New Silk Combo Packs

Today I spent a lot of time photographing silks for my Etsy Shop Silk Update (now completed).

I thought it was time for a change for some of my silk photos...

And tonight made this collage with some of the New Silk Combo packs.
The Silk combo packs are 20 silks (10 ~ 2mm, 5 ~ Silky, 5 ~ Fairy).

And you can pick any of these 6 color palettes!

I have a thing for color and texture.
And I love creating silk knot bundles...

And for those people that love to create with various types of silks, but don't have the time to pick out individual colors - these palettes are pretty helpful.

And of course - there are a ton of projects, challenges and blog hops that inspire me to pick color palettes out, like this month's Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge:

Brandi Hussey's ABS Color Palette Inspiration based on Maurice Utrillo's painting.  

Marsha Neal Studio 2mm Silk Cord Set (Palette #187)

And you can see (& purchase) special palettes that some of my friends picked out:

When it comes down to it, it can be overwhelming to pick out colors and styles while staying within a budget (trust me - I know - I started ordering these silks by a couple hundred, and now I order them by the thousands - talk about addicted...).

I just love it...

Love having all these colors and textures in hand to help you with your next project!

I'm starting to accept that I am a components person.

And I am totally ok with that.

I really enjoy working with people and making things for their creations...

Another thing I love - hanging out with my kids:

For a few hours at the end of the day today, after picking up my little ones from school, then my sister, we headed out on our annual excursion to the Wilmington Flower market for some kiddy rides, carnival food, live music, and lots of cool artwork by local vendors.

It is one of those things that we can look back and see how much they have grown from year to year.
Next year, Chloe will be big enough to get on rides all by herself.
RJ - another two probably...

Where does the time go?

Enjoy the new palettes over on my Etsy shop!

Bohemian Inspired Jewelry Book - The Silk Ribbons!

Have you seen all the hype about this new book:

Bohemian Inspired Jewelry

Not only is it full of fun projects that fit my fashion style, I'm personally really excited because I was asked to contribute some info on the care of Silk Ribbon (page 11 in the book) that I sell through my Marsha Neal Studio website and Etsy shop.

I couldn't wait to get a copy in my hand, so I had to download a pdf copy!

And now that I've got a copy in hand, I can see just how many of the projects that have the Silk Painting Is Fun (Ute hand paints these silks, but sells in bulk) silks that I've been selling with my ceramic beads and pendants since I first met her back in early 2005.

Here are the three types of Ute's silks I carry:

2mm silk cord

Fairy Ribbon

Silky Ribbons

Sometimes it gets overwhelming trying to pick out individual color strands and let's not even talk about color resolution and how different colors look on your monitor, so I offer silks in 10-strand "Silk Knot Bundles" which are pre-selected color palette bundles of 2mm, Fairy or Silky Silk Ribbons to make it easier to buy and still feel inspired and not overwhelmed by choices.

The color palette in the three photos above were inspired by the 2011 Fall Pantone Fashion Colors.

One project in the Bohemian Inspired Jewelry Book that uses almost a full 2mm Silk Knot Bundle
is Lorelei's "Ocean Love" project.

(10) 2mm Silks for Bohemian Inspired Jewelry Book Project: Ocean Love

She came up with this "Ocean Love Silk Cord Set" herself.

From the Beads of Clay Blog, a photo of it:

You could use this palette to make the project in the book, or pick another color palette that is pre-selected, or - make up your own palette (for a similar effect to the project in the book, pick 2 of each of 5 colors for 10 silks total).
Use her project for inspiration to fuel your creativity!

I'll be updating my blog here with lots more palettes for projects related to this inspirational book!
I can't wait to get into my jewelry studio and start playing with all these materials I've got at my disposal.
I promise to keep some for those of you that want to order some for your projects too!

Like working with silks?

Love picking out color palettes?

Check out my Silk Color Palette Challenge.

Silk Color Palette Challenge Introduction

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Where do you find your inspiration for color palettes for your art and your life?

Marsha Neal Studio Macro Image of Cone Flower

And what do you do with that inspiration?

Personally I am a color and texture addict.

I love pull a lot of my inspiration from photographs, art, magazines, nature.

Pinterest anyone???

It is all quite visual. If I can hold something - that visual then becomes combined with the way something feels and it is like inspiration overload...

This overload often leads me to get into the clay studio and start to work on new jewelry components.

Marsha Neal Studio ceramic clay accent beads - coming soon!

