lutkaandco

Moody Blues

March 10, 2011 Leave a Comment

Amazingly, I have been able to get on the torch more than once this past week. With thoughts of blue still on my mind, I made some blue beads, and put together this bracelet. You can find it in my Etsy store:

Filed Under: My Handmade Beads And Jewelry

7000 Bracelets For Hope

March 9, 2011 Leave a Comment

While perusing Michelle’s blog after signing up for the button swap, I came across her blog about the 7000 bracelets for hope campaign. The Global Genes Project (GGP) volunteer team is collecting blue jean/denim inspired bracelets for families living with rare diseases. The project is on going, and Nicole Boice of the GGP kindly informed me that they anticipate the campaign will last throughout 2011 – so, it’s not too late to join!

I thought the blue in my bird a week bead would look great made into a blue jean/denim themed bracelet, so I used one of the three beads as a focal and went from there. I added some Czech pressed glass flowers with sterling beads, tube beads, seed beads, and finished it off with a sterling clasp. It’s a cute lighthearted design, and would look great worn with denim. I made a second one with the actual bird a week bead – you can find it in my Etsy store.

Filed Under: Challenges 2011

And Then There Were Three…

March 8, 2011 2 Comments

Ok, I feel like I’m coming out of the closet… Yes, I am a Blythe doll enthusiast! My DH bought me a new doll for Valentines! I named her Frederica, after his maternal grandmother; Freddie for short. I am not sure where this latest facination with Blythe dolls will go, or how far it will go… five more dolls? maybe seven to make an even and round 10? We shall see. As I have said, my family are amused by this :-). For now, they are interesting, and fun to photograph (they are not camera/blog shy like the family, and don’t dash around all over the place like Koko and Hiro). And for those of you who are curious, here are some blogs and sites to visit:

This is Blythe

Gina Garan’s Photostream

Mademoiselle Blythe

xoxo, Blythe

These are but a few of the sites dedicated to Blythe.

Filed Under: Blythe Doll

Button Swap!

March 7, 2011 1 Comment

Yay!!! another swap! Michelle Mach of Beads & Books is hosting a button swap. I have been partnered with the very talented and sweet, Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studio. We are to swap three buttons, and on April 21, reveal what we made with the buttons we received. What fun!

Filed Under: Challenges 2011

Pig Pen In Your Home?

March 6, 2011 3 Comments

Do you have a “Pig Pen” in your home? My boys do not lack in the personal hygiene/grooming department. But, when they come home from college, they bring weeks of laundry with them. And amidst the activities of snowboarding, skydiving, going to hockey games, and friends descending on our house, they leave in their wake, clutter! Basically, bigger boys, bigger mess! They are still young, but one day, I look forward to passing on the torch to some very nice unsuspecting girls ;-). But as is the case, by that time, I am sure that they will have reformed from their “Pig Pen” habits.

Filed Under: Family and Friends

Bead Soup Blog Party Giveaway Winner

March 5, 2011 1 Comment

Patty, I have sent you an e-mail. Please get back to me so that I can mail your beads out to you. Thank you!

Filed Under: Bead Soup Blog party

Bird A Week Challenge: Week 9/52

March 4, 2011 1 Comment

Well, it happens from time to time… the “Arrghhh!!!” moment. I had made a pink flamingo bead, was quite happy with it, but when I went to clean it, it just broke in two! Oh, well, back to the torch, and three beads later, here is the new pink flamingo bead:

His head is bigger, and his neck is a bit crooked, but overall, I am happy with him :-).
For the blog hop list of artists, or if you want to join the challenge:

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Filed Under: Bird A Week 2011

Drawing Lab 2011: Week 9 Geometric Shapes

March 4, 2011 2 Comments

In nature, everything you see, be it animate, inanimate, man-made, or organic, can be described with geometrical shapes. This weeks assignment was to take a family photo, identify the shapes, then draw on paper. We were to draw the geometric shapes with a sharpie, then sketch the picture. Since the rest of the family is a bit blog shy, I took a photo of two subjects who generally do not object to being “models”, our dogs Koko & Hiro. Here is my sketch and the original photo (it’s a good thing they can’t voice their opinions ;-)):

Filed Under: Drawing Lab 2011

Happy Girl’s Day!

