ABeadsLife

ArtJewelryElements April Component of the Month Challenge!

2015-04-30T16:17:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone!
I am writing today about a wonderful Challenge sponsored by ArtJewelryElements.

Each month, one of the lovely and very talented AJE Artists makes a special batch of hand-made components for their Team plus a few lucky guests to create with. I was super-surprised to be included as a guest participant this month. AND, it was such a treat since this CoM was made by one of my all-time favorite Artists, Rebekah Payne of Tree Wings Studio. Truly, I was giddy and there was a little squeal of glee!

So, what did I do with this lovely bead delight? After lots of experimenting, I decided to keep-it-simple. Rebekah's creative heart bead has a lovely shape, a rich gorgeous sheen and loads of texture that needed very little enhancement. I definitely did not want to detract from any of those wonderful qualities. Plus, since this creation would be staying with me (yup, this one is all mine!), I wanted to be true to the style of jewelry I love to wear...a bit sparkly, love bracelets (never leave home without one!), a little 'girly' and classic.

Keeping to my plan and goals, here is what I created..and I love love love it. I think we should call this the 'Be True' bracelet:

Thank you Rebekah and AJE!

Please do head over to AJE to see what everyone made for their April CoM Challenge!..that's where I'm going, right now...whoosh...
Carol

(PS: sorry I am a bit late posting today...Mom's apartment flooded! We've been trying to dry things and help-out there as much as possible. Water sure does move fast and makes a huge mess. Things should be back-to-normal by tomorrow..thank goodness. It's a lot for an 85 yr old to 'deal with' alone)

2015-04-26T17:48:00.004-07:00

A few months ago, I had the honor of participating in a wonderful Hop spondored by Carmi Cimicata of I Love Resin. Carmi sent everyone 2 of these really cool components to fill as we wished with resin or epoxy clay...and the rest was up to our imaginations!

Here are all of the pieces created as a result of this fabulous event:

My little heart is in 5th column, 4th one down from the top...the little origami flowers (some floating) with a tiny silver hammered heart and extra dashes of glittery gold..all embedded in lovely crystal-clear resin.

Aren't all of these creations gorgeous!?! It's amazing how 25 talented artist imagined and created so differently!

Many thanks to Carmi!
Carol

2015-04-26T17:03:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone! I wanted to share a cute little bracelet and earrings set I made for Pine Ridge Studios 'Hurrah for Spring' Challenge. I used an artisan bead in similar tones, sent to me from Genea Beads (thank you, Genea!)

The cool refreshing minty-green crystals are just beautiful and sparkly. Those petite, frosty-blue glass beads remind me of new dewy Spring Bluebells that are popping-up in flowerbeds right about now. I couldn't resist using the pretty little brass stars that came along with the Challenge kit. They are so sweet, don't you think so?

This set is so fresh and light-hearted...I may need to wear them tomorrow!
Thanks for reading,
Carol

February Checkerboard Blog Hop

2015-02-07T17:54:00.002-08:00

Oh dear, does anyone else feel like they can't quite catch-up since the Holidays? I feel sort-of breathless trying to do all the tasks at-hand.

The exciting news: I was unexpectedly invited to attend a Black Tie Gala in Atlanta by a very special colleague at work..to represent my Hospital! This was in recognition of some hard work over the last few months. I was so honored ('speechless' at the time, as I recall..and I am never speechless). I've never been to Atlanta before..this is all very exciting!!!

Segue: What to wear?! I've never attended a Gala before. My every-day wardrobe definitely doesn't include glitzy-glamorous pieces or a ball-gown. I'm more 'business-casual' for work..nice slacks paired with a pretty sweater or classic button-down top. I'm also in the process of gradually losing a bit of weight that had 'gradually' accumulated over the last 5-6 years (while I wasn't looking!). So, right now isn't a good time to invest in clothing.

I did finally find, after lots of 'returns', a very pretty 3-tierd black chiffon-satin skirt! on-sale! It was packed into the suitcase this morning, when I realized I didn't have a proper (ah-hem) slip to wear beneath it. After the panic, I removed the skirt, then placed my tried-and-true dress black slacks into the suitcase instead (there was no time for shopping today..did I mention our roof was being replaced today..it was a mess).

Those black slacks, paired either with a black-silvery glittery bolero sweater (thank goodness I found this a few weeks ago, on-sale!) or a black chiffon jacket (also a deal-maker!) will be my outfit for the Gala. True to form of late, my 'final decision' will occur in Atlanta while getting dressed. Thank goodness I had a pair of almost-new sparkly high heals and a beaded black bag from my Niece's wedding 2 years ago..or I may have fainted today. I think all of this will do nicely...and it's more 'me' and comfortable, yet still dressy..I hope.

So..the jewelry was also a last-minute decision today. I knew I had a made a beautiful black and silver Swarovski Crystal necklace a few years ago that has received minimal (once) wear. It is simple and elegant, but a bit too glittery for work. YAY!..it is perfect for either of my outfits and the Gala. I was even brilliant enough to make a pair of earrings to match the necklace..whew!

A few hours after packing, I was stunned to realize that Lisa Lodge's Pine Ridge Checkerboard Hop is due today and had nearly passed-by in my frenzy. Again, I don't know where time has gone, this was the very first Challenge I had signed-up for with Lisa back in July or August of 2014. This too all turned-out perfectly (albeit at the last-minute).

I had no bracelet for my Gala outfit...and that's just-not-right. I pulled out Lisa's beads and those same Swarovski's used in my necklace..and here is my new Gala bracelet:

Lisa supplied those gorgeous deep red/claret pearls! I added a cluster of dangles to give some movement (they will sparkle as I lift my hand to drink my Gala champaign!)

Lisa, I promise I will make more from the rest of the kit, as soon as I catch-my-breath! The beads are too pretty not to use!

Thank you for being with me today,
Carol

The Blu Mudd Black and White Victorian Challenge

2014-12-02T16:01:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!
I wanted to let you know about a fabulous Challenge I am currently participating in.

My goal today is to ask you to hop-on-over to Blu Mudd on Facebook to see ALL of the entries and vote for one as your favorite piece, before the voting period ends this Saturday (12/7/14).

The challenge is The Blu Mudd Round Six Challenge (Black and White Victorian). Oh! the hand-crafted artisan beads we received, lovingly created by our Host Moriah Betterly, are awesome (singing 🎵). Very Victorian, very elegant, feminine yet bold...gorgeous. It was also amazing to see how many different variations arose from each Participant based on the same set of beads!

