Memory and Thanks Hop

We all have been touched by someone who has had to deal with huge challenges in their lives.  I have one very dear friend who has had to deal with more challenges then anyone I know before the age of 40.
So this necklace is in honor of her.

Each charm represents a part of her life.

1.  The blue crystal is for her son.  

2.  The pink is for her battle against breast cancer.  She beat it!

3.  The star is for her angel in heaven, we love you Angelina. 

4. The purple heart represents the foundation she started in honor of her young daughter to provide funding for metabolic research.

5.  The word "life" is for her great joy of life.  She has so many friends that have helped her through the rough parts, but she has given so much more then she could ever comprehend.  

 

To learn more about the Angelina Foundation and all the work we have done over the years, check out the website.
 The Angelina Foundation on Facebook

So far the Angelina Foundation has raised over $71,000 for 

Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.  

(CHoP)

Don't forgot to hop around and check out all the other blogs from the participants of the 

Memory and Thanks Blog Hop!

Hostess, Lori Anderson       Pretty Things

 Adlinah Kamsir                   Dream Struck Designs

 Aimee Biondolillo               Aimee's Jewelry Treasures

 Alicia Marinache                 All the Pretty Things 
 Andra Marasteanu               Handmade by Indra Marasteanu 
 Andrea Trank                      Heaven Lane Creations
 April Grinaway                   Brooklyn Bead Goddess

Barb Solem                         Vivi Magoo Presents

Becky Pancake                    Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Beth Emery                         Stories by Indigo Heart

Bonnie Coursolle                Jasper's Gems

Cassi Paslick                       Beads: Rolling Downhill

Catherine King                    Catherine's Musings

Cece Cormier                      The Beading Yogini

Chandra Leitz                     Juniper Goods

Charissa Nesler                   FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka                       Clay Space

Christina Hickman              Vintage Treasures Jewelry

Christine Murrow               Charis Designs Jewelry
Christine Stonefield            Sweet Girl Design

Chrizette Bayman               Bead Soup Mix

Cindy Wilson                      It's My Sea of Dreams

CJ Bauschka                       4 His Glory Creations by CJ

Crystal Thain                      Here Bead Dragons

Cyndi Lavin                        Beading Arts

Debbie Rasmussen             A little of this, a little of that

Denielle Hagerman             Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez                  Arte y Poemas

Diane Hawkey                    diane hawkey

Dita Basu                            ankarshilpa

Donetta Farrington             Simply Gorgeous

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell     Deeliteful Jewelry Creations

Emma Todd                        A Polymer Penchant

Erin Kenny                         beadiful therapy

Erin Prais-Hintz                  Treasures Found

Gina Hockett                      Freestyle Elements

Gloria Allen                        Innovative Dreams Jewelry

Heather Marston                 CSW Designs

Inge von Roos                    Inge's Blog

Iveth Caruso                       Creative Atelier

Jacqueline Marchant          Fiddledeedee Jewelry

Jami Shipp                         Celebrating Life!

Jean Yates                          Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!

Jennifer Reno                     Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo                   Peppa's Dream

Jennifer VanBenschoten    Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren                  Cellar Door Jewelry

Jessica Murray                   Whimsical Monkey

Joan Williams                     lilruby jewelry

Jo-Ann Woolverton            It's a Beadiful Creation

Joanne Browne                   josjewels1

Jodie Marshall                    Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art

Johanna Rhodes                 Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen                 Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC

JuLee Wolfe                       The Polymer Penguin

Julie Bean                           Blue Pig Blog

Karen Mitchell                   Over the Moon Designs

Karin King                         The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton                       Backstory Beads

Kat Douglas                       Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton                        Toodles and Binks

Kelly Hosford Patterson     The Traveling SideShow

Kim Ballor                          Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity

Kim Dworak                       CianciBlue

Kim Houston                       The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter                         Kym Hunter Designs

Laren Dee Barton                Laren Dee Designs

Lea Avroch                          LA Jewelry Designs

Leanne Loftus                      First Impression Design

Liddy McLaughlin               Liddy McLaughlin Art

Linda Florian                       Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations

Linda Inhelder                     Must-Haves Jewelry

Lisa Hamilton                      Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver                            Fancee That

Lori Bowring Michaud        Artfully Ornamental

Lori Poppe                           Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean

LouAnn Elwell                    Southpass Beads

Mandi Effron                       Craft-o-licious

Marcia DeCoster                 MadDesigns

Marcia Dunne                     The Alternative Foundry

Marie Covert                      Creating Interest

Marjorie Savill Linthwaite     bennubirdrising

Marlene Cupo                        Amazing Designs by Marlene

Martha Aleo                           Ornamento

Marti Conrad                          Marti's Buttons -n- Beads

Mary Ellen Parker                  BeeTree by m.e.

