Barbe Saint John - New Treasures from Forgotten Artifacts

Mini post-This weeks Bead Bloggers

2009-11-02T00:08:00.000-08:00

Still under the weather, so this is gonna be a tiny post. I've spent the past few days web surfing and blog reading so here is this weeks Bead and Jewelry blog links for you to enjoy too! A Bead A Day: Looking for a great way to commemorate a special moment or gift? Design a piece of jewelry! About.com Jewelry Making It's like Wal-Mart, only you want to be there in this virutal tour of

Happy Halloween!!!

2009-10-31T17:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween Everyone! Hope you night is full of treats and not so many tricks. Halloween is extra-special in our house, because we have two pumpkin birthdays to celebrate - Rob and my kitty Neffie. Halloween is weird this year in San Francisco. I haven't seen ONE person in costume either yesterday or today. Usually theres a bunch of people who dress up to go to work, and should be alot of

The final link in the Necklace Round Robin

2009-10-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

Isn't this gorgeous! I was the final creative stop for the necklace round robin I was in. The group consisted of myself and 3 other fabulous jewelry artists - Lorelei Eurto, Mary Dodd and Kerry Bogert. This is my necklace. I borrowed the pic from Mary's blog but its been on my neck since I got it! We all started with a partially started necklace, a note about our theme, color and length

Bead Bloggers!

2009-10-25T13:55:00.001-07:00

Where did the week go?? Bettie wonders the same thing. Is Mercury still in retrograde, because it has been a week of setbacks and frustrations for me. Sigh..... I don't like losing time to things gone wrong and do overs, makes me cranky. I didn't get to do a review of Enchanted Adornments yet, or put up my Round Robin necklace photos. Fear not, I will have lots to post this coming week. I did

good mail days

2009-10-19T23:08:00.000-07:00

I've had a lucky streak of fun mail days since this weekend. On Saturday, I got my order from Glass Glitter and Beads. I wanted to try some small amounts, and they have really good prices. They came within a few days and all are really pretty. She also has a "Happy Holidaze" coupon code good thru 12/31. Get 20% off by using coupon code holidaze4. I am so excited to start covering everything in

Sunday and the living is easy...........

2009-10-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

ok, I know that's not QUITE they way the song goes but it is the way my day has gone. I slept for over 10 hours last night. and got a VERY late start to the day. Which has kind of been par for the course all week. This stomach thing took more out of me than I thought, so I was slow moving all week. I have been at the worktable off an on, between laying down. I got a full box of stuff to

Book Review: Chain Style

2009-10-13T23:51:00.000-07:00

Chain Style: 50 Contemporary Jewelry Designs by Jane Dickerson Paperback: 128 pagesPublisher: Interweave Press (October 1, 2009)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1596681500ISBN-13: 978-1596681507Chain jewelry is HOT right now. I'm not talking one little chain with a little charm on it, I'm talking big fancy chain, or lots of chains or a tangled web of chain. Chain is the star, not the pendant or charms.

A bit under the weather

2009-10-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

I got sick yesterday and am still feeling out of it. Unmentionable stomach woes and a slight fever, and I am praying I don't get the piggy flu. I have a bunch of books I wanted to get up this weekend but didn't, including Chain Style and Enchanted Adornments. Promise they will come soon!I didn't get to post this yesterday, so doing it now: this weeks bead blogs!A Bead A Day Do you buy beads for

Miniature Masterpiece Beads from Artbeads.com

2009-10-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

I got this absolutely GORGEOUS Russian hand painted Mucha bead from Artbeads.com about 2 months ago. put up a post about this gorgeous bead a few weeks ago and only last week realized it has disappeared. I don't know if it even posted or not, and it is gone from my dashboard. I pulled out the necklace to take more pics and repost. Its a blessing in disguise because I took it apart and re

A Crafty Start to the Week

2009-10-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

This week started with art/craft fun and is going strong. Sunday was the Alameda Flea Market, where I got some fun metal things to work with. There was a bunch of larger stuff I SHOULD have gotten for assemblage but didn't. I was focusing on jewelry stuff, next month I'll get some larger art junque. My friend Shoshanah picked me up and away we went. She is great to go shopping with, we both like

Sunburnt

2009-10-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today I went over to the Alameda FleaMarket with my friend Shoshanah. Mapquest got us a bit lost so it took a while to make it over but eventually we found it and met up with Vivian and had a grand time.I got some fun stuff that I can't wait to use. I also got an unwanted sunburn because I apparently forgot to put on my facial sunscreen this morning. DUH! I hope it feels better tomorrow!And now,

And the winner is................

2009-09-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for commenting on my post about giving. I appreciate your comments!Using a random number generator at random.org - The winner of the book is JAIME!!! So Jaime, email me at barbe AT barbesaintjohn.com and I'll send this off to you!