The inspiration for my piece? Well, I thought I saw the phrase 'rose bud' inscribed on one of Moriah's beads..and that got me started on a theme. Then, I saw a bit of Celtic faery spirit there, too.

So, enough hints! I'm not going to post my piece here, because I realllllly want you to take a look for yourself and vote for a favorite.

Here is the link to Blu Mudd at Facebook...have fun 😉
The Blu Mudd Black and White Victorian Challenge
Carol

Holiday Sparkle

2014-11-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!
Happy 'almost' December.
Tomorrow is Holiday Sparkle Challenge reveal over at Lisa Lodge's Pine Ridge Studios on facebook. My holiday-themed set is posted there.

However, Lisa sent so many beautiful beads, I couldn't stop with only a few pieces!

Here are all the others..I went totally sparkle-crazy!:

This piece is a re-do of an old tired necklace my manager asked me to breathe new life into. I took a few of the original necklace beads (those lovely foiled discs and ceramic lozenge beads) and added a few of Lisa's dazzling sparkles...like wow, new life!:

I added a few flat-back Swarovski Crystals to this lovely Angel charm for even more sparkle:

Classic pearls, with a little twist:

Lots of bling:

I think this one is mu favorite:

One of my first attempts at making my own ear-wires!:

...and..there are still a few beads left-over from the Challenge kit to play with!

Please do hop-over to Pine Ridge Studios on Facebook to see my Holiday Sparkle set and all of the lovely creations from everyone else participating in the Challenge!
Carol

Clay & Metal Blog Hop

2014-11-14T18:21:00.001-08:00

Oh wow!!!...Hi everyone!...you've heard from me Three Times this week! Can you believe it?

It's time to reveal my 'makes' from A Grateful Artist/Lisa Lodge (Pine Ridge Studios) and Sharyl's Jewelry/Metapolies collaboration - The Clay and Metal Blog Hop. (actually, I'm a little early...the official reveal is Saturday, Nov 15th.)

Here are the pieces I received:

This frosty pendant focal was right up my alley! Total, instant love! I had a strand of vintage, softly-faceted, hot pink round beads in my stash just waiting to be paired-up with a bold, vibrant component. The focal has a shimmery gold-flash and Lisa's crystals very nicely complemented the frosting! Lastly, I wanted to use a slightly different technique to create a unique necklace. Using vintage textured gold chain and Irish Waxed Linen in the same shade of hot hot pink, each bead was tied into an open link using a simple macrame knot (there wasn't a lot of room in each link, so each knot needed to be simple and sturdy). The opposite side of the necklace is composed of simple stringing using the waxed linen and a few more knots to secure the connections. Then, Sharyl's focal was secured with several trim wraps of waxed linen and a sweet bow.

What do you think?
Flash of gold = check; whoo hoo! pink = check; pretty icing and frosting = check check!

Next, the sad news...omg, I went on to totally ruin Sharyl's lovely little disc set (near the right side of her business card above). Oh dear..my idea to make something very unique ended in a terrible disaster. There was no rescuing these wonderful little discs once I committed to the endeavor.

I felt so badly, especially since I had already made my 'feature piece' using the other fabulous components. The very next day, I contacted Lisa and Sharyl about my blunder. Sharyl was so very kind and gracious. She made another set of discs and sent those right out to me.

Sharyl's first discs were awesome..however, THESE ARE GORGEOUS!!! Ruffled, shimmery. Here is my earring set. I hand-formed the earring wires, used just 2 of those flashy vintage chain links from which I suspended Sharyl's 'dewdrops' with the same hot pink waxed linen. These are so yummy and light-weight, thanks to Sharyl's beads:

Thank you so much, Lisa and Sharyl! These were so much fun to work with.

Please Hop-On-Over to see everyone's lovely designs:

Our Hostess: Lisa Lodge - A Grateful Artist: gratefulartist.blogspot.com
Melissa Trudinger - Bead Recipes: beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Jo-Ann Woolverton - It's a Beadiful Creation: itsabeadifulcreation.blogspot.com
Carolyn Lawson - Carolyn's Creations: carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com
Shaiha Williams - Shiaha's Ramblings: shaihasramblings.com
Toltec Jewels - JewelSchoolFriends: jewelschoolfriends.com
Heather Richter - Desert Jewelry Designs: desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com
Marybeth Rich - A Few Words from within the Pines: forestofjewels.blogspot.com
Karen Grosset Grange - Ginko et Coquelicot: ginkoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr
Ann Schroeder - Bead Love: beadlove.wordpress.com
Lisa Prewitt Knappenberger - LiRaysa Designs: liraysadesigns.blogspot.com
Carol Briody (me/you are here!) - ABeadsLife: cbriody.blogspot.com
Miranda Ackerley - MirandAck at Artfire.com
Kari Asbury - Hippie Chick Design: hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com
Susan Anderson - La Main Tresor: lamaintresor.blogspot.com
LeAnne Loftus - First Impression Design: firstimpressiondesign.blogspot.com
Leithleach Seodra - Alainn Jewelry: alainnjewelry.wordpress.com

My very first Holiday Fair, this weekend!

2014-11-13T15:40:00.004-08:00

If anyone in the vicinity of northern Delaware/southeast Pennsylvania is looking for something really fun to do this weekend...please check-out this excellent venue on Sunday, November 16 from 9:30-4pm!

Holiday Craft Show, Congregation Beth Israel of Media:

Beth Israel of Media, Pa
542 S. New Middletown Road
Media, Pennsylvania 19063
Host: Jennifer Waterston

There will be music, arts & crafts with over 30 vendors, wonderful food, a silent auction..fabulous!

I was asked to host a table for my jewelry creations (ABeadsLife)! I'm soooo excited, have '1st time butterflies' fluttering around in my tummy and head...

This is sure to be a great event and wonderful opportunity to meet people! I would love to say 'hello' to you in-person! Do come join us!

Carol

Octoberfest...in November?

2014-11-11T16:49:00.003-08:00

Octoberfest..oh dear..I am so sooooo late. Can we please have 'November-fest'!????

We've been beyond busy at work, much of everything has gone by-the-wayside. Many days have escaped without me hugging one of these as well (That's my girl, Cherry. She loves hugs):

However, I am determined to keep my promise to Rita of jewelschoolfriends.com regarding her Octoberfest Blog Hop!

