Breezy Go Lucky

Straight Hair and My New Favorite

2011-06-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

I am in the midst of growing out my very curly hair so I took a much needed trip to my favorite Portland salon Moxie For Hair today. Christine has been cutting my hair for years and she's wonderful! She used her magic and perfectly straightened my hair...it's always fun to try a new do! Christine is wonder woman. She rocks the salon, raises awesome kids, always looks amazing and is one of the talented women behind Kiki Lou Hair Bobbles, the cutest little hair accessories in town.

These are my new favorite earrings. I am in love, love, love. They're made with vintage brass and they go with everything! Handmade by another talented women, Portland jewelry artist Carley Brin. She sells her beautiful work exclusively at Gilt

My new favorite

2011-06-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

I took one of my favorite beads that I've made I put it on a delicate sterling chain. I just love it...simple, pretty, easy to wear.

Bead of the Month

2011-06-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

May showers bring June flowers? At least that's the way it seems in Portland. We're having one of those crazy stormy springs and I actually quite enjoy it. I'm all about the cozy sweaters and jeans this week...it's times like these I am so thankful to be living in the land of coffee!

Rainy days are the inspiration for this month's bead from my Harvest Beads shop. June's bead is lovely transparent blues mixed with metallic bronze and scattered about white opal.

The Bead of the Month

June's Bonus Bead (free with purchase)

Bead of the Month

2011-05-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

Everywhere I look I see tulips. They are in abundant bloom all over my neighborhood. So beautiful and cheery...makes me excited for the warm weather just around the corner! They inspired May's Bead of the Month from my Harvest Beads shop. May's bead is a mix of luminous dark pink beads and wispy, soft pink beads.

The Bead of the Month

May's Bonus Bead (free with purchase)

Also available-

May's Made-to-Order (sets of two)

Beads For a Year! (Bead of the Month Annual Subscription)

New Earrings

2011-04-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

I just finished adding new Mai B. earrings to the Jewelry section of my Harvest Beads shop.


Hyacinth Big Hoop Earrings

Periwinkle Small Hoop Earrings


Spring Air Double Hoop Earrings

A few new sets

2011-04-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

I just posted a few new bead sets in my Harvest Beads shop. I'm really feeling the color green right now..spring is in the air!


Ballgown Champagne

Garden Sparkle


Spring Sparkle

Bead of the Month

2011-04-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

How in the world is it April 12th already?! Taking a little time off at the beginning of the month really threw me off. Here is the newest Bead of the Month from my Harvest Beads shop. April's bead is a swirling blend of fresh, springy green.

The Bead of the Month

April's Bonus Bead (free with purchase)

Also available-

April's Made-to-Order (sets of two)

Beads For a Year! (Bead of the Month Annual Subscription)

Bead of the Month

2011-03-01T08:45:00.000-08:00

It's that time again! I'm finding it hard to believe it's March already. Each month I have a new feature bead for my Harvest Beads shop. March's bead is an ode to the weather in Portland...moments of sunshine, bulbs beginning to flower and a belated snow shower.

The Bead of the Month

March's Bonus Bead (free with purchase)

Also available-

March's Made-to-Order (sets of two)

Beads For a Year! (Bead of the Month Annual Subscription)

New Mai B. Earrings

2011-02-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

I just finished putting a few new pairs of earrings up for sale in my Harvest Beads shop. I am especially fond of the streaky, lustrous Elvish pair. Thanks for looking!

Elvish Double Hoop Earrings

Sapphire Sparkle Small Hoop Earrings

Sunset Amber Big Hoop Earrings

Frost. The Art of Custom Cake

2011-02-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I love cupcakes. I especially adore mini cupcakes. Confession: I will even eat them for breakfast if they're in the house. shhh, don't tell my daughter. My favorite cupcakes in town are from Frost. Confession two: I recently tried their vegan vanilla cupcake and it was so incredibly delicious that I ate the one I was saving for my daughter while she was sleeping! shhh, I'm lucky she can't read yet!

Frost is a collaborative effort between sisters, Stacie Thering, Tami Traeden and Aimee Traeden who reside in Portland, Oregon. Together they love to create delicious, artful cakes and cupcakes for any event.

Visit their website for the full menu- www.frostcustomcake.com

Not only are they scrumptious, look how cute these cupcakes are!

