Master the Mess Month!

Yes, believe it or not, some of us here are guilty of wallowing in one huge beady mess and we've decided it's time to do something about it. We've challenged ourselves (and each other) to have a spring clean and get it sorted and to make sure we do, we're sharing photos with you here in the hope of shaming ourselves into action! We have one month to get these studios ship-shape before we post new pictures of them all looking clean and sparkly like our beads.

Now as you'll see some of us are worse than others and some of us have excuses...but there is definitely a common theme here...

Diana - "Half the office, half the mess. Yes, that's my childhood Cabbage Patch doll on the desk. Even she is annoyed that my desk and chair are currently unusable. My first goal is to make it so I can actually work at this desk again. Sitting on the floor is getting old...and it hurts my back."

"The  other half of my messy office..."

Lindsay - 'My living Room...I mean Bead Room. There was floor less than a week ago. Apparently my recovery period 5lb weight limit only applies to putting things away."

Jennifer - "I don't even know where to start..."

Linda - 'This is supposedly my jewelry design table. But um, no space to design."

"My clay area has been invaded by encroaching bead minions."

Some team members tell us are not quite as messy as others...

Caroline - "This is tidy (unless you listen to my husband) You will note that you can see loads of table!"

Karen - "I'm not normally this messy. I blame it on shop update frenzy!"

Jenny - "Organized chaos. And still room to work."

And then of course there's me and I definitely fall into the tidy category....NOT!

I haven't made any jewellery for a while so my work table has become a bit of a dumping ground...or could that be that I've not made any jewellery because it's become a dumping ground...?

My clay bench is pretty messy to but to be fair I was actually working there when this was taken...

And as for this area the less said the better I think!

So please do come back in a months time and see what progress we've made...I suspect that in my case there will be more than one clean up before then! If you have any great tips for keeping unruly work spaces in order then please...do let us know because we need all the help we can get.

Bead Fest Friends And Fun

Last year I made a very spontaneous decision to fly across the country, from Washington State to Philadelphia, for the April 2012 Bead Fest.  I had the best time meeting and hanging out with beady Facebook friends that I was meeting for the first time.  Everyone told me that I should come back the next year in August, because that is the larger Bead Fest and I would have the opportunity to meet many more people.  

Having just returned from the August 2013 Bead Fest, I can tell you that I met many more online friends and had the most wonderful time imaginable.  I could go on and on about it, but I'll make sure that my mental editor is in firm control today!

Perhaps this "Sh-h-h" from Diana is a reminder to avoid writing a short novel here!

Before I left, I withdrew my budgeted amount of bead money from the bank.  I figured that if I had the money as cash, I would stay more in control of my spending.  Its just a little too easy to lose track of your spending when using a credit card (I speak from experience at other, smaller bead shows).

I had a few shopping goals in mind.  First and foremost, I wanted to stock up on artisan beads and components.  Secondly I wanted to get some of the more unique, higher-end Czech glass beads and then, if I had time or money left, there were some tools that I hoped to pick up.

I wanted to visit all my friends' booths on Friday, so I could give them big hugs and get first dibs on their creations.  I had told Jenny Davies-Reazor that I would lend a hand in her booth, so I started there. It was so great to meet Art Jewelry Elements team members Jenny, Jennifer, Kristen, Melissa, Karen and Susan for the first time! We talk online all the time, but now I can picture the "real person" when I am reading their posts!

I knew beforehand that I wanted one of Jenny's new Russian nesting doll pendants and I also picked up a delightful house milagro.

Marsha Neal brought me a bag full of goodies.  I was so delighted to meet her for the first time!  We've been Facebook pals for a long time.  I met Staci Klinger-Smith last year, so I gave her a big hug and got some goodies from her booth.  I met Diane Hawkey for the first time and got an assortment of delights from her too.  This is Friday night's loot laid out on my hotel bedspread.

I've already made a pair of earrings with the black ceramic headpins (above) from Marsha Neal.  Come back for the earring reveal this Sunday, to see them.

By 2:00 on Saturday I had blown through almost my whole budget, just on handmade items.  Needless to say, the Czech glass and tools just never happened.  But it was worth it. Handmade beads and components make my world go round.

On Saturday, I chose glass beads from Jennifer Cameron and Sue Kennedy.

Jen - Glass Addictions

Susan - Sue Beads

I indulged my ceramic lust with goodies from Diana Ptaszynski, Jenny Davies-Reazor, Karen Totten.

Diana - Suburban Girl

Jenny - Jenny Davies Reazor

Karen - Starry Road Studio

Gathering all these fantastic beads was wonderful, but I have to say that meeting and getting to know these talented, warm, funny and generous women has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.  I feel welcomed and at home in this creative community.  I'll be forever grateful.

Left to right: Sue Kennedy, Linda Landig, Karen Totten, Jen Cameron, Jenny Davies Reazor and Diana Ptaszynski.
(Melissa Meman and  Kristen Stevens came to Bead Fest on Saturday , but weren't present on Sunday when this photo was taken.)

Advertising with AJE

Art Jewelry Elements is seeking to create relationships with brands and businesses that share our values while offering value to our audience.

