Bead Cruise 2013

 www.beadcruise.com

I'm preparing for a trip of a lifetime aboard a luxury cruise liner! Boy, I have dreamed of this since I first heard it even existed. Yep, I'm going on the Bead Cruise 2013 hosted by our fearless leader in the bead community, the gracious, Heather Powers. I jumped at the chance to be apart of her Bead Cruise. Perfect combination of a little bit of business with a whole LOT of pleasure. Plus, it's amazing opportunity for me to do something I have never done before. It's my very first cruise ever and really this will be my first trip outside the US, besides Canada. Geesh, I'm 35. I think it's about time I saw the world a little! I had to rush and get my passport for the first time, too and everything. Well, I got my passport in plenty of time and I'm ready to get away on this cruise!

Did I tell you my word for the year is EXPAND? Well, it is and apparently, I'm kickin' it off with a whole lot of 'expanding my horizons' in a very literal kind of sense! Cozumel, Grand Cayman Island and Jamaica, here I come. I'm so excited and so looking forward to this incredible adventure. Since I don't know if I'll ever get to go on a trip like this again, I went all out and signed up for the shore excursions at the three ports of call. Mayan ruins in Cozumel, snorkeling at Sting Ray City in Grand Cayman Island and a Reggae beach party in Jamaica. Hoo Whoo! Ya Mon. I feel so Irie!...Sorry...A little Jamaican talk for ya. ;)

Not only will this be a vacation trip of a lifetime, but I will also be teaching my Bohemian Knotted Earrings Class as well! Go here to see the classes. In the coming weeks, I will be getting all my beady goodness ready. I'm making kits for my class and extras to sell. I'll be bringing my other jewelry kits and also my tutorial for the Macrame Flower Bracelet, some of my favorite supplies, materials and tools such as Irish waxed linen cord, Macrame boards and knotting tweezers. And of course, a few copies of my book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather, Ribbon and Cord.

 Bohemian Knotted Earring Kits 

available for purchase in my Etsy Shop

Whether you are taking my Bohemian Knotted Earring class on the Bead Cruise or not, you can purchase a kit for the earrings in my Etsy shop! The kits included all the materials you need to make the three earring styles, Sun, Fringe and Chandelier. The kits come in Solid Copper for $30 OR you can upgrade to Sterling Silver for $40. All metal components are handmade by Shannon Levart of Miss Fickle Media. If you can't make it to one of my classes this year, you can purchase my Bohemian Knotted Earrings PDF tutorial in my shop for the instruction on how to make the earrings.





Not only am I teaching a class, but I'll have the opportunity to take two of the classes offered on the cruise. Ronna Weltman's Go Organic With Polymer Clay and Kerry Bogert's Sweet Tweeter class. I'm very excited for both of these classes! I'm thrilled to have the time to connect and learn from these two amazing artists, authors and instructors.This is a rare opportunity because most times when you are teaching at an event, you won't have the chance to take any classes yourself or even just chatting with the other instructors.

Can't wait to meet all those aboard Bead Cruise 2013. Many will be new to me. I'm looking forward to seeing my bead friends and fellow instructors, Heather Powers, Beverly Herman and Kerry Bogert, again. I'm also looking forward to meeting instructors, Tracy Stanley and Ronna Weltman for the first time. Bon Voyage!

Wellness Words Jewelry Challenge

My friend, Tracy Statler, is hosting a new jewelry-making challenge over on her blog, Make Bracelets! The challenge is called, Inspire Change: Wellness Words Jewelry. The idea is to choose a positive word, phrase or mantra that you want to incorporate into your life and create a piece of jewelry around it. I love this idea and I love the trend of inspirational jewelry that hold meaningful messages. Tracy calls it "healthy" jewelry and I couldn't agree more! The messages in the jewelry helps us to be mindful. When we are mindful, we are more self-aware. When we are self-aware, we are in alignment with our true self. When we are in alignment with ourselves, we are in a state of well-being. So, yes. Healthy is very appropriate.

Many folks choose a word at the beginning of the new year to use as a guide, a mantra to help them achieve a goal, a dream or positive change in their lives for the coming year. I have not intentionally committed to doing this in the past. This year, however, a word and a phrase chose me. I wasn't particularly seeking out a word, but when this thought came to mind, it resonated with me.

My word is:

EXPAND

as in

 'Expand Your Horizons'

I'm excited to see what this means for me, where it will take me and what it holds for the future. I know one thing already, I WILL be literally 'expanding my horizons' on the Bead Cruise 2013! Yeah! (More on that coming soon!)

Hope on over to Tracy's blog for all the details and to sign up for the challenge. Sign-ups close January 20th, so hurry! The jewelry reveal date is February 2nd. See you then!

Studio Saturday on ABS

Yoga-Inspired Jewelry and Works-in-Progress in the Studio

Join me over on the Art Bead Scene blog for my latest Studio Saturday post. I posed some interesting questions and food for thought for all my fellow co-creators! :)

Silver Branches Bracelet Tutorial

Happy, Beady New Year! 

I'm sharing my first jewelry tutorial of the year. Silver Branches Bracelet is my Ornamentea.com designer contribution for January. I love the natural, organic feel of this piece. The design is inspired by elegant bare branches covered with sparkling snow. So fitting since there is many inches of snow outside my window right now. A wonderful wearable tribute to the Winter season and beyond.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and creative 2013!

Ingredients

- 1 strand of charlotte silver-coated size 8 seed beads
- 1 antique pewter twig toggle set
- 5 yards of walnut brown Irish waxed linen cord

Tools

- Ruler
- Scissors

1. Cut the linen cord into four 40 inch pieces. Use all 4 cords to string the bar half of the toggle clasp. String the bar to the center of the cords. Fold the cords in half; form an overhand knot with all the cords together as shown.

 2. Use one cord to string 3 seed beads. Measure about ½ inch from the previous knot and form an overhand knot, capturing the 3 seed beads as shown. Repeat 10 times down the length of the cord. Repeat entire step for the remaining 7 cords.

3. Bring all 8 cords tighter and form an overhand knot as shown. Separate the cords in half. Use 4 cords to string the ring half of the clasp as shown. Tie all the cords together with a square knot as shown. Trim ends to ¼".