A few months ago, I received brilliant orange beads from Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Studios as part of a set from her upcoming Sparkle Challenge. Remember this set from one of my prior posts?:

Orange is a great happy sunny color, which I've typically shied-away from in jewelry, clothing, home furnishings..or beads. My husband is 'the great lover' of orange. He is totally utterly nuts about orange, Halloween is his favorite holiday. So, I must admit, when I opened this package, there was a moment of 'surprised panic'. Orange beads!?..what am I going to do with these?! Gorgeous, sparkling, but Orange!? uhh oh...I'm in trouble for sure.

Fast-forward to an unplanned stop at the nearest Michaels store one night after work. You know those wonderfully-guilty opportunities...running about 40 minutes ahead of schedule (unheard-of, right?), you're nearing the turn-off lane for the shopping center (should I? No! I shouldn't!...Oh what the heck)....and in you go, despite having tons of supplies and stuff at home! YAY..'me' time!

Strolling around the store, I wandered into the bead aisle. A few moments later, a strand of super-sparkly beads caught my eye. Totally 'uber-super' sparkly, come-hither beads. Guess what?..these were orange-based, too. Just like that, it all came together.

They call these 'Challenges' for a reason. Try a new color, a new style, a new technique. I pulled out bronze wire, a bit of vintage bronze chain, a cute bronze clasp (ok, not october-ish, but I love this one!), and suddenly developed a new fondness for wire-wrapping. Wire-wrapping never existed in my repertoire before. I always seemed to struggle with wire, of any sort. However, thanks to an excellent tutorial from Melissa Meman of Melismatic and ArtJewelryElements, something 'clicked' and I 'totally-get wire-wrapping' now (thank you, Melissa!). Please, check-out all of the fantastic tutorials at ArtJewelryElements (AJE) if you are struggling..they cover many topics, the directions are clear/concise/well-written and are beautifully photographed. Lots of fun, too!

To 'wrap-this-up':
1. I am totally desperately late for Octoberfest;
2. I am early for Sparkle Challenge (don't worry, I have many more pieces created from this excellent bead set in preparation for the December Challenge reveal date);
3. I am completely in love with this new necklace and with wire!!!

Thank you all for bearing with me, for stopping by (again), and many thanks to Rita, Lisa, Melissa!
Carol

Agate Challenge

2014-10-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

It always seems like time is galloping-by in leaps and bounds...

Here are the lovely items I created with the Lisa Lodge's Pine Ridge Studio's Agate Challenge kit.

The challenge I created for myself??? - use as many of the kit beads as possible, use a different metal color for each piece, and create create create at least three pieces.
(I cannot tell a lie..I still have a few agate beads left over... perhaps earrings are yet to come!)

These were the first beads I literally snapped-up from the kit first! These are sooo darn cute..chubby! Paired with a sweet ceramic peachy-pink birdie, several silver flower-drops and a bit of silver...and there it was.

This one came next..challenge = antique brass!..a first for me. I hammered those bead caps so they would gently cap the super-plump agate beads. Several strands of chain seemed to fit the scale of these beads best. I added a vintage star dangle to make this stellar. (sorry ;)

Up next...copper! Oh, this one was super-easy. I chose a few vintage Lucite flower beads in a sweet frosty coppery color to pair-up with these elegant agate ovals. Those are copper jump-rings used as spacers. Finally, since I had the 'chain-thing' happening, I added multiple strands of bright copper links to the piece. It's really a beauty in-person, very shimmery and shiny..just like a new copper penny.

Last but not least..more copper, antiqued this time. This piece started with those same lovely oval agates, but just kept going on for a necklace. Those spacers are Czech Glass coppery rondelles and the chain has been in my stash for some time (can't remember where I got it?!). I grabbed that gorgeous flower pendant at Spring BeadFest Phila and for the life of me cannot remember the Artist's name (if anyone does recognize this beauty, please let me know!?). A sweet peach waxed Irish Linen bow and detailed copper clasp made me smile!

Hope you like these pieces as much as I enjoyed creating!

Carol

Autumn Nights Challenge

2014-09-30T18:10:00.002-07:00

Hi everyone!
It's time to share the fabulous pieces I created with the lovely beads sent to me by Lisa Lodge at Pine Ridge Studios Beads and More for her Autumn Nights Challenge.
(I'm a few hours early. I've got to be at work early tomorrow and just couldn't wait any longer to post!)

First, here is the official Pine Ridge artwork for the event:

There were just oodles and oodles of beads in this Challenge kit. The kit I received was a mixture of amethyst, matte and shiny black, and silvery pearl beads. I dug right in, totally forgetting to take a picture of the beads first! This will give you the gist of things when I realized the 'before' picture is very important:

My first bracelet 'flew' together with this lovely feather clasp Lisa sent along in the kit. I pulled out some silver wire and a pair of sterling silver cones from my stash and wah lah:

Next..obviously on a 'bracelet theme'... I wanted to make a comfy, easy-to-wear stretch bracelet trio that combined several of the bead types. They needed to keep a strong association to each other for a set. The silver bead caps with the fluted design worked very well in the amethyst and basic black bracelets. Years ago, I purchased these star-burst flat disc beads and thought they would be perfect for a Challenge theme that featured nighttime and stars? These discs are super-sparkly in real life, almost too bright for the camera lens. A few of those beautiful pearl beads softened the over-all look. These could be worn in any combination..wear one, two, or all three. Plus, that basic black bracelet would go with any outfit!..my 'go-to' wardrobe-maker. Oh, and I love love those matte black barrels:

I was determined to use all the beads in this kit.
These pieces came next:

Lisa included 2 unusual, flat, softly matte glass rectangles in the kit. What to make?..earrings?..no, wasn't in an 'earring mood' (I get like this..been wearing the same pair of 'basic' earrings to work now for a few weeks now..boring Carol). A pendant?..maybe..but it needed 'sparkle' to go with those sparkling amethyst rondelle beads. Out came the Swarovski flat-backed hot-fix crystals in a purple mix. Using only gentle heat from a common heat gun adhered these hot-fix crystals perfectly..the glass was a perfect conductor. I was amazed! Sterling silver jump rings and a slightly oxidized sterling flower toggle clasp (also from my stash) made this necklace. And, I still had beads remaining to use! My last piece was a toggle bracelet that used the last funky, chunky matte black barrels (did I mention how much I love those??) and the last few sparkly amethyst rondelle beads with this sterling toggle clasp. The very last barrel bead became a perfectly fun dangle with a sterling head pin wrapped-up around it.

