Honeybee Tutorial and the Flow Magazine!

This is such an exciting month for me! First, my Raven Tutorial is featured in the Annealer Magazine, and now my Honeybee is featured in The Flow! The new, Winter 2009 issue is available now and features several tutorials you don't want to miss! Inside is a simple version of this Honeybee Tutorial but if you want the full, expanded version it's now available in my Etsy store as well. Be sure to pick up your copy of The Flow Magazine as this is also the 5th Annual Gallery of Women in Glass issue - you don't want to miss it!

Happy "Bee"ding!

Raven Tutorial Now Available!!

I have so much exciting news to share today! First of all, I can finally announce that my Raven / Landscape Tutorial is ready! I had to wait for the release of this tutorial for a special reason......this bead won the Grand Prize in the Annealer Magazine's "In Time for the Holidays Contest" and is featured on the cover of their Winter 2009 issue! In this issue is an abbreviated version of the tutorial for you but if you want the expanded version, you can purchase it in my Etsy store.

Also....my Honeybee Tutorial will be available very, very soon as well! Stay tuned!

Feathered Friends....

For anyone that knows my work, you must know that I love birds! Here are some new feathered friends I want to share with you. First of all is a raven I call the Berry Thief. I love the colors in the backgroud - it's fun to work with enamels! I also have another heron with an intense gaze and also something new.....a cheeky chickadee!

And of course as promised....here are a few new Owl Babies too! Little Petunia and Sammy...enjoy!

Wilbur the Owl Baby!

Well it finally started snowing today! Not much - which I'm glad for - but a wee sprinkling of white stuff creating a light dusting that resembles powdered sugar over everything. So, back to the studio I go to keep warm by my toasty torch! Lately I've had some adorable little creatures come out of my kiln.....Owl Babies! I just adore making them as each has their own personality and attitude.

I would like to introduce you to Wilbur the Worrisome. He's a rather shy and somewhat nervous little fellow who is forever looking over his shoulder! He would make a wonderful little companion to sit by your computer or he can be wrapped into a pendant and worn as a sweet little necklace. Stay tuned for more of his friends making an appearance soon!

Howl at the moon!

Good morning my fellow bead enthusiasts!! I'm just about to head out to the studio this morning but wanted to talk about my latest bead listing......yes, another wolf! This is my favorite one so far and is quite a statement piece. This one I made with a horizontal hole so it can be worn on a chain for a simple pendant or wire-wrapped into a more elaborate necklace design. It could even be made into a chunky bracelet or would also look great on a leather cord for a pendant for a guy to wear!

I hope you are all having fun getting ready for the holidays....I still have a bit of Christmas shopping to do but I'm waiting until after the weekend - I'm not brave enough to tackle the mall on a Saturday in December!

Happy Shopping!

Wolf Song

Good Morning!

Well it's finally starting to happen.....snow! OK so it's not much - just a light sprinkling on the ground but I know it's a sign of things to come. So, in my efforts to keep warm I'm spending more time in my studio next to my toasty little torch. Here's what's coming out of the kiln lately.....a pack of wolves! This hairy beastie is singing his heart out to a full moon on a cold winter's night.

Stay tuned for more of his pack mates making an appearance in the days ahead!

Heron Lake....

Yes, I still have birds on my mind lately......does that make me a bird brain I wonder???

Here's another majestic Blue Heron - this one strikes a pose along the shore of his favorite lake. Surrounded by water reeds and set against an enameled background with soft shades of blues and greens, this bead is one of my favorites so far!

And here is something new I just created by special request.....a Whooping Crane! I just adore these graceful birds and have plans to make more cranes over the next while, so stay tuned!

For my bird lovin' friends!

Good morning!! Well it's a chilly morning here in BC today - but the sun is going to shine, shine, shine! So far - NO snow!!!! Yay! Snow for me means a day of back-breaking shovelling to carve a path to my studio in the mornings so I'm thrilled I can "commute" to work without the shovel! lol!