Then comes times to figure out how to work those components into finished pieces (boy am I thankful there are a lot of great jewelry designers out there willing to use my work in their designs!)

Marsha Neal Studio "Stormy Waters" Silk Knot Bundle

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And then there is the silk...

My actual silk obsession, as far back as I can remember, started as a child - in the JC Penney women's lingerie section. I remember asking my mom to park me in the stroller next to the slips while she shopped. I slept on a hand sewn pink silky pillow case and wore the silk off of my "baby blanket"...

My obsession with silk ribbons in a more formal way started when I used to travel to bead shows all across the United States to sell my ceramic pieces to jewelry designers. I met Ute, the woman that hand paints the silks I carry, out in Tucson in 2005 and I happily came home with a small batch of her hand painted silk ribbons to sell along with my beads.

Pretty soon I realized that people were not only coming to me for my ceramic work, but for the silks.

It was not long before I was ordering them in bulk batches by the thousands in three different types of silks (2mm, Silky and Fairy Ribbons) in over 70 colors.

One of my most enjoyable things to do while selling at bead shows was watch the color palettes people would pick out for a project they had in mind...

You can tell a lot about a personality by the colors (earthy, bright, neutral, cheery, etc).

One of my favorite palettes ever - all rich muted tones!

These days I have two little kids and I no longer travel to sell my work personally through shows.
I miss that face to face customer interaction...

My studio is in my house, and this is where I go every day to work.

Being an artist isn't always about being creative...
In my case it is more about being an artist that runs a business & trying to come up with fun interactive marketing ideas to keep my business alive.

That 90% work, 10% creative studio time is very realistic in my world.

"Mom - I like this one the best!" Purple - Yes!!! She is a bead girl in the making...

My energies are seriously focused on selling through my website and Etsy shop so I can keep my business up and running.

I still love to see what silk color palettes people pick out for their work as I pull silks to fill orders.

2mm Silk Ribbon Strands pulled for an order.

And feeling this joy from working with the silks and pulling them for your projects & getting to know so many people through social media outlets - it got me to thinking:

How can I get more people involved with this picking a color palette thing?
It makes me happy, it would make them happy too.
How to make it a challenge?
Network with other artists?
Have lots of fun, and give stuff away (I love giving stuff away!)...

This is where Marsha Neal Studio Silk Color Palette Challenge idea came about.

My thoughts:
Take a photo that inspires you (respect copyright, use & give credit or don't use it) and pull colors from that image and make a palette of (10) of the 2mm silks that I sell and make a "knot bundle".
Help me sell and promote it & run challenges of your own along with ones I will run here on my blog and we can have a blast with this stuff and get creative juices going.

And I can give stuff away (did I mention that already? Hmmm...)

So want your first chance at getting FREE stuff?

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.marshanealstudio.blogspot.com/p/silk-color-palette-challenge.html" title="Marsha Neal Studio Silk Color Palette Challenge"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7UvNQMmAgEQnrehZYpH6oRcxQ_1Z72aIA5GKFWH1ETeZ7mb2u9qmBvaOw96x7fB0vAysg2ENIzN4_jTOV8M-NXP7yykk-oqocvhjC-IS6oZhuD_19XCWSdoNbtULajWATEuMF2SWcrFG/s200/Silk+Color+Palette+Challenge+Marsha+Neal+Studio+2012.jpg" alt="Marsha Neal Studio Silk Color Palette Challenge" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

First Way to Win: Feb. 29 to March 4, 2012 (closes midnight EST)

1. Add the silk color palette button to your blog sidebar or website to help me promote this event (copy and paste the html code into a html gadget on your blog - for blogger. Other blogs, not sure how it is done).

*You can copy and paste your blog address into the comment if you share the button so I can check it out too (I love finding new cool blogs to follow - don't you?)

2. Tweet, Share on FB, whatever social media outlet you take part in...

3. Then comment here on this post that you have done so for every action you take.

*Every comment you leave for each action gets you one entry for a drawing for a free (10) 2mm silk knot bundle of your choice from the 12 finalist palettes.

Second Way to Win: Stop back from March 1 to March 4 and vote for your favorite palette (closes midnight EST).

Want to get more chances at winning another silk knot bundle for you AND for one of the 12 finalists? Then stop back here on March 1 to March 4 to vote for your favorite palette(s) and then leave one comment once you have voted (one comment per person please) and you will be entered into the drawing to win a 2mm silk knot bundle of your choice. The "12 palette finalist artist" with the top voted palette gets to select a 2mm silk knot bundle for themselves too...

