Love is...

On Friday our family took a day trip to the 1000 Islands.  If you do not know of it here is a little description for you....

The Thousand Islands constitute an archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada-U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about 50 miles (80 km) downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario, the U.S. islands in the state of New York.
The 1,864 islands range in size from over 40 square miles (100 km²) to smaller islands occupied by a single residence, or uninhabited outcroppings of rocks that are only home to migratory waterfowl. To count as one of the Thousand Islands these minimum criteria had to be met: 1) Above water level year round; 2) Have an area greater than 1 square foot (0.093 m²); and 3) Support at least one living tree.
It has been so many years since we were up there and so many things have changed.  We launched our boat and instantly I was in heaven.  Here you can see ginormous ships weave their way through the islands to enter the locks up the St Lawrence River on their way to and from the ocean.

One of my favorite destinations is Heart Island.  This is where Boldt Castle was built.  I do encourage you to check out the history of the castle it is both about true love and sadness but it is well worth the journey.  This is Heart Island.

One of my favorite facts is that George Boldt loved his wife and to express that he put hearts every in the castle.  From shaped gardens to the moldings.  So inspires the rest of my eye candy post.....  Hearts.

Gorgeous Cab by Suburban Girl Beads

Sweet pendant by Linda Landig Jewelry

Gorgeous Raku tile by OddDesigns

Stunning Toggle Clasp by TheaElements

I am a sucker for love stories and hearts.  How bout you?

Kristen

Tracking in a bit of sand...

Happy Saturday!  Just got back from a short beach vacay with my family and it was so pleasant!  The weather was absolutely perfect for the beach, and I did lots of relaxing on the sand, staring at the rolling waves.

A peaceful shot from a morning walk on my beach vacation.

It struck me how inspirational the ocean and beach are to many jewelry artists in their designs, so I thought I would feature some of the gorgeous components and jewelry our very own AJE team has to offer in that theme!

Caroline's sweet little jelly fish beads for dangling on necklaces...luckily there were no jelly fish in the water!

I love this jelly fish charm by Diana.

These gorgeous glass headpins by Jennifer also remind me of jelly fish!

Jenny's moonlit wave pendant evokes wonderful memories of standing on the balcony at night and listening to the endless waves hitting the shore!

Sweet and colorful polymer clay starfish by Kristi.

Kristen's amazing beadwork!

I love the color on the beach relics by Karen...reminds me of those early morning beach walks looking for treasure hidden in the sand!

Linda's lovely starfish necklace is the perfect jewelry to keep thoughts of the ocean with you.

Yummy beach pebbles by Lesley.

Stunning glass pendant by Sue

My polymer clay seashell connector.

Going through all these pieces takes me back to that peaceful place when I was walking on the beach...I want to go back!

Seagull tracks in the sand!

Melissa Meman
Melismatic Art Jewelry
Art. Life. Love.

Freeform Friday: freedom

Freedom. 

Any proximity to this post and the Fourth of July - purely coincidental. 

The last two weeks for me have been insanely busy. And I am not complaining... I AM a full time artist, and I love it. But it was the perfect storm of Ceramics class to teach, commissions due, gallery visits scheduled to deliver work, and two back to back festivals/shows to prep for... 

So I warn you, this is a philosophical post. There aren't many beads... ok. Just a few - I have started to think about Beadfest prep. Not really creating inventory, just feeling concerned that I haven't jumped into this yet. I was glazing these texture pieces for ^10 reduction. They will be lovely, but it was a rote chore. Stain, brush, sponge, repeat. 

While I was working, my teenage students were sculpting. Self guided, in the zone... designing and creating relief tiles inspired by Medieval illuminated letters.  I wanted the freedom to create on a whim, and not have to create to meet a quota... My Mythic Nature line of pendants and tiles  are done in a series. Sculpt, cast a mold, and press multiples. While I find a creative Zen place when hand painting all the details, it is still a different type of creativity. Its my established body of work, a line I continually carry... and I think I need a little freedom to play as well. 

Illuminated letter tile in progress. 