March 3, 2011 6 Comments

Happy Girl’s Day! I made a cute geisha lampwork bead pendant. Her name is Sakura “Cherry Blossom”. You can find her in my Etsy Shop:

March 3rd is Girls Day, “Hina matsuri” in Japan. The origin of this festival dates back to ancient Chinese purification rituals for getting rid of bad luck. During the Heian period (794 – 1185) in Japan, people let straw or paper dolls float down the river or the ocean as their substitutes to take bad luck away from them. This tradition remains today in some regions of Japan as nagashi-bina (floating hina dolls). The purification ritual was unified with aristocratic girls’ playing with dolls, and hina matsuri was established as Japanese Girl’s Festival during the Edo Period (1603-1867).

Many families with girl’s celebrate by displaying “Hina” dolls. The dolls are displayed from late February to March 3rd. Traditional belief is that if the dolls are not taken down soon after the festival, girls may have to wait for marriage. In our family, the dolls came out occasionally, and then were put away “eventually”. I’m happy to say that I am the fourth daughter of four girls, and we all managed to marry in a timely manner :-).

Here are some of my dolls and things Japanese from my collection (the two sitting in the front on platforms are the Emperor and Empress hina dolls; gifts to my daughter from my parents):

Some “rescue” dolls. DH bought them during business trips at antique shops and museum stores:

A kokeshi doll, kimekomi ningyo (made by my mother), mini-babies, and mini daruma style hina dolls:

Some “tansu” trinket boxes:American style ceramic music box (plays sukiyaki), trinket box, and sugar/cream set:

Filed Under: Holidays

March Garden 2011

March 2, 2011 2 Comments

Happy March! The weather here has been a mix of sunshine and rain lately. I took some close-up photos of my garden – all the plants and trees seem to be awakening from their winter slumber.

The rain drops were so pretty on the lemon blossoms, leaves, and ornamental grass:

The Hollyhocks are back – yay!!!, and the Pride of Madeira are right on schedule:

The plum blossoms, peach blossoms, and cherry blossoms are sooo pretty – I can’t wait for the fruits!:

Oh, and the weeds have had free reign of the back grove. But, I have a soft spot in my heart for this fellow, a dandelion. When my boys were young, this was the flower that they always picked for me – oh, so sweet … where has the time gone?:

Filed Under: Garden 2011

Artist: Sheila Le Blanc

February 27, 2011 1 Comment

I had the pleasure of meeting artist Sheila Le Blanc for the first time six years ago when we were both participants at the Red Dirt Art Festival. Sheila began to paint seriously while stationed with her family in Panama. She painted shell watercolors, that can now be found all over the world. She has taken some lessons, but seems to have a natural, innate talent, as well as a great passion for painting. Later, while in Florida, Sheila worked, and her painting was set aside for some years. Upon returning to Redlands, she was able to rediscover and continue her love of art and painting. Sheila works in oils, watercolors, and occasionally pastels. She dreams of someday soon having her own studio to devote to her paintings. Sheila’s work can be found at the Redlands Art Association as well as at the Red Dirt Art Festival.

Here is a painting Sheila did of her grandchildren:

A few more; An old Panama Ruin, English Village, and the Redlands Zanja:

Filed Under: Featured Artists

Bead Soup Blog Party “The Big Reveal”

February 26, 2011 91 Comments

Welcome to the 3rd Bead Soup Blog Party!

Created and organized by Lori Anderson of Pretty Things. Thank you Lori for giving me the opportunity to participate!

I was paired with the very talented artist, Jennifer VanBenschoten of Van Beads, and this is what she sent me:

Jennifer was so generous in sending me such a variety of beads. I was initially overwhelmed, but started getting idea after idea. Rather than making one piece using all the beads, I ended up making three necklaces, one bracelet, and earrings.

And here is what I made:

I used Jennifer’s seed beads and clasp, and made a necklace incorporating a fabric flower I found a tuturial for at Simply Vintage Girl :

This is a pendant I made using Jennifer’s stone tube beads and a hollow lampwork bead that I made:

For this necklace and earrings, I just started twisting copper, and winding the oval stone beads, seed beads, and tiny flower beads from Jennifer and finished it off with some swarovski crystals to add some bling:

I wanted to use the large donut stone in an unconventional way, so I decided to make a cuff bracelet. I had some corduroy from making Blythe doll pants, so I used that and some old lace that I had along with a big vintage rhinestone button and a couple of jet black vintage buttons. I finished it off with the seed beads I had left:

And finally, this is what I have left from the bead soup. Since Jennifer was so generous in sending me so much, I want to pass on her generosity, and send this along with some of my own handmade beads to whoever would like to have them. If you are interested, just leave me a comment, and on Saturday, March 5th, I will pick a random recipient. Thank you for stopping by!