I think there are about 3 & 1/2 beads remaining from this great kit (which may become my new pair of work earrings? :)

Please head over to Pine Ridge Studios during October and November to see what everyone created from their own unique Autumn Nights kit. I can't wait to see them all. Mine will be posted there shortly, too!
Carol

Klik Component Reveal at Resin Crafts

2014-09-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I've been On-Call for work this week, and it's been pretty busy...

Beading has been on my mind, tho! I squeezed a few hours of creative time in today...

Today, I finished the piece I've been working on for the Pine Ridge Studios Clay & Metal Blog Hop. This is one of those pieces that started 'one way', then I pulled it all apart and went a 'different way', then a '3rd way'...before finally deciding on a 4th totally different design in the long-run. I was thrilled with the final result today..until I stumbled upon a design element featured at Fusionbeads while checking-out their new line-up of Swarovski beads. I'm going to challenge myself a little further by trying my hand at this little element tomorrow and then add it my piece.

So there we go...push just a little further to meet the challenge..that's my motto!

In the meantime, Carmi at Resin Crafts has been revealing the 50 Klik Collaborative submissions over the last 2 weeks. WOW..you must take a peek at Resin Crafts. The Artists have created an outstanding array of Klik art. Now that mine has been revealed, I'd like to share it with you!

Ingredients include: A small Klik bezel, a teeny-tiny wire-crocheted pumpkin by Saffron Johns of otherworlds (Etsy), EasyCast Epoxy Resin, mica powders in antiqued sterling, mossy green and copper fleck, three sparkly Swarovski Crystal flatbacks and a jelly headpin.

See you soon!
Carol

Look at all the Goodies!

2014-09-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Happy September everyone,

I've got 3 sets of pictures to show you today!

The first is the stash I received from Lisa Lodge at Pine Ridge Studios for the upcoming Agate Challenge. Now, we did receive 3 styles of Agate beads in this stash..but I was so excited, I forgot to take pictures before I started 'making'! So, missing from this picture are the beautiful plump round Agate beads I used right away! Don't worry, you will see them again very soon when the Challenge is 'revealed'...

My plan for the Agates..make 3 pieces, each with a different shape of bead and different type of metal. I have two pieces completed, and the third is still on my bead mat awaiting a few finishing touches. I may have enough left-over for a pair of earrings!

Next is a picture of the awesome stash received for the Sparkle Challenge.
Oh boy!..Super Sparkles!

And.. last but definitely not least, here are the components for the Clay & Metal Hop...I already have a plan formulating for these. Sharyl's pieces are so pretty in pink, with a dash of glimmer and icing, and the crystals Lisa added are perfect.

Having a beading blast,
Carol

The Indian Rug Set

2014-08-24T13:59:00.001-07:00

Welcome back!
Today, I completed my Indian Rug-inspired set with a pair of dangle earrings. My set was inspired by the Anne Repath painting posted at artbeadscene during August 2014. I took a series of pictures along the way to show you how I made these.

First, this natural grey Silk thread was the perfect stringing material. Waxed linen was too thick and wires were too stiff for the look I wanted to achieve. The soft grey color was a perfect compliment to the beads and the Redpath artwork, too. For the set of earrings, I used about 12-14 inches of Silk total (about 6-7 inches per earring).

Here are the rest of the 'ingredients':
Two 4mm round Swarovski Crystals in Montana Blue
Four 3-4mm gemstone chips - Citrine
2 gold ear wires
2 gold jump rings (you could use any size jump ring; mine are 'open' rings)
2 Wild Rose Polymer Clay Beads from TreeWingsStudio
6 Vintage Silvery Grey Ruffled Rondelles from beadbrats - 3 per earring

Tools:
A pair of sharp scissors to cut the Silk thread
A large-hole 'easy thread' needle
Chain-nose or Flat-nose pliers to open/close the jump rings
Optional - HypoCement

For the fist earring:
Cut about 6-7 inches of Silk from the card. Slip the Silk through one crystal to form a simple loop:

In the photo below, you can see my large-hole needle. This is a fantastic tool! It makes slipping thread though a small beading hole so much easier (and makes work for those who need 'vision-correction' a breeze...bifocals...me!). Make a simple over-hand knot above the crystal. Leave a nice little loop above the over-hand knot:

Thread a rondelle bead. Snug-up the beads and then make another over-hand knot below the rondelle.

Thread a Wild Rose bead. Turn the piece to the 'wrong side' and snug-up those beads, again! Tie another over-hand knot and snug-up this knot as close as possible to the base of the Wild Rose bead. I just used the tips of my fingers to gently 'coax' the knot into the proper position:

Separate the Silk threads. Thread one rondelle and then one Citrine onto each thread end
(so sorry for the blurry photo!):

Tie a knot under each Citrine at whatever length you desire. I chose to tie my knots on each thread at varied lengths in order to achieve a 'fluttering' effect. Using sharp scissors to prevent the Silk from fraying, trim the ends of the Silk to about 1/8-1/4 inch below the Citrine. You could apply a tiny drop of HypoCement to these ending knots, if desired.

Open a jump ring. Always use pliers to twist a jump ring open. With a pair of pliers held in each hand, gently grasp each side of the jump ring where it is cut. Gently twist one side of the jump ring away from you. This motion opens the jump ring slightly while maintaining its nice, round shape. Slide the opened jump ring through the little thread loop above a crystal. Making sure the Wild Rose bead is oriented to 'face-front', slip the jump ring through an ear wire loop. Carefully close the jump ring in the same way it was opened. Check to be sure the jump ring ends are now tightly 'flush' together and without any gaps showing.

Construct a second earring in the same way...and wa lah!

Here are my completed earrings:

Here is my finished set:

I think they look fabulous together!
Hope you like them, and my first attempt at a mini-turorial!
See you soon,
Carol

Coming next....

2014-08-22T15:43:00.002-07:00

...a pair of earrings to match The Indian Rug bracelet!

I have 2 more of these gorgeous, deep red Wild Roses from TreeWingsStudio and a few more fabulous Vintage silvery-grey ruffled glass beads from beadbrats....

..and a little idea in mind...

Suddenly, I am SUPER-inspired!

Check-back later this weekend :)

The Indian Rug

2014-08-20T16:08:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, Wow, can you believe it's August 20th?