Third way to win:

For any of the silk knot bundles of the 12 finalist color palettes you purchase from March 1 to March 4, you will get an entry to win an additional 2mm silk knot bundle of your color choice AND a free pair of my new porcelain clay beads in your glaze color choice (you pick round, chevron inspired, or shard inspired). Purchase must be made by Midnight EST on March 4, 2012.

New Marsha Neal Studio Bead Sets for my Etsy shop!

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My Etsy shop will be updated on Monday, March 5, 2012 with a pendant destash (selected items in a designated section) as well as all of my new bead sets you see in the photo above will be listed for sale.

And if you were around last time for my destash sale - you know I like to give even more stuff away!

So get ready for some fun!

Make sure you are a fan of my Marsha Neal Studio FaceBook page so you can get in on some of the destash purchasers giveaway actions starting Monday!

Now - quick - go add that button to your blog and start sharing (don't forget to comment!) 

I want YOU to win something!!!

Silk Color Palette Challenge Coming March 1, 2012

I'm working behind the scenes on a few projects right now...

Feeling just slightly overwhelmed - but getting through it little by little.

The first project that I am working on getting finalized is that on Thursday, March 1st - there will be a new post for the Silk Color Palette Challenge.

What is a Silk Color Palette Challenge? 

You'll have to check back soon for details (silk bundles, inspirational photos, 12 artists picked to participate already, chances at giveaways for purchasing silks, selling silks, etc). I am creating a page right now with all the details & sending the current 12 artists their info so they can get their blogs ready.

For this and future Silk Color Palette Challenges, I've updated my silk color choice photos and have added them to my Flickr account for people to use to create custom palettes for my future challenges.

I use BigHugeLabs mosaic maker to do things like this:

These are all of my 74 colors that I'm offering for 2012 in the Hand Painted Silks.

These three images are used in my Etsy shop listings (which also needed an update).

These three images I use for my business use and you are welcome to share them without removing my information.

However, if you also sell these silks, Do Not use my images for your listings.

Create your own by photographing silks yourself & in a different style so our shops are not confused.

Keep an eye out...

Oh, and I am also working on photographing these new bead sets for listing in my Etsy shop later this week. Make sure you are on my mailing list for a head's up!

Marsha Neal Studio Beads (8 sets of 2 bead pairs on most strands).

Hand Painted Silk Color Update...

I have been trying to get to this project for months now, but things just seem to keep creeping in.

But I've chomped away at it little by little and have gotten to this point!

Updated Silky and Fairy Ribbons and 2mm Silk Ribbon Strands…

By Number (last time I did it by color palette).

2011 Marsha Neal Studio Silk Update Set 1

2011 Marsha Neal Studio Silk Update Set 2

2011 Marsha Neal Studio Silk Update Set 3

Some colors have been discontinued because they were custom mixes that ran out of stock, they were discontinued colors (by Ute) or because there was a new color that was pretty close to it and I picked the newer color (one must try to stick to some kind of budget right?).

Now to just get all of my Etsy listings updated…

I was also informed by Ute that a price increase would be coming down the line in early 2012.

Not sure if this will affect my retail pricing yet - not at the fewer quantities anyway.

Most likely you will see the price change at larger quantities & wholesale where there are deeper discounts.

Also, the Marsha Neal Studio Website is still being worked on in behind the scenes.

We're trying to find a cart (near impossible) that will take the discounts I offer with silks.

The way it is set up & has always been is that I will correct the pricing before your cc is charged.

With the cart update though, your cc gets charged automatically, then there are credits and all that mess to take care of.

We'll see how it all works out…

Oh, and now that I've gotten my silk colors update - I'm able to work on my new monthly color palette contest with the silks where you help me pick out palettes of 5 or 10 colors, then they get voted on and the ones that win get the chance to be named after the person that created the palette. 

And of course there will be silks to be had by the winners…

More to come!

What do you think about the colors being by number vs color palette?

If I was designing, I would probably prefer by palette.

Ordering is easier by number though… Hmmm - what to do?

Ideas For Using Silks...

There is a new book called

"A Jewelry Accord, Making Jewelry Using Cording, Ribbon and Lace" 

in the works by a couple of fantastic Jewelry Designers…

Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegal

They have a companion blog going which I highly recommend following:

I don't know about you...

But I can't wait to get that printed book in my possession so I can have some visual inspiration and a few tips and techniques to add to my growing jewelry making skills!

