Studio Saturday with Claybuttons at Art Bead Scene

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

This weeks winner is ErinS. Congratulations! You have won a Holiday Pendant from Jennifer Heynen of Jangles. 
Send Jennifer an e-mail with your address and she will get it right out to you.

This week we visit the studio of
 Tari Sasser at Creative Impressions In Clay.

Happy Saturday to all and welcome to the glamorous life of buttons! Wait, it's glamorous?! I didn't get that memo. Above is what I have been working on. Snowflakes and Alpacas...sexy (hmmm, right.) 

Clay is a muddy business and it only became remotely sexy with the movie Ghost. Believe me, Demi Moore I am not. Most potters detest even hearing that reference. 

I haven't thrown on my wheel for quite a while but really need to just for therapy. Like Calgon, take me away. There are times you need to have your mind go somewhere besides the task at hand.

Or the mess at hand. This is the usual mess on my work counter. Take your arm and push any and everything to the side so you can begin another project. At some point you will have the time to clean up the mess. 

Time is something I haven't had a lot of in my studio. I have started working outside of the studio. Something I haven't done for many, many years. You do what you have to do. 

I work at a wonderful gallery. What better place to be than a gallery and be able to look at art all day. It's an American Art and Craft Gallery. Yes, some of my jewelry is being sold there. 

I get to explain how items are made and techniques used. I love that part of my job and it helps customers understand what is put into making art. Along with the prices that go with the art.

The owner of the gallery uses Wholesalecrafts (lots) and also attends shows to purchase items for the gallery. I just realized yesterday that she placed an order with our own Virginia Miska. 

Since I am now uber curious to learn about Wholesalecrafts, 

My question(s) is:

Do you use wholecrafts.com? Is it worth the cost? Has it been a successful tool?

Do you vend at any of the wholesale shows to sell and market your art?

Answer one of my many questions on Art Bead Scene's blog and you could win the Celtic Buttons shown above.

My sincere apologies to the winner of my last Studio Saturday. 

I have misplaced your info, could you please resend. 

Feeling sassy as usual.

Tari Sasser

Creative Impressions In Clay

Bead Soup Blog Party

My Bead Soup Partner is Tania Spivey of Moobie Grace Designs. She makes beautiful Polymer Clay beads. I received 2 plus a clasp with another bead and her wonderful wire work. 

I stressed quite a while over this. Worried if I would make the deadline and not having any ideas that I thought were great. My daughter was in my studio the other day and I started pulling beads and findings out of boxes. Things are sorta still packed up from rearranging my studio. 

I found these beautiful strands of gemstone beads that I had forgotten about. They were brought from Russia and given to me by my son-in-laws mom. Perfect! The colors were just perfect. Kristen (my daughter) started throwing out ideas. She too knew I was stressed and offered help. I have been working on a large wholesale order and started a new job. I have been exhausted. Staying up till 3-4am glazing hasn't helped. I'm doing a show this entire weekend. My plate is overflowing.

Everything fell together after pulling loads of things out and putting them next to each other. Taking away and putting back..you know how the creative process goes. 

I use bright bold colors and Tania uses, as you can see, colors from nature. The Teal and Coral colors really work nicely. This absolutely pushed me out of my comfort zone. I really don't design jewelry of this type. I'm not the dainty flower kind of person. This was quite a challenge.

I finally got the photography right! I hate the days when I am photographically impaired. The first attempt was a total bust. 

Second attempt, I managed to get one photo I wasn't totally embarrassed to show, even though I didn't.

Three's a charm! You are looking at the results. I am very pleased with these.

Clasp close up.

My Bead Soup Partner, Tania Spivey of Moobie Grace Designs. Everything Tania sent me. 

I tried to use more of what she sent but it wasn't working. 

Please visit Tania, see is a very nice person plus she does beautiful work!
Click below for the complete list of all the Bead Soup Partiers. Visit all 362 of them!

Blog List

Thanks for visiting!

Bead Soup + Bead Soup Partner

I have been so busy with a large wholesale order, getting kids ready to go back to school and taking my son to college, I haven't had time to post about Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party. Plus I started a new job. Phew.

 I have not participated in a Bead Soup before so this is going to be interesting.  
Lori spends lots of time pairing up partners.


Here is the premise of the Bead Soup Blog Party:

You send your partner a Party Pack-

::  A focal  ::

 ::  Some coordinating spacers or beads  ::

 ::  A special clasp (not just a lobster claw)  ::

Some will send a smaller amount, some will send a larger amount, but you do NOT have to send an entire necklace or bracelet kit.  The idea is you will use the focal and the clasp, and if you wish, some of the coordinating beads,incorporating beads from your own stash. 

