Belated Sunday Funday, Week 6

Week of November 17-23, Mid-November

It sure was nice to get back to Knoxville for a week!  I had a great time visiting friends, taking it easy, helping with birthday parties, and sneaking in some beading when I could.  I didn't get much done beyond my progress post last week and I don't want to show you the same stuff again...so today you get an eye candy post...starting off with some eye balls...

My old coworkers at the bead shop in Knoxville slipped these awesome beads into my purse when I wasn't looking.  They're by lampwork artist, Jo Marie, who is a member of the awesome Smoky Mountain Firecrackers, the Knoxville lampwork guild.  I can't wait to have the right project to work them into...so creepy cool!  

While I was at the shop, I also picked up these bright, yellow-orange, fluorescent gumdrop beads.  I don't know why I'm so entranced with this color...normally I avoid the coated fluorescent beads like the plague!  I also grabbed the dark green turquoise tiles, and was gifted the Czech pressed elephant beads.  I just love discovering a shape I haven't seen before, and it's even better when you're handed them by a friend!

These lovelies came from my friend Kelly of Beadin' Black&Blue.  We send each other beady care packages occasionally, and since we were meeting up in Knoxville she brought me a small goody bag.  The lampwork fish is from a bead shop in California where Kelly went on a recent work trip, and the yellow flowers are from yet another member of the Smoky Mountain Firecrackers.  The artist of the black/blue/purple beads is unknown to us...but apparently these beads were so weird they just screamed out my name!

I also received a package of my beadwork that had been on display at Kaleidoscope Studios, and the owner (who I've been friends with for years) tucked a bunch of beady goodness inside.  This is just a small selection...I don't want y'all to get too jealous!

Beautiful gemstone cabs!  Silver sheen obsidian, labradorite, chalcedony, and agate, in nice shapes and sizes.

Small felt ball beads (will be perfect with the sculpture I'm working on), and tiny natural pinecone beads.  I need to figure out what plant these are from...they remind me of teeny pangolins!  Apparently they originate from Africa, so hopefully that will narrow down the search.  *Edit*  After an internet search, I've discovered that these pinecones are actually the dried fruits of a type of raffia palm, grown in Camaroon!  Fascinating!

Vintage and modern Czech pressed glass beads.  That blue one is the same button I used on my Tropical Catrina necklace...it'll be good to have a few more, as I just love that bright saturated color.  And how about those peacock printed buttons?  Those will be super fun to play with!

This is just a tiny fraction of the gorgeous Czech lampwork beads that were included in the package.  I've been using quite a lot of my stash of these lately, especially in necklace straps, so I'm very pleased to have more.

If you love ethnic and trade beads, Kaleidoscope should be a mandatory stop for you if you're in Oregon.  The owner and I share a passion for old, trade, and ethnic beads, and she sent me a spectacular selection of powder glass beads, made in Ghana.  Just look at that first picture...those beads are covered in melted seed beads!  They embody what I love about powder glass - recycling garbage materials to make beads!  And the polychrome beads in the middle picture have become a recent obsession of mine.  But my favorites in the collection?  The black and white imitation stone beads in the third picture.  I don't know why!

But the best thing in the package?  More pendants to add to my Dana Swisher collection!  Do you remember her skulls that I used in this necklace?  I just love her work and always stock up when I have the opportunity.  

I hope to be adding most of the jewelry that was returned to me to the Etsy shop in the next few weeks.  Don't forget to follow along with my beady exploits on my Facebook page - watch for these beads to make a reappearance!  Sadly, now I have to clean up the bead table again for a bit to go into Christmas gift overdrive...Much sewing needs to happen!  Thanks for looking this week!