There is just something to being able to sit with a book or magazine in your favorite chair…

 A warm beverage of choice near by (it's winter - warm anything is welcome!)…

And get into finding your muse amongst the pages.

My muse can start to take form in visualizing something…

Then she starts to show herself more as techniques are learned…

And as I am working through a project, she shows herself fully through ideas that stream out of my heart and head through visions of projects that can be.

She is very elusive though…

I must start to keep a sketch book and drawing utensil with me at all times while designing

A big Thank You to the girls at A Jewelry Accord for posting a wonderful blog post about the silks I carry in my Etsy Shop and my Website.

Here are a couple of my favorite OOAK color combos from my Etsy shop…

OOAK Random Color Grouping 51

Sea Shore Knot Bundle (made from stock colors).

These bundles allow you to get a quick selection of colors to fool around with in your jewelry design.

I also have added a bunch of listings where you can pick your own color palettes in specified quantities.

With over 75 colors - there are endless color palettes to be created!

You can also visit my website and pick whatever combination of colors and types (make sure to hit add to cart within each color section - you'll see what I mean).

My website is best for larger orders or orders with lots of different silks because it all goes into a cart directly vs you sending me the colors in a message.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have fun designing or buying handmade jewelry with these beautiful silks!

Silk Descriptions on Etsy…

Ok, real quick because I have to pull a couple of small orders and make it to the post office before 4:30 & get the kids…

I attended most of the Etsy Online Symposium yesterday (awesome!).

It was a lot of stuff you should know if you are at all a seller of your product. It was like a big reminder kick in the rear to get you pumped up and have some order to renovating your shop to market it to "your ideal customer". Which in essence - is yourself - if you make your art because you LOVE it.

So I thought, hmmm. I've been selling a lot of silk strands through my Etsy shop (Thank God! And yes that is a link to my sold items. I'm nosey too and look at what you've sold - see what is hot in the market) in knot bundles. I need to romance my listing more.

Today I updated one listing, and will spend tonight or tomorrow night most likely copying and pasting, for hours I'm sure, to update the rest.

I also saw a link to Lindsay Whimsies Shop shop that listed multiple custom items, and she commented shared how she did it. And I thought. Hmmm that could work for my custom color palette silk knot bundle listings too… They were also updated and romanced a bit too.

Darn… Got Valentine's Day on the brain I guess. I'm "romancing everything". Maybe just the thought of the milk chocolates (focus: tight jeans, pancake belly, uncomfortable feeling). Ok I'm over it now…

Leave me a comment back her on this post about:
1. What you think of the new "romance description". Be honest really...
2. What your favorite color palette is and why from my Silks Etsy Shop Section

And I'll pick a random winner on Saturday. Will ship you your favorite palette out to you on Monday (if it happens to be one of the OOAK, I'll pull something similar for you).

*This kind of interactive Etsy to Blog to Etsy Giveaway was also talked about in the Etsy Symposium.

Color Inspirations: Seed Pod In Decay

Here is another selection of 5 of the 2mm silks inspired by some of the colors in Seed Pod Shells in the photo that follows.

Now mind you, color inspiration does not have to be from a perfect photo (this one was taken with the iPhone and just would not focus properly for me. I was probably rushed that day.)

I often look at things with squinty eyes to just get an overall feel for color hues, shape, symmetry, etc.

Here is the Seed Pod Shell palette from my ColourLovers app:

And the silks are available in my Etsy shop by bundle or website by individual strand.

New Silk Photographs

Here it is! The complete color selection of silks I have for my Marsha Neal Studio website shopping cart. If you visit my website and don't see the new color swatches (they will be skinny still, but snippets of these) hit the refresh button on your browser address bar, and they should reload.

It has been a process pulling every color (75 currently) in each string type (3 kinds) and getting a photograph that is as close to the actual string color as possible (of course your monitor and printer will alter that too). 

Marsha Neal Studio's Hand Painted Silks (by SPIF)

Marsha Neal Studio's Hand Painted Silks (by SPIF)

Marsha Neal Studio's Hand Painted Silks (by SPIF)

I started selling these hand painted silks when I was selling my pendants through Bead Shows all across the country. When I first met Ute (Silk Painting Is Fun) she was wearing a many-strand silk necklace in Royal Blue (and totally can pull off those colors!) and commented how her silks would go great with my selection of Porcelain Pendants. She of course was right, and ever since I have been selling them through shows (which is now run through my friend Darlene of D7 Studio), my website and a selection of silk knot bundles in my Etsy shop.

