Beads by Jean Christen

I finally got my camera to upload to my computer.  For some reason it was just not working right. Now I can post the pictures of Jeanies Beads.

Port of Friday Harbor

Everyday when I park my car up the street from my store I pause to take in the beautiful view of the Port of Friday Harbor.  I thought I would share with you my view.

Adding more beads

It has been quite a while since I've posted on my blog!   I have been busy, busy, busy and the tourist season just started. 
I have been adding beads and jewelry findings daily.  I recently got in contact with Jean Christen from eastern WA.  She makes wonderful beads, pendants, pots, mugs and the best mixing bowls ever.  She is sending me some and I should have them in store by mid-week next week, yahoo!  Love her work and I have been looking for nice ceramic mugs for my store for about 6 months. 
4th of July weekend is upon us here in the San Juan Islands and I am hopeful it will be a very busy weekend.  I am so excited to have the prospect of putting more wonderful gifts in my store for my customers at reasonable prices.
I am still trying to get Art papers, Scrapbooking supplies and other goodies.  Stay tuned.
Have a wonderful weekend.
R

Drilling Holes in Things Workshop Mon

Drilling holes in things workshop is on Monday Evening at 5:30  I have a space left if you are wanting to join in to this workshop.   It is 30.00 plus a charge (actual cost) for the special bit.   You need to have a Dremel or Dremel type tool. Come and finish a beach glass necklace and earrings.  We will also be drilling stone. 

What's In Store Teresa DeLeen Studio

Vital Elements carries a wonderful line of Jewelery from Teresa DeLeen Studio. The initial pendants she creates are one of a kind and simply beautiful. Teresa makes her pendants from PMC. She desribes the process below.
Precious Metal Clay is a clay-like medium used to make jewelry, beads and small sculpture. It consists of very small particles of silver mixed with an organic binder and water. Precious Metal Clay can be shaped just like any soft clay, by hand or using molds. After drying and sanding, it is fired in my kiln. The binder burns away, leaving .999 pure silver which will not tarnish as quickly as sterling (.925) silver which contains copper. The piece was then antiqued, to bring out the texture, tumbled all night to strengthen the metal and, viola!

Drilling Holes in Things- rescheduled to May 24th 5:30

This workshop has been moved to May 24th due to a pre-scheduled event. Hope to see you then!

Great Workshop Last Night

I had the best workshop results last night. It was my collage workshop and we went through about 10 techniques. Great fun! I love the fact that so far the workshops have gone well. They are small and intimate and I think I prefer that to a larger group. I asked the attendee's if they liked a technique based class or a project based class and two would prefer a project base class. It may be hard to finish a project in 2-3 hours but I am going to come up with some ideas for my fall and winter workshops.

I have been approached by several people to do one on one instruction and to have jewelry making parties, art parties, and beading parties so I am working up a brochure and price sheet for different kinds of events. This would be fun and bring business into Vital Elements and the customer would take home their project as a memento.

I recently had a customer come in and spend the evening with her husband making 12 special pendant for her 50th birthday, she and her friends were all traveling to Spain and attending a horseback riding adventure. The pendants had the name of the group and an image of a horse. They turned out great and it was a great experience.

I brained stormed and came up with some great ideas.
Bridesmaid parties, make necklaces to wear in the wedding
Teen Beading Parties - Make earrings and bracelets
Birthday Parties with your choice of Jewelry, collage, journaling.
Remembrance Parties - Making a special journal or book to remember an occasion or loved one.

Artist Trading Cards are so much fun. They are a great way to make sure you are doing some kind of art. While creating them you get all kinds of wonderful ideas for larger projects. The little baseball card size of art are also a fun way to try mini versions of technique. By June I will have some made and ready to trade. They are not for sale...you must make one and trade. You can cut a 2 by 3 piece of heavy cardstock or anything that has some density to it and just, even, doodle. Fabric ATC’s our fun if that is your art medium. Make sure you come in and check out a binder full of examples. I will try and get in stock some blank ATC's too.

That's it for now and I will try and give an update on the Island ATC Project. It now has a name! IAP

collage workshop supplies

IF you are signed up for my Collage Workshop please don't forget to bring papers. If you can pre-gesso a canvas and base coat it in the color of your choice.

Drilling Holes in Things Class date

HI I am going to have to move the Drilling Holes in Things class to Monday May 24th, at 5:30.

Beads in Friday Harbor

Hey! Did you know there was a bead store in Friday Harbor? Yep! Vital Elements have an ever increasing supply of beads for your beading needs. Let me know what you are looking for and we can find and order them for you. We also have a selection on chain and jewelry frames for resin and small mixed media jewelry projects. Come on in and check it out soon. New beads added daily.

Collage Workshop-Layer Upon Layer

My collage class is full! If you are signed up and can't make it make sure you call or email me and cancel. Thanks

Here is the supply list.

Matte Medium aka Mod Podge Matte finish
Acrylic paint in assorted colors
Paint brushes
Images Copied onto card stock at Printonyx
Rubber stamps for texture (if you have them)
scissors
mounted canvas in the size you prefer (if you have gesso please gesso your canvases before class. If not them bring them in and gesso them Sunday before 4)
hand sanitizer with alcohol

I think that's it. Check back just in case I add something at a later date

Steampunk Workshop

There is still room in this great Steampunk Jewelry

Workshop Monday May, 3, 2010

Here are some links to give you an idea on what Steampunk Jewelry is .

www.steampunkworkshop.com

www.thesteampunkhome.blogspot.com

www.steampunkmagazine.com

www.etsy.bionicunicorn.com

www.etsy.edmdesigns.com

www.etsy.TrashAndTrinkets.com

BASIC TOOL KIT

Wire cutters (flush)

Bent nose pliers

Round nose pliers

Needle nose pliers

Sculpey, Premo, or other polymere clay

22, 18, or any size you have,wire. Copper, silver, steel or that artist wire will work fine.

