September ABS Challenge

"The White Rose and the Red Rose" 1902 

by Margaret Macdonald

Hunterian Art Gallery Mackintosh collections

99.0 cm x 101.5 cm

Gesso, painted, set with glass beads and shell; on hessian on a wooden stretcher

'Vintage Rose'

Ceramic Beads from Eclectic Prairie, Lampwork beads from Twin Star,Glass 'melon' beads from Arte Bella Surplus,Brass leaf,chain and bird from Vintaj.

Click on the photo to get a better view.

Thanks for stopping by.

Please check out the Art Bead Scene Blog on the 30th to see what others made.

Art Bead Scene August Challenge

The Indian Rug (or Red Slippers),1942

by Anne Redpath

Oil on plywood

'Poppy Field'

Czech flower beads from Southpass Beads

Copper Leaf pair from Kristi Bowman

 I love making earrings so here is another pair that gives a nod to that dark background 

'Zanzibar'

long wood beads

turquoise Czech beads, Jasper beads

Be sure to visit the Art Bead Scene to see more.

Art Bead Scene June

Our Inspiration Art for June

Trees Laden with Parasites and Epiphytes in a Brazilian Garden, 1873

by Marianne North

Oil on Paper

At First I thought the green and red would make the piece look like Christmas.

But looking closer I also saw orange, pale blue and a bit of pink there as well. 

'Free to Fly'

Pale Blue Ceramic Butterflies from Off Center Productions, Green and Orange Czech Cathedral Beads,

tiny dyed spacers and Sterling EarWires

'The Huntress'

Hand made paper beads from Beads for Life, Orange and Green Czech Cathedral beads,

Vintaj Tall Feather and Soaring Sparrow, and an orange ceramic bead above the feather from

Eclectic Prairie

Click the photo to see it close up

Check out what others made on June 30th  At the Art Bead Scene Blog

Sweet Beads From Bead Swede

I was one of the winners of the ABS December challenge and my prize was a $50 gift certificate to Bead Swede Supplies.

Here is what I chose from her shop.

Honestly it was very difficult to choose from all those wonderful pieces and I could have taken them all.  Her enameled pieces are fantastic!

Thanks Kristen for your generous gift!!!



ABS December Challenge

Winter Landscape by Wassily Kandinsky, 1909

Oil on cardboard 75.5 cm × 97.5 cm

The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

This art is our inspiration for December.  I don't use much yellow except for spring or summer pieces. I had a hard time making the pinks and yellows play nicely with the various shades of blues, and I was not successful with making the pink work at all. So here is my piece.

Polymer focal from firefly myst, 2 yellow and teal polymer spacers from Heather Powers, glass beads, Vintaj flourish swirls representing the swirling winter winds, and a Vintaj chain.

I've been trying to do these challenges all year long but I think this is the only one I actually did.  I hope to do better in 2014.

Thanks for Stopping by. Check out the Art Bead Scene Blog Tuesday to see what others have made.

May Art Bead Scene Entry

'Italian's House at Monmarte by Maurice Utrillo'

I created this necklace from the above inspiration art by Maurice Utrillo. I pulled out the greens, browns, and whites from the painting for this piece. I started with the focal, a sweet polymer house from Cindy Gimbrone. Unfortunately the very tip broke off just at the hole. I glued it back on but was not sure it was secure. To fix that problem I cut the same shape out of a piece of brass sheet metal just a bit larger than the house, and glued it to them together.


'Little Villa'

On one side of the necklace I wired a group of vintage MOP buttons together and attached one of the green buttons Kim Bender sent me for Cindy Wimmer's recent Button Challenge. The green button is attached to Vintaj Deco Window Connectors and some tiny green lampwork spacers. On the other side I added wood triangle beads, a Vintaj swirl clasp and some Vintaj etched chain.





A close-up of the pendant


'Little Villa'

Thanks for stopping by. Please visit the Art Bead Scene at the end of May to see what others made for the May Challenge.