And don't even get me started on the little ones ( ages 6-9). Its a fine line between the necessary instruction they need to technically complete a piece, and the uninhibited creativity they tap into on their own. I try to stay out of their way! And guide as needed... Their spontaneity and joy in smooshing clay around was EXACTLY the role model I needed to set me free from my self imposed constraints.

Coil built creatures

Terra cotta menagerie. 

Afternoons after class I was glazing a series of five tiles - a fifth anniversary present that I can't reveal totally to you yet. I had a tight deadline and no time to waste. The experience of designing and sculpting these tiles was FREEDOM. And I know that seems hard to believe with a commission. But they are for a family friend who is very familiar with my work, and very artistic in her sensibilities. We had discussed, she had seen rough sketches, and she gave me the green light to go ahead on that trajectory and surprise her. 

Seasonal tiles at glaze table... 

Completed "Spring" tile

It was a creatively rejuvenating experience. I was able to sculpt in deep relief, not concerned with the technicalities of casting a mold later on. Sculpting new motifs, within a "four seasons' theme that appeals to me artistically and personally. I came away from this with new ideas, a line of One-of-a-kind tiles I plan to sculpt this summer and fall. I think a new series of tiles, to develop in tandem with my production tiles will keep me challenged creatively and banish the feelings of rote production and stagnation. 

Whew. heavy topics I know. Thank you for bearing with me. I am energized after that spell of intense work/art/creativity/projects. Ready for new ideas, new pieces. So two weeks WITHOUT work (on beads, pendants, etc) has jump started my ideas for NEW work... 

I will share more tile images when I can. And I have a hankering to do terra cotta cabs & pendants for Beadfest. Oh! And some Majolica... I'll post on that next time! 

What do YOU do when you are feeling stuck? Worn down? Uninspired? 

May you have sparks of new ideas all weekend! 

Jenny 

www.jdaviesreazor.com

Buying from Home and Abroad

Image - Stockarch.com

If you’re in the UK/EU, buying from other countries can be a minefield. What starts out looking like a great bargain, can sometimes end up being more costly than purchasing the item in your own country. I have seen lots of comments on Facebook and Etsy about how people have been caught out by these charges, or by sellers upset as buyers thought their purchase included customs fees.  So living in the UK/EU myself, I thought I’d use my post today to discuss what to expect and what they mean for you as a seller and a buyer. I am writing from a UK point of view, but I hope this will be helpful to all countries to find out how we do things over here and what questions could arise from buyers in the EU.

Image - http://ec.europa.eu

The EU have trade agreements in place between each of it’s member countries. The countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The agreements mean that all goods within these countries are classed as freely available and aren’t subject to additional charges.

Depending on your purchase, buying from countries outside the EU means your parcel could be liable for fees and charges by HM Revenue & Customs and the shipping handler in your country. 

The current threshold for items imported into the UK is £15 (about $25) including the postal charge and for items sent as a gift the limit is £36 ($60) 

Image - myroyalmail.com

When you place an order over this value, it will be held in customs until any fees are settled. This is where it gets complicated, and potentially expensive, but if you shop smart, you can work out how to make the most of your orders.

As an example… if you order an item from the US to be sent to the UK with a value of £100 (about $170) with a shipping cost of £20 ($34) Customs will value this purchase at £120 ($203) There is a charge of 20% Import VAT - £24.00, and an additional charge of £8 ($13.50) as a clearance fee (If using Parcelforce or Royal Mail, charges vary depending on carriers, so check with the seller before you purchase). Your total imported cost will be £152. 

If your item is over £135 ($230) you are liable for duty charges as well. The duty is different for each item, for example, glass beads have a 7% rate. So an order of £140 ($240) with a shipping cost of £20 ($34) will be valued at £160 ($274) by customs. VAT will cost an extra £34.24 ($58), plus the handling rate of £8 ($13.50) and a duty charge of 7% - £11.20 ($19). This means that your original £140 order will come to a total of £213.44 ($364). That’s quite a chunk added on to your bargain!

Image - wikipedia.org

It is the buyers responsibility to pay any charges for their country, and it’s a good idea as a seller to put this in your terms and conditions. This can easily solve any disputes that may arise. 

