Bracelet Winner!!!

I went the old fashioned route tonight with the drawing for the duplicate Hope bracelet......and the winner is

Jean Yates 

Jean is also a jewelry designer, author and writer..visit her blog  and website to find out more!

If you missed the original post about the Hope bracelet and the Global Genes Project, please visit this post to learn how you can help. 

Congratulations Jean!... please contact me with your mailing informaiton and I'll put your bracelet in the mail!!

Unveiling in strips of paper,

7,000 Bracelets for Hope...One At a Time

Tonight I'm working on my bracelet contribution for 7,000 bracelets for hope.  Global Genes Project, a children's rare disease campaign is rallying volunteer support from the arts community and anyone crafty enough to contribute, to help raise awareness for children with rare diseases.  There are over 7,000 rare diseases that have been identified, all with issues of their own. They are collecting bracelets that will be sent to families living with rare diseases this Christmas (2011).

I've joined up with Lori Anderson again in another blog hop to help support this great cause. Visit me on Saturday, April 16th, when I will reveal my contribution along with 112 other bloggers before mailing them off.  I'll also be offering visitors to my blog on Saturday an opportunity to win another special bracelet, so don't miss it!

If you want to learn more about the Global Genes Project and Bracelets for Hope, and how you can contribute, visit their website here.   Then make sure you drop by on Saturday to learn more about this great campaign and see all the beautiful "blue" projects!

Unveiling and making Positive Changes,

Fused Glass - My First Pendant and More!!

After ten days of waiting, (what seemed like months) I finally picked up my pendant that I made a couple of weeks ago at All Fired Up. I'm now realizing it's been too long since my last post, but to see my previous post on my fused glass adventure click here.   I would have never guessed that I would be on such pins and needles to see the final results, but I was like a kid waiting for Christmas today, waiting to pick it up this evening after soccer practice; however, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased at my first attempt with fused glass.   

 All the way home I kept hearing this tiny little voice saying..."DO IT AGAIN, DO IT AGAIN!!...And  guess what?......I will!

And...... I have more eye candy for you tonight!  I was the lucky winner of two give-a-ways during the Bead Soup Party..can you see me doing a happy dance?

I won these Pretty Things ...(you'll get it in a second) from Sandi Volpe.  Sandy had the "bestest" idea of going to meet Lori Anderson (Bead Soup Originator) at a show, and purchased these earrings from her to give away..well, I love the idea because look where they ended up!  The irony of it is I also met Lori for the first time at a show in Virginia and purchased a pair of her earrings as a gift for someone else!  So, yep, I'm the lucky recipient of a pair of Lori's earrings this time...Since I don't make much jewelry for myself to wear, I'm tickled pink by these! Visit Sandi's blog, she also makes beautiful jewelry. 

The other items I won, came from Heather Pyle of Aquariart.  I love all the different techniques and design elements that Heather used in this necklace.  You have to see it in person to know what I mean, but since I won't be paying these pieces forward, the picture will have to do.  She was very creative in designing this piece and I'm thrilled to have it!  Again, another piece, just for me and I didn't have to make it!

Unveiling and dancing a happy jig,

WINNERS!!!

Getting straight to what you really came here for today..........I have two more winners from yesterday's drawing (okay, I didn't do it until today) for a pair of earrings created from my leftover soup...drum roll please..............Sandy of Sandy's Coloring Box and Karen of Baublicious!  Join me in congratulating thse ladies!  

Sandy and Karen, if you would please email me with your contact information, I'll gladly drop your winnings in the mail as soon as possible.   

Thanks again to everyone who left comments and who are still dropping by. I truly enjoyed visiting all of your blogs and seeing all the talent out there...eye candy galore!!


Unveiling and still giving away,

Easy Pendant Tutorial...It's Sharing Time...

Note:  If you're here for Saturday's  Bead Soup Party, scroll down to Saturday's post and thanks for stopping by! 

 How many of you grew up watching Mr. Rogers in the evening?  I did, FAITHFULLY!!  I really can't remember a "sharing time" on his show, but for some strange reason that phrase just reminded me of him, guess cause he's such a nice guy..."waaait for it"  (smile) ..which leads me to this post...

Several visitors left comments or even emailed me asking for photos or a better description  of how I attached my focal for the Bead Soup reveal this past Saturday.   Having taught jewelry making classes for several years, I truly enjoy sharing with others in any way that I can,  because there have been many who have shared with me along the way and I honestly believe that in time, I'm blessed for it in so many other ways. So, of course I'll show you what I did!

