Jumping Back In

It's been a busy summer for me with long periods of solitude and time to make beads and jewelry.

I am so surprised that it's turned into a full time job for me.

I decided to dig out some of my Thai silver hoard and use a few pieces from time to time.

These were some polymer pieces I made using Blue Bottle Tree's Rustic Beads tutorial.

How wonderful it is to have a stash of your own handmade components at the ready.

    

I picked out some of my own torch fired numi-sticks for this set and dug into what was one of my first ever bead catalog purchases (before online catalogs even!)

Those little jasper heishi beads are from that very first haul.

I've been making some extra large and bulbous "end of the rods scraps of the day"  headpins that I call my "embonpoint " series. I've been selling some of these in my etsy shop from time to time.

 You don't need to add much to call them earrings. I used a couple of my "Spacey Crusters" and some Faerystones earwires here with a few little African brass spacers.

 

I found that Petra's Scorched Earth ceramic pieces were the perfect accompaniment to  these lovely geode slices.

In case you thought I was going too neutral on you I made these "Fruity Coodlers"

They are an offshoot of my "Spacey Crusters"

"Spacey Crusters" of course!

Just Crust if you Must

Or Lustrous and Crustrous

Extree Long Numi-sticks with abbreviated headpins (redo from another set) and some of RaggedRobyn's wonderful stoneware beads

Another set using beads from the beginnings of my bead hoard. Resin Filled stamped Thai silver beads that were brought back to me by a friend before I had ever even visited Thailand. 1995 or so?

It was before I was even lampworking I'm sure.

We took a trip to Lake Michigan to gather up some Leland Glass. What fun!

Leland Slag glass is a by-product of the iron industry  in the late 1800's when they mixed limestone and coal to extract the ore. The waste product was this beautiful glass that they deposited in Lake Michigan and it's still washing up to this day.

 I purchased this Leland slag glass cabochon thought from a  local shop in the town of Leland

OK, still a fan of creepy baby dolls here. Antique store score. 

She's squeezable and she squeaks!

Some of my first murrini ever. Yeah I've been making lampwork beads for almost 20 years and never made murrini. i think part of it was that I thought it was too graphic for my organic style. I've gotten over that now.

Cuz you can crust it up and do this!

Oh man, I just discovered this new "Avorio Lapis" glass too!

I can't seem to make enough of these Numi-Sticks. Who would think people shopping at our farmer's market would be buying them?

I have been on an etch-a-thon lately. Seems to befit the "oobers"

A little view of Bar Harbor and the Porcupine Islands from Cadillac Mountain

Sorry it's blurry - instagram to facebook to here

 An erupting poppy from the yard.

Summer is over already here in Alaska, we've had frost and snow already.

Just a few more months here before we head south for warmer climes. Missed you all!

Kim

Numi-baubles and Tintinnabulations

Sometimes I just have to revisit some of my former components.

I have such a big list of things I would like to have in stock at all times in my shop but have come to realize that that is just a fantasy and there is a limit as to what I can do so I pick and choose what I'll be featuring at any given time. I have re-christened these numi-baubles so you will know they come from me...yeah, branding.

Most of them are made with transparent to keep a gemmy quality about them, they are made on 20 gauge copper wire so you can twist and wrap them into your designs

I have done a few opaque ones as well.

These are my Tintinnabulations made out of vintage tin plates.

They retain an oh so distressed quality with the enamel and patches of the old paint resisting some of the application. They are lightweight and are totally fun to make as my less than perfectionist nature lets me play and just see what happens. I do these after the piles of frits and enamels get sullied  and blended after much use making my numi-stick copper enamel matchsticks which I am a bit more persnickety about even application and purity of color ( well, sometimes anyway)

 I'm using some pearlescent powders to for an extra crusty slightly sparkly look. I had these powders from my first ordering from my supply place back in the late 90's. I finally ordered some more since I found something cool to do with them. I just didn't really like what they did on glass but now I'm kind of excited about the pixie dust again.

got back into the headpin zone briefly

I really needed a break from enameling after finishing a big order for a vendor at the Tuscon Gem and Mineral Show.

I am proud to announce the MakuStudio with be carrying some of my numi-stick matchsticks along with her amazing raku ceramic pieces. That is a winner for me as I don't have to man a booth or anything and get to rub my little enamel shoulders with her awesomeness.

 To Bead True Blue show, Feb 1-9, Doubletree Hotel, Tucson, AZ, Booth G-168.

If you aren't familiar with her work it's just some of the most stunning and imaginative raku components I've ever seen. I feel honored to be shown with hers.

here's a a link to her facebook page too -

MakuStudio

This was taken from my patio...

