BOOK REVIEW - Bead Meets Metal

BEAD  MEETS  METAL

by Kay Rashka

published by Kalmbach Books

The author & artist, Kay Rashka, knows her business. She has been creating jewelry for 25 years, 20 of those years have been working with metal. She is well known in the jewelry making industry and her work has been featured in Art Jewelry magazine.

If you've ever had a desire to work with metal and don't know how or where to start, this is the book for you. I've taken several classes & still wonder what to do. This book is a jewel! This book merges  metalworking techniques with wirework and beading. You learn how saw, form, drill, and texture sheet metal which are techniques necessary to make earrings, pendants, bead caps, charms, and other findings. The author also teaches how to form and forge wire to create clasps and earring wires. Some projects call for the use of heat with an easy-to-use, handheld butane torch. You will also learn how to ball wire ends, anneal, and solder metal. This book is packed with teaching tools, techniques, tidbits, alternative ideas, tips, and other information to help you be successful in learning metalworking.

The book begins with Materials and Workspace Safety. Then comes 22 pages of Fabrication - Tools & Techniques. These wondrously filled pages include learning how to cut, saw, drill, form & forge, texture, and finally closes with finishing the metal, followed by forming spirals, making earring wires, antiquing, etching, tube-riveting, and making jump rings. Each lesson includes the tools & materials needed with step-by-step instructions & pictures. I really enjoyed that at the top of each project the techniques used are listed; highlighting the new techniques.

I just love the Kimono Earrings Project on pages 48-50. New Techniques: sawing, creating stamped designs, doming. There is a box under each project that lists: Tools needs, Additional Supplies, Materials, & Beads. Then there are Design Notes & finally Variations to this project. Each project is unique & inspiring to the imagination.

Then there are the Etched Earrings with Turquoise on pages 58-60.. New Techniques: etching, designing earring wires. There are Tips & Design Notes & 4 Variations at the end of this project.

Finally, I also really enjoyed the Riveted Beach Stone Bracelet on pages 74-77 & learning how to rivet large stones to use in jewelry. New Techniques: drilling large holes in stones, soldering bead chain ends. Design Notes & Safety Tips were very helpful in sizing & choosing stones.

If you've ever had a desire to work with metal and don't know how or where to start, this is the book for you. I've taken several classes & still wonder what to do. This book is a jewel!

Pictures Become Collage

TaDa!!!

After many tries I have finally discovered how to make a collage. Now to perfect the process & remember how I did it!

Lampwork & Clay Blog Hop - The Reveal!

A few months go, Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures organized this wonderful blog hop. We had the choice of either lampwork or clay. Since I really like both, it was a hard decision.

Lampwork won out on the coin toss up! 

The beads are beautiful! Marcia Seever of ShaZazz Glass is the wonderful creator of these beauties! What beauties you might say .... well  I did it again!   I forgot to take pictures of the lampwork before I began - SIGH! ;)
Does anyone else relate to this "Problem"!!!!????  :) 

It took me awhile to decide how to show off these beauties. In fact, I didn't come up with an idea until midnight last night!  I think my muse was sleepy! .........  However, after much brainstorming & dragging out a bunch of beads & wire, she finally woke &  ...... This is my newest bracelet!

(From left to right) The lampwork beauties are the first bead - brown & white swirl, the third bead - brown with black & orange, and the last bead that is multi-colors of blue, white, brown & orange (it actually reminds me of a fish. Aren't they gorgeous?! I added accents of turquoise, tiger's eye, brown Chinese crystals of different shades from ZnetShows , black Czech crystals, & a stone (the round grey with red) I found down in Mexico that I have no clue what it is.

Thank you Lisa!

Check out the other participants from the list below! I'm off to blog hop  -- ENJOY :))

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry

Annette Rivers, MamaOwl's Mess

Karin King, The Sparkle Things Blog

Shaiha Williams,   Shaiha's Ramblings

Mimi Gardner, Baubles, Beads and Other Curiosities

Dee Alcalde, Agape Creations Jewelry

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Lori Jean Poppe, Lorillijean Creative Corner

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, Sharyl's Jewelry

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Linda Aspenson Bergstrom, TBD

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Judy Turner, Silver Rains

Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs

Kathleen Douglas, Washoe Kat's

Connie Tipton, TBD

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations

Michele Dotson, Star Jewels

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Jennifer Clifford, TBD

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me

Loretta, Loretta's Boutique

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyns Creations

Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread

Bonnie Coursolle, Jasper's Gems

Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles (reveal will be delayed a few days)

Pearls - "The Winter Diamonds!"

The Znet Shows' Dream Team is at it again! Many of us are working on Pearl creations for the upcoming Winter 2013/14 issue of Creative Spark, Znet Shows' Glossi magazine.