Without taking my necklace apart, the best I could do was draw it out for you.  But I bet if you sat there long enough you would have figured it out on your own...it really was that easy!  Soo..here goes:

How to attach a button and a coin bead with wire

to create a focal pendant

The secret to this particular focal was the beautiful Yellow and Red Retro coin bead sent to me from Erin Siegel  my soup partner.  The coin was a rather flat bead with a hole up the center.  And guess what???  Artbeads.com has it by the strand in their Tuscan limited finds selection this week...how cool is that? (click the link above to buy bead) 

The second secret is that the button had a hoop on the back like this:  (okay, it's obvious I won't ever be a Disney artist)

Instructions: 



1.  Take approximately 6 inches of 20ga round wire and straighten. (this is my best guess, remember, I did not take mine apart to get these measurements)

2.  Slide the wire up the back of the button through the center of the loop.  Holding the wire in the center of the loop, begin wrapping the wire twice to the right, then bring it back under and wrap it twice on the left side of where you started ending with  the remaining wire in the middle, straight up the back of the button, so that it looks like this...

3.  Slide the straight wire through the coin bead hole like so...

    4.  Create your choice of hoop, loop or spiral  with the remaining wire at the top.  Whatever your choice of closure, make sure you wrap it tight enough, so that the two pieces don't wiggle. Your finished focal should like like this in the back...

Like I said...easy peasy!! 

Unveiling easy secrets,

Soup Left Overs, Give-A-Ways and Winners!!

The Bead Soup Party is still in effect, and if you're late getting started or still hopping, please click here to see my official unveiling and the list of other participants you can still visit.

Thanks to everyone who has already stopped by and left wonderful comments and to those still to come. Thanks to Lori Anderson and hats off to her for a wonderful experience and a cool event.  This weekend was full of vieweing wonderful designs and meeting new and wonderful artists and bloggers. While I'm completely finished visiting all participants (eyes crossed and butt sore), there are still some who haven't yet made it around and for that, give-away's and postings will remain up.

I had a few leftovers from my bead mix and made several pair of earrings that I'll be giving away. 

The first drawing is tonight for two pairs and the second drawing will be Saturday for another two pair.  All you have to do is leave a comment on my original unveiling post and let me know what you think and if you want your name entered into the drawing . I totally forgot to tell everyone in my original post to let me know if they wanted their names entered, so I hope they want what I'm giving away :)...here goes....

     Tonights winners are

Cheryl Roe of  Beadroe

Stacey Curry of Star Hitched Wagon

Please email me with your contact information and I'll put your earrings in the mail as soon as possible.  

Unveiling,

Bead Soup in the Morning....



That's right - The Bead Soup Blog Party sponsored by Lori Anderson will begin tomorrow morning! All across the blogosphere, many talented artists will reveal their much anticipated works of art, that you have been axiously awaiting.  If you need to catch up on what the Bead Soup Party is, you better hurry over to Lori's Blog for a quick synopsis of what's about to happen in less than 14 hours!  

As for mine...it's in the simmering stages, but you best believe it will be served up HOT and early tomorrow morning!

Giveaway   

I almost forgot to tell you...when you stop by during the reveal and  let me know what you think of my finished soup, your name will be entered into a drawing for a very nice give-a-way.  I'll have the giveaway photo up by morning, but for now, I have to continue stirring my soup...round and round and round it goes!

Unveiling...literally in the morning,

Bead Soup - Pop Art Style

Well, you didn't think I'd show you the actual finished design did you??  You'll have to come back on the 26th for that!

What you see above is actually my sketch from last night.  Early in the evening yesterday I pulled out my soup mix and played with it.  If it was play-doh I tell ya, it would have been all over my fingers.  I mixed and matched and twisted and turned and pulled and touched and moved things around quite a bit.  When it was

 time to go to bed, I left everything where it was, covered things up with a tarnish fabric and turned out the lights. Once my brain finally slowed down and stopped multi-tasking...(45 minutes later). I closed my eyes and BAM!!  I saw it, I saw the necklace I wanted to create! My brain woke up at this moment as well and said "GET UP..sketch it before you forget it!" - the rest is history or shall I say Pop Art! 

Soooooo, come on back Saturday, February 26th, when the Bead Soup Party  hosted and created by Lori Anderson  is  oficially revealed for all 200 and more participants.  we'll be waiting for you and I'm certain you wont be disappointed by anything you see!

Unveiling, but not really!

A Tranquil Soup Mix Revealed....

I would love to be able to say that I finally received my soup mix from my Bead Soup Partner, but the fact of the matter is, I received it a couple of weeks ago, but I'm just finally getting around to taking some decent photos. Some of you may have already followed the link to my partners page (Erin Siegel) and seen the mix there.  Nevertheless, here it is and I'm loving the calm feelings the colors are giving me.   

Here you have a shell floral focal bead, and a silver metal flower button.  I can't say that I've ever worked with a button before, so I'm really looking forward to doing something neat with that. Using the currant seed beads and the button, I could make a toggle closure or  maybe it will turn into the focal. 