Not all of the new colors are in my website shopping cart yet (we are working on the new site right now, although I think I may convince Dave he needs to show me how to add the codes - even without pics to the current site for ease of ordering… He does not like it when I get in there and fiddle with all the website stuff - it becomes super cluttered - much like my studio ;).

With the addition of new colors by Ute, some of the old ones have been discontinued. This is because they were too close to another color or some ingredient changed within her dye mixture and it can no longer be reproduced. I can totally relate because sometimes I get variations in my glazes because ingredients have change and colors need to be discontinued.

So refer to these pictures for the correct number and name to order the silks by until we update the website (by tonight? I sure hope so!) **The silks page of the website is updated!!!

Oh, and if you have a moment, let me know what you think of those three images. Are they useful, hard to read, etc… I appreciate the input since I have been working on the computer all day and my brain is now shutting down.

And one last thing. If you want to get hands on with these high quality, beautifully hand painted silk strands (and many more colors) shop with Darlene of D7 Studio in person. This weekend Jan 14-16 she is in Marlborough, MA at the Innovative Beads Expo show.

To Do List - Getting Done...

I have been super busy taking pictures, cropping them, naming them, all the while juggling Riley being home and only napping here and there… 

So it's been a busy few days for me.

I'm seriously considering listing things up on Etsy only once, maybe twice a month…

I'm missing out on my garden photography time! And that makes me a bit grumpy...

Porcelain Halloween Ghost Pendant in the My Mom Pattie Etsy Shop.

I am however working on getting the new halloween pendants into my Marsha Neal Studio Etsy shop.

Just in time to help you get chances to win Marsha Neal Studio gift certificates during:

2010 "Honoring September"

Click on the Magnolia picture on the blog sidebar for details.

There are plans on re-photographing all the silk strands for my website overhaul. 

I spent the day today pulling one of each kind in every color. 

Pshew - glad that is done…

This is what I have in mind for the actual photographs (in better lighting) for each of the colors.

What do you think?

Hand Painted Silks #0 Almost White in Silky, Fairy and 2mm.

So on my mom's birthday (9/1), I was on a mission to get some pieces up into the My Mom Pattie Etsy shop. 

Finished pieces… 

I had wire wrapped a few of the halloween pendants the other day…

Halloween Porcelain Pendants pre-oxidation.

The sterling needed to be darkened though… 

Too bright for what I had in mind.

Now if I could only find the Liver of Sulphur… 

It hides somewhere in the midst of my jewelry/beading/metalsmithing area.

I know it's in a place that "makes sense" to store it.

That place where you can never find it again…. 

I just saw it the other day - dang!

Ah-ha - Found it (on a shelf, in a basket, behind a bin…)

See… Much better - more in the feel of "old and decrepit"

Porcelain Halloween Pendants with oxidized sterling silver for My Mom Pattie Etsy Shop

I also picked up some glass etching cream from AC Moore the other night…

Which was an adventure in itself…

Not just because the store is being remodeled and things are rearranged…

But because I decided to have dinner with Chloe & Riley out…

By myself…

Then go to the store…

All was ok until the potty training accident…

 Then add a screaming baby not wanting to be put in stroller while I helped clean up #1's #2 to the mix...

But we dealt just fine…

I'm a prepared mother (usually…)

Marsha Neal Studio Etched side of pendants.

Etching and Patina all in one morning - WOAH Nelly!

I was on a roll...

Light a candle over here…

Spray the NeutraAir over there…

All in preparation for the Liver of Sulphur…

No Dave, that stink wasn't from me. 

And no, I'm not cooking with rotten eggs… ;)

Marsha Neal Studio pre-etched side of pendants. 

It was great… 

I can't wait to etch more of my pieces.

And to make more jewelry!

NOTES: I used the cream glass etch. 

Wish I could find my bottle of liquid Etch-All (in that hidden place…). 

Different glazes take different amount of time to etch. 

Some of my glazes won't etch easily (not even after 10 minutes) - they are that hard. 

Others etch quickly (like 4-5 minutes).

Oh, and a quick picture from Beading night...

My work area for Bead Night. Little rabbit pendant is from Jenny Davies-Reazor.

Now I've got the jewelry making bug - darn you beading night!

Which is such a good thing for me, but bad for my plans of getting organized.

Maybe I should make another "Bead Night" my prize for getting organizational goals reached…

Thanks for stopping by!