Aimee Cupcake- chocolate cupcake with
chocolate buttercream frosting adorned with candy pearls

Josephine Cupcake-graham cracker cupcake with
key lime cream cheese frosting adorned with a lime peel curl

Nico Cupcake- graham cracker cupcake with
chocolate ganache frosting and a roasted marshmallow topping

Timothy Cupcake- vanilla cupcake with
vanilla buttercream frosting adorned with candy pearls

The sisters...even cuter then their cupcakes!
All images used with permission from Frost.

Mai B.

2011-02-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

Happy Saturday! I woke up to a gorgeous sunny sky, granted it's freezing, but the sun feels wonderful. This week my big project was adding a finished jewelry section to Harvest Beads. I did it! I have a bunch of beautiful earrings by Mai B, the collaborative project of yours truly and my dear friend Stacie Mai. Our earrings are made of fused fine silver, sterling silver and lampwork beads. Come take a peek, I'm so excited to share these with everyone:)

Bead Inspiration

2011-02-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's Valentine's Day post got me thinking about beads...I'm sure that shocks you :) What a great color palette for beads on this rainy February morning.

available in my shop- Harvest Beads

Portland Valentine

2011-02-14T21:13:00.000-08:00

I just love this picture. The colors, the raindrops, the beauty of an overcast morning. I was walking my daughter to school and there they were, these two adorable heart-shaped leaves that had fallen into this perfect little arrangement. So sweet. My kind of valentine :) Hope you all had a wonderful day!

Bead of the Month

2011-02-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

Each month I have a new feature bead for my Harvest Beads shop. February's bead is sweet as a candy heart...transparent pink speckled with fuchsia and cherry blossom.

The Bead of the Month

February's Bonus Bead (free with purchase)

Also available-

February's Made-to-Order (sets of two)

Beads For a Year! (Bead of the Month Annual Subscription)

Meghann's Flower Headbands- I'm in love!!

2011-01-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was in my favorite Portland bead store, Dava Bead & Trade, and I found the best headbands! They are beautiful and flowery and I think I need more. They are perfect for adults or children...so my daughter & I each picked out one and we're sharing them :)

These headbands are handmade by the beautiful & talented Meghann Street and are being sold exclusively at Dava Bead & Trade. Her headbands are actually her creative outlet and fun side project (lucky us!), her main focus is on her photography. And she does the most stunning photography!

Meghann's Website-

Your Street Photography

Thank you Meghann!!

Bead Inspiration

2011-01-21T17:27:00.000-08:00

I never know when the mood will strike and sometimes I find inspiration in the unlikeliest of places. Today's inspiration comes from this darling little set of embroidered handkerchiefs I found at a thrift store. They are so cute and cheery, how could I not feel inspired?!

Darling

I have a bunch of new work for sale in my shop and I've been busily revamping it this week, come take a look!

Art Pendant

2011-01-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

Here is another beautiful Art Pendant by Terry Bizarro...I can't get enough of these! Terry's Etsy shop is coming soon, but if you're interested in her work you can email her caferoma_art@yahoo.com or visit her Facebook page- The Real Bizarro World

Bead of the Month

2011-01-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

To ring in the new year, I have some fun new things happening at Harvest Beads! I have a good feeling about this year...something wonderful is brewing!

I have always included an extra little bead with orders, but I decided that I want it to be more than just a random bead. I want it to be a little gift from me to you. And that's what I'm going to do! I'm now making a specific, special bead for each month of the year. Not only will this be fun, but it's way more organized! And THAT, is key for 2011. So let me introduce to you...

The Bead of the Month

January's Bonus Bead (free with purchase)

Also available-

January's Made-to-Order (set of two)

Beads For a Year! (Bead of the Month Annual Subscription)

Bead Inspiration

2011-01-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

I recently made these beads inspired by Terry Bizarro's original piece Summertime Alone

Eugene

Falling Leaves & Chilly Air

Bizarro Park

Above image used with permission from The Real Bizarro World

Terry Bizarro

2011-01-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

For Christmas my amazing, talented friend Terry Bizarro gave me the most lovely gift...the Summertime Alone Pendant & Ring Box Set. All handmade by Terry using her original artwork. This also happens to be one of my favorite pieces of her art, lucky me! Her Etsy shop is coming soon, YAY!

See more of Terry Bizarro's Artwork, you can follow her on...