  The idea is to help you think outside the box and work outside your normal comfort zone, pushing you into creative directions you may never have gone.

Tania Spivey of Moobie Grace Designs

Tani Spivey of Moobie Grace Designs is my partner. Above is everything Tania sent. Pretty cool stuff huh? Tania creates these beautiful polymer clay beads. These have very small flowers with tiny brass beads in the center, wonderful craftspersonship. When she's feeling skippy she also works with wire.

Focal bead close-up

Focal bead + accent bead

Clasp

I need to get to work on planning out a design and how to execute the design using Tania's beautiful beads. 

Come back for the Bead Soup Blog Party on September 17. Everyone hops from blog to blog looking at all the wonderful creations that were made.

We Have a Winner!!

We have a winner for "Liking" Creative Impressions In Clay Facebook page.

Congratulations to Connected Elements Designs/Candyce Fitzloff-Westfield.

You have won the Circles pendant, shown above!


Please send me your info and I will get it mailed out right away.


Thanks to everyone who "Liked" my FB page!! Love being liked!

Vintaj Art Bead Partner

My month as Vintaj's Art Bead Partner is coming to a close. 
I wanted show all the designs the gang at Vintaj made with my pieces. 
The theme was Carnival Ferris Wheel.

Sweet Treats

Fancy Free

Fun Day at the Fair

Carnival Ferris Wheel

Carnival Lights

Remembering the Fair

Ring Toss

Ticket to Ride

Carnival Nights

Summer Fair

Thanks Vintaj!! It's been great to see your creations! 

Circle Collection

20% Until 8/15/11 using code ABP20

It's Time for a Give Away!!

I'm going to make this very simple. 

To be eligible to win,

"LIKE" Creative Impressions In Clay on FaceBook then 
come back here and post that you did.

Creative Impressions In Clay

Pretty easy!


If you are already a fan, thank you, 
post a comment below that you are already a fan to be eligible.


It would be great if you scrolled down the sidebar and LIKED/JOINED my blog also.

You could win the Circles Pendant shown above. A $30 value.


You have until 8/12 to "LIKE" and comment!

Vintaj + Art Bead Artist= Art Bead Partner

As some of you may know Vintaj has started a great new partnership on their blog, Art Bead Partner.

They choose the theme, Art Bead Artist and partner with them for a month using their products and the art beads (buttons) made by the artist.

Here are the details from Jess at Vintaj:

"As you know, here at Vintaj we LOVE working with Art Beads! We are all huge fans of Art Bead Scene and follow many bead artist’s blogs, incorporate their unique handmade components into our jewelry and share some of their sites on our Favorite Art Beads page. Today I’m excited to announce a new blog feature ~ our design team recently came up with the concept of featuring a monthly Art Bead Partner to reflect our design themes."

I am very fortunate to be their Art Bead Partner for August. I created a new collection of buttons and beads just for this partnership. I was so thrilled to be asked to be an Art Bead Partner, I had to make something special. 

This is the Circle Collection shown being used as components. 

Clay is a changeling, any button can be a component, pendant, charm, clasp etc.

You get the picture. If you see a button and would rather use as something else, ask if it can be changed for your use.

Bracelet by Jess Italia using the Four Circle as a component. Stitch Markers double as charms.

Earrings also made by Jess using the Circle Beads.

Take a look at Vintaj's Gallery they have great ideas and designs using their finding and embellishments. 

Art Bead Partner Special!

Get 20% off minimum order of $20 using code ABP20 from Creative Impressions in Clay. 

Put code in the voucher box.

Studio Saturday with Claybuttons at Art Bead Scene

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

This weeks winner is fantayzya. Congratulations! You have won flower stackers from Jennifer Heynen of Jangles. 

Send Jennifer an e-mail with your address and she will get it right out to you.

This week we visit the studio of
 Tari Sasser at Creative Impressions In Clay.

Happy Saturday! I'm going to continue with Jennifer's theme from last Saturday on organization.
Until recently my studio has been an absolute disaster. Meaning there was a path from the door to computer and counter where I worked. To get anywhere else you had to step over or do the sideways shuffle to find anything. It was bad. The picture above shows the beginning of the organization. The shelves (missing the doors) on the left are holding my glazes and molds plus other things that don't belong, just so I could make a path. It was a HUGE job. There are still random items sitting on the counters but it going to have to wait. 
In cleaning this monstrous mess I hurt my back. Seems I can no longer dead lift boxes of clay. Never used to be a problem. When did this happen? When did I get old or to a state where I couldn't lift and pay dearly for it? I was in shock the following morning. I am not the kind of person that likes to be down or sickly and not do for myself. It is getting better, but I am impatient!

