Your Thoughts on 2014?

Last day of the year.....they do go by so very fast!


So, I'm curious as to how this year stacked up for you. Exciting? Tough? Enlightening?
                                         


I've had some tough moments, and some exciting ones.
I lost a dear friend, the owner of my local bead store. But the blessing has been that a customer chose to purchase the store, and it has been very exciting working with her on new ideas for the store.
She asked me to teach some beading classes, which is very rewarding to share your passion with others.
I was accepted for Beadwork's Challenge for the Dec 14/Jan 15 issue.  Finally published!
Now I want to concentrate on creating a piece to send in as a pattern.
Opened a component store at Artisan Marketplace. Lots and lots to learn about selling and promoting without being annoying!
Social Media is a true challenge to balance! My poor blog has definitely suffered as I have spent more and more time on Facebook, which it seems is heading for some changes.  I truly love my Facebook groups, and I really hope they are not going away, with all the changes Facebook is implementing.
My blog name is Beads and Bread, but the bread part has taken a definite back seat to the beads this past year! As I've discovered some allergic issues, I've pretty much stopped making bread. But my family loves it, and I still have about 200 lbs of grain, so you will still see some baked goodies on here as well.
My Artisan Marketplace site has a blog feature, so I may be moving over there. Stay tuned for that....

Do you have any New Years Resolutions? Plans? Words?
I've been doing the Word of the Year for the last few, and it has made a much bigger impact on me than the list of resolutions that I fail at...
I am planning on learning some new beading techniques, and getting better informed about social media techniques and SEO's.

                                    

And....I am going to do a better job at posting here, since that is where I really get to talk and share with y'all!
Hope you have a safe and happy New Year's Eve! Blessings, Shirley

The Beads are Shaping Up!

Where the heck did the time go? This has been such an exciting year, with so many cool things happening in my personal life, and in the world of jewelry.
Can you believe how many new bead shapes have been introduced in the last two years? Have you snapped up every shape, or are you reserving judgement for a while?
I've only picked up a few, and I've been very pleased with them. I've fallen in love with superduos, as I think most folks have as well.


I've also tried tilas, rizos, and superunos. All quite fun!







There are many, many more shapes, and I do hope to try some of them in the future, as the beady budget allows.
What about you? Any new shapes you've fallen in love with?
Blessings,
Shirley

It's a GRAND OPENING!!

That's right! Tomorrow is the Official Grand Opening of all the stores at Artisan Component Marketplace....including mine!



I think the prices are extremely reasonable, but in honor of the Grand Opening, I'm also offering a 20% discount. Use GRAND20 at the checkout.
Here are a few of the products...

I still don't have a lot of product, but I'm beading just as fast as I can! :)
Hope to see you there..the discount will be good through Monday.   Blessings, Shirley

And the winner is.......

Ms. Sherri Stokey has won her choice of:

one of these three flat herringbone bracelets. Thanks to everyone for your help, and keep watching....I rather like doing these giveaways!   Blessings, Shirley

The Learning Curve...and a Giveaway!

So, this post has come about due to some recent conversations on facebook, and some exciting changes in my personal life.





As a beadweaver, there is a dedicated learning curve. Some folks instinctively grasp the math behind the beads, and some can effortlessly put colors together in fantastic displays of gorgeousness.
The rest of us? Well, it takes work, and more work, and more work.
I do feel that I have made huge strides in my technical skills, and choosing colors that play well together. Some of my favorites......

And....some of my 'not so favorites'...

The important thing is, I've learned with each design. I've found which colors I work best with, which materials, and the techniques that really make me feel good.

It has truly been and enjoyable journey, and I am finally opening a shop!!!!

It is a components shop, so those folks that love seed bead creations, but don't like working with them, can now use them in their designs.

It is still very small, with limited inventory, but hey, you've gotta start somewhere!

Here's the link: http://artisancomponentmarketplace.com/shirleymooredesigns/

I'm also working on opening a finished jewelry store as well, but that will probably not happen til after the first of the year.

