Barbe Saint John - Fiber, Art & Creativity

ZNE Convenzione-class spaces available!

2008-07-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

Theres still room in both of my classes -Charm School-casting resin charms and Histories: Real or Imagined - mixed media reliquary jewelry at the ZNE Convenzione! Check the website for full details about the event. Theres alot going on, and its gonna be FUN! Here's a necklace I made for the Histories: Real or Imagined class example. This one is titled: David, Streatham Spring Ball 1943

whats new pussycat?

2008-07-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Blogland! I haven't blogged much lately, thats partly due to wild crafting for Renegade. But mostly because the parasitic twin (aka the gallbladder area) has been acting up again and I've been sick most of the last 2+weeks. Not good when I have a huge show to get ready for next weekend. But I don't believe in complaining, so I won't-just stating thats why I haven't been on here or

Bead Bloggers Linky Love!

2008-07-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

What are the Bead Bloggers up to this week? Come find out! About.com Jewelry Making Think outside the jewelry box and consider other crafting techniques for making jewelry! Crochet is just one example. Art Bead Scene Polyester Makes a Comeback in a surprising new way! Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie reflects and gives thanks to everyone who helped her out at the Bead & Button Show Jennifer

What is Steampunk anyway?

2008-06-30T16:55:00.001-07:00

"Steampunk?? Whats steampunk?" I have heard more than a few times by friends, acquaintances and customers when asking about some of my jewelry. It's not really an easy question to answer, like trying to answer "whats rock music". There are a number of different but similiar answers about what Steampunk is. Steampunk mixes antiquated technology, science, Victoriana, science fiction and

Dick Brave feat Blackbeats - Walk this way

2008-06-29T16:10:00.001-07:00

A friend forwarded this to me yesterday. Its great! makes me want to get up and dance even with this crappy headache!

Etsy is down for some people

2008-06-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to get into Etsy since late last night. Tried repeatedly today when Margot and Tammy twitter'ed about their new listings. No luck. Tried going directly to the home page-no luck. Thought there was something freaky on my end.Apparently its not just me, read this for someone who was able to contact them-"We've gotten some scattered reports of users being unable to accessEtsy,

Nose to the Grindstone

2008-06-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of some of the jewelry I've made the past week. I used the little camera and its crap for indoor/close pics. Anyway=this is stuff I actually FINISHED I should say, I have 4 times as many partially done pieces floating about. Thats how I work-things have to gestate before being 'born'. Not the easiest way to create, but its how I work. For some, sketching out a piece works for them.

Thought for the Day

2008-06-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

And every day really, but I need to be reminded of this today especially....... I Can Deliberately Choose to Feel Better Now. Not only does the thought you are choosing right now attract the next thought and the next . . . and so on—it also provides the basis of your alignment with your Inner Being. As you consistently and deliberately think and speak more of what you do want and less of what

"Everybody's working during the weekend"

2008-06-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

Wait...doesn't the song go, "everybody's working FOR the weekend"??? Not in this apt! My computer has been gradually getting slower....this past week it started going wonky. Got more memory, did a registry fix, etc...Rob figured out it was Windows files that were slowly corrupting ?? and it was basically 'sick'. So he spent the entire weekend backing up files, cleaning off, re installing, trying

Tool Love- Which cutters to use

2008-06-19T12:38:00.001-07:00

I got a new pair of wire cutters today. I am HARD on tools (I break steel pliers with my bare hands) so I am replacing them every couple of years. As time has gone on, I buy more and better quality tools that will last longer. Currently I have 6 pairs of cutters now, 2 pair really need to go into the trash, 2 pair need to be replaced. My new cutters are Lindstrom 8155, they are superflush

New Jewelry

2008-06-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

I also put up some new jewelry on the website yesterday before the migraine crash. I felt like I put up a TON, then today I see is was only a few pieces....seemed like SOOO MUCH yesterday LOL I'm gung-ho on playing with wire again. I got a huge book on Calder a couple of months ago and have been doing some playing. I'm making up some FAT rings right now that are fun and will tide me over until I

Photo Love

2008-06-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

I got knocked down by a lovely migraine yesterday, and slept like a rock for 12 hours-Just woke up 20 mins ago at 10:20...Sometimes I'm REALLY glad I don't have a 'day job' because I'd be fired for things like being ill like that. I have been taking a billion photos and have finally figured out how to take better ones. This Canon Rebel camera ROCKS, but I can't seem to sit down and LEARN how to

Anniversary Giveaway- Chance to Win $75 Gift Certificate

2008-06-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

I keep forgetting to blog about this! Since June is the anniversary month of BarbeSaintJohn.com-I'm giving away a $75 gift certificate giveaway. All orders placed in June will be issued a number and on July 1st I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner. This is for each ORDER not per customer, so if you make 2 orders, you'll get 2 chances, 10 orders -10 chances. Feel free to pass