Although it can sound daunting to purchase from outside the EU, don't let this put you off. You need to consider that you will be paying more for your goods, but there are some beautiful and original beads & components available from foreign sellers, and buying items from countries outside the EU is a simple process. 

You shop as you would anywhere else and the seller will wrap your parcel and attach a customs declaration to the front of the package. This labels the item with the contents, value, weight, date and sellers signature to confirm all the details are correct. On arrival in the UK, it will usually be dealt with by Royal Mail or Parcelforce. They organise all the details and pay fees on your behalf and will write to you when the item has cleared customs with details of how much duty you owe. You simply pay your fees online and your purchase will be delivered to your address. 

Image - royalmail.com

Here comes the postie with beads!!!

I hope this has helped to clear up any confusion about buying abroad, and also explained our crazy rules for buying and selling! 

Caroline

http://www.blueberribeads.co.uk

A Kumihimo Book Review via Photos of Finished and In Progress work

Way back in the cold despair of January, I mentioned one of the things I wanted to try for 2014 was kumihimo. I really never had any interest in kumihimo before. But then Kalmbach sent me the book Kumihimo Basics and Beyond to review. As I thumbed through it, I suddenly had the urge to try it. Also, that green necklace on the cover? I coveted that necklace. Bad. 

 After ordering the basic toolkit, I played with the technique using leftover sock yarn. I am honestly not a fan of rattail. I don't like the name, I don't like how it looks. That's how I ended up using sock yarn instead. 

 

After braiding this really long cord out of sock yarn, I wanted to play with beads. So I started on this one. 

I had very specific plans for it to hold a very special ceramic luna moth created by our very own Caroline (Blueberri beads).

Here it is completed

 I used Vintaj cones and a toggle by Lesley Watt that she sent me as part of my bead soup a couple years ago when we were partners.

 

The amazing thing is that it has such presence, but is nowhere near as heavy as it looks. 

The next one I did ended up not working for the purpose I had in mind (Lesley's darling ceramic shank button), but it's sitting on my bench waiting for the perfect project.

Instead I made this solid black kumihimo bracelet for Lesley's button and I think it's actually my favorite of all the braids I've made

I started this braid, then ran out of the Czech glass beads. I just got some more, so plan to finish it soon. The Czech glass is alternated with a hematite like size 11 square seed beads. I don't have anything in particular planned for this braid. Time to search my stash or make a special bead for it.

While waiting for my Czech beads to come in for the piece show above, I started another braid. This one is going to get torn apart. I was impatient and used the very thin cord I have on hand and the beads just aren't laying nicely enough for my taste. They look to loosey goosey. I should have just waited for the correct size cord to arrive.

I was making this braid specifically for Rebekah's gorgeous polymer clay bead.

While this post was supposed to be a review for Kumihimo Basics and Beyond, I thought showing what I've made using the book (and only the book) for instruction would be review enough. I went from knowing absolutely nothing whatsoever about kumihimo to making what you see here.

If you're a beginner trying to figure out whether this book is for you, I think the most important fact to note is that the author, Rebecca Ann Combs, liberally sprinkled the book with helpful tips. Honestly, kumihimo isn't difficult to do. The tips she provides makes all the difference in the world.

If you're experienced in kumihimo and wanting to do advanced techniques, use different numbers of strands or something other than the round kumihimo disc for braiding, this book is not for you. If you're a clueless beginner or someone who has done a little bit of kumihimo and wants to build on your skills, I highly recommend this book.

-Jen Cameron
Glass Addictions

Bead Fest Prep - My Newest Obsession

I'm vending at Bead Fest in August, as you know, and I need to be in full Bead Fest prep mode.  However, between my other job, my house, my kids and all the day-to-day things that need to be done, it's hard to get time.  Maybe that's why I'm so obsessed with headpins!

 At the end of a beading session, I take my short rods, my leftover stringers, and use my color imagination and make headpins on 20 gauge copper wire!  It's really a lot of fun.  In fact, it's so much fun to me that I may have many many more headpins for Bead Fest than I'll ever need! 

