Welcome to Studio Saturday! What is Studio Saturday? 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 bead each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner. This weeks winner is Sprite. Sprite has won Melanie’s Keyhole Steampunk pendant. Please use the suggestion box to send us your address.My friend Jamie’s birthday was this week. We are celebrating this evening. I needed something really cool to give her. I used the “Tyche-Goddess of Fortune” button as the focal for her bracelet. We are fortunate to have good friends. This button has been curved so it lays nicely on your wrist and has a loop on each side to attach jumprings. I used an assortment of colors and sizes of aluminum jumprings to make the bracelet chain. It is embellished with light amethyst Austrian crystals. After all we all need a little bling for our birthday!
I wanted to try the lazy designers way to make an instant art bead bracelet. I have these neat brass bracelets I bought at Rishashay. I took the same button with loops and attached it to the pre-made bracelet. Surprisingly enough it worked and didn’t look bad either.
Tell me, what’s your fave handmade item you gave to someone as a gift or have recieved?
A lucky random winner will win one of my triple dot beads on a steel choker.
Click on the image to see it larger.
A lucky random winner will win one of my triple dot beads on a steel choker.
Click on the image to see it larger.
Heather Powers
April 5, 2008 at 7:54 pmI made a bracelet for my mom using some of my beads and free-form peyote. she tells me she wears it whenever she wants to have me close by.
*melanie* earthenwood studio
April 5, 2008 at 7:55 pmI gave my mom a necklace for her birthday, it was one that had been recently published in a magazine. It was very springy with lots of colorful beads and she requested it especifically, so it was not a surprise. But she wanted to wear it to my brother’s graduation and bought a whole outfit around it, which made me feel great!
Love what you ahve done with the chains, expecially the colorful rings!
Carlene
April 5, 2008 at 9:46 pmThe friend who got me into jewelry making, made me a pair of turquoise and vasaline beads earrings. She was suprised years later when I told her they are still one of my favorite pairs!
Alexa
April 5, 2008 at 10:22 pmI love that colored aluminum. I really wish it was more accessible. Super cute bracelet!
Janel
April 6, 2008 at 1:32 amI made a pair of brick stitched playing card earrings for my friend. She lives in Las Vegas now and I gave them to her a few months before she moved, so they turned out being a special farewell gift as well.
Tari of claybuttons
April 6, 2008 at 2:29 amGreat stories!! Thanks for stopping by!!
Joy
April 6, 2008 at 4:25 amMy favorite handmade gift wasn’t jewelry, but it was handmade! I was feeling especially homesick when I moved from Ohio to California. My “Other Mother” in Ohio, put together a “nature jar” and sent it to me.
In the jar were hand gathered pieces of rock, twig, and moss from my favorite caves in southern Ohio. There was also a bird nest that she had found on the ground. In the bird nest were tiny paper mache’ eggs that she made with handmade papers, to mimic native birds. She also included a small map, so I could always find my way home!
It sits on my personal altar in my creative space. I open it once in a while to get a whiff of home! It smells wonderful. 🙂
No Easy Beads
April 6, 2008 at 5:01 amHeather I was going to tell the same story!
I will tell this one instead. My sister Rosanne made a bead embroidery cuff bracelet using an Earthenwood face cab and gave it to me after our first bead cruise together. I am so lucky to have a beady family. Their gifts of beadwork keeps them close to me.
Lorelei
April 6, 2008 at 1:16 pmMy little sister just turned 18 yesterday and I gave her a treasure trove of handmade gifts from several Etsy colleagues! A handmade appliqued zippered purse (littleblackrabbit), a lovely hand-sewn Seahorse stuffie (Snaulkter), a seahorse necklace(made by me!) and a beautiful handmade butterfly card (Crankbunny).
White Iris Designs
April 6, 2008 at 2:14 pmI gave my mother-in-law a bracelet for Christmas made from some vintage beads that were in a large collection of vintage jewelry that I inherited from my husband’s grandmother. I took the original piece apart & used the beads in a more modern design. She loved it!
Jean
April 6, 2008 at 4:48 pmall I can say is every one of these pieces is perfectly beautiful!!! I love your work!!! the colors are so great!
Tari of claybuttons
April 6, 2008 at 5:44 pmJoy, you know I’m from Ohio! I have been to Chillicothe once.
I could go down to the Ohio River and get you some water from the Willi Wonka River 🙂 If you needed some things from Ohio.
I tough being an artist in the Conservative City!
Tari of claybuttons
April 6, 2008 at 5:50 pmBeverly you are so lucky to have a talented daughter. Heather you are so fortunate to have a talented mother.
All in the family!
Tari of claybuttons
April 6, 2008 at 5:52 pmLoreliei, what a wonderful sister you are! I hope your sister appreciates all the fantastic gifts she recieved from you!
Tari of claybuttons
April 6, 2008 at 6:06 pmTammy, that is such a great idea! I’m glad your MIL loved it!
Tari of claybuttons
April 6, 2008 at 6:06 pm(((((((Jean))))))))
You make me smile!
Joy
April 7, 2008 at 6:17 amTari, I did not know you were from ohio. 🙂 Yes indeed it’s tough being an artist in a conservative city! Especially one where everyone knows your business before you do. 🙂 I have to admit, you lost me with the Willi Wonka River? I know there are some strange named rivers (and towns and people)..but that one is escaping me.
BTW, I received my box of goodies yesterday and your button is amazing! Everything else in the box is just stunning. Very inspiring pieces!
Tari of claybuttons
April 7, 2008 at 10:22 amIt’s the Ohio River. We call it that because of it’s lovely brown color!
Glad you like the button.
I live in the burbs of Cincy.
Cindy Lietz
April 8, 2008 at 2:42 amI am right now making a wonderful ‘exploding box’ altered art piece for my mom for her 60th birthday next week. Its ‘pages’ are filled with photos, little stories and mementos of her life. In the center there are copper wire spirals from which beads and photo transfers of each of her grandchildren dangle. I can not wait to see her face when she discovers all the special surprises this box contains!
Tari of claybuttons
April 8, 2008 at 1:20 pmCindy, that sounds fabulous!! I’m sure she will love it! Take a picture and send us the link when it’s finished.
Joy
April 11, 2008 at 5:42 amAh! Now I get it! Yes, it is a lovely brown color, isn’t it? I’m more of a Scioto River Girl myself. 🙂