Kalaya Steede

You gotta love it when you discover new artists!  Sometimes I think that there won't be anything new to interest me AND that's when it happens!  BAM!!! I stumble on a new discovery.   Introducing Nancy L T Hamilton. Go to her website to see some of her pieces or to learn some basic metalsmithing techniques. Merci Nancy L T Hamilton for sharing. Here's to a great Friday! Namaste Kalaya

Here are my pictures on the process of making a tiara. I made this last Friday at The Bead Shop and the process was so meditative.  I absolutely enjoyed it!  Merci Sarah.   Starting with a simple tiara a frame was made (the big pointy loops on top).  The frame will be used to hold another set of beads. Next was adding the gold to a smaller gauge wire and mimic the frame. Voila!  The beads following the frame of the tiara.  The wire with beads was then secured on to the frame with small gauge wire. Now for the black and gold.  I had to decide on the pattern and how many beads I will need to go under the frame.  So here is my way of testing things out.  Of course I needed more beads then I thought. Using 26 gauge wire I added beads under the frame and secured it to the tiara and the frame. A close up. To finish it off I added a fleur de lis.  Now it's game time! Awww.  Here's Laura being a great model!  Merci Laura!  She's a

Saturday started off at The Bead Shop first thing in the morning.  It was nice to have the beads all to myself!  But they were all sitting there with their sparkly selves saying, "buy me, NO buy me, we can make your piece ROCK!".  I had to shut them all out and focus on my task at hand and set up for class.  It wasn't easy. Allow me to make the introductions...below are Carolina and Hatty.  Don't you just LOVE that water bottle picture? Look at them stringing away.   Carolina made a lovely jade bracelet using natural color leather with brown thread.  Hatty made a bracelet using lemon chrysoprase.  Lemon chrysoprase reminds me of mint chocolate.  I just want to eat them all!  Anyhoo we all passed a good time.   Carolina and Hatty were a blast to be with in the morning.    Merci Buttercup, Hatty, for that big wonderful carved bead. XO Now about those Tiaras... I was so lucky to take a tiara making class last Tuesday at The Bead Shop with Sa

Wow! Has it been a week?  Time is just passing me by at light speed.  And what have I done?   I haven't been making ANY art at all but I've been thinking about it.  One thing I've been doing is getting a tutorial together for my leather wrap workshop.  It's not an easy thing to do but I'm almost done.  The hardest part is the layout (pictures with text).   But my latest adventure was at Thomas Mann's I/O Gallery.  I wasn't able to make it on Art for Arts Sake.  :(  But I managed to go and take a looksy last Wednesday. Rockstar Dieting Spoon Bonnie Miller Delicious Sperm Karen Christians Free Range organic Cornfed Chicken Catherine Butler Artichoke Neckpiece Thomas Mann Bon Appetit Neckpiece Dawn Nakanishi The Peach Danielle Smith Great work by great artists!   Happy Friday everyone! Namaste Kalaya

'Dia De Los Muertos' by KalayaSteede Dia de los muertos is my favorite celebration of the year. Since the day is fast approaching I wanted to share a few things I found on Etsy. There are so many talented people out there. Enjoy! Dia de los Muertos Day of th... noellehunt $1000.00