Website work, updating, just another day

2008-06-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

My Swashbuckling Hero I've had a bug about freshening up the site and my business cards. I worked on the card a bit yesterday but need to do more to it. Then I stayed up to about midnight, working on the website I took down all the jewelry series (except for the Wanderlust Map Pendants)and put them in basic catagories - Necklaces, Earrings, Pins, etc.... I think it may be easier for someone who

Just in time for Fathers Day

2008-06-08T12:24:00.001-07:00

I put this manly steampunk necklace up on Etsy last night, I hope it sells otherwise I will feel compelled to keep it for myself!I'm finishing up the massive pile of half done projects on my table, so expect to see lots more pics on here. I have so many things I've started to put together but didn't have this or that or anything that worked with it, so it gets pushed to the side and I start

Look at me on Stacy Alexander's Art Beat

2008-06-04T15:32:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Stacy Alexander profiled me on her blog Art Beat. I'm so tickled! Stacy, is an amazing mixed media artist herself. Check out some of her art on her etsy shop, I have one of the mosaic hearts and its lovely. And the Frida Mosaic is outstanding-seriously gorgeous work! Please go have a read thru it and be sure to look at her other posts-she has some GREAT articles up. I have her

Rings and Things

2008-06-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

Heres a few mixed media rings I got finished this weekend. I had a couple finished, but a pile to work on and I wanted to get them DONE. I forgot to take pics of 2 of them, so I'll be doing that with the next batch I do. They are a mix of a little steampunk, a little organic, a little alien lifeform-y, I need to figure out a good name for them. The enameled heart rings are what started it all,

Channeling Cinderalla Voting is now open!

2008-05-31T23:48:00.000-07:00

WOW! I just went to check and see if the Stringing Magazine's "Channeling Cinderella" Challenge was up yet so I could blog about it and WOW!! There are only 70 entries, but they are 70 gorgeous entries! GREAT work everyone!!! Go HERE and have a look for yourself. My recycled vintage necklace is #5 on the list, and while I would love to win - please vote for whichever one YOU like.

June Newsletter

2008-05-31T22:59:00.000-07:00

I spent the evening, figuring out how to make a newsletter with Vertical Response and just launched one. Its been on my to do list, for WAY too long, and I don't know why I was so resistan to it. I hope I did it right, and it shows up properly. The newsletter option on my shopping cart has some bug since the last update they did, and it only sends out to the first 39 people on the list, that

Win a copy of Beading & Beyond Magazine!

2008-05-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

All you have to do is go on over to my jewelrymaking blog at Craft Gossip, and leave a comment on my post about Beading & Beyond magazine! I'll pick 3 lucky winners on June 15th!

Buggy Rainbow

2008-05-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

Look at all the faux bakelite buggy colorful goodness!!! I want to keep them all for myself now that I have them lined up by color. But I won't be selfish, I'll send them off to England to grace the jackets of other vintage loving aficianado's and I'll just have to make a few more for myself!

Being Productive

2008-05-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

I had have a migraine or pre-migraine headache for 5 days or so. I have been moving SLOWWWWWW. Today I am FINALLY headache free!!! so I'm trying to be super productive and catch up on all the stuff I didn't get done already this week. First-I wanted to announce that the general class registration is now open for the ZNE ConvenZione. I'll be teaching the Charm School resin casting class and

Putting it out there

2008-05-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

As part of my "apply to more call for arts & challenges" goal, I came across Stringing Magazine's jewelry challenge "Channeling Cinderella". A bit last minute, I whipped this up for it and sent it in. I wonder if it is a bit too "unusual" for them, but never hurts to try. I call it "After the Ball". Made with a gorgeous antique rhinestone clip, vintage crystal, rhinestone and pearl beads,

Where has the week gone???

2008-05-17T01:40:00.000-07:00

Man! it WHIZZED by!!! I've been trying to master the camera, and its winning as evidenced in the above photo...I didn't have the lights off, go figure............., I have spent about 9 hours trying to become a better photographer and reading the book on the Canon Rebel-I don't think its sinking in.................. Its been recordbreaking hot here the past 2 days which has made me really

Renegade SF

2008-05-11T23:19:00.000-07:00

Even though I don't like doing shows (as you have all heard me say a billion times), Jessica and I applied for a table at the SF Renegade Craft Fair. Since its the first one in SF, we thought it would be fun to be a part of it and do some networking. Also since Jessica has just started her soon to be Super Popular bath products business La Patisserie Jolie , its a great way to get the word