Thursday, July 19, 2012

Art Jewelry Starts with....................






by Staci Louise Smith


Art Beads

At least for me it does.  I have a real problem.  I cannot stop collecting them.  I thought it may help me to share my stash of art beads with you all.  You see, when someone pours their soul into creating something, and it is one of a kind, and it happens to fit my style, well, you will see.

My love started with ceramic beads.


My ceramic bead collection started with Lisa Peters Art, and Artisan Clay, and has progressed to contain the works of Maku Studio, Artisan Beads Plus, Marsha Neal Studio, Marla's Mud, Suburban Girl Studio, Jenny Davies-Reazor and Karen Totten.  If I forgot anyone, I apologize.  There are years worth of beads here waiting for the perfect creation. 






Oh, those are mostly the focals, I have earring components over here......

Oh yeah, and don't forget this drawer of beads in groups ready to be made into art...............
And as if that wasn't bad enough, Genea Beads offered to trade with me once, and I was hooked on glass beads.
The beads in here include Genea Beads, Unicorn Beads, Sue Beads, Molten Mayhem Beads, Jane Perala, and I think there are a couple other artists I don't remember in there.  (and some czech glass down in the corner.)

Anyhow, art beads are a good way to start your art jewelry adventure.  I think its great when you can find a few artists who really match your style and go from there. (uh hem, I have found more then a few, obviously)

My love of Art beads even inspired me to begin making my own



I hope you enjoyed your little tour of my stash. I am officially out of the (bead hoarding) closet now.  I can honestly say that most times, it is these amazing art beads alone that inspire my designs.  I am so happy to be surrounded by such art and talent from these bead artists. 

So what got you started in your handmade journey?  If it was beads, who had you captivated? 


12 comments:

KayzKreationz said...

Wow, what a great stash and some wonderful artists. I love art beads.

Artisan Beads Plus said...

That is quite the stash!! I remember when I first went looking for something different back in my earlier days and was amazed at what was out there. Little did I know that I would end up creating my own little gems.....
MaryAnn

Alice said...

Oh dear, it looks like an intervention is needed. Just send me about half of these and everything will be just fine.

I first saw lampwork beads in a bead magazine. The depth of the colors was amazing and I was smitten. Etsy was not around then and I bought mine on ebay--lots of them. In fact I still have quite a few from ebay sellers, most of which are no longer making beads, or have disappeared from radar. It didn't take long to wander into ceramic, then polymer, and metal components. Though my stash of artbeads is not as huge as yours, I love mine all the same, and many times it is difficult to let them go.

stacilouise said...

Setting a goal this winter to put a serious dent in that collection!

Julie Holmes said...

...I think I better stay away from beads....

mairedodd said...

all we have our dragon hoards, don't we? i love so many different people's work for the different effects they achieve...
when i was brand new to etsy i would often shop from marianne kasparian (maku studio), maryann linden (lindenavenuedesigns) and mika collins (pinocean), mellisa essenburg (chinook)
and since i have met and learned about so very many more - what i love so much is being able to support someone do what they love... because i really feel so strongly that we all have a right to pursue what makes our hearts sing...

Sharyl said...

I started with lampwork and now just can't get enough of pottery/ceramics/stoneware beads. Of course, love enamels and metals too! :-) I'm learning to work with brass and copper and trying to make more of my own pieces, but still love the work of the "masters!"

Delightful seeing your stash! I bet you inspire more sharing like this! Hope so!

Third Eye Gypsy said...

Oh how wonderful! Doesn't it make you happy to have so many little works of art? I know how wonderful I feel when I pick up a friends creations. I think about how they were lovingly created with their hands. I think about how one of the beads that I have could have been made in a frantic creative frenzy. You know, the kind where you are so excited to try the idea you jump in and are so focused on making that piece the world disappears? Yeah, those...

I am excited to see that my beads saturate your lampwork bead box :) I almost think I want to start a gallery asking people to show me their stash of my beads in it's bead box. Wouldn't that be delightful?

I started my handmade journey while working at a bead store. My boss was taking a class in lampwork beads. It seemed like the most logical step in my beading career so off I went. The rest, as they say, is history ;)

Corina Beads was my first love in lampwork www.corinabeads.com. She made what everyone would pretty much call the "lampwork bible". It had everything you could ever want to know about lampworking inside. Her beads were BRIGHT, intricate, and fun!

Erika said...

Staci, I am drooling over your hoard!

SmittenBeads said...

Wow, that is some serious stash Staci louise and I thought I had a lot of beads! My personnal addiction seems to be pearls. There are some gorgeous pieces in there but especially love the leaping hare. Thanks for sharing. Claire

Kelli said...

Wow Stac!!!!! Great stash!!! I have huge stash myself! The majority is from our own Mary Ann. She not only captivated me with her earthy colors and style, she and her work inspired me to start creating myself.

BluMoon said...

What a fantastic stash of beads.
I started serious collecting lampwork beads in the days when Just Beads was a wonderful buying site, so many came from artists there. I found a few sellers I liked on Ebay and have bought some on Etsy. Now I buy a lot of designer cabochons for my work love dino bone and fossils especially fossil wood and coral, have a stash of gomestone beads and my great love pearls of all shapes and sizes!
Please disable the comment moderation it has taken me 12 goes to leave you this comment, and it has to be repasted continually
Jackie

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