A Natural Master

bell-flower Frond, JoAnne Russo, photos Jeff Baird & Rachel Portesi, with permission

JoAnne Russo's striking large embellished
pods on their graceful textured branches
drew me in to her display at the 2011
Philadelphia Museum of Art Crafts Show.

blue-bud/ Joanne Russo, photos Jeff Baird & Rachel Portesi, with permission

Upon closer inspection her spellbinding naturalistic 
forms become otherworldly in their scale textures 
and colors. Organic in material, waxed

linen cord, Renewable Palm ivory (Tagua nut) 

beads dyed. Looking even more closely, a zipper and/or

ordinary hook and eyes.

chameleon, JoAnne Russo, photos Jeff Baird & Rachel Portesi, with permission

Her love of nature evident in every imaginative piece.
Surprises rewarding those who look a little closer.
JoAnne's enchanted work reflects the skills she has 
acquired over 30 years as a master basket maker.

White-teapot, JoAnne Russo, photos Jeff Baird & Rachel Portesi, with permission

Guild- cactus, JoAnne Russo, photos Jeff Baird & Rachel Portesi, with permission

You can learn more about JoAnne Russo and see much more of her 

extraordinary work at:

http://joannerusso.com/

   

The Bead Of A Different Drummer

(click on images to enlarge)


I can hear them now. 

My future heirs, in my apartment

sorting and clearing what I've left behind.

"Do you realize how much she would have

left us if it wasn't for all these beads and books

and dolls and stuff?"

I can almost sympathize. 

I will have taken my adventures, stories, characters and moments of

serendipity traveling abroad and/or more locally with me.
And the beat goes on..  
Uh, or make that the bead goes on

The name of my favorite booth at last weekend's BeadFest

Philadelphia 2011. (actually in Oaks, PA- west of Valley Forge).

My equally bead obsessed cousin Janet came from NYC with

a group from FIT and met me there. 

Beaded beads at the bead goes on

another view/ the bead goes on booth at BeadFest 2011, Philadelphia

So much to see, touch and talk about while choosing.

Got to tell Diane Hawkey how much I love her wimsical beads.

And the visual feast at the bead goes on's booth of tempting treasures.

Hand painted beauties from Asia, the bead goes on

2 head beads/ the bead goes on

Huge apple green jade beads from Asia/ the bead goes on

Old Afghan coins / the bead goes on

2 huge Venetian blown glass beads with millefiori decoration/
the bead goes on

Diane Hawkey's delightful handmade ceramic  houses and mermaid

     Strand of pretty Chinese lampwork beads, carved bone kitties,
        Venetion blown glass and Diane Hawkey ceramics together in grande finale  :~)

the bead goes on      www.beadgoeson.com
Diane Hawkey        http://dianehawkey.blogspot.com/

Shop Talk

(click on images to enlarge)

Find my cat pins at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

Getting my morning off to a delightful start.

Message from fellow Etsy.Com shop keeper ArtSings1946 
that she has included my little gray cat pin in her How We Love Our Kitties, Treasury. 
I am honored.

Some of ArtSings1946  charming folk art prints.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtSings1946?ga_search_query=ArtSings1946&ga_

search_type=seller_usernames

Little Star Gazing

Colleague Paula Pertile, whose delightful blog Drawing A 

Fine Line at http://drawingafineline.blogspot.com I enjoy,

put me on to www.illustrationfriday.com 

   This week's topic "Star Gazing" reminded me of 
    Laughing Cloud, Little Star's Mother wishing 

    on the smallest star for a child, my illustration 

    from LITTLE STAR, by Mary Packard for 

    Scholastic. 

    A charming story about a Native American girl, her

    desire for a horse and her special beaded necklace. 


    Initial evidence that I have drawn everything in the
    world at least once.......... ;-)

A Call To Arms (And Necks)

click on image to enlarge

Beading right along. Some new pieces 

at CiaoCarolina, myEtsy shop. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

The jewel colors of these rectangular

carved Czech glass travertine beads

remind me of Egyptian scarabs which

inspired this bracelet. The links are

fashioned by hand from antiqued brass

wire which compliments the bronze

colored edges on the beads. Beads with

this mottling are called picasso beads.

                                     click on image to enlarge

This necklace is really a shapes and colors

sampler of 27 different Czech glass beads

from my collection. I've hand tied them on 

silk cord so each lovely bead can be appreciated 

separately as well as together with the others. Most

are also picasso beads. Some are clear, others 

translucent, all luscious. (OK, I'm a beadaholic). 

click on image to enlarge

These wonderful beads imitate African agate,

but are so lovely and rich as themselves. The

Czech bead masters make them so each differs

slightly from the next, just like stone beads.

From a distance they appear as earth colored.

Closer, the exquisite colored banding in the

glass is more apparent. The colors deepened

by their translucency.

Not finished yet. Many new ideas stirring behind

my beady eyes in my beady brain.

More soon. Bead patient ;-)

Every Which Way But Loose

Listening to the evening news.
Beading tray across my knees.
And I know better.
Slight balance shift.
A gazillion bead pick-up.
Funny thing, gathering loose 
beads. Diminutive art, color, 
texture, form. 
Calming, untroubling my
weary mind.
A floor's worth of worry beads.

Some of my beautiful new Czech beads.


Some have already become new earrings at
CiaoCarolina, my Etsy shop.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

Eye....Uh Make That EAR....Candy

At last, Finished some new earrings and listed 
them on ETSY at my shop CiaoCarolina.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

At the moment I am completely besotted by the 
delicious glass beads coming again from 
Czechoslovakia. Eye candy. Transparent 
watery colors, milky translucent gems and 
those reminiscent of vintage beads, before 
the world wars in Europe decimated the 
craftsman and their ancient craft.


Learn about Czech beads on Rings And Things blog
http://www.rings-things.com/blog/2009/05/28/featured-bead-czech-bohemian-glass-beads/

Earrings are just the beginning. Hope you will
stay tuned for other signs of progress. ;-)

Lend Me An Ear, Part II

Asked what are my favorite beads, I have to answer 
that I always love the beads I'm with. Lately, that 
means glass beads from Czechoslovakia. The colors, 

the shapes,the textures, So addictive yet fortunately, 

not fattening

Been making some new ear bobs from my small but
delectable personal stash. Czech window beads cut and
polished so you can see through the translucent colors.
Slightly off center mottled gold/bronze bordered
picasso beads. A sparkle of Swarovsky aurora borealis 
bicones. A fine dessert...... beads ala mode. Yum!

Available at my ETSY shop, CiaoCarolina  
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina
And more to come.

Lend An Ear

Beautiful Czech beads, a touch of Swarovsky sparkle and pearls.

Making some new pieces for my Etsy shop, CiaoCarolina.

Though these earrings are already spoken for, more pieces 

coming soon! 

My Mom's wonderful Chinese charms necklace restored at last. When I was little she always let me handle this necklace with its enchanting beads.

So much loving attention eventually loosened the charms from their original chain, but Mom saved the pieces.

As this necklace marks the beginning of my interest in beads, there is some satisfaction in having been able to restore it for my Mom. She was pleased, though now she can only "see" the necklace with her fingers as Retinitis Pigmentosa has stolen her sight.