Welcome to 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 prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.This week’s winner is angelinabeadalina ! Please send your postal address to the ABS Suggestion Box to receive your Bling Link from Cindy Gimbrone.
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Hey everyone! As a new contributor to Art Bead Scene, this is my first Studio Saturday post. I am pretty excited about this and since it is my first I wanted to make it extra special. It also happens that I am getting ready to debut a bunch of new designs and colors so the timing couldn’t be better. Usually, I am working on bright and funky beads like these pictured above. I really love color and a looser feel to beads. I collect folk art and wish I could be a folk artist. I consider myself one even though most folk artists are self taught. Darn college degree in ceramics!As for the new work, when I was writing my book Ceramic Bead Jewelry, I got to play a lot with new techniques, colors, surfaces, etc. It was a ton of fun and it really got my creative juices flowing. It got me thinking that I would really like to make some beads for fall, you know more muted colors, but still fun of course. I set out on my adventure in bead making and came up with what I think is great stuff.
It has taken me almost a year to come up with the finished product. Here they are.
These colors are from glazes, I usually use underglazes when I paint my beads. Underglazes stay where you want them. Glazes move and flow some in the kiln. I really like that on these beads because each on is a little different.These are long charms, I can see them used as components in earring or as pendants.
Squares, Circles, and flowers(not pictured) make up this collection of what I call stackers. These are great for just that, stacking up and getting lots of good color in your creations.
When I design jewelry I like unique elements and findings. I also like beads and components that serve a purpose. These are some fun links.
These flower pendants can be strung through the hole or you can use the wire loops for linking together.
So my question of the week would be; which style of new bead is your favorite? If you leave an answer you could win one of my new flower pinwheel pendants.
Have a super Saturday!
Jennifer Jangles
Lorelei
August 23, 2008 at 1:04 pmI LOVE THEM ALL!!!
I would have to say the new flower pinwheel pendants are my most favorite. The colors are a little earthier and I love that. Can’t wait to buy some of these from you Jennifer! They are fabulous!
Anonymous
August 23, 2008 at 1:42 pmHi Jennifer! I love them all, but if I have to choose, it would be your flower pinwheels! The colors you are getting are just yummy! Great job!
Kristi
CBB
Heather Powers
August 23, 2008 at 1:55 pmI love the new colors jennifer! my favorites are the long connectors with the round beads at the end. I want some of those!!!
Anonymous
August 23, 2008 at 2:04 pmHi Jennifer,
They’re all beautiful! I think my favorite would have to be the flower pinwheels, though. I love the colors!
Hannah
Cindy Gimbrone
August 23, 2008 at 2:07 pmHi Jennifer,
I’m entranced by the bar-like findings with the round beads at the end. They could be Eni-Oken’d! Cool!
Too bad none of the ABS Editors can win for commenting! Dang!
Cindy
Deb
August 23, 2008 at 2:09 pmAbsolutely outstanding – all of them. Everything is so adaptable & has multiple uses – along with the wonderfully natural looking, yet warm & vibrant, colours a designer just couldn't go wrong with any or all of these componants.
Just having to limit myself to one favorite is a bear! lol!
After much agonizing, I'd also have to go with the pinwheel flowers – any which way they are used that would look fabulous.
Gail W
August 23, 2008 at 2:46 pmI love the round flower beads,they are so multi useful!You can do lots of things with these pieces.But I guess I like the stackers best.Lots’ of color in those stackers,and you can add or subtract–oh,it’s all so perfectly made to put together!This is a great idea,I just love it all.
Christina
August 23, 2008 at 2:51 pmThey’re all great, but I think my favorite is the pinwheel flowers.
Bev's Jewelry
August 23, 2008 at 3:08 pmWhile I like them all, I think I like the stackers best. They are very versitle.
Bev
JenniferJangles
August 23, 2008 at 3:32 pmThanks everyone, it’s so nice to hear what people like. I have worked on them so long without much feedback. I am having a blast with them and love hearing what you guys think!
Thanks,
Jennifer
Bead-Mused
August 23, 2008 at 5:04 pmI love the colors and love the wavy links with the round beads, but I absolutely adore the pinwheel flowers because of the versatility they create. They’re beads, they’re pendants, they’re links. The possibilities are endless with them!
Theresa
Joy
August 23, 2008 at 5:34 pmOf course, they’re all amazing and hard to pick a favorite.
I can see those pinwheel flowers dripping with lots of yummy gemstones and glass! They remind me of mandalas. 🙂
AJ
August 23, 2008 at 6:16 pmI love the long connector/links in the first image! They’re such a cool and unusual design, I think they’d be really fun to work with.