 I'll be using these cute little cups to display them in.  You know those cute little orchids in Home Depot, the ones that are mini orchids?  Well, they don't last, and you are left with these little ceramic containers.  I plan on getting some floral foam, you know, that green stuff, and stick the headpins in so they are nice and visible.  At least, that's my plan at the moment.  I am really challenged when it comes to making a good table display.  I think it's my biggest challenge!

Here's an example of some of the headpins you'll be able to find at the market at Bead Fest in Philadelphia August 22-24!  Please join me and fellow AJE team members Diana Ptaszynski, Jen Cameron, Jen Davies-Reazor and Karen Totten for shopping.  Linda Landig and Lesley Watt may have a few things available for your shopping pleasure as well!

Drum Roll Please...

First of all on behalf of the entire AJE team I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who joined in with out celebratory giveaway and for all the wonderful feedback you've given us over the past week - we really do appreciate all the support and encouragement and are so pleased to be able to give a little something back. Thanks and welcome also to those of you who joined us on Facebook during giveaway week, we're so glad to have you along and hope you enjoy our offerings and don't forget to follow the blog too.

But I know you're all desperate to find out who the lucky winners are so let's get on with it shall we - drum roll please...

Winner day 1 - Cynthia Riggs, Cynth's Blog
Ceramic charms by Diana and copper focal by Kristi.

Winner day 2 - Therese Frank - Therese's Treasures 
Lampwork cab by Sue and Keum Boo pendant by Francesca

Winner day 3 - Erin Prais Hintz, Treasures Found
Headpins by Jen and beaded links by Kristen

Winner day 4 - Barbara Mason, Adorningly Yours
Ceramic pendant by Lesley and ceramic bead set by Caroline

Winner day 5 - Tara Leiterman, Jewels For The Journey
Ceramic focals by Jenny and Linda

Winner day 6 - Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Polymer clay focal by Rebekah and Enameled flowers by Melissa

Winner day 7 - Z'anne, Zanne's Bazaar
Copper chain by Keirsten and bronze focal by Karen

Congratulations ladies - we will be in touch with you shortly to arrange for your prizes to shipped.

Normal service will resume on the AJE blog tomorrow and once again thanks to all our loyal followers...long may our journey together continue.

Lesley
The Gossiping Goddess

Seven Day Giveaway - Day 7

Welcome to day 7, the final day, of our Seven-Day Giveaway! This week Art Jewelry Elements is celebrating a little milestone for our Facebook page--1000 Facebook "likes"! (If you haven't visited us there, swing by and stay awhile!) We wanted to say "thank you" to our many faithful readers who make this all worthwhile, so we've been giving away two artisan jewelry components per day this week, created by our own contributors. Take a look at our original giveaway post for more info.

Without further ado, here is today's art jewelry jackpot:

From Karen Totten:  forest themed connector with a leaf motif in solid bronze, perfect woodland accent to your jewelry design. It was hand formed out of bronze metal clay and given a rich antique patina that has been sealed for protection. Visit Karen at her new Indiemade shop, Starry Road Studio.

From yours truly: Two 6" lengths of hand-forged large link chain in solid copper, stamped, patinaed and sealed in lacquer to preserve color and shine. Some matching jump rings will be included. (I guess today is all about Metal!)

To enter to win today's prize (this is the last day!), simply leave a comment below and make sure to include your email address so we can contact you should you win - please note comment moderation is activated  so your comment will not show immediately. The winners will be announced tomorrow, Monday June 23, when all the giveaways are complete.

The details:

• The giveaways run from Monday June 16th through Sunday 22nd June (today).
• There is a different prize of 2 art jewelry elements each day.  
• Each day of the contest features something from two different AJE contributors 
• For a chance to win that day's prize leave a comment on each day's blog post AND MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE AN EMAIL FOR US TO CONTACT YOU!
• Winners are drawn daily--even if you've already commented on the previous giveaway posts, in order to have a chance to win today's prize you need to comment again today! 
• ALL winners will be announced at the end of the week. 
• This giveaway is open to anyone living on planet Earth.
• Each person is eligible to win once. Unless you're on the AJE team. Then you cannot win any of the days. And you know that each of us in the AJE team would love to win these components…after all, who wouldn't!?