I wanted to share my August artbeadscene Challenge submission with you today:

The featured Artist this month is Anne Redpath and our inspiration artwork is the Indian Rug from 1942. It's a very complex piece in my minds-eye...lots of intricate details, vibrant colors, and many points of reference to pull your interest. Here is the piece, along with Brandi Hussey's excellent inspiration palette across the bottom:

I'll have to admit it..I was stumped. Too much going on? The flatness of the piece?
My 'muse' took some time away from my brain at some point.

Finally, I decided to focus on the colors and started pulling lots of beads out of my stash.

There were zero 'red slipper' components in my collection (I can't hardly believe that). However, I did have beautiful flower beads from Rebekah Payne of TreeWingsStudio (Etsy shop link; treewingsstudio is the link to her blog site). Last year, Rebekah offered Wild Rose Polymer Clay art beads in her shop. I had to get a few in every color...red, teal, white. Later, she held a de-stash event where she offered unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. That's where I snapped-up this lovely blue rose! Upon reconsidering, I realized the Wild Rose beads were perfect focal elements to compliment Redpath's artwork.

Next, the rug in the artwork totally attracted my attention. Anything bright silver or cool pale grey is a favorite. In my stash were very special Vintage Glass beads from Marie at beadbrats (Etsy). These softly ruffled, silvery beads provided an amazing background element for my bracelet. That was an easy decision!

Next, I wanted to incorporate some of the golden and darker blue notes. The Swarovski Elements Crystal Pearls gave just the right amount of color with a soft subtle glow. More important to me was that they didn't detract from Rebekah's and Marie's beads.

I also didn't want a clasp to pull your gaze away from those carefully-chosen elements, so decided to construct the bracelet with an old favorite = stretch elastic! It does seem like Memory Wire and elastic are both making a come-back these days.

And, wa lah.. that was it! What do you think?

With a simple goal in mind - COLOR - the piece came together.

Thanks to ABS for another great Challenge! And thank you Rebekah and Marie! :)

Happy beading days,
Carol

ABS August 2014 Challenge

2014-08-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Don't forget about this, too!

artbeadscene August Challenge - The Indian Rug by Anne Redpath (1895-1965). This clip of the artwork displays a color palette created by Brandi Hussey. This palette is just as inspirational as the artwork!

The description at ABS:
The vivid colors and flat patterning of this painting owe much to Matisse, while the 'tipped-up' perspective reflects Redpath's admiration for early Italian painting. Redpath was fascinated by colour and texture. In this painting, the pattern of the rug meshes with the shapes of the slippers and chair to such a degree that it is difficult to separate flat from three-dimensional form....

Anne Redpath was born in Galashiels and studied at Edinburgh College of Art. In 1920 she married and moved to France, devoting much of the next fourteen years to her family and doing little painting. In the mid 1930's, she returned to Scotland, settling in Hawick in the Borders. Redpath admired the French Post-Impressionist artists, such as Van Gogh and Gauguin, and also Matisse...

Another fascinating life and career! Thank you, ABS.
I am looking forward to creating!

Clay & Metal, Agates, Sparkles and Autumn Nights!

2014-08-09T15:14:00.005-07:00

Guess what?:
I've signed-up for this super Hop, offered by Lisa Lodge at Pine Ridge Treasures on Facebook!

The Clay and Metal Hop features components made by Sharyl McMillian-Nelson of Metapolies (Etsy) and SharylsJewelry (Artfire). Our Hop Kits will contain fabulous pieces created by Sharyl in either clay or metal (hence the Hop's title!). There may also be coordinating beads from Lisa's stash involved in this kit! As with all of Lisa's Hops, 'surprise awaits' for those who accept her challenge..we won't know exactly which colors or beads might arrive at our doorsteps! What great fun!! Keeps things spontaneous and exciting! My creative jewelry pieces for C&M (for short) are due to post here at my Blog on November 15, 2014.

Lisa is also hosting an Agate Challenge. I was able to keep my 'Hop going' and dashed in on this, too! These kits feature Agate gemstones, perhaps even Fire Agate, which is perfect for Autumn! Not sure which kit is coming to me just yet..however this Challenge will reveal itself on October 18, 2104 over at Pine Ridge Treasures. I will likely post pics here as well.

Speaking of Autumn, October and November...our busy girl Lisa also just opened a Challenge titled "Autumn Night Sky". Who could resist? This kit features bead themes in purple, lilac, grey, black, silver, clear, wine, dark blue, and perhaps more colors. There may be some crystals, pearls, cultured seaglass and metals in the mix, too. Lisa will post our creations at Pine Ridge Treasures all during the months of October and November. So, please do check-in at Lisa's Facebook page often to see what's new! I'm sure a few pics will make it onto my Blog also!

Lastly, I was lucky enough to absolutely squeak-in on Lisa's Sparkle Challenge for December 6, 2014. This kit contains Tiaria crystal in either round, bicone or rondelle shapes. Colors?..you guessed it...a total secret until my kit arrives! Pics of Creations to follow at Pine Ridge and here.

So, I kind-of fibbed (five Hops, not just one)... and have stuck my creative neck waayyy out there:

Things are going to get pretty-beady-busy around here!! Loving it!
See you real soon,
Carol

The Klik Collaborative

2014-08-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

Well, this has certainly been a very busy weekend! Lots of super designs to be found from several Jewelry Hops!

Also and OMG whoo hoo!...my submission to the artbeadscene July 2014 Monthly Challenge was selected as one of the winning pieces! I had to re-read the ABS blog post 5 times before that information sunk in! I'm still dancing with excitement! Thank you to ABS for providing a wonderful opportunity. Please check-out ALL of the gorgeous ABS submissions! Every one is an honest-to-goodness winner.

Now that I've caught my breath...

I've already started work on my next challenge-The Klik Collaborative. No time to be idle with fast-approaching deadlines.

Here's what I received in the mail last week from Carmi Cimicata of Resin Crafts:

And, here are close-ups of a Klik, as yet unfilled.
I wanted to give you an idea of size & depth:

This is a very cool new bezel piece from Metal Complex, as yet unavailable for sale. Carmi sent 50 lucky winners two Kliks to experiment with (YAY!..me included!!). As you can see, one side is an open, blank bezel meant for filling with whatever your creative imagination can dream of. The Klik's backside is 'snap-like' and meant to be attached to a Klik connector. This makes a Klik into an 'interchangeable' jewelry component! (Please see Carmi's blog - she does a fantastic job explaining the Kliks and has tons of examples. It looks like she is having a blast, too.)