The beautiful full moon we've had this past week and the bright blue skies we've been having have inspired my latest beads. Here is another heron awash in richly saturated enamels - oh how I love these colors! Frost-laden trees and a full moon add detail to this star-gazing heron.

I also have a cheeky raven who's prancing in the snow!

I've also listed another eagle with a strong gaze and ruffled feathers......set against an earthy background that resembles riverstone this focal is perfect for the eagle collector on your Christmas list!

I hope you are enjoying the season and finding beauty in every day!

herons!

I've been getting several requests for herons lately so here are a few new ones! I have been having fun with enamels again and love the way that they resemble watercolor paints and richly saturate the glass with color. By softly etching these beads, I get an almost porcelain - like effect which lends the beads a wonderful softness. These are perfect for the bird lover on your Christmas list!

Cheers!

November Ravens

I can't believe that November is almost over! Christmas is just around the corner and thankfully the snow is holding out for a bit. The sun is shining today and it's a beautiful warm day. Last year at this time we had mountains of snow! I'll keep my fingers crossed that we get this good weather a little longer....

Lately I've been out of the studio and focusing on getting my next two tutorials finished. I am releasing my new Landscape Raven Tutorial in the next week or so and my Honeybee tutorial will be released mid-December. These tutorials are coinciding with two magazines and I will write more about that when they hit the newsstands. Lots of exciting news!
In the meantime, here are some more ravens in the shop today - these two have gotten the last red berries of the season and are looking rather delighted with their finds!

Stay tuned for more new beads this week!

Only 6 Weeks until Christmas!

Ok, so six weeks and a day......where oh where did this year go? It seems to have just flown by! Yesterday was such a warm and sunny day it was hard to believe it was the middle of November. Even though the snow is (thankfully) holding out for a bit, I'm still getting into the Christmas spirit! I've relisted some of my most popular made-to-order sets and focals in the richest red....just perfect for your holiday designs and those special people on your gift list!

Happy Creating!

I've discovered Twitter!

After much resistance to yet another social media hype, I finally took the plunge to see what all the fuss was about. Well, I have to say I get why it's so popular! It's not only fun to follow the celebs who tweet, but also I get the scoop on the newest beads, findings and jewelry as soon as it's listed. It's sweet to tweet! So, if you care to follow me down the rabbit hole, you can access my Tweets here; http://twitter.com/kerribeads
I'll be posting about new beads (of course!), studio news and other tidbits from my life (however boring it may be!)

Now on to more *ahem* serious matters.....beads! I have a new Friesian focal available today - this one has the kindest expression and the long curly mane these horses are famous for. Enjoy!

Just Horsin' Around in the Studio!

Even though the weather is dreary and that usually curbs my creative enthusiasm, I've been enjoying some time in the studio and having a little playtime as of late! Here are the results; two sculpted horse cameos in soft shades of grey. These dappled dandies are ready to be taken home and showered with love and affection (and maybe an apple or two!). Enjoy!

Winter Ravens

While most people lament the end of summer, I am inspired by the crispness in the fall air and look forward to winter! I grew up on Silver Star Mountain in the interior of BC and one of my favorite things was to watch the magnificent trees turn color then see their stark beauty as their leaves blew away in the wind. There was always something magical about how the first frost clung to the trees in the early mornings and I loved it when the snow would start to fall and dust the ground like icing sugar.

I have just listed some new ravens that are inspired by the beauty of British Columbia in the winter. Stark landscapes of silvered pines covered in frost, bright full moons that illuminate the snow covered ground and of course, my ever present ravens strutting their stuff and claiming the last berries of the season!

More landscapes and other surprises to come this week so I hope you'll check in again soon! Have a great week!

my favorite Eagle!

I've had a lot of requests for eagles lately and since I haven't had a whole lot of time in the studio this past week, I decided to part with one I had planned to keep for myself. :) This is one of the beads I made after I had the visit from the pair of eagles that alighted on my neighbor's tree. They were just so magnificent that I made a few eagle beads after that day. This is one that I was especially pleased with and had planned on keeping for myself, but have decided to release into the world and see if he flies home to you. :)

Enjoy!