My last piece of good news is that I am now teaching classes at my local bead store, Moonstone Beads. If you are in the Myrtle Beach, SC area, please stop in, it's a great store!

 It's been a fun challenge for me, really stopping to think about patterns that will work for beginners.

I have to confess, even when I was a beginner, I was always pushing the envelope, trying patterns that were harder than my skill level...so this has been very different.

Ok, so if you've made it this far, you definitely deserve a treat, right?

I need nice, constructive criticism, so I'm asking for help on the storefront.

Please head over and check it out, and let me know if you see something I can improve, change, add, etc. 

Come back and comment and you will be entered to win  one of these pretties. I will draw a winner on Friday, Oct. 24th

Thanks for your help! Blessings, Shirley

It's AJE Reveal Day...and it's a stunner!

I know, I know, it's not polite to brag on yourself....but seriously, I'm just rather impressed at where this piece took me!
If you are not familiar with AJE, you are in for a treat. It's a blog of super talented folks, and each month they create a piece from a component one of them created. They are also nice enough to have a few folks join in each month as well. I've been very privileged to participate in the past.
This month the component is created by the fabulous Kristi Bowman. What that woman can do with clay is awesome!

I grabbed this image from the AJE site. Mine piece is the bottom row, on the right.  I just adore the warm, coppery tones in it.
There is also a hint of purple, so that pretty much set the color choices for me.
However.....I hit a major hiccup in my process.
See, there was this gorgeous sexy, double St. Pete in Beadwork a few months ago that I just knew would marry so well with the pendant. I started it with plenty of time to spare...colors were awesome...I knew it would work, even with the modifications I was making to the pattern. But, confidence is great to trip you up at times. I made a major uh-oh in my beadweaving. So, I had to decide very quickly whether I would Ripppit, Ripppit, or start something totally new.

I'm crazy, so I decided to start something completely new. Fingers flying, brain sizzling with ideas, I tried some things I've not tried before; and, well, I love it! I hope you do as well...

I chose some luscious purples, blues, coppers, and metallics to show off the pendant's rich patina.

The chain is a mix of triple spiral, seen here, along with some new peyote beaded beads as well.

Obviously, I need to learn how to photo the entire length of a longer necklace...sigh.

Closeup of the beaded beads I stumbled upon. I'm not going to be prideful enough to say, 'I created'. However, I do love the look, and they are very tactile. The wavy strands move freely upon the bead.

Lampwork toggle from The Beading Room. The soft mottled colors work perfectly with the overall palette.

I was so excited to finally get to use these fabulous disc beads by Lea Avroch. They show off the peyote beaded beads perfectly.

 Look how everyone plays so well together!!

I've used this RAW variation several times. I love how easy it is, and the silver lined beads meander like a stream through the matte beads.

So, were you wondering what happened with the original design? Well, I went ahead and took a pic of it for ya, cause I'm nice like that....

See how pretty and feminine? And the pattern was for a double layer St. Pete, so these oranges would have been peeking out through the purples.

You can wear it with the fringes inside our outside. I hope I decide to finish it. But, you just never know....

Thanks for hangin' with me through all those pics. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Kristi's components, and thrilled to create for AJE.

You can check out everyone's work from the links over at AJE. 

Blessings, Shirley

Anchors Aweigh Reveal!!

Today's the day!! I'm so very excited to show you what I've created!!!
I'm thrilled to not only participate in this blog hop by the wonderful Rita (Toltec Jewels), but to get to play with Diana Ptaszynski's beads!!! I just adore Diana's beads, and this is one of my most worn bracelets. That girl knows her stuff!







Here's a pic of the beads I received for this challenge. And you can go here to pick up some of your own!



I love the soft color of these babies. I could have gone in a green direction, or blue, or grey.
I knew what style I wanted for them, I just wasn't sure how to accomplish my idea. So off I went to Pinterest. I love heading over there for  ideas and inspiration. I just typed anchors and sea in the search box, and got lots of ideas!!!