Our goal: fill these lovelies using either ETI Resin Clay or Envirotex Jewelry Resin as part of the design process. I chose the Resin Clay option as I wanted a 3D design for my final presentation.

Here's why.

About 2 years ago, I met Saffron Johns from otherworlds. I was looking for a designer who might be able to create a locket with a Yorkshire Terrier in mind (again, with my doggies!). That's when Saffron became a great friend of mine. She designs the most extraordinary wire crochet sculpture..you must go see her work to believe it. It's painstakingly detailed, colorful, whimsical, complex, life-like, made-with-care and love..and gemstones, too! My simple words cannot do justice for her pieces. Saffron made my Yorkie pieces and several others to commemorate other important cherished memories in my life. I've been utterly thrilled with each piece and several more that were simply 'must-have' purchases!

Here is my otherworlds "Mindy Yorkie" locket (fuzzy photo=my fault). This locket is only about 25mm in diameter, so please do be amazed at all of this detail. If you've seen the picture posted of Mindy earlier in my blog, you can see that this is an exact representation of her. And the really amazing parts?...Saffron created this all of this detail and personality, from seeing only a photo, and lives about '1/2 a world away' from me, in Bulgaria. She's never seen Mindy in real-life:

So, getting back to the Klik Collaborative (hope you're still reading along)...

Saffron always sends her pieces in a beautifully-wrapped package. She's one of those wonderful Artists who truly makes a Customer feel very special. Her jewelry packages are sometimes adorned with an extra special little wire creation! I've saved every single one she's ever sent. I've asked Saffron if I could use one or two of those little mini-marvels as part of my Klik design..she said 'yes'! So, this is where I got the 3D effect and depth as inspiration.

As of today, my Kliks are completed and drying. That's about all I can say right now, other than they look totally fabulous. Later in the week, one of my Kliks will make a return-trip to Carmi in Canada. Sometime after Aug 29, the due date for all Klik designs, Carmi will post more information about their outcomes. I hope you can hop over to Resin Crafts in the near future to see what everyone created? It's on my calendar as a 'must do' event!

Thanks for reading along,
Carol :)

The Haberdashery Hop Reveal

2014-08-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

It's finally August 2nd!
Time to reveal my 'makes' for Melissa Trudinger's beadrecipes Haberdashery Hop!

Just a quick reminder of our goal in this Hop: use components from the haberdashery department - including buttons, ribbons, lace and more - in a jewelry design.

I knew right away what I wanted to do! The technique I chose might seem very simple. However, I was 'oohhh so scarey-cat' to give it a try prior to Melissa's Blog Hop idea.

Lately, I've been studying tutorials and YouTube videos on basic knotting techniques. My original goal was to learn ways to create neater finishes on my pieces that used Irish waxed linen or other fibers as their foundation. It just seemed like I could/should do a better job on my finishing. After going down a glorious path of creating, filled with gorgeous beads and other beautiful elements, the 'finishing' touch was sometimes a struggle for me. Amazingly, there are tons of excellent videos out there. I quickly became glued to my iPad screen and learned a lot! :) Thank you, everyone!

Tie this together (no pun intended) with a lucky purchase of very pretty variegated DMC floss found during a recent family visit to Bethlehem, PA. Roaming down the isles of an A.C.Moore Arts and Crafts Stores located in another town is always a great adventure, yes?!?? Never know what new goodies might be found that you've never seen at home??? YES!..those 'out-of-town' floss bundles nearly jumped into my cart all by themselves (notice I said 'cart'...oh dear...always a bigger purchase than first intended!). Those floss bundles came right home to Delaware with me!

So..my haberdashery element is 'floss'. The technique I wanted to use was simple macrame. But, what else? If you've been reading my blog, you know that I'm currently obsessed with peanut beads...so I grabbed some of those:

Lastly, I wanted to create the macrame around a firm foundation...so decided to use this:

OMG..I have not seen nor thought of my Memory Wire (MW) stash in about 8 or 9 years! I was never a big fan of it, until now! Multiple loops of MW are right-on-trend with the current stack-able bracelet craze!

Ready! A quick turn of a simple loop at one end of the MW got it started (easy!). I wasn't really sure how much floss to use per bracelet, so decided to played it safe..better to have too much rather than not enough. I cut about 70-80 inches (ok, maybe a little more) for about 2-circle lengths of MW.

My first knot of floss was a simple overhand square knot, made at the mid-point in the floss, to anchor the floss to the MW. This knot was made using the MW as the middle 'leg' of the macrame work. I pushed that knot snuggly against the MW loop (a drop of beading glue is a good way to strengthen the connection, but is optional).

Then the painstaking task of adding beads began..yup, just a few at a time, sliding them on all-the-way from the opposite open-end of the MW. This took a while for each bracelet, but was worth it!

slide, knot, slide, knot, slide knot slide...repeat...keep practicing those knots until perfect..and until reaching to within about 1/2 inch of the MW end. After making sure my bracelet was filled with lots of beads (no gaps, please!) and had a nice twisting motion in the floss weave, I tied-off the floss in last simple overhand square knot, twice. (again, dab of glue is optional). A turned loop in the MW closed the end. The floss ends could either be cut right there, or, be used to add a few more beads for fringes. I tried both options.

These 3 bracelets are a result of my first weekend!

When the Sage Green and Hot Pink peanut bead versions were completed, I decided to splurge on a Swarovski Crystal version using Amethyst and Capri Blue shades to compliment the floss. Since we were haberdasher-ing, a tassel was also required! This one is hand-made..also my very first!

Last weekend, I decided to try Japanese Seed beads in smaller size 8s (the golden and the burnt sienna versions). Lastly, it seemed like adding an Artisan Bead might be a fabulous idea! In the coral piece below, I added a one-of-a-kind wobble bead made by Rebekah Payne of TreeWingsStudio..a perfect color match. The dangles on the golden and sienna pieces are vintage beads from my stash. You might also notice that I became confident enough to use an extra length of MW!

The possibilities seem endless, with just a few simple knots!
I still have this selection of floss colors to experiment with!

I had a great time exploring this very simple technique..one that I believe I've almost mastered and can build upon to create more complex designs. These were well worth the time and effort!

My heartfelt thanks go out to our Host, Melissa. I would never have tried without her Hop inspiration!!!

Here is the full list of everyone who is hopping! I know I'll be visiting each and everyone one!