Good luck!!

Seven Day Giveaway - Day 6

Welcome to day 6 of our Seven Day Giveaway! We're still celebrating those 1000 Facebook "likes" and that number just keeps right on growing! What a truly fabulous community AJE has grown into! It really is such a great place to share and learn in the thing we all love so much—art jewelry elements! It's been such an inspiring experience so far—thank you all for making this possible with your support and enthusiasm!

And now, here's what's up for grabs for one more very lucky winner…

First from Melissa Meman, these 2 pair of gorgeous torch-fired enamel flowers…  perfect for layering! She made them up just in time for this special giveaway event and really, what could be more perfect for summertime creations!?

And from yours truly, one of my brand new woodsy green fern frond focals—polymer textured with the detail of a real wild growing fern and hand painted in acrylics. Years back my brother and I would spend whole days out wandering the woods of Virginia—so many happy memories of carefree times were brought back when I pulled out this forgotten mold and started creating with it for the first time!

To be in with a chance to win today's prize, simply leave a comment below and make sure to include your e mail address so we can contact you should you win - please note comment moderation is activated  so  your comment will not show immediately. The winners will be announced on Monday 23rd of June when all the giveaways are complete.

And don't don't forget...the giveaways run for a whole week thru Sunday 22nd of June so make sure you visit each day to increase your chance of winning a prize.

The details:

• The giveaways run from Monday June 16th through Sunday 22nd June.

• There will be a different prize of 2 art jewelry elements each day.  

• Each day of the contest will feature something from two different AJE contributors 

• For a chance to win that day's prize leave a comment on each day's blog post AND MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE AN EMAIL FOR US TO CONTACT YOU!

•  We will draw a winner daily, so don't forget to comment each day. 

•  ALL winners will be announced at the end of the week. 

• This giveaway is open to anyone living on planet Earth.

• Each person is eligible to win once. Unless you're on the AJE team. Then you cannot win any of the days. And you know that each of us in the AJE team would love to win these components… after all, who wouldn't!?

Good luck!!

Rebekah Payne

TreeWingsStudio.com

Seven Day Giveaway - Day 5

Welcome to Day Five of our week long celebratory giveaway.  Art Jewelry Elements now has well over 1,000 followers on our Facebook page and we're so grateful for each and every one of our wonderful readers!  We're giving away two artisan jewelry components per day for this whole week!  Take a look at our original giveaway post  for more info.

First up today is a beautiful earthenware celestial pendant by Jenny Davies-Reazor.  It is one of Jenny's hand carved, original designs and is glazed on both the front and the back.  Lucky you, if you win this!

Our second giveaway item is this rustic flower pendant from yours truly.  This would be perfect for a fun, summer necklace.

If you'd like a chance to win today's prize, simply leave a comment below and make sure to include your email address so we can contact you should you win - please note comment moderation is activated  so  your comment will not show immediately. The winners will be announced on Monday, June 23rd when all the giveaways are complete.

And don't don't forget...the giveaways run for a whole week until Sunday, June 22nd, so make sure you visit each day to increase your chance of winning a prize.

The details:

• The giveaways run from Monday, June 16th through Sunday, 22nd June.

• There will be a different prize of 2 art jewelry elements each day.  

• Each day of the contest will feature something from two different AJE contributors 

• For a chance to win that day's prize leave a comment on each day's blog post AND MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE AN EMAIL FOR US TO CONTACT YOU!

•  We will draw a winner daily, so don't forget to comment each day. 

•  ALL winners will be announced at the end of the week. 

• This giveaway is open to anyone living on planet Earth.

• Each person is eligible to win once. Unless you're on the AJE team. Then you cannot win any of the days. Sorry. I want to win too and I'm pretty sure I have the power to rig it. No one (except maybe me) should wield that kind of power. 

In the meantime, thank you for supporting AJE and good luck!

Linda

Linda Landig Jewelry – Etsy