Pearls are known for being delicate, rare, fine, and valuable. Today, the majority sold are cultured or farmed. Imitation Pearls made of glass have become extremely popular in making beautiful & affordable jewelry, lavish clothing, and decorations.

The glass Pearl selections that Znet Shows have in their inventory are beautiful, high quality, and affordable.

The Pearls I chose & the Crystal accents.............

Pearls: (BDS1618-14)  6mm golden rounds
                      (BDS1619-23FIVE)  8mm bronze rounds
                    (BDS1923-36FIVE)   Vanilla rice pearls
Crystals: (ZMX-05-02)  6x4mm amber glow rondelles
        (ZMX-04-06)  autumn leaves teardrops

My Creations

 The wire is a combination of gold filled and rose gold filled.  

See Znet Show's Blog for the other Dream Team creations!

Book Review! - Project Necklaces

Project Necklaces 

by Kalmbach Publishers

This book has a wonderful variety of projects - 30 in all - using wirework, stringing, and stitching techniques. It is designed for beginners as well as the more experienced designer.

Beginners can benefit from pages 10 & 11 with Necklace Fitting 101. These two pages are designed to help you find the perfect length for your designs; choker & collar length, princess length, matinee length, opera length, and lariats & ropes. Learning how to custom tailor your necklaces to fit each individual you design for is a must!

I liked the way this book was divided; Stringing, Single Stitches, Combined Techniques, & Wirework. Each section has projects that a beginner would find simple enough and at the same time could spark the imagination of the more experienced.

The first section is simple stringing projects. Totally designed for the beginner.

But the second Section of Single Stitches has a little versatility in it. For example, the Peacock Fan on pages 22-24 is a fairly simple beading project.

and the Get to the Point necklace on pages 31-33 is a little more advanced single beading stitch.

I totally fell in love with the Autumn Garland necklace on pages 39-41 in the third section under Combined Techniques and .......

the Elementary Engineering project on pages 54-57. This project is actually two necklaces with the same techniques but allowing for creativity in design & imagination for the more advanced beader.

My love is actually in the last section under Wirework. The project on pages 66-67, Raining Petals, gave me inspiration for my latest project with ZnetShows' Pearl Challenge.

This is the necklace I made for the Pearl Challenge.

One of my next projects will be inspired by Sew Wired on pages 73-75. This is a combination of buttons, wire, and chain. I can totally see incorporating beads & copper into this project to personalize it.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Kalmbach did a wonderful job with the pictures, instructions & art work.

Octoberfest 2013 - Home & Hearth Blog Hop

Hoorah! 

October 2013 has arrived!

A Splendorous, Splendiferous, & Splendacious Month! 

It's time to celebrate with Rita of Jewel School Friends in the Home & Hearth Blog Hop about Beads, Jewelry, Home Decor, Food, Family & Friends!!!

October has always been a special month in my life.

#1  I was born in October - Yahoo! :)  53 years ago - Boohoo! :(  Time is moving on!

#2  I got married in October - Yeehaw!  32 years ago :)  We thought we were so OLD - 21 & 23 yrs!

                                                                Oh, to be that young again :)

#3  My daughter was married in October - Woohoo!   9 years ago :)  Where has the time gone????

#4  The weather finally gets cooler & the leaves change in October - Yeah! Only in our area not as much as further north.

#5  I'm getting ready for my first jewelry show in November, so I've been working in my "spare" time. Here are a few of the pendants.

#6  Pumpkins become plentiful & can finally be purchased to make yummy Pumpkin Butter - MMgood!

#7  Lastly, here is a pumpkin pie recipe I hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie has never been a favorite of mine until now. I have altered several recipes until I came up with one that is tasty not blah. If any of you try it, I would love your feedback on what you think.

Crust: 

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 stick of chilled butter cut into pieces & slightly softened (not quite at room temp)
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift flour & powdered sugar together.
3. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly either in the mixer, food processor or with a whisk (you choose - I prefer my Kitchen Aid mixer).
4. Add vanilla & whipping cream until dough clumps.
5. Form dough up by hand into a nice ball & then flatten. Wrap with Seran Wrap (plastic), place in glass pie pan & chill both for about 15-30 min. 
6. Remove from refrigerator, roll out dough on a floured surface until about 14-inches round. 
7. Place dough in glass 9-inch pie dish. Trim edges.
8. Line crust edge with foil, bake for about 15 minutes, until crust is pale brown.

Filling:

• 2 solid packed cups of fresh mashed pumpkin or a 16 oz can of pumpkin
• 3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1-2 Tbsp corn starch or flour

Directions:

1. Mix brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, vanilla, corn starch until well mixed.
2. Add in pumpkin, blend until no lumps.
3. Add in whipping cream & sour cream.
4. Add in eggs.
5. Mix well, pour into pie shell.
6. Bake until filling puffs at the edges and center is almost set, about 45 min. Remove foil from crust, bake another 10 min.
7. Chill until cold or serve warm. 