The counter where I make and glaze buttons. Wow, who lined up those glaze bottles!
I know you're jealous of my newly tie dyed curtains. Fun, funky and functional! Groovy too!

I moved my desk to the other end of the studio. Shelves are in it's place. You can see the eye painting from school days or "the creepy eye picture" as my daughter calls it, One of the many pieces I unrolled and clipped to the easel. My son keeps waiting for more art treasures to be uncovered to hang in the house.
I can now get to easel! *Snoopy Dance* The pottery wheel is just below it.
This side of the room is "possibilities." Things uncovered with the possibility of now being able to paint or throw on the wheel again. I love possibilities!

My question this:
What possibilities do you have or might have?
An opportunity? A show?

Leave a comment at Art Bead Scene and you could win one of the Four Circle components.
Use it as a connector, a pendant maybe a clasp...possiblities!

Feeling Sassy as usual!
Tari Sasser
Creative Impressions In Clay

Vintaj Art Bead Partner-Necklace & Bracelet by Betsy Kaage

Betsy from Vintaj Natural Brass created these two great pieces using component from the Circle Collection. She used chain and finding from Vintaj. To get of list of everything she used check the blog post.

Concentric Circles used in the bracelet.

Rings used in the necklace.

Have a great day!

Vintaj Art Bead Partner Blog

The Four Circle Button (shown below) with 2 holes on each side was used as a component for a bracelet by Jess Italia at Vintaj.  Isn't that a cool bracelet!? Click on the link to go to their blog you also get a great tutorial for image transfer onto metal.

Circle Collection

Have a great day!

Vintaj Art Bead Partner

I am so excited to this months Art Bead Partner at Vintaj!!

All items they use will be on the website soon. Having an html moment.

Have a great day!!

Art Bead Scene Sponsor

I am one of four sponsors this month at Art Bead Scene. Each month we feature a piece of art and challenge you to create something using the art as your inspiration. Your piece can be inspired the color texture, shapes, feelings etc. you get from the art. As long as it fits with the theme.

This challenge is open to jewelry-makers, fiber artists, collage artist, etc. The art bead can be created by you or someone else. The challenge is to inspire those who use art beads and to see all the different ways art beads can be incorporated into your handiwork.

You upload a photo of your creation to the Art Bead Scene flickr page and add a tag for that month, like JULYABS. List your materials and give credit to the artist who made the art bead.

Morning in the Garden at Vaucresson, by Edouard Vuillard 1923 reworked 1938

distemper on canvas, 59 ½ by 43 5/8 inches

Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund, 1952

July Monthly Challenge at Art Bead Scene. I hope you'll join the challenge this month!

Studio Saturday at Art Bead Scene

Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.

This weeks winner is Susan Z. Congratulations! You have won a set of beads from Jennifer Heynen of Jangles. 

Send Jennifer an e-mail with your address and she will get it right out to you.

This week we visit the studio of Tari Sasser at 

Creative Impressions In Clay.

Good Saturday Morning! Life is crazy as usual. A little crazier getting ready for a graduation party for my son in a week. Guess who's doing home repairs? OK, me. I haven't been doing much in the studio. Above is my backsplash on a budget. I'm not quite done, it has to be sealed and all the outlet covers need to be put back. 

I used 6"x6" squares of heavy scrapbook paper and Modge Podged them to the wall in a random pattern. It turned out pretty cool and I love it. Bright colors and fun patterns for my kitchen.

These are new designs I created in March for one of my favorite customers, Lucy at the The Cheshire Cat in Montpelier, Vermont. Yes, I love Lucy!
These were for her spring clothing line. Now I have the Birds and Bees and everything is Rosie.

The large rice beads above were originally shown in a Studio Saturday in October. I had a necklace planned for these beads but a different idea came about. The dotted beads were made with loops and attached to the striped bead for a great pattern contrast. A splash of color was added with the anodized aluminum rings. Voila an extra fun pair of dangle earrings.

My question today is:
What have you put on hold while you do something else?
Or, what would you rather be doing?

Leave a comment at Art Bead Scene by answering the question and you could win the 2 Rose Buttons and Bird Button.

Feeling Sassy as usual!

Tari Sasser

Creative Impressions In Clay