Seed Bead Fusion Book Review

2009-09-28T22:39:00.001-07:00

Seed Bead Fusion: 18 Projects to Stitch, Wire & String by Rachel Nelson-Smith ISBN: 978-1-59668-156-9WOW. I haven't picked up a beading needle and nymo thread in years but this book has me itching to get back to it.Ms. Nelson-Smith passion for bead work and jewelry making is evident by this book. It is OUTSTANDING. She has combined seed bead weaving techniques and wire work to create some

Time for Tea

2009-09-27T23:29:00.000-07:00

It was a gloriously warm, Indian summer day in SF and a wonderful day to go out. I met up with Jessica and she took me out for a belated Birthday lunch at Crown & Crumpet. It's a gorgeous little tea cafe, filled with gorgeous things. Anyway, after a bus trip that took 3x as long as it should have we had a lovely afternoon. And I got prezzies!I've included a closeup on the vintage Welsh

When you feel empty, give.

2009-09-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

I have been planning to start the 29 Day Giving challenge on October 1st. Today I decided it I would start sooner. I felt I needed to take my focus off my own problems and onto the joy of giving. What is the 29 Day Giving Challenge? The premise is: GIVE A LITTLE EACH DAY. MAKE A BIG IMPACT. You give one thing away each day for 29 days. Why? Because to see our world change, we have to do

The Cheese Stands Alone

2009-09-23T00:55:00.000-07:00

This is a cartoon drawing of how I feel right now. I don't think its humanly possible to feel any sadder than I do at this present moment. I don't want to get into to it publicly, but know that if I don't answer your emails or calls - it's not you, it's me.

I like Mondays

2009-09-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Monday and time to get back to work! I had a great birthday weekend and did NOTHING!!! Well, I did things but not work things. I got some wonderful gifts including a painting by Nina Friday, and got to hang out with my friends Shoshanna, Mike and Grey. But today, it's nose to the grindstone. I put in a bunch of new jewelry (above) in my space at Artist Xchange on Friday.Also, lots of great

Signals and Signposts

2009-09-18T00:24:00.000-07:00

I'm a big believer in the presence of divine signals and signposts. I think the universe put them in our lives to help us along this path. They run the gamut from "Straight ahead" to "You aren't alone, keep going" to "STOP YOU IDIOT". Sometimes they are recognizable immediately, other times not.Last night at 10pm I heard a weird noise and my cat Pearl attacking the recycle bin. I looked over and

Book Review: Simply Gemstones

2009-09-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

Simply Gemstones: Designs for Creating Beaded Gemstone Jewelry by Nancy AldenPaperback: 144 pagesPublisher: Potter Craft (July 14, 2009)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0307451356ISBN-13: 978-0307451354 If you’re a jewelry maker, chances are you have lusted after a gemstone or ten.There use to be a time when the only place you could buy an semi precious or precious bead like an emerald was at a

Expect the Unexpected

2009-09-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you get a feeling that something is about to change, but you don't know what. You are filled with elation or trepidation, and usually a mix of both. You pay attention more and look for symbols or rhythms. And BAM- there it is! It's been a really amazing weekend. I had planned to put my nose to the grindstone and get a bunch of things done. I needed to finish up these class samples and

Free shipping at Consumer Crafts

2009-09-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by a new online craft supply company called Consumer Crafts. They are a fairly new website, who pride themselves on competitive pricing on a wide selection of craft supplies.They do have a broad spectrum of products on offer. Everything from Swarovski Crystals to Airbrush setup to Scrapbook paper to miniatures. A little bit of something for all your crafting needs.I

Book Review: Mixed Metals

2009-09-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

Mixed Metals: creating contemporary jewelry with silver, gold, copper, brass & more. Melinda Barta & Danielle FoxPaperback: 112 pagesPublisher: Interweave Press (May 1, 2009)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 159668092XISBN-13: 978-1596680920 Look at that cover! The authors Danielle Fox & Melinda Barta seem to out do themselves with each book they put out. Whenever I get their lastest, I am blown away

I'm a Busy Bee!

2009-09-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Labor Day, a holiday to take a break from working. But we artists never take a break, do we? I've been working hard all week on photos and editing. Since I live in a loft apt that faces Northeast and our windows are in the recessed part of the building (the apts on either side stick out), we don't get any direct sunlight. I have 2 large full spectrum lights for taking photos but really

Thank you for being a friend

2009-09-04T00:10:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Madame Teasley, aka Ms. Heather emailed me today to let me know she blogged about me. along with some other people she likes. Thank you Heather for the kind words and the shout out!!! You can read what she says about me here. I'm gonna follow Heather's example and do a little shout out about some people whose work I love, own or am coveting.First is Madame Teasley!!! I have 3 of

Slow and Steady wins the Race

2009-08-30T16:59:00.001-07:00

click for more detail ©Barbe Saint John/Saints and Sinners®This little lot is some of the pieces I finished this week. I have a number of components and half done pieces as well. Not as many as I wanted, but the Muse has her own time table and can not be rushed. The seahorse pendants I did months ago, but only the past couple of days came together. As much as I try, I just can't rush my