I chose to go with a 'rope' theme. I kept it very simple, because I wanted the rope idea to lead the way.

Sigh, I seriously need to learn some image skills. You really can't see the different colors in the images, but I used a soft grey accented with tiny silver 15's. The other side is a soft, matte white lined in silver.

 A soft and simple interlocking knot.

Perfectly accented with that gorgeous anchor bead!

The colors glow in the sunlight!

 I'm so pleased with this piece, thank you Rita for the challenge, and Diana for the wonderful inspiration!

Please go check out all the challenge participants.

Featured & Honored Artist:        Diana Ptaszynski

Diana's Shop:                           Suburban Girl Beads

Diana's Blogs:                          Suburban Girl Studio

                                                 Art Jewelry Elements

Hostess: TJ                               Jewel School Friends

Bobbie Rafferty                         Beadsong Jewelry

Chris Eisenberg                         Wanderware

Heather Richter                         Desert Jewelry Designs

Michelle McCarthy                    Firefly Design Studio

Kathy Lindemer                         Bay Moon Design

Dini Bruinsma                            Angaza by Changes

Cynthia Machata                       Antiquity Travelers

Kathleen Breeding                     99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Linda Younkman                       Lindy's Designs

Robin Reed                                  Artistry HCBD

Marla Gibson                              Spice Box Designs

Gina Hockett                               Freestyle Elements

Renetha Stanziano                      Lamplight Crafts

Marianne Baxter                          Simply Seablime Jewelry        

Christina Miles                             Wings N Scales

Marybeth Rich                            A Few Words from Within the Pines

Shai Williams                              Shaiha's Ramblings

Cheri Reed                                  Creative Designs by Cheri

Monique Urquhart                      A Half-Baked Notion

Jennifer Reno                             Musings of a Crafty Jenny

Shirley Moore                             Beads and Bread

Tammy Adams                           Paisley Lizard

Melissa Trudinger                       Bead Recipes

Jill Bradley                                  JillyBeads

Tis the Season!

Oh my Gosh!!! Are y'all as frantically tired as I am?? School has started with a bang!


I addition to that, I've got lots of new irons in the fire.One of which is the honor of being a guest blogger for Art Jewelry Elements! I love this blog, it's one of the few I actually keep up with on a regular basis.
I know, I have been a total slacker on posts...All I can say is, I'm trying to do better. It is rather hard to keep up with all the social media outlets and keep your finger in the pie, so to speak.
Facebook can literally eat up your day, but if you don't maintain a presence there, you're not going to have folks remember you when they are in need of a pretty piece of jewelry, you know?
I do have a Twitter account, and Instagram. I use the Twitter to post for giveaways, and that's about it.
I post pics of food I make on Instagram, and the adorable clay pieces my daughter creates.

I'm in the process  of creating an online shop to finally! sell my designs. That was a looonngg time coming, let me tell you! I still don't have all the ins and outs figured out, but I just can't wait til I do, otherwise I'll be dead and someone else will be selling them!

Hope you're all doing well, gearing up for the Holiday Season! It is an exciting time, I love this part of the year, even though it's rather hectic. The weather turns cooler...


I start baking PUMPKIN EVERTHING!!!!!








So, what about you? Do you love this season of busyness, or dread it? Blessings, Shirley

Choosy Chicks Choose Chicklets...Reveal time baby!

 Ok, this was such a fun challenge!
The awesome Rita (Toltec Jewels) put out a request for artists interested in playing with some of Sue Kennedy's new bead design, chicklets.
If you've ever had the pleasure of designing with Sue's beads, you will totally understand why it was a joy to create with this bead!