 

This shot gives you a better view, of the Lemon Turquoise..yummy. These beads have some brown mixed in with them - do I see wood mixed in their future?  I also have here some ruby red glass beads, and garnet glass. 

Here's one more shot that showcases it all together.  I've sketched a few designs out so far, but I still haven't decided what I'm going to do. I'm just hoping it all comes together before February 26th, when the final reveal is happening. I do my best work under pressure, so as far as my brain is concerned ~ I have plenty of time to doodle! ~ Nothing like some healthy stress, eh? 

Unveiling in ideas,



Runako Designs - Now available in EIGHT languages!!

Curiosity sometimes doesn't really kill the cat - I know because I'm a very curious cat if you don't already know that!

You probably already know that I'm participating in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Party- right?  And you probably know that I already received my soup mix - right?  And you know my partner is Erin Siegal -  right?  And you know that Erin received her bead mix from me - right?  And you know the reveal is in two weeks - right?  And if you have no idea what I'm talking about click here for an update.

Well, what you didn't probably know is that the Soup Party is open to anyone with an established blog, anywhere in the country! I already know from my google statistics, that I get visitors from all over the world and I've had a few wonderful people who have followed me recently, and I can probably guess they've come from Lori's Party list.  Aaaannnd - being the friendly, networking type of person that I am, I've also visited their blogs to return the hospitality.  What I've found in my cruisings are some wonderful, creative new friends, to network and learn with.  HOWEVER; stupid me, what I didn't count on was running across a blog that I couldn't read because of a language barrier...go figure...any blog, anywhere in the world, who would have thought, right?  And I'm certain some have thought the same thing as they've run across an English written blog. 

Well, curious cat here (waving hands) - I just couldn't take it anymore, I had to include these people in my network, and I had to figure out how to understand what they were writing about - Google to the rescue! 

Thanks to Digital Inspiration I was able to figure out how to add a translation widget to my blog (see above)...actually I've added two for the moment.  I haven't quite decided which one I like the most.   

My hopes is that as more visitors from foreign countries visit my blog, they'll return and become friends if they see that there is a way they can actually read it.  My second hope is that Lori will share this with all the party participants who's blog may be in a different language and they'll add the widget to their blogs and so on, and so on and so on! Wouldn't it be great, blogging with no limitations?   

I just love happy endings... don't you?  So, if you have a blog and would like to make it more readable for others who may not speak English, I hope this little infomercial has been helpful to you.  No need to thank me, just keep coming back. 

Unveiling in 8 languages,

Dee

Stew Your Eyes On This...

As you might imagine, this little fella was probably getting a little claustrophobic, let alone dry in that gold baggie I showed you last week.  Well, he finally arrived at my bead partners house, so I can share with you tonight, what I sent to my bead partner, Erin Siegel.  I'm having some technical difficulty with my camera, so please bare with my photos this month and my lack of a photo tent at the moment.  This picture doesn't really capture the colorful element of this glass fish pendant, but it gives you a pretty good idea of what Erin is working with..thank goodness for photoshop!  

Erin will be cooking with not only this glass pendant, but she has some sterling silver links, Bali beads, wood beads, a Hill Tribe toggle and some czech glass. I couldn't help myself, but I also threw in some blue sead beads that aren't in the photo..hee hee.  I'll be posting a picture later this week of  the stew mix I received from Erin.

If you have no earthly idea what I'm talking about here, skip on over to Lori Anderson's blog, where you can read all about the Bead Soup Party that's going on this month. Then check back here weekly for more updates on how things are cooking up! The big reveal will be February 26th, so mark your calendar!

Dear Bead Soup Partner....

The pot is done, the beads are all mixed;

I hope you enjoy what I decided to fix.

Different for you, was different for me;

our pallets are similar as similar can be.

Whimsical?....maybe..Pastel..oh dear!

Seed beads and thread?....

don't you ever, ever fear!

What is it you say? Well that I cannot tell

And the picture below..well...that's NOT what's in the mail!

Unveiling and teasing,

Dee

Creating with Soup....

As I post this entry, I realize it's been almost exactly one (1) year since I participated in one Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Party's.  I'm happy to announce that I'm doing it again with over 200 other artists this month!  I've just found out who my partner is this year and I can't wait to put together a soup recipe for her.  

If you don't know what a soup party is, here is the recipe.  I've been partnered with another jewelry artist to create a piece of jewelry from a mystery mix of beads that will be exchanged through mail.  We'll have almost a month to create something to share with the blog community.  Lori Anderson has been hosting this event for a year now and it has consistently grown to an astounding number of participants. It's too late to particpate in this party, but you can visit Lori's blog to find out more about participating in this next great event!