Our audience is comprised of independent jewelry designers, crafting art jewelry using hand crafted elements to set themselves apart from those that only use craft store findings. Our audience includes many art bead artisans wanting to hone their craft and their business and to connect with those who are looking for just the right element to make an heirloom piece of jewelry.

Is your target market independent, creative jewelry designers eager to try new quality crafted elements in their designs, interested in current fashion but not a slave to it, that value professionalism, quality, and creativity as much as they do your product?

Art Jewelry Elements is a great place for your business to be seen. We're a daily blog focusing on learning, growing, and sharing...studios, techniques, tutorials, trends, and so much more.

If your company is interested in advertising with AJE, please email Jen Cameron jennifer.glassaddictions@gmail.com to discuss if AJE is a good fit for your company.

We are offering a special intro rate until July 31st.

The regular monthly rate for a 250x250 ad is $30. 

To kick things off:

if you place and pay for an ad by July 31st, the cost will be $25 for the first month.

If you place and pay for 5 months @$25/month, you get the 6th month free (you save $55)

If you place and pay for 9 months @$25/month, you get 3 months free (you save $135) 

Just the facts...

Statistics:

January-June average monthly visitors: 22,000 (average 733 visits/day)

United States readers make up more than 50% of our audience.

Please contact Jen Cameron with any questions: jennifer.glassaddictions@gmail.com

Spectacular Spirals

I've had spirals on my mind, ever since I received Jenny Davies-Reazor's June Component of the Month charms.  The pair of charms I received had spiral impressions on them.  I designed earrings to emphasize the spiral motif, by echoing it in antiqued brass wire. This got me to thinking about the meaning and history of spirals.

Green Spiral Earrings

Once I began looking around, I started seeing spirals everywhere.

They are found in nature; in animals, plants, weather patterns and who knows what else. This dahlia from our front yard is unfurling in a spiral pattern.

Big Horn Sheep -  Pinterest.

Weather Patterns - Pinterest

Spirals also show up in many cultures, religions, traditions, art and architecture.

Pinterest

Spiral Petroglyph - Pinterest

Buddhist Temple in China - Pinterest

So what about spirals in jewelry both ancient and contemporary?  Here's a very quick sampling of what I found.

Greek gold ring from the 7th -6th century BC - Pinterest

Then skipping blithely through many centuries, I photographed these early colonial filigree earrings in a museum in Oaxaca, Mexico.

And still later, Art Nouveau jewelry was awash in spirals and swirls.

René Lalique - Pinterest.

Which made me wonder about contemporary jewelry. So I decided to make an Etsy Treasury of spiral art beads and components, as well as finished jewelry.  I quickly found that just on Etsy, there were enough spiral pendants and jewelry designs to make a dozen treasuries. I was amazed!

AJE team member, Karen Totten loves spirals.  In fact, here's a peek into her studio earlier this week.  She's a spiral maniac!  These pendants and charms are all works in progress for Bead Fest, August 23-25.  In fact, many of our members' studios are filled with work for Bead Fest, including Susan Kennedy, Jen Cameron, Jenny Davies-Reazor and Diana Ptaszynski.  

Here's a finished piece from Karen.

Hot Coral Hollow Bead

And Diana has spiral ammonites.

Ammonite Pendant 

Kristi has lots of ammonite spirals, too.

Ammonite Bracelet Component

Here's a pretty flower with a spiralling stem from Rebekah.

Rustic Flower Pendant

And I have a necklace with a spiral pendant.

Brown Spiral Pendant Necklace

And if that's not enough, you can check out all these amazing spiral components and jewelry designs in the Spectacular Spiral Treasury that I put together on Etsy.  Enjoy!

'Spectacular Spirals - Part 1' by beadmarie

Spirals are a universal motif in nature, architecture, science, art, religion and mathematics. I found so many handmade art beads and finished jewelry with spirals, that I'll be doing two treasuries with this theme. Enjoy!

Yellow Swirl Porcelain Flowe... suburbangirlbe... $10	Swirl cuff bracelet 316clay $23.9	Round Porcelain Bead Mix Wit... JeraLunaDesign... $20
Handmade Polymer Clay Chubby... KristiBowmanDe... $10	Ceramic charm pair spiral or... jdaviesreazor $10	Little Gecko Lizard bead - S... TreeWingsStudi... $8
Pink and Copper Scoops Neckl... BeadworkbyKAS $95	Copper Swirl Fibula MelismaticArtJ... $38	Lampwork Beads - SueBeads - ... suebeads $30
Porcelain Clay Spiral Textur... MarshaNealStud... $10	Spiral Earth Stone- Black La... Genea $32	Large Copper Swirl Pendant R... SLArtisanAccen... $10
Golden Acorn Glass Lampwork ... LoriBergmann $18	Large Handmade Ceramic Porce... WhiteCloverKil... $9.5	Bronze Age Spiral Toggle Cla... ktotten $18
Earrings Wire Wrapped Bronze... GraceElements $30

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Linda
Linda Landig Jewelry - ArtFire 
Linda Landig Jewelry - Etsy