I received the top bead on the last row. Yes, that yummy orangey pinkey color. Sooo gorgeous!!!
This is a small bead, so you would think I would choose to create a bracelet, right?
Nope.
I wanted to make a necklace, so I could feature this baby front and center.
Wanna see? Course you do, that's why you came. Insert dramatic cloak swishing....TADA!!!!!!!

I created a double rope with kumihimo and 3 bead spiral peyote.

 Here is a close up of the kumihimo. I looped the end, and added some jump rings to the loop for a fun texture. This has 8 elements, with a chocolate bamboo yarn creating grounding for the sparkle yarns in burgundy, yellow, and orange.

 The peyote spiral picks up the darker tones in the bead, along with a softer shade of the oranges. The spiral has two size 8's, and 1 size 11 seed bead. This is a quick spiral that packs a lot of visual punch.

 I created a butterfly bail to suspend the bead from the ropes, 

 and added some simple fringe to the bottom. The butterfly bail gives such a nice contrast to the ropes, and the darker beads just point straight to that fabulous chicklet!!

 I may go back and add more fringe, it's driving me crazy the way it keeps separating to either side!

Here are the rest of the lucky participants!

Thanks Rita, for another super fun challenge!

ARTISTS:

Guest of Honor & Featured Artist:  Susan Kennedy

Sue Kennedy's blogs:                               SueBeads...A Beady Girl's blog

                                                               Art Jewelry Elements

Sue Kennedy's website                            SueBeads

SueBeads Art Beads                                SueBeads

Hostess:

Toltec Jewels                                           http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Artists:

Linda Anderson                                       http://fromthebeadboard.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Reno                                           http://jenrenjewelry.blogspot.com/

Shirley Moore                                          http://beadsandbread.blogspot.com/

Kristen Stevens                                        http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Marybeth Rich                                         http://forestofjewels.blogspot.com

Jael Thorp                                                http://jaelsjewels.blogspot.com/

Melissa Trudinger                                     http://Beadrecipes.wordpress.com

Andrea Glick                                            http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/

Nan Smith                                                http://wirednan.blogspot.com

Blanca Medina                                         www.peru-medesigns.com

Shai Williams                                            http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com

Carolyn Lawson                                       http://Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Rana Wilson                                             http://Ranaleadesigns.blogspot.com

Robin Reed                                              http://willowdragon.blogspot.com

Robin Showstack                                     http://heartsdesiresjewelryforyou.blogspot.com/

Sheila Prosterman                                     http://catswithbeads.blogspot.com

Karla Morgan                                          http://Texaspepperjams.blogspot.com

Kari Asbury                                             http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com

Kelly Rodgers                                          https://www.facebook.com/BeadinBlackBlue

Jayne Capps                                            https://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com/

Mischelle Andrade Fanucchi                    https://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/

Heather Richter                                       http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com

Chris Eisenberg                                       www.wanderware.blogspot.com

Kathleen Breeding                                   http://www.zibbet.com/99BottlesofBeadsontheWall

Linda Landig                                           http://lindalandig.wordpress.com

Crystal Thain                                           http://beaddragons.blogspot.com/

Cheri Reed                                              http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com

Heather d-Entremont                               http://frugalmadougall.wordpress.com/

Dini Bruinsma                                          http://angazabychanges.blogspot.com/

Lori Schneider                                         http://www.beadaddicted.blogspot.com/

Tammy Adams                                        http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog.html

Melinda Orr                                            http://bandanagirl.indiemade.com/blog

Lennis Carrier                                         http://windbent.wordpress.com/

Cynthia Machata                                     http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com

Elizabeth Hodges                                    http://thewhisperingseas.blogspot.com

Debbie Rasmussen                                  http://kepirasmussen.blogspot.com/

Tanya McGuire                                       http://tanyamcguire.blogspot.com/

Charlie Jacka                                          http://clay-space.com/blog/

Ev Shelby                                               http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson                        http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com/

Jasvanti Patel                                        http://jewelrybyjasvanti.blogspot.com

Thanks for joining me in celebrating this challenge. Blessings, Shirley