorgeous work as always and love your beaded beads! I just love working with art beads its that special extra cherry on the top I love handmade because its beautiful and unique. I have had a go a making clay beads and its so lovely when someone makes something with your beads that you have made and I agree a lot of the inspiration comes from an art bead. You know I love your turquoise beaded beads 😀 Christine x
Erin S
November 10, 2014 at 6:05 pmthe best thing about working with art beads is knowing you are supporting a true artist–not some factory of slave labor in a third world country. And it also means more if I know the artist personally, or at least know something about the artist, through a blog, etc. You have a feeling of connection, and pride in knowing the piece is hand made and one of a kind.
Catherynne Henderson
November 11, 2014 at 9:58 amI love how using art beads can totally transform a piece of jewellery into something really unique and special. You know that art beads are made by someone that puts so much love, care and attention and a little piece of themselves into each piece. It is like a little bit of Christmas when using them xx
Colleen
November 11, 2014 at 8:59 pmMy beaded beads arrived from the earlier giveaway and I LOVE them! Thanks again!