STEAMPUNK SUPPLY LIST

Class

Broken watch parts including

Watch faces, gears, keys, lenses.

Small Images, smaller than a quarter down to smaller that a dime.

Small electrical parts

Small Chain pieces are fine.

Beads

Due to the cost of small watch parts I will have an affordable kit available with bits and pieces of the above supplies.

Hope to see you there.

What's New?

I recently received a shipment from Peacock Park.  Here a few of the things I put into the store.

Upcoming Workshops

MAY WORKSHOP OFFERINGS

May 3  5:30 to 7:30
STEAMPUNK JEWELRY

May 10,  5:30 to 7:30
COLLAGE- LAYER UPON LAYER

May 17 5:30 to 7:30
DRILLING HOLES IN ROCKS (THINGS)

Come on in and sign up.  The Collage workshop has 1 space left.  The Steampunk Jewelry has 3 spaces.
I will have supply and material lists by Wed. in the store.

New Workshop: Drilling Holes in Things!

In Vital Elements Newest Workshop you can learn how to drill holes in Island rocks and beach glass. Also learn the best way to drill a shell without chipping it.  You need a Dremel tool for this class.  My new preferred Dremel for this process is a cordless one.  I am planning on holding it on Monday Evening  May 17th. 
This class will run from 5:30 to 7:30- 8:00 . 

I will order the drill bits need for this class and there will be a charge for that.
If you have earring or other jewelry findings bring them.  I do have them for purchase as well.
This will be a fun workshop and you will be going home with a finished piece of beach glass and or beach rock jewelry.
Bring your own beach glass and rocks.

Homework and Beachwork  Look for thinner rocks to make this beginners class easy. No agates just the flat dark ones on our local beached.  For beach glass pick out your thinner pieces.  Pair up your pieces for earrings. Start a sketch book with simple drawings of your idea, think of what beads you have or check out Vital elements beads for accents.
Keep Checking Back for Examples.  
This workshop will be 30.00

All About Resins Workshop Mon. April 19th (Full)

Here is the promised list of supplies you should bring with you to the All about Resing Workshop.                          

Scissors
bottle Caps and other small jewelry type items like frames or tiny tins
small jewelry size pictures you can copy these from your own files and print them out or cut images from magazines.
small metal embellishments, crystal beads, glass glitter, jewels other things to put into the resin for texture
small paintbrush
apron or workshirt

I think that is it.  Sorry I am so late in getting this posted I came down with a fever last night and just went to bed! 
I will have some jewelry findings available to purchase and some pictures too. The pictures are 5.00 a sheet and the little frames range from 1.50 to 6.00.
Make sure you come by 5:00 so we can get started!   

Basic Jewelry 101 Workshop

Hi All,
Thought I would update the information for my first workshop.  There has been an opening in this class due to the fact that the Lopez ferry doesn't run late enough for a gal on Lopez to take this workshop so give me a call and sign up.  If you want to take this with a friend I could probably handle two more.  My biz number is (360) 298-0300
Read earlier posts to find out more about this class and what you will need.
Save money and bring your own beads and findings.  Vital Elements will supply stringing material, crimping beads, toggles or clasps, headpins and earring wires.   This class will be fast paced and fun!   Bring a note pad for notes.

Beads and Jewelry Findings oh and Hearts!

I just unpacked a box of great jewelry findings.  They are frames and surfaces to use with small pictures.  Nunn Design makes the little frames.  I am going to find the time today to make a few necklaces and earrings from these wonderful pieces.  I'll add some beads and make some great pieces. 

I have had these hearts in my shop and need to do something creative with them.  They have a loop on them and can be hung.  They're little scared heart bottles. 
One last thing. 

I found these images of old Czech Beads.   I love the images.  These bead cards were offered on eBay. 

Off to Art Fest and VE closed days

I am heading out on Wed. morning to Port Townsend to stay at Fort Worden and attend Artfest 2010, this is an annual event for me, one that I haven't missed for 7 years. 
Vital Elements will be closed on Wed. March 24th, Thurs. March 25th, and Sunday March 28th. Alice Shull will be working for me for Friday and Saturday so stop in and say hi to Alice.
See Ya!

Basic Jewelry 101    $ 25.00     2 hours   Monday April 12th     5-7pm  
This is the class for you if you need to know how to make a basic earring, bracelet or necklace.  Simple chain making and wire work will be covered.  Check out websites and magazines and start a jewelry journal with pictures of what you want to make and draw up your designs.
Supplies   (you provide)
*Beads
*Focal Bead
*Jewelry Findings (toggle set, head pins, earring wires, lobster clasp and ring)   Kit Available for 5.00

Tools Needed
Wire cutters, side cutters
Round nose pliers
Bent nose pliers
Flat nose pliers

Vital Elements will have simple tool kits and all the findings available to purchase. Be sure to bring what you have to save on your costs.