Mary Govaars                        MLH Jewelry Designs

Mary Lindell                          Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry

Maureen Connolly                 Mrs Beadsley's Workshop

Maybeline Tay                       The Jewelry Larder

Melissa Elgin                         The Addicted Beader

Melissa Mesara                      one-eared pig beads

Menka Gupta                         Menka's Jewelry

Michaela Pabeschitz              la mar de bonita

Mischelle Fanucchi               Micheladas Musings

Mona Rae Baroody               Who Does She Bead She Is?

Nan Emmett                          Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth

Nancy Pedersen                    Something Heartfelt by Nancy

Natalie Davidson                  NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas                      Bead It and Weep

Pam Farren                           re-maker

Pam, the Crazier Sister        The Crazy Creative Corner

Pam Traub                            Klassy Joolz
Priya Krish                           Hellopalz 
Rebecca Anderson               Song Beads

Rebecca Sirevaag                 Becca's Place

Robin Kae Reed                   Artistry HCBD

Rochelle Brisson                  a creative chelle

Rosa Maria Cuevas              Helena de Troya

Sabine Dittrich                     perlendschungel

Sandi Volpe                          Sandi Volpe

Sandra McGriff                    Creative Chaos

Sarah Goode                         Pookledo
Sarah Singer                         String a Song of Sixpence

Serena Trent                         All Things Made Jewelry

Shai Williams                       Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac                        Sharon's Jewelry Garden

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson    Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections

Sheila Davis                         Stone Designs

Shelley Graham Turner        Fabric of My Life

Sherri Stokey                       Knot Just Macrame

Sherry Baun                         Unicorns Jewels

Skylar Bre'z                         Brising Beads

Stephanie Haussler              Pixybug Designs

Tania Spivey                        Moobie Grace Designs

Terri G.                                Blooming Ideas

Terry Carter                         Tapping Flamingo

Terry Matuszyk                    Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry

Toltec Jewels                       Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse                         Goldkisses Art

Tracy Martin                        Nutkitten's Jewelry

Zia Parks                              Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe

Zoe Marcin                          Beads, Tea and Sweets

 Thanks for reading!  

Heather

 My Etsy Page
 Find me on Facebook
 Pinterest 

New York City -Shopping

So what do a group of girls and 1 guy do when they get together?  They go shopping in NYC!  (and not on 5th Ave.)

Here we are, having a blast hanging out at CJS Wholesale.

From left to right:  Jim, Bobbi, Me (Heather), Barbara, Shoshana, and Lynnea.  

Here is a peak of what we did that day.  Later blogs are going to focus on each location and things you should know before  you go.  

First we went to CJS, be prepared to spend lots and lots of time here.  

Here is a picture of the chain room.

<------  You have to purchase the entire spool.

Below is a photo of a shelf full of flat back crystals. 

Everything is sold by the pound.

Next we headed off to get some food.  (Jim was starving, the girls were unaware of our hunger.)

After eating and getting our strength back, we headed off to York Beads.  Love glass beads?  Love Czech glass beads?  This place is for you!  The walls are filled with a rainbow of colors and shapes.
Be prepared to buy whole hanks of beads.  You can not split a hank on site, that is what friends are for.      ;)











Across the street from York Beads is a wonderful ribbon boutique.  While hanging out at Tinsel Trading Company a man came in to pick up an order from Martha Stewart.  Wow! We were shopping where Martha shops!

Our final stop of the day was at Metalliferous, one of my favorite places.  If copper shapes are what you are after, this is the place to find them.

I am hoping to go back to NYC sometime early spring 2013.  You can follow my NYC Bead Trip board on Pintrest.

Spring 2013 Colors!

Think Spring!
Pantone is the leading authority in fashion colors. They have recently released their color forecast for spring 2013.

Do you follow color trends?

How do they effect your work?

How are you going to use these colors in your

work for your spring collection?

As an enamel artist I don't try to hunt down the beads that are in the colors that are hot for a season, I create the colors through layering opaque and transparent enamels. So off to the studio I go! Time to experiment!
When trying to replicate colors, the first thing I do is look at my Thompson Enamel Chart. Here is a picture of the enamel colors page from my Thompson Catalog. I have underlined the colors that I own. I do the same with the transparent colors.


I decided to try to recreate Monaco Blue. First I tried 2 coats of Harvest Opaque and 1 coat of Nitric Transparent, no quite dark enough for my liking. Then I tried 2 coats of Bluejay Opaque and 1 coat of Nitric Transparent ---BINGO! I know you really can't tell the difference in the picture, but under a good light or outside there is a difference. My second attempt was a much closer match.


I will repeat this process for each of Pantone's spring color selections. It is really trial and error, and sometimes I just can't quite get it.

Now that I have the color down I write my recipe on my copy of Pantone's Spring Colors that I printed out from the website. (as you can see I dropped some water on this copy!)

So now I have a challenge to all the amazing artists out there! In the comment section list the stones and crystals that you feel most closely match the Spring colors. If you work in polymer or enamel; what combinations create these colors? Go head and experiment and share your recipes!
Have fun!