Melissa Trudinger (Our Host!) - http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com

Ann Schroeder - http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com
Tammy Adams - http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog.html
Amanda Wacasey - http://mandyinmystic.blogspot.com
Dolores Raml - http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com
Divya N - http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com
Michelle McCarthy - http://www.fireflydesignstudio.BlogSpot.com
DiYana Brooks - http://agapecreationsjewelry.blogspot.com/
Robin Kae Reed - http://willowdragon.blogspot.com
Andrea Glick - http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/
Karin Grosset Grange - http://ginkgoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr
Mitzie Crider - http://needfulluxuries.blogspot.com
Janine Lucas - http://www.esfera.me/travel/blog/travel-stories
Rosantia Petkova - http://bairozan.blogspot.com/
Susan Kennedy - http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com
Leithleach Alainn Seodra - http://alainnjewelry.wordpress.com/
Kathleen Breeding - http://99bobotw.blogspot.com/
Shiraz Biggie - http://secretsongdesigns.blogspot.com
Chris Eisenberg - http://www.wanderware.blogspot.com
Heather Richter - http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/
Lennis Carrier - http://www.windbent.net/
Rebecca Anderson - http://www.songbeads.blogspot.com
Jenny Kyrlach - http://anafiassa.blogspot.com
Rita Toltec Jewels - http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com
Mischelle Fanucci - http://www.micheladasmusings.blogspot.com
Karen Mitchell - http://overthemoon-design.com
Carol Briody - http://Cbriody.blogspot.com
Karla Morgan - http://TexasPepperJams.blogspot.com
Carolyn Lawson - http://Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com
Lori Anderson - http://www.prettythingsblog.com/
Jami Shipp - http://www.celebratinglifewithdamamashipp.blogspot.com
Lili Krist - http://pcbylik.blogspot.com/
Evelyn Shelby - http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/
Raissa de Guzman - http://www.abloro.com
Niky Sayers - http://silverniknats.blogspot.co.uk
Keren Panthaki - http://vasdea.wordpress.com

Art Jewelry Elements - July 2014 Component of the Month Giveaway/Challenge

2014-07-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

I was so completely honored to be chosen as one of three Reader Winners for the July 2014 Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month Giveaway! Still dancing & skipping gleefully here! That will likely go on for quite a while!

Earlier this week, I revealed which Francesca Watson cabochon was sent to me. Oh, it's beautiful. Lovely greens, slightly sage, slightly minty, hints of grassy green. It also has glimmers of blue and copper, with small black flecks. Awesomeness all around...my favorite color and tons of style.

My first challenge was to select 'the perfect beads' to coordinate. During the week my cabochon was expected to arrive here in Delaware, I decided to visit one of my favorite vintage bead shops at Etsy, named beadbrats. The shop owner is Marie, who carries a marvelous selection of vintage bead stock. After filling my shopping cart with several options, I mentioned the AJE COM news to Marie. She included a few extra beads with my order, in a slightly different colorway..and look what happened!..these are right out of their shipping wrappers (beadmat-spur-of-the-moment pic):

Did anything ever go-together so perfectly the first time!?! Thank you, Marie!

What to do next? To compliment the gorgeous shimmer of both the cabochon and these beads, it seemed that rich, mellow copper components were needed (silver was too 'cold'; gold a 'no-go'). At my request, Francesca had drilled a stringing hole at the top of the cabochon. I remembered purchasing a detailed Tierra Cast copper pinch bail at a bead event years ago! Thinking that would work for my design, but not remembering exactly where it was stashed (oh no!!), a great search & find mission began within my beading room walls. Whew, found it!..along with a bunch of other forgotten lovely things! That moment was immediately followed by selecting a batch of swirling copper beads, also purchased many many years ago. These had mellowed with a soft patina that everyone loves in copper. YAY!

Then...for days afterwards, I struggled to 'make' something. Perfect colors and components were sitting in front of me, so what was wrong? Stringing, un-stringing, re-stringing...different design..too complex...not complex enough..where had my muse gone?

Finally, on a whim, I pulled this out of my collection...

...and my 'first ever' attempt to use Sari Silk was realized (about time, too!). Also included are a handful of size 8 green/coppery Japanese seed beads and copper SoftFlex wire. I decided to keep the whole process simple and soft in order to let the vibrant color and beautiful components shine:

This was such a wonderful experience. Here's what I learned:

"Keep it simple, soft...let the colors and beads speak"

Thank you to AJE, Francesca and Marie for this wonderful opportunity!

Please take a look at what everyone created! That's where I'll be!
Here is the full list of designer links:

Guest Designers

Deb Fortin - www.studiok24blogspot.ca

Toltec Jewels - wwwJewelSchoolFriends.com

The AJE Team

Caroline Dewison - blueberribeads.blogspot.co.uk

Susan Kennedy - www.suebeads.blogspot.com

Melissa Meman - melissameman.blogspot.com

Jenny Davies-Reazor - www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog

Kristen Stevens - kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Francesca Watson - www.francescawatson.com

Carol :)

My Pups Bracelet

2014-07-29T11:49:00.001-07:00

It's been a really long time since I made jewelry for myself! You know how it goes..you're focused on other things...working, kids, house & home, the world...lots of other things...

Every once in a while tho, you find Artisan beads that are so special, they just demand that you 'stop and make'. Bonus: finding a wonderful Artist who makes 'custom' beads', just for you! Awesome!

That's what happened when I found Rebekah Payne at TreeWingsStudio on Etsy (WARNING: be prepared for ultimate cuteness and beauty when you visit her shop!). Several months ago, I asked Rebekah if she could make beads in her style to resemble my dogs (you've seen my girls in prior posts - Mindy, Cherry and Poppy).

Rebekah said absolutely! All she needed was a few pictures of my girls. That was easy! When my beads arrived, I was amazed. Rebekah created beautiful mini replicas of my dogs!

Then, I got stumped...should they be in a necklace? a bracelet? which style? which color? So, these lovely beads sat, for a while. Bad me.

Last week, while reading one of my favorite Blogs, Heather Powers' humblebeads, a style became clear! Heather's post was focused on a specific design challenge (please see her July 22, 2014 post for details - Designing Dilemma). However, I knew her style would work wonderfully with my pup beads! It combined my current peanut bead fixation with a simple style to allow focus on Rebekah's beads. Best of all, this style would prevent the pup beads from spinning to the backside of my wrist where no one would see them. Don't you hate when that happens?

