In April, I entered my dragon earrings in the Mythology and Folklore Challenge on Facet, the home of the Bead & Button Magazine. The post appeared a couple of weeks ago and I spammed the world, or so I thought. I missed WordPress.
My dragon earrings with the stable wing placed in the contest.
http://www.facetjewelry.com/stitching/inspiration/2017/07/5-questions-with-tracy-mashburn
Here is the link to the tutorial on bellbookndragon!
Currently working on these earrings for Bubonicon in August!
Baby Dragons Earrings, of course…..
When I found this tutorial on You Tube on making Marbled Eggs on plastic eggs, I knew this was the perfect way to package my Dragon Earrings.
It took a few times, but I found that following the video, produced a wonderful egg, that I could fill with these new Dragon Earrings – each eggs holds a pair of earrings. I used the smallest eggs I could find at Hobby Lobby, mainly cause they were the only eggs I could find that do not have holes. Mine were colored and I liked colors showing through the ink on the dragon egg, but I still had to play with it a bit.
I tried coloring the inside of the eggs with black and decided that was complicating things and when I tried to seal the inside with a spray sealer, the ink inside ran. So I decided to leave well enough alone. I may try again with nail polish….but for now these are perfect for the dragon earrings.
If you make these, I’d like to see them!
April 29th at
the Balloon Museum, mommysmoon & bellbookndragon will be vending this event. Come visit if you make it! Maybe go home with a dragon!
There is also a contest Through Bead & Button that I’ve entered my dragons into. The theme is Myth & Folklore. Dragons are folklore and they are supposedly Mythical. I know better.
I have two entries – One is a pair of the Dragon Earrings I just published a tutorial on, the other is a rather unusual Dragon Eye. Voting starts Monday May 17th, 2017- I would be appreciative of any votes you can gift me, but if something speaks to you vote for it. You 
can probably vote for more than one item!
This is the facet website. You shouldn’t miss this – they have posted a lot of seasonal patterns and some to get you interested in their contest for this month. I’ve saved most of the ones for stitching! Check out the Facet website:
Contest:
Free Patterns: http://www.facetjewelry.com/stitching
To Vote for the dragons!(or what you like.): http://jewelrycontests.secondstreetapp.com/MYTHOLOGY-AND-FOLKLORE-The-April-Design-Challenge/gallery/
Don’t forget I’m vending at Bubonicon in August (25-27th) as well! Bubonicon is Albuquerque’s Own Homegrown Sci-fi Convention. Gotta love a convention that has rats as mascots!
!I finally made a dragon earring that doesn’t have droopy wings! I’ve been busily making lots of these lovely creatures (OK, beauty is in the eye of the beholder), and a friend asked me to make a tutorial. So new listings on Etsy for the earrings and one for a tutorial.
Here is the link to the dragon earrings:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/bellbookndragon?section_id=18148687
Here is the link to the tutorial:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/bellbookndragon?section_id=21113511
This tutorial took me way longer than I thought it would. And I learned a lot and am still learning more about creating a tutorial. I created my graphics in Powerpoint, and have discovered Inkscape. When I’ve learned how to use it, it will make the graphics easier to create and they will look so much clearer! I’ve started on the Dragon Eye Tutorial, so there will be more to come. New Dragon Eyes and finally a Dragon Eye Tutorial, so stay tuned.
Here’s the newest listing on BellBooknDragon. She’s one of my hanging dragons, if you buy her you have the option of putting her on a chain, or just purchasing the dragon.
About the same time I listed her I got an e-mail from Facet – the new site for Bead & Button Magazine. In the e-mail was a monthly contest, no cash prize, but due recognition if your item is chosen and they are picking three. The theme is Ascend – of course, I had to enter a dragon. So look for my listing, Soar on Dragon Wings…..
Here is the link to the page:
http://jewelrycontests.upickem.net/engine/Welcome.aspx?contestid=281823
There are some very lovely and interesting submissions, many different techniques, all are lovely. However, each of them looks lonely somehow…..
As of today, there are only 21 submissions, and not one of the items has a comment made. So if you are of a mind to…visit and comment on a couple of the submissions. It won’t take long to browse through the submissions. I’m heading there as soon as I post this to comment on a couple. I know it’s been crazy this fall with the insane politics and Christmas coming – but really….