For Your Goddess Within.....

Oh how I love to sculpt glass - especially goddesses! They are such a delight to create and oh so fun to wear! Nothing gets a conversation going more than a goddess around your neck! In rich colors, assorted body types, and some with intricate tattoos or crescent moons, there's sure to be a bead here that speaks to your inner goddess.....more to come in the days ahead so stay tuned!

A Delightful new Book!

I'm so excited about what came in the mail last week! I just got the book "Rejuvenated Jewels" by the fabulous and talented Amy Hanna! I just adore her work and the way she uses vintage pieces to create lovely little works of wearable art. If you haven't seen this lovely book, I highly recommend you visit her Etsy store, www.amyhanna.etsy.com where you can order a signed copy!

Now out to the studio I go to create something special.....

Cheers!

Eagle Eye...

OH how I love birds, especially birds of prey! Last week I was walking across the lawn from my studio to the house and I heard a distinct cry. When I looked up, I saw a pair of bald eagles in one of the tall pines in my neighbors yard! While we do have eagles in our area, I've never seen one so close to my house before. I rushed in and grabbed my camera and captured a shot of one of the eagles that patiently posed for me. Oh for a better zoom lens!

This is the inspiration for my bead of the day! Now available in my Etsy store.....

Cheers!

It's good to be the Queen...

......or so they say! Here is a special focal for the Queen Bee in your life - maybe it's you! :) Made on a base of royally rich red with a petite golden crown, I think this special bee would be adorable in a whimsical necklace or chunky bracelet. With Christmas just around the bend, I'll be listing more beads in this fabulous red since it's just so perfect for the holidays.

Happy "Bee"ding!

For the Birds....

Oh how I love our feathered friends! Today I have something new to share.....a delicate cameo swan and an African Grey Parrot! The parrot was especially fun to to create even though all those little feathers were extremely time consuming. I really enjoyed creating him though and this just might lead to me trying other new bird beads in the near future.....stay tuned!

Glorious Green!

I seem to be on a color theme kick this week....yesterday it was blue and today I have some yummy green beads newly listed in the shop! From shimmery emerald green swirls on antique ivory, to the delightfully weathered look of copper green, there are enough shades of green here to delight the most avid nature lover!

Enjoy!

Into the Blue.....

Oh how I love blue! The blue of the ocean, the blue of the sky, the blue of twilight and the in-between.....no, I haven't been watching any vampire movies lately, but this little vial might appeal to a creature of the night!

Here are some new goodies in my store today, a deep cobalt blue vessel just perfect to hold a small amount of your favorite essential oil or perfume, fitted with a jeweled cork stopper. Also a colorful dragonfly who looks as though he is flying into an evening sky.....enjoy!

Dragonflies, Ravens and Bees, Oh My!

Oh it's good to be back in the studio and playing at the torch once again! I'm starting to list new beads daily in the shop - some spirited ravens, sparkling dragonflies, chubby bumblebees and more surprises to come! Hope you'll drop in to take a peek!

Happy Beading everyone!

Collaboration is a great thing!

Well hello my beady friends! I know, I am a tardy and infrequent blogger (shame on me!) but I'm back on track and in the studio after a hectic year of bead shows and teaching engagements. All good stuff mind you!

Several months ago, I participated in a wonderful collaboration project called Convergence, that paired lampwork artists from the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (www.isgb.org) and jewelry designers from the Bead and Button readership around the globe. I was fortunate to be paired with the talented Melissa Cable who is the owner of Beadclub in Woodinville, Washington (www.beadclub.com) and the resulting creation has just been featured on page 16 in the newest special issue of Bead and Button magazine! This issue features 20 projects from the Convergence exhibit - if you haven't seen it yet better rush to get your copy! There are some amazing projects in there and they all look to be a lot of fun to create! So special thanks to Bead and Button magazine, the ISGB and my design partner, Melissa for making this wonderful project possible.

oh - and please check back tomorrow......I'm listing new beads in the store again! Yay!!