I'm also excited to share that my partner is Erin Siegel.  Erin makes beautiful jewelry and is a mom to a new baby girl!  Visit Erin to see more of her beautiful work, as featured above, on her blog .

Unveiling in recipes,
Dee

Soup Scraps as Promised...

Well it wouldn't be nice if I broke a promise, would it? Last Wednesday I said I was going to make something out of those black bead caps that Lori sent me for the Bead Soup Party.

I could have easily just placed a bead in them and been done with it, but they just weren't speaking to me that way. Although I did do just that with one set, but for the other, thought I'd jazz things up just a little bit.
The simple black cap, just kept looking at me before, but wasn't speaking to me until last night when I sat down to finish what I started. By adding a fancy silver cap to the top and a few
Freshwater pearls I think I accomplished turning something blah into something with a bling. Let me know what YOU think!Thanks to everyone who stopped by last week for the party. I enjoyed visiting all of your blogs and seeing what other beautiful designs were created...you're a talented crafty bunch out there.
And, thanks again to Lori for hosting such a wonderful event!

Unveiling Dee,

Bead Soup Party - Dinner's Ready!

The soups Done! All this talk about soup, had me craving some Brunswick stew tonight, so before putting final touches on my piece, that's exactly what I had for dinner!

Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Party starts today!! After viewing what I came up with, please visit Lori's blog and see the list of other participants. There were over 80 that participated, so may take a day or two to see them all. There were many talented designers participating and I can't wait to see their finishing pieces.

Lori was my bead partner and she sent me the following mix to create from. There were swarovski crystals..the cut on these were beautiful! a Diachronic glass pendant, some Czech beads, silver, bead caps and cat's eye. I sketched out many designs, but I kept coming back to the beautiful pendant. To add too much to the design would take away from the center piece. So I decided to draw my inspiration from the pendant to come up with something eye catching, yet simple enough that the pendant would remain the focal. I settled on some gorgeous Biwa pearls and garnet chips. The pearl cut mimicked the line design in the pendant and the garnet pulled from the color. by twisting the strands together it created the twisted, abstract glass design above, and the pendant remains the focal.

AND...I remembered the pretty clasp this time!

Lori stomped me with the floral bead caps, but I'm going come up with something this weekend that utilizes them ..I must I must I must!! Leave me a note and let me know what you think, then remember to visit Lori's blog for more great designs!!

Unveiling the pot,

To see more of Dee's designs, visit her jewelry websit Runako Designs

The Soup is Almost Done!!

That's right folks..my soup and more than 80 others are in their final brewing to be exhibited in just TWO days!!

If you haven't heard, I'm participating in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party and the reveal is Wednesday, February 10th! I was lucky enough to make it in on the party at the very last minute and got Lori as a partner. She sent me a luscious mix of beads and I can't wait to show you what I made!

Come back Wednesday then follow the links to visit other fabulous designs made by many incredible jewelry makers across the WORLD...See what happens when creative minds meet a designing challenge!!

A Package....For Me??

My oh my, what could it be that the post man has delivered so pretty to me? I received my bead soup exchange package in the mail today from Lori Anderson. Lori's my exchange partner and she is putting me up to a beautiful challenge. Ooops, I forgot to photograph the clasps..lets make that a surprise :)
The Bead Soup Swap that I'm participating in is being sponsored by Lori over at Pretty Things. Many jewelry makers will be receiving packages this week packed with odds and ends of pretty things, to challenge their creativity of coming up with some sparkling designs. The Swap will officially take place February 10th, when all participants will post their designs on their blogs for the world to see.

You can start your travels at Pretty Things on the 10th if you're mighty curious and from there let your fingers explore the many blogs participating and allow the eye candy to take you away to the land of beads and baubles.

Unveiling in surprises,

You can find more of my jewelry on my website at Runako Designs

Girls Night Out Launches!!

It's the moment you've all been waiting for!!!!..okay, humor me!

What's better than hanging out with a bunch of the girls on a Friday and Saturday night having fun? Nothing in my book! That's why I've come up with what I think is a pretty cool idea that will be featured on Friday's, and I'm calling it Girls Night Out. Fella's you're welcome to tag along, but you must follow the rules.

Click the beautiful badge below created by Tara Shenson over at KMT Graphic Design for all the details and the unveiling of Girls Night Out!!!

Click image for details

Unveiling,
Dee
Find Dee's jewelry creations at Runako Designs every day of the week

It's Coming..Girls Night Out!!

You may not remember, but a few months ago, I told you I had something exciting to be unveiled. Well, It's just about ready, with a few minor details to be worked out. This idea has been through several versions, so I really hope you are as excited about it as I am, when I finally launch! Keep checking back, I'm hoping to have it completed before Friday! Tara Shenson over at KMT Graphic Design, created this great badge for me and I'm LOVING IT!! Here's your Teaser........
Unveiling something new,
Dee