Beaded Bookmarks

 

I've got books, books, books on the brain lately and rightly so. Lorelei and I will be doing the final edits and will be getting our very FIRST look at our completed book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather, Ribbon and Cords over the Christmas holiday! A very special gift for me, indeed. I came up with this idea of making a beaded and braided bookmark as a celebration of sorts and also as a way to create and share my joy and excitement with others as I wait in great anticipation for the release of the book! I'm really excited about how my projects came out. I just had to share. I'm giving these as holiday gifts this year to family and friends. Everyone as been so supportive over the last year and this is my way to express my gratitude for that special support that was needed and given during the book writing process. I really like that it's something other than jewelry, but still expresses my style, esthetic and materials I love using in my jewelry designs.

Looks great holding your place in your favorite novel! Or these bookmarks would certainly be perfect to use along side your favorite beading book, don't you think?...just sayin'. :)

I think these will make great gifts, even for the guys! The guys on my list are getting one, like this bone bead one pictured above. 

Hmmm...maybe I could make up a tutorial for these so you can make one for yourself or give as a gift as well. Would anyone be interested in that? Let me know. I would love to share this with all of you, too!

Artists Helping Artists

Several artists in the blog community have decided to band together to help a fellow artist in need. Each one of us is conducting a silent auction to help raise funds during this time of hardship. All moneys raised will go directly to the artist in need.

I'm offering my "Rainfall" earrings below:

 Rainfall Earrings

 Modern and stylish bohemian chic earrings with a long, dramatic drape! Perfect for the hip, fashionista in your life or maybe that person is you! If you're an earring girl like me, you will love them. These earrings are light weight and so much fun to wear. Beautiful red aventurine gemstones are hand-knotted with precision and hang from artisan-made hammered and antiqued 25mm copper rings. Ear wires are also hand-forged antiqued copper. Earrings measure 4 inches long including ear wires. You will receive the earrings pictured above packaged in a pretty organza gift bag.

This is a rare opportunity to own one of my original designs!  You won't want to miss out.

The starting bid for these earrings is $20.00.  International participants welcome! Shipping costs will be included in the winning bid amount. Auction closes Sunday, December 11 at midnight.

Would you like to be the winning bidder?

Please leave a comment along with your bid. If you are the winning bidder, you will receive an invoice after the close of the auction. There must be a way to contact you. If you have email preferences turned off in your profile, please leave your email.

Many people are auctioning items to help out! Please visit these other artists below and place your bids!

List of participants:

Heidi Post http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.com/

Marie Cramp & Lori Anderson http://skyejewels.blogspot.com/

Barbara Bechtel & Staci Smith  http://secondsurf.com/

Erin Fickert-Rowland http://elysianstudiosart.com/

Keirsten Giles http://www.cerebraldilettante.blogspot.com/

Andrew Thornton http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

Karen Totten http://starryroadstudio.blogspot.com/

Kristi Bowman-Gruel http://dreamsomedesigns.blogspot.com/

Nan Emmett http://spiritrattles.blogspot.com/

Maire Dodd http://mairedodd.blogspot.com/

Amanda Cargill Austin http://www.seashoreglassgirl.com/

Janice Everett http://jlynnjewels.blogspot.com/

Rebecca Anderson http://songbeads.blogspot.com/

Shannon Iko Chomanczuk http://formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Justman http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/

Erin Prais-Hintz http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/

Kerry Bogert http://kabsconcepts.blogspot.com

Patricia Gasparino http://www.mylifeunderthebus.typepad.com/

Erin Seigel http://erinsiegeljewelry.blogspot.com/

Courtney Breul http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com/

Other Fundraisers:

MaryAnne Carroll at LMAJ http://lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2011/12/5-huge-giveaway.html

Sneak Peek!