Topping: 

• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Place mixing bowl & whipping cream in freezer for about 10-20 minutes.
2. Remove, & whisk in sugar until stiff peaks form.
3. Dollop each piece of pie with "cream"!

NOTE: THIS IS A SWEET PIE!

• To reduce sweet, reduce brown sugar to 1-2 Tbsp & sugar to 1/2 cup.  
• To reduce fat, use half-n-half instead of heavy whipping cream & use reduced fat or no fat sour cream.

I, of course, feel that if you are going to eat sweets, you might as well do it right & enjoy the moment! Then walk, walk, walk or exercise! so you can enjoy another "moment".  :)


Now it's time to go blog hopping!  Thank you Rita for putting this wonderful hop together! :)

Caroline                                       http:// Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com
  Andrea Glick-Zenith                     http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/               
Dolores Raml                               http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com/   
Karla Morgan                               http://TexasPepperJams.blogspot.com       ME
   Susie Harris                                 http://jewelleryjunkie.blogspot.com/          
    Susan                                              http://libellulajewelry.com                           
Mischelle                                      http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/
Billi                                               http://billi-rs-rothove.blogspot.com/
Kay Thomerson                           http://kayzkreationz.blogspot.com/
Jean Yates                                  http://prettykittydogmoonjewelry.blogspot.com/
Kelly Hosford Patterson               http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com
Kathy Lindemer                           http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com
Liz E                                            http://beadcontagion.blogspot.com
Jasvanti Patel                              http://jewelrybyjasvanti.blogspot.com
Christie Murrow                           www.charisdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com
Jodie Marshall                             http://marshalljodie.blogspot.com/
Andrea Trank                              http://heavenlanecreations.com/
Dini Bruinsma                              http://angazabychanges.blogspot.nl
Elsie Deliz Fonseca                     http://ladelizchica.blogspot.com/
Pepita                                         www.pepita-handmade.blogspot.com
Karla Morgan                              http://texaspepperjams.blogspot.com/
Kathleen                                     http://99bobotw.blogspot.com/
Vera Lynn                                   http://veradesigns.blogspot.com/
Rana Wilson                               http://ranaleadesigns.blogspot.com/
Catherine King                           http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com/
Lily Vincent                                 http://thecreativeklutz.blogspot.co.uk/
Janice Hidey (Janimar)               http://drawingthelinesomewhere.com/
Cory Tompkins                           http://TealwaterDesigns.blogspot.com
Candida Castleberry                  www.spunsugarbeadworks.blogspot.com
Cynthia Kent Machata                http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com/
Alicia Marinache                         http://www.allprettythings.ca
Linda Anderson                          http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com
Leah Curtis                                 http://beadyeyedbunny.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Reno (JenRen)              http://jenrenjewelry.blogspot.com/
Robin Reed                                 http://willowdragon.blogspot.com/
Tanty Sri Hartanti                        www.tjewellicious.blogspot.com
Lisa Lodge                                  http://gratefulartist.blogspot.com/
Ingrid A.                                      http://lilisgems.wordpress.com/
Judy Turner                                www.silver-rains.blogspot.com
Gina Hockett                               http://freestyleelements.blogspot.com/
Nelly May                                    www.smellynelly.blogspot.com
Tanya McGuire                           http://tanyamcguire.blogspot.com/
Ahowin                                        http://www.blog.ahowinjewelry.com
Sonya Stille                                 http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com
Pam                                            http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com
Carol D.                                      http://dillmansdallies.blogspot.com/
Asri Wahyuningsih                      http://asribeadwork.blogspot.com/
Ginger Bishop                             http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com
Janine                                         http://www.esfera.me/travel/blog/travel-stories
Shaiha Williams                          http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/
Toltec Jewels (Rita, our hostess)  www.JewelSchoolFriends.com
 

A Key Chain Isn't Just A Key Chain Anymore!

A few days ago, Hope Smitherman contacted the Znet Shows Design Team for a Key Chain Lightening Round. Ten of us were sent a couple of key chains & two choices of Chinese crystals.     This was a FUN lightening round because ......

A little "blingy thing" can jazz up a key chain OR...... a purse, a zipper pull, a fan pull, the rear view mirror in the car or a door to a cabinet.

These two include small Sahara Green Chinese crystals (RS202-120); larger 8x5mm Perennial Flower Chinese crystals (zmx-13-01); and keychain clasps (FJ776-01) from Znet Shows. In addition, I've included copper & brass.

A zipper pull to add a little "bling to a jacket.

             A little "bling" for a purse!

                                                    or a "blingy" key chain!

Now that you've seen my newest "blingy things" check out the other 9 Design Team's creations coming soon to ZnetShows' blogspot.