Terry Ricioli Designs

Hi everyone! This month on the Pretty Palettes challenge our inspiration is a starry night.  Here's the beautiful photo of the night sky that Erin Prais-Hintz chose for the challenge. [Picture credit :: Ryan Hutton :: Unsplash] I'm back from camping for a few days up on the Oregon Coast.  I was hoping for starry nights there, but it was mostly foggy.  One of my favorite things is viewing the night sky when out camping.  The stars are larger, clearer and, seemingly, closer.  And, coming up is one of my favorite times of the year - the Perseid meteor shower.  Every year, when the kids were younger, we would grab a blanket and lay out on the lawn and watch the meteors whiz by.  Erin chose these beads from Michaels' Bead Gallery line: Beads, L to R: 10436626 – bead gallery® blue iris glass on chain 10471893 – bead gallery® silver luster glass rondelle 4x6mm 10471960 – bead gallery® black glass faceted lines 6x8mm 10401641 – b...

Hi Everyone! Thanks for stopping by my blog!  Today I am creating with etchall® dip 'n etch , and I'm creating one of my favorite things - an angel. One of the things I follow on pinterest is garden art, and there are lots of fabulous creations with upcycled glass.  I love working with different shapes and sizes to create art with it.  Here are a couple of things I've done recently: an etched snowman  and a tealight holder .  First, I headed to my local thrift shops for glass pieces that I can upcycle.  They are usually very inexpensive, which is a plus.  Or, you may have some around the house. Here's what I found for my angel: This is a vase and a small appetizer plate.  I thought the plate was perfect for angel wings.  I found a small round candle holder for the head. Then, I proceeded to etch the pieces.  It's so easy with etchall® dip 'n etch .  Find a plastic container that fits your glass (this is the hardest ...

Hi everyone, Today I'm playing along with the We're All Ears challenge for July on the Earrings Everyday blog.  The inspiration this month is hot air balloons.  We regularly see balloons overhead here, and they are always fun to watch. I've had these hollow copper filigree balls in my stash for awhile.  I thought the style and size were perfect for this challenge.  They are not bright and colorful, but the intricate pattern reminds me of the original hot air balloons. Filigree Hot Air Balloon Earrings I was thinking of adding rigging to the balloons, but that didn't fly!  So, to the filigree ball, I added a filigree bead cap and some spacers all in antiqued copper and strung them on copper head pins. To see the other wonderful designs inspired by hot air balloons, go here .  Thanks for the fun inspiration, Erin!

Hi all, Today I'm reviewing a book I received from Leisure Arts:  Bead Weaving Made Easy .  These projects are made using square stitch and peyote stitch. Now, if you've seen my work, most of it is made using stringing, wire work and mixed media usually with larger beads, so this was quite a change for me.  It was truly a challenge!  But, I've long wanted to overcome my fear of these teeny beads, so I bravely charged onward! To begin, I needed to learn peyote stitch.  I started out following the instructions with 11/0 beads.  After struggling, I decided to use some larger beads until I got the hang of the stitch.  I recommend this if you have never worked with the stitch or size 11/0 beads.  I switched to 6/0 beads, which are larger, and was able to get into the rhythm of the peyote stitch.  Here's my first attempt below: So, switching back to the smaller beads, I followed the instructions to construct a bead for the...