Facebook- The Real Bizarro World

deviantART- TerryBizarro

Her Darkfolio- Terry Bizarro, The Real Bizarro World

Harvest Beads & Me...how it came to be.

2010-12-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

I'm Breezy Riggs, the owner and lampwork artist behind Harvest Beads.

I grew up in a little agricultural town in Northern California with three very talented and artistic people- my Mom, Dad and brother. I had the fortune of living down the country road from my grandmother, a truly amazing woman. She taught me all about swap meets, re-purposing objects and craftily keeping yourself busy for little to no money. I wish she were here to see all of the wonderful new avenues for crafters, thrifters and artists, she would be the bell of the ball!

I moved to Portland, OR in 2003 with my boyfriend Loric...who shortly there-after became my fiance. We came here not really sure what we were looking for, but the Pacific Northwest just beckoned us to take a risk and embark on this adventure. Sometimes you have to follow your heart and see where you end up...and I couldn't be happier we did.

After the big move I worked a few odd jobs I didn't much care for . Then I pestered a coffee shop owner until he hired me as a barista. While working there I met my good friend Gwyneth. Gwyn was friends with Kalera Stratton of The Beadwife, a well-know Portland lampworker. And here's the best part, Kalera was looking for someone to practice teaching a lampwork class on and I had always wanted to learn! What are the odds, right? It's funny, I just had a feeling I needed to work at that coffee shop but I had no idea it would shape my entire future.

I took one class from Kalera on April 4, 2004 and I was hooked. Over the next 3 1/2 years I worked as her studio manager and sold my beads part time. In that time Loric and I got married, he finished college, we started operating EvolTwin Printing out of our basement and we had a baby. HOLY SMOKES!! In the summer of 2007 I left The Beadwife to work for myself full time and launch Harvest Beads. That November Loric moved EvolTwin Printing to it's very own shop in North Portland. We just celebrated Harvest Beads' 3rd anniversary, the shop's 3rd anniversary, our 6th wedding anniversary and our daughter is nearly 5. Most recently we launched EvolTwin's retail line and I started Mai B. with my dear friend Stacie Mai. It's hard to believe how much we've done since we came to this city. I can't wait to see what comes next!

Thank you to my husband and daughter for always loving and supporting me. Thank you Kalera for being a wonderful teacher, mentor and friend. Thank you to my parents & brother for always letting me be my own free spirit and put glitter and glue on everything in sight. Thank you to my family, friends and everyone who's ever purchased one of my beads! Without the support from all of you, I wouldn't be where I am today.

www.harvestbeads.com

breezy@harvestbeads.com

Havest Beads on Facebook

Aimee Traeden Designs

2010-12-26T19:06:00.000-08:00

At a holiday craft night earlier this month I had the pleasure of hanging out with Portland jewelry artist Aimee Traeden of Aimee Traeden Designs. She is wonderful and so is her work. I got one of her
lovely necklaces and I've been wearing it non-stop! Thanks Aimee!

Where you can find Aimee's work-

www.aimeetdesigns.com

Aimee Traeden Designs Etsy Shop

In Portland, OR-

Gilt

First Thursday Street Gallery

Winter Solstice

2010-12-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

I woke up on the first day of winter to find the most beautiful sunrise outside my window. The sky was glowing with amazing fiery oranges and vivid purple-blues. What a perfect way to start the day...and winter.

Christmas trees make me smile

2010-12-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

We went to our favorite tree farm again this year- Christmas Mountain. If you're in the Portland area, go! It's so beautiful and the trees are perfect. It was the loveliest day...blue sky, glittery mist and trees dappled with sparkling dew drops.

Where to begin?

2010-12-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to start this blog for over a year. It took at least 6 months for me to begin attempting to start it. Then 3 months to name it and a few more months to design it. I was, I'll admit, dragging my feet and being a perfectionist. Then the other day my darling husband said "you just have to start somewhere, doesn't matter where." So here I am, all ready to go and realizing there is nothing to be afraid of. There, I did it. This is where it begins.

Interview at Dava Bead & Trade

2010-11-29T13:38:00.000-08:00

Last month I was interviewed by Dava Bead & Trade for their blog and it was so fun. This is a great bead store here in Portland if you're ever in town...they have a wonderful & talented staff and gorgeous beads of coarse! To read my interview visit Dava Bead & Trade Blog Thanks ladies, you rule!

An interview with lampwork artist Breezy Riggs