Heather M.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/hehebeads
https://www.facebook.com/HeHeBeads

My Etsy Shop

How many of you have ever hung out at Etsy?  It is an amazing site dedicated to handmade, vintage and supplies to create handmade items. 
I've had an Etsy shop for quite a few years.  (since 2005!)   I use to list my finished jewelry in my shop, but now I only have supplies.  They are unique and unusual supplies, most of them vintage metal findings. 

Vintage Filigree!  These are so neat and versatile.
What could you make with these?  I've created pendants, necklace, earrings, rings and bracelets.
Vintage Filigree

Brass or Copper?  Not sure?  I think they are copper, they enameled beautifully.
Stars

Hammered copper earring findings.  Drill, enamel, and embellish.  You can also remove the earring post with just a bit of heat from a torch.
Earrings 

Looking for something really different for your designs?  Check out these vintage filigree beads.  Silver colored and highly detailed.  Also have been successful in enameling them.
Beads

 Spirals!!!! and more and more Spirals!
Hammered brass spirals.  Add a bit of whimsy to your pieces quickly and easily.
Spirals

Do you know a Trekkie?   Would they love a themed charm bracelet for the holidays? 
Star Trek

Check out all of these great supplies for you jewelry making! 
CSW Designs on Etsy


Coming soon - vintage and Czech beads.

Metal + Glass + Fire = Jewelry

All about Torch Enameling
Here are the basics that you need to start torch enameling.
1. Copper or iron pieces. CSW Designs by Hehebeads on Etsy

2. Enamel and a torch. You can find those at Painting With Fire Studio. Barbara Lewis is an amazing artist and a good friend.

3. Have a safe place to work - After all you are using a torch. Make sure your table is protected and your torch is attached to our table.

I have a piece of Aluminum flashing I bought at the hardware store covering most of my table. On top of that I have a baking stone that is cracked, so I don't use it in my oven anymore, as my work surface.
My work space is a bit messy right now as I am getting ready for the holiday rush.
In the center of the table are some of my enamels, aren't the colors just yummy?

Here is another view of my work space. The shelves hold all of my enamels in labeled containers. I had a hard time trying to figure out how I was going to sort my containers, when my 9 year old daughter suggested I do it in "Rainbow Order." It was brilliant!
The bottom shelf holds all of my opaques and the top shelf has my transparent colors.
4. Have fun creating your own special color combinations and one of a kind jewelry components.
Here are some samples of my finished pieces:
This piece was made using the copper discs from the first picture.

Enameled iron bead, copper focal made from recycled copper pipe and a bit of recycled sari ribbon.

Hand cut copper discs enameled in blue.

The Rest of Them! Sun and Sea Challenge

 Finally got the rest back from my mom and finished up one that I was working on.  First, is a blue and orange pendants (yes orange and blue again!)  The blue is a piece of copper that I enameled and riveted an enameled orange flower to it. 

 The 3 shell beads were a challenge for me as they are really not something I normally use.  They have a wonderful iridescent shimmer to them so I created a lariat style necklace with them using a multi colored ribbon to hang them from.  The other end of the lariat I attached a vintage piece of filigree.  Both sides are accented with coordinating crystals.

 The last two I created with the amazing polymer clay pieces I received.  As you can tell I love using fiber to accent some of my pieces.  The piece above I stamped and domed a copper washer.  The bottom piece I used an enameled head pin to attach the ribbon and the textured jump ring. 

CBC Summer by the Sea Challenge

A few months ago I received an amazing array of hand mane pieces to create jewelry with.  I wish my summer was by the sea, but it is spent by the pool.  Notice I did not say "in the pool!"  This is my daughter, a member of the local summer swim team, and doing quite well this year!  Since it is hard to take my torch and hammers with me to the pool I have not had much time in the studio.



My first piece was inspired by the amazing focal, I love using fiber in my designs and felt that the unique copper clasp could not be hidden in the back.  The copper beads between the blue ceramics ones are from my NYC stash and are from the 1940's or 50's.  

 

Not sure why I could not get the piece rotated the right way.  Here is another view.

Next I worked on some earrings, I really like how these came out.  The wire are handmade, it is something I can do sitting by the pool! 

 

I've been a blue mood this summer, making lots of blue jewelry.  I guess I am inspired by the blue sky, the blue water and my blue hydranga that I have in my front yard.  So using the orange components was quite a challenge, so I went back to my favorite blue and combined it with the orange.  I enameled copper pieces, stacked them and added the orange beads to complete the look.  

I do not have a picture of my final pieces, my mom borrowed them to wear one day and I have to get them back!  She does this all the time.  I'll post the pictures as soon as I can.  

Enjoy the blog hopping!

Check out the other amazing artists using these amazing components. 

http://www.higginsdesignstudio.blogspot.com/
http://www.yayjewelry.blogspot.com/
http://cswdesignsbyhehe.blogspot.com/
http://alice-dreaming.blogspot.com/
http://blog.aimeesjewelrytreasures.com/

  

ETSY

What did I get done today?  I got lots of cool vintage items listed on my ETSY site. 
Vintage Lucite 

Brass Swirl Charms

                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                        Filigree