First, using memory wire cutters, I cut about 2-circle lengths of memory wire. Always use memory wire cutters with memory wire...otherwise, you will ruin your expensive wire cutters! (been there, done that). The number of circle-lengths is up to you, based on how full you want a bracelet to be. More lengths=more fullness, more wraps around the wrist. I wanted my bracelet to be slim, so 2 circle-lengths was perfect.

Then, I turned a simple loop at one end of the wire. For a better fit and more comfortable wearing, I like to turn my memory wire loops facing 'outward' rather than 'inward' towards the wrist. Next, I made a lovely 'peanut bead soup mix' in colors/finishes to coordinate with my pup beads...blue, violet, blush, grey, metallic green/black and soft beige. I wanted my pup beads to lay on top of my wrist, so I added them after stringing the first 1/2 circle of peanut beads. In order to create some space and wiggle-room, I added 4 peanut beads between each pup bead..that seemed to be the right number of peanut beads to keep everything centered as well. After re-checking the spacing of the pup beads, I continued adding peanut beads until reaching within about 1/2 inch inch at the memory wire end. Turned another simple outward loop..and wa lah!

Yesterday, everyone at work loved this bracelet! I even coordinated my outfit around it! This is sure to be a favorite, much-loved piece in my collection..one that I will wear often because it is so stylish, comfortable and easy to wear. My girls can be with me all the time, too!

Thank you Rebekah and Heather for these fabulous beads and for the super inspiration.

See what you can do with this idea?! I'm 'gonna do more for me!

On your mark....

2014-07-28T15:57:00.002-07:00

It's almost time for Blog Hop and Challenge 'reveals'.... Yay! I've been busy creating.

On Thursday, I will reveal my AJE July Component of the Month creation. One of Francesca Watson's beautiful glass cabochon's was the focal inspiration. I received the piece towards the top left-of-center in the picture, triangular-shaped, with coppery and shimmery green colors:

Hint: my piece is vibrant green and incorporates lovely sari silk with gorgeous vintage beads from beadbrats at Etsy. It was like these 3 components were made for each other, right from the beginning.

On Saturday, it's time to reveal my Haberdashery Blog Hop creations! I made several pieces, all using the same 'technique', but each with a different color-way or with different bead assortments. It was a first time for me to try this 'technique'...I've always been a bit scared of it before. However, this Hop gave me the courage to try. It was also really amazing to see how much a design could change by using different sizes, shapes and textures of beads, even tho I kept the foundation elements exactly the same. Quite an eye-opener for me.

Hint: here's a picture of a few of my design elements. I've had a real love-affair with peanut beads recently (these came from Fusion Beads). The DMC floss was one of those spur-of-the-moment purchases from A.C.Moore Arts and Crafts Store during a recent trip home to visit family. A few more skeins of floss in my stash can't hurt, right? OK..can't say more until Saturday...

I want to send a loud shout-out to AJE/Francesca Watson and to Melissa Trudinger/beadrecipies for these wonderful opportunities! Thank you!

GET SET......GET READY..... :)

July 2014 ABS Challenge Creation

2014-07-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

Wow..has it really been almost 2 weeks since I've posted? Well, let's get caught up, right away!

I just posted my inspiration piece to Artbeadscene for their July 2014 Challenge. This will always be a thrill for me!

At first, I thought to use a very appropriate sea-green or aqua color pallette to compliment The Little Mermaid artwork (by Edmund Dulac)..but things just didn't seem to jive for me...ugh, these were beads I had been chomping-at-the-bit-all-week to use (does anyone else know that feeling?!). My first selection was not meant to be for this particular project...back to the beady drawing board.

Ultimately, the goldens/topaz, deep cool purples and a bit of sage green were my inspiration and everything just clicked..happy happy :)

This artwork connector is from Pajego Art House at Etsy. It was lovingly stored in my stash, just waiting for the right inspiration. It is a fabulous creation meant to resemble an urchin tidepool. Also, this beautifully-shaped vintage Lucite Topaz shell bead from beadsellergirl at Etsy, was stored-away in my 'favorites' collection. The ABS Team and Heather Powers have a great way of getting us to make sure all of these lovely items are seen, not stored!

The Antique silver shell dangle chain, Swarovski bi-cone crystals in Satin Tanzanite, plus a variety of silver/sterling sea themed charms found their way onto my beadmat. It's so hard to find a demure mermaid?, but I was successful. To find out more about why there is a 'bone charm' on this bracelet..take a closer peek a the artwork..you will see why! I've wanted to use a bunch of Farfelle seed beads in a design..and this was it. It seemed wise to add a real pearl, too?

Ok..so up next are:
1. ArtJewelryElements Component of the Month Challenge Reveal on July 31 - I just received some excellent beads to go with this from Marie at beadbrats/Etsy. 'Creation' begins this weekend.
2. Haberdashery Hop Reveal on August 2 (my pieces are done and photos are ready!)
3. I just found out I was accepted to the Resin Crafts Klik Collaborative Challenge which will be revealed towards the end of August!

Whoo hoo and see you soon!
Carol

Art Jewelry Elements July 2014 Component of the Month

2014-07-07T16:20:00.001-07:00

Hello there everyone,

Here's my scoop for this week. I was so thrilled with the piece I made for Melissa Trudinger's Haberdashery Hop over this past weekend, that I made 3 versions! The Haby Hop reveal date isn't until August 2nd, so I can't post any pictures here just yet. Please promise that you will come back?

Instead...here's 'my girl' Poppy with white paint on her head!...she is too quick, always into something...including the fresh paint my hubby put on a wall! Don't worry, it's latex and temporary!

Last week, I entered my name into Art Jewelry Elements July Component of the Month Giveaway. Imagine my complete surprised to hear from Francesca Watson last Saturday morning saying that I am one of 3 Readers chosen to participate in this challenge! I'm still so OMG excited that I almost can't breathe!..it's such an honor to be selected!

Francesca is hosting the AJE Giveaway this month. She made these beautiful, yummy glass cabochon pieces. I'm not sure which one is coming to me, but that is a GOOD thing because I never would have been able to choose just one..they are all so gorgeous! Look at those colors and that shimmer!:

Our challenge is to make something wonderful with our cabochon and to post the finished piece on our blog July 31, 2014. So, I'm watching my mailbox and need to get cracking, asap! Which one do you think will arrive?...ohh, the red one?...or one of those bright turquoise ones?...how about that orange one?..or the lime one?...or..... :)

Happy beading,
Happy dancin' in Delaware!
Carol