ABC's of Creativity - January Review

Maria of Rypan Designs made it part of her start of the new year to get her newsletter out to her mailing list (you join the list using the form on the right). As I was helping her prepare the content of the newsletter we came up with the idea of having a bi-weekly posting on her blog about creativity. We call it the ABC's of Creativity.

I offered to help with the creation of the blog posts. So far I have done A is Art and B is Beads.

A is Art includes links to online galleries for inspiration as well as my favourite art to jewellry creative path.

Starry Night by Van Gogh

Hand made beads by Heather Power inspired by painting

Finished necklace by Jo-Ann

B is Beads has a variety of beads from ancient shell beads to lampwork and beaded beads.

Photograph Marian Vanhaeren and Francesco d'Errico (from nationalgeographic.com)

Lampwork beads by Amy Waldman-Smith

Belissimo Beaded Beads, designed by Marcia DeCoster

Only 24 more letters to go.... I will review each month's letters here at the end of the month.

Happy Beading!

Bead Soup Blog Party

Today is the first day to sign up for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party. Our host & bead soup guru, Lori Anderson, has the form up on her blog.

I participated in the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party last summer. It was fun to swap beads and see what you could create the amazing beads sent by your partner. So if you have a blog, love beads and are up for the challenge... hop over to Lori's blog and sign up. I did and I know it will be another great challenge!

A couple of green boxes

After all the purple in my last post I have some boxes from the other side of the colour wheel.

Using patterns purchased from Julia Pretl's website I did the Olive box and the Fir Tree box.

For the olive box I was able to use the colours listed on the pattern, muted greens and red. I finished it with a khaki Swarovski crystal.

The fir tree box is a pattern that Julia posted about on Facebook just before Christmas. As I did not have the exact colours listed on the pattern I decided to do it using beads I already. I thought that I had enough of each of my selections. I had about 2/3 of it done when of course I ran out of one colour. This past weekend I was able to get to a bead store to get the needed beads. I eagerly started finishing it on Saturday night. By Sunday morning I was worried that I might not have enough of one other colour. I finished with just 4 beads left in the tube. I also decided to not add any decorative finishing to my tree. It looks fabulous as a natural tree.

 

 I have a few more of Julia's patterns from her website so look for them of the coming months.

Memories and Thanks Blog Hop

Once again thanks to the blog hop guru Lori Anderson, I am revealing a new creation.

This blog hop is different from the others as we are not swapping anything. We are remembering and thanking someone special in our lives. Here is Lori's post about the hop.

Here is the very long list of participants of the heartfelt blog hop.

I was having trouble coming up with an idea for this challenge until I was looking through my started but unfinished projects. I had a beaded box starting in shades of purple with white. It reminded me of my grandma Fifi, her favourite colour was purple. The bathroom at her house was in shades of purple with white. I also realized that I had used a similar colour palette for boxes that I had made both of my nieces.

So in memory of my grandma Fifi and to future memories with my nieces, Lauren and Elizabeth I give you Grandma's Favourite Colour!

This is the Purple Tempest box. I had the four colours with me during a family vacation to the cottage a few years ago. Lauren, my eldest niece, mentioned that she liked the purple palette and she selected the box pattern from Julia Pretl's book. Elizabeth, who was only 3 at the time, requested a box just like her cousin Lauren's box. It is the only time that I have ever made two identical boxes. They are topped with purple velvet swarovski crystal.

Using the same colour palette I started the pyramid pattern from Julia's book. I have done it before in a number of different palettes. 

made in 2013

While looking back at the photos of my other boxes I found that I had done the pyramid box in this colour palette before. I just can't remember who I gave it to.

made in 2009

Here are my Grandma and Grandpa Fifi in the mid-1980s.

 And the lovely Lauren and Elizabeth from the summer of 2009.

Grandma, thanks for the memories and the inspiration. Girls, I look forward to being inspired by you both!

2012 in review

Well 2013 is here and it is great to look back on 2012.

Last year I pushed myself creatively by participating in a variety of challenges. The greatest of these was the Creativ Festival Designer Style Challenge. The process for both the beadwork and paper arts projects was fun. I love both of the finished designs. It was a great thrill to be selected as a semi finalist in both categories. I was one of three finalists in the beadwork category, placing third.

Iris Twist Vase

Hexagonal Triangle Vase with Irises

I also participated in a few blog hops. The first was the Bead Soup Blog Party. I swapped a selection of beads with Jelveh Jaferia a glass artist in the US. It was fun working with her beautiful beads and assorted beads.

My creations

I also participated in two Holiday Bling Blog Hops. My first partner was Monica Urquhart from the east coast. My second partner was Sandra McGriff from Ontario.

Amazing owl tablets from Monica

Beautiful owl necklace from Sandra

The other challenge was the Cup of Bead Soup Lucite Challenge. Using some amazing lucite beads from Bead Happily Ever After my self and four other beaders created beautiful pieces.

My creation with a removable pendant

In addition to these challenges I continued to make samples for Rypan Designs.

I am looking forward to challenging myself again in 2013.

Snowflakes on the line

Winter has arrived here in Weston. We have had snow since December 26.

Of course I have been creating a blizzard of my own with my little netted snowflakes. I have made almost 5 dozen of them over the last couple of months. They were a hit at the craft sale in November and I taught the design at bead society Techniques night earlier in December.

Giving them as a gift is always great. I gave 6 to my friend and beading mentor Maria for Christmas. I came up with a way to present them in a unique way. Maria was so surprise by my presentation that she photographed it.

Hope that everyone has a beadiful and creative new year!