Those there mountains are right across the border in Mexico

Going Green with the Theme

I had a bit of fun twisting and curling and hammering the copper wire and adding a patina.

Birgitta Lejonklou of AngelWhisperer made this sleek ceramic focal feather.

Wish I could say that the copper chain was hand forged by me but I'm still using the excuse of being too busy making components to put some good soldering hours under my belt.

I've probably shown this before but it needs to get onto someone else's neck out there

Getting all linky with it.

Which reminds me of my pet peeve of the week. Can you EVER opt out of LinkedIn? I swear I got rid of those mothers  a year or two ago and they have resurfaced again and you have to sign in to sign out.

And another thing. I'm going to try the Twitter some more  with the changes coming up on Facebook regarding promoting your work but I admit it kind of baffles me so if you have any advice on how I can make the most of it I'm open to it.

If you're a fellow Twit you can follow me at @numinositybeads.

I think I'm supposed to dispense short and witty drive-by comments. Is that it?

This old focal came up from the murky depths. It wishes it was labradorite or just to be near some.

Speaking of labradorite, That LoveRoot Nikki Zehler is making some OBSCENE beauties of rings out of some otherworldly cabs. Check her out!

I think I thought these were the same color when I made them...or I was going to make a series and changed my mind. $8 not yet listed.

So here is Bea with her boob stain.

Don't we all feel a little tattered sometimes?

But jewelry makes us feel better, doesn't it?

I'm in love with these...and they are still in the shop!

I made these this week too but some stuff is going before I have a chance to show it.

I've gotten all backwards about this promoting lately.

An old spark plug gapper, slightly enameled

Lovely Jana HappyFishThings droppers with a little of the Roman glass

Another focal bead just waiting for some love.

and speaking of green, i can't forget our old traveling doll friend Candace, wherever she may be.

Happy Solstice you all!

Journeying South Again

Putting the fall in snowfall

 I managed to get a taste of winter in Alaska with an early layer of snowfall before we left and had a  graceful cross country ski out back on the old trail.

We had a full deck of plans as usual this time of year which involved several states and visits and a road trip.

My first adventure after was down in the Hill Country at Lucky Star Art Camp

I had met the organizer Lisa at Squam Art Retreat a few years back when she was one of my roommates. It was her dream to manifest a women's art camp down in the Hill Country of Texas and she made it happen. I vowed to give my self a treat after a very business filled summer of pretty much focusing on my handmade component business.  

I felt I had been neglecting certain aspects of my creativity like the mixed media and journaling that I had been doing a few years back.

My retirement pastime has turned into a full time job it seems!

I  I took a workshop with Mindy Lacefield called "Field Notes" and this guy emerged

I let myself do some freeing journal pages there

I was glad I brought along some of my papers from a Ro Bruhn Etsy set!

We did some reflective nature walking

I took a Mixed Media alchemy class with my friend Corrine Gilman

She challenged us to using just a three colors in our palette and the rest is  just letting your muse go on walkabout.

I took a class on How To Write a Story With write Katherine Center.

She gave us some exercises to loosen us up

I met some great people at the camp and boy did they feed us well. Such a gorgeous location on the Guadalupe River

 After Camp was over we explored a bit in the town of Gruene

Took a short detour to Maine to visit my mum and celebrate my aunt's 94th birthday.

So glad we did. We lost dear old Martha just a few days after her grand birthday party. She had said she wanted to go out in style like her brother Raymond (my father) after a nice celebration.

I guess the those Rogers are true planners.

I ate some incredible seafood stew!

and then headed oback to Austin and got a room at this iconic hotel

It was too cold however to see the bats come out from under the bridge

Sage wisdom at the pizza joint.

We road tripped it back to Arizona and I am back in full production mode for a spell as my shop has been vacant for a bit too long.

I really needed the refreshing break and replenish my well.

The numi-sticks torch fired copper enamel matchsticks are proving ever popular and I try to come up with some different styles.

These are "Painted Desert"

I returned to my vintage tin plate stash and had the idea to cut them up to see how they took the enamels.

Success with the experiment. I love the ghost image of the old paint and the uneven application of the enamels revealing the distressed tin.

I am so pleased to use the frit I made for some more subtle effects

Trying out different finishes

I made a series with murrini

and good old beads

This lady followed me home one night when i visited a neighbor that was down-sizing.

I've named her Bea after my mother in law that I never met...also Bis-Bea

Did I show this already. Some lampwonk that I made way last month

Back to doing my daily desert neighborhood walkies.

Glass mosaic cactus

It's good to be home again