If you have any thing you would like to submit they are taking submissions through November 30th.
Albuquerque has some interesting shops downtown. One of them is the Octopus and the Fox. It’s a cute little shop that show cases local artists. The Facebook page
will give you an idea of what they sell.
Take a look at some of the interesting items for sale. It’s a fun shop and I enjoy visiting, because I always see something different every time I visit.
Octofair, the name is just fun, and it’s my first time there – so we will see what happens. So, if you are in town, drop by and see what’s new.
I don’t have details, I always seem to miss the Octofair, but this year, I’ll be there! The fair will be on the street and parking lots in the area, I’ll be finding out where I’ll be, when I show up to vend. Will have the items in the previous post finished by then and maybe a few more.
Here’s a look at the Phoenix Dragon, it’s coming along slowly. I’ve been going through inventory, but haven’t had much inspiration on the dragon yet. Got the tail to finish, and one more wing before I have to worry much about the head.
I confess, I dislike making fringe and that’s probably why it’s taking so long.
But next week my nose goes to the grindstone (ouch). I’ve got a handful of dragons to get ready for Octofair!
She says, it looks like the dragon on the cover of her new book – Paper & Fire. Which I went out and purchased as soon as she left the table at Bubonicon. I’m still reading it, but I’m enjoying every chapter. I read a while, bead awhile, and read another chapter when inspiration wanes. I’ll have to get the first Book in the Series, but I’m hooked on this one… I usually do my series in order, but occasionally, I start somewhere else! This one is an easy read even though I’ve started in the middle.
I’m going to have to check out her Morganville Vampire Series as well and it looks like I’ll be reading a lot from this lovely lady! She writes in my favorite genre. Check out her website here: http://www.rachelcaine.com
I’m hoping the dragon will take time to whisper in her ear about a new book idea….on Dragons! And that the dragon’s eye she took home will glare at her until it happens!
Rachel, thanks for adopting/buying the dragon and the dragon eye. I know they got a good home!
I’ve been working on more dragon designs and maybe it’s the cover of this book, but I really strayed from my usual dragon colors.
The tail is a bit large, but I’m working a shaggy fringe for the back ridge. Yes, there are beads strung on the fireline and there is a needle on it to keep the beads from falling off. I took this straight from the beading table and it will go right back. I really like the red in this and wonder how it would look fading to purple.
The wing that is finished is the second version. I beaded the tail while watching TV and I usually come up with a random pattern. Imagine my surprise, when I got most of the wing done and it was done in yellow & red diamonds. Might have kept it on a larger dragon, but not on one this size! This is what happens when you let the dragon have it’s way!
I’ll get back to finishing this Dragon after Pagan Pride Day September 25. Speaking of…..I need to get back to tagging the items not already tagged….it’s always something.
These are on the beading board…..soon to be more dragons….the imagination is working over time on these. I finally got a red one started and there is another one that didn’t make it into the picture that is going to be a Phoenix type drag
on; red, orange and yellow colors. Got some beads for a purple dragon and considering a red to purple mix as well.
The long black rope is going to be a hat band, as soon as I figure out what size hat bands are supposed to be…..
The little guy hiding the in corner is the first one I’ve added super duos to the tail.
Here you go a closer pic of the hat band.
This design is more flexible. Easier to wear, more versatile. You can remove the beaded rope and wear the dragon on a cloak, on a Medieval Wedding dress, add it to your LARP armor – should rate you 
around a +3 to your AC. And not least, if you have trouble fastening your own necklace, this one fastens in the front.
As you can see, she looks good from the front or the back. I decided against back ridges, for comfort.
This necklace is comfortable to wear. Has enough weight to weigh your cloak down in a pretty brisk cold wind and like all my dragon jewelry, will stop people in their tracks.
The next one is bugging me to get started. And I have a purple beast that needs some membranes on her wings. So many dragons…..
Interested? Here’s the link to the listing on Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/listing/463757013/mother-of-dragons-necklace-20-inch-light
Bell, Book and Dragon 