Rach
August 23, 2008 at 6:42 pmO0o, I LOVE those links and long charms. I would love to get my hands on those!
Beautiful work!!
Robin Maria Pedrero
August 23, 2008 at 7:15 pmThese are really great pieces. BTW I collect art and have some folk art too
Dana Summers
August 23, 2008 at 7:17 pmI really love the flow of colors and the option it gives you in design. I like the funky brights but these new ones would have to be my favs.
Shoozles
August 23, 2008 at 7:59 pmsuch a fun batch of new goodies truly inspiring
rosebud101
August 23, 2008 at 8:33 pmPicking one component is very difficult! However, my favorite is the flower pendant. I really like it a lot!
Maria
August 23, 2008 at 8:43 pmHi Jennifer!
I too LOVE them all! But I would have to say…The Pinwheel flowers! You could leave them plain or add things to them…so cool!
paula
August 23, 2008 at 9:45 pmWow
But the best is the flower pinwheels, especially the pink and green!
paula
HINT Jewelry Design
August 23, 2008 at 11:08 pmI love that first picture with the pinwheels and those long cage beads together. Really interesting contrast. I think my favorites would be the long dangly charm. I like the sleek modern look and curve. Way to go!! I love them and can imagine how much work and heart went into inventing them.
Amanda
August 23, 2008 at 11:11 pmPersonally, if I had to pick one, I’d say that I’m a fan of the squiggly connector bars with the beads on the end. They’re so unusual – and I LOVE seeing something a little bit unexpected in jewelry!
thebeadedlily
August 24, 2008 at 12:48 amThey all look so fun to work with! The pinwheels are my faves, folowed by the both types of long tubes. My least favorite is the dangly design.
Cathy
August 24, 2008 at 3:57 amLike everybody else, I think they are all great! But I like the striped tubes the best. Those colors–so beautiful!
–Cathy
windycindy
August 24, 2008 at 6:55 amGreetings, Your beads are gorgeous. I like the effect of the glazes that you wrote about. The colors that result from the flowing in the kiln are very earthy and muted. I really like all of the beads because I am a bead fanatic! My favorite are your
“Long Charms!” I think a necklace with a pendant made from them would be lovely. Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
wired4inspiration
August 24, 2008 at 12:09 pmAll of your beads have a wonderful whimsical quality which is so fun! I do love the happy faces of your flower pinwheels and the many ways they could be used. Love the new colors too!
maryharding
August 24, 2008 at 12:33 pmI love your colors and new shapes. I especially like your new creative and fun links.
Donna
August 24, 2008 at 4:24 pmBeautiful! How did you get those wires in there? I’m inspired. I’ve inserted wire in wood putty and polymer clay, but I don’t do ceramic. see my flikr acct /sewandso for some of my creations.
Suzann Wilson
August 24, 2008 at 10:04 pmI love the links and the pinwheel flowers. Saw the pictures at Bead and Button, so I am really excited that they are finally avaliable. Combining the links and flowers…oh the possiblities!
In Beads and Happiness,
Suzann Wilson
No e Disigns
Debsdezines
August 25, 2008 at 1:08 amHow do I choose they are all so funky and so retro which is a personal fav of mine, and the versatility which can conjure up so many designs it would be so much fun putting them together with my favorite beads,well if I have to pick it would be the pinwheel flowers are my 1st choice.The colors are beautiful would love to see some in darker fall colors ,copper , bronze whta ever you do will be a delight ! 🙂
Lynn P
August 25, 2008 at 12:33 pmI love them all, but the long charms look so fun!
Gaela
August 25, 2008 at 2:17 pmThe Flower Pinwheels are my favorite, the colours are so pretty. But the 4 wire links in the 1st photo and the long charms would be a “must have” for me. They are just as great and oh-so-useful. Your new designs are my favorite “new” items I’ve seen so far for the new season. Hmmm….I’m feeling some inspiration creeping up from my muse. Gotta go~Gotta Bead !
Andi
August 26, 2008 at 5:08 pmI’ve been letting the new beads percolate and burble in my subconscious for a few days trying to imagine them in designs and trying to envision which ones I’d reach for if I had an assortment available to choose from. I have to say that the long dangles and the long connectors both pop up in my imaginary designs and the imaginary supply table has a larger assortment of those two than any other single bead. That said, I really like them all and find the more muted colors very much in keeping with my own aesthetics.
SueB
August 26, 2008 at 8:57 pmThe pinwheel flowers. Definite the pinwheel flowers. They are all so beautiful though!