Creating with Beads

I attended a Meet-Up group this week that is all about crafting. Little Craft Box Texas was very inviting and everyone was friendly - what more could I want!?

This time we played with making jewelry. Before I went to the meeting I did a quick inventory of my beads. I decided to either re-string beads I made last year but never wore, or use new beads in a bag that I had in my bead collection for a few years.

I ended up making a necklace from the Venetian beads in the bag. I like Venetian glass beads the best. I have made necklaces with them using various spacer beads in between, gold, silver and now black.

I packed up my tools and supplies. I use the crimper with the blue handles to hold the ends of the necklace together. I took a beading class this summer at CJ Bead Shop in Katy, Texas. Sadly, this store is closing. The owners Craig and Joy are looking for another retail space. They sell online too.

I also like Agate beads which are considered semi-precious and come from volcanic rock. In this photo I’m wearing Agate beads and displaying the Venetian beaded necklace I put together this week. Thanks go to Zue for taking my photo! We all had a fun time talking about our lives and hobbies.

Carving Images for Prints

©Anne Rita Taylor 2016

On Saturday I taught several people how to carve images to make prints. One of my printed postcards "On The Road in Houston" was in a 2013 pack of The Printers Guild and sold at The Printing Museum. I carved the driver and words. Lettering is tricky since it must be carved backwards. 

I have been carving since 1990 and sold my prints at The Printing Museum in Houston. I also authored an article published in RubberStampMadness in 1992, Sept./Oct. - Sculpting The Image. The material I carve comes from Nasco (currently I have no affiliation) - 800-558-9595.

In the past I taught Carving at a few places including The Printing Museum and The Houston Calligraphy Guild. Now I am a part of the Rubber Amateur Press Society. We swap quarterly pages with our new carvings. In a past swap I used a Ukrainian currency - pre-Euro dollars. I carved an angelic figure after increasing the size on my copier. I used Foundational calligraphy to write the Rilke quote.

These are the linoleum cutting tools I use; I buy them at Michaels and Hobby Lobby. The set costs about $20 and has 5 blades.  Mostly I use the #1 lino fine carving tool before I gauge out big pieces of material. I encourage you to try carving - it is lots of fun!