I thought some might like to see this.
Interweave Press recently released this preview of our upcoming book.
Here's a sneak peek look! Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Interweave.comhttp://www.interweavestore.com/Jewelry-Making/Books/Bohemian-Inspired-Jewelry.html

Bohemian_Inspired_JewelryBLAD_web

Secret Stuff and Snaptastic Photo Results!

Hi all! I apologize for it being so quiet around here. Blogging will most certainly become more of a commitment in my immediate future, that's for sure. I was recently offered an amazing opportunity to join a well known group blog. I'm so excited! Joining a team like this will definitely help me make blogging more of a priority. Can't wait to share the news with you on that soon.

Also, I've been working hard on all secret jewelry stuff, lately. Mostly magazine submissions for 2012...and one other really BIG secret thing. At least, it's big to me. No, it's definitely big. Eeek! I'd be playing where all the professional jewelry girls and boys play if I got this. I haven't heard anything back yet, so wish me luck! I really want this thing to happen. I think it's the direction I want to take my jewelry career for the future. I wish I could tell you more, I just don't want to get too ahead of myself here, so I just can't go there. I know. I hate cryptic messages from people too, so I understand if you dislike me right now. ;)

Anyway, in other news, I finished up Kerry Bogert's Snaptastic e-course! Yay! I learned a lot and I'm improving on my jewelry photos tremendously! I still need a little more work and practice to be where I want to be overall, but I'm happy with the results I've gotten with the information Kerry shared in her course. You can still take the e-course, you know. Just click that link above. I highly recommend it! Here are a few of my new photos I took and edited while taking Kerry's e-class:

 Rainfall Earrings

 Blue Jean Baby Leather Wrap Bracelet

 Exotic Wishbone Earrings

You can see a few more on my Flickr page!

A Jewelry Accord: Our Book

Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather, Ribbon and Cords

by Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegel

 Book News! Check out my post on A Jewelry Accord Blog...

A Jewelry Accord: Our Book: If you've been following us for a little while now, you know that Lorelei and I are writing a jewelry-making book all about creating beaded ...

Taking Jewelry Photos

I'm thrilled that Kerry Bogert is offering an e-course of her Snaptastic! Photography class! I was considering attending ArtBliss this year to take the class there, but with a baby, buying our first home and finishing up the book, I just couldn't make it. Kerry is one of those people in the bead and jewelry world I admire very much for just about everything she does. I'd love to meet her in person someday, but I was really thrilled she was offering her class as an e-course. Now, that I can do! I have some new plans in the works and I really need to be taking better photos of my jewelry. I feel I used to be able to get some good shots when I could take most of my photos outside, but I don't have an outdoor space to take photos where we live now. I need to learn how to get better shots inside. I also need to learn how to use the settings on my new camera. Even though I have a point-and-shoot camera, it still has settings and modes for things like aperture, shutter speed, manual, program, etc. Ack! I have no idea.
The e-course will be starting in a just few days. You still have time to registrar and take the class with me. I was a little too anxious to get started, so I bought her e-book version and I've gotten a little head start! I made some new earring designs I'm very excited about, so I wanted to get some good shots of them. I've been taking photos for 3 days straight and I'm exhausted!

Below are photos I managed to come up with after reading Kerry's e-book:

These were taken in natural light. It was cloudy all three days I took photos, but I think I managed to get some okay shots. Still, a bit dark. These are probably the best photos I've ever taken of jewelry, so at least there's improvement! So, what do you think? Be honest, now. I'm looking to improve, so don't be shy with the critiques!

10th Wedding Anniversary

October 7th 2001.

Here we are on our wedding day, 10 years ago!

An Apache Blessing read at our wedding:

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter to the other.

Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be th warmth to the other.

Now you will feel no loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other.

 Now you are two bodies, but there is one life before you.

Go now to you dwelling place, to enter the days of your life together.

And may your days be good and long upon the Earth.

We are so lucky we found each other. We built a life together. We found the best together. There is no joy greater than living this life with each other.