Pearls Blog Hop Reveal

I started working on the pieces for the challenge shortly after I got the beads in May.

I started with this necklace. 

Using two different shades of the lilac and faceted crystals from the kit I added some silver hearts. The closure is a magnetic heart with crystal embellishment. This piece can be worn with the closure at the front or back.

Next I played with doing some sort of a netted design with the grey rice pearls but was not happy with any of the ideas. So I decided to do a simple ladder stitch bracelet using purple velvet Swarovski crystals on the edges. This is long enough to be worn as a double wrap bracelet or a choker.

Here are the blogs of this hop:

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue
Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool Jewelry
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Ann Schroeder, Bead Love
Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

Blue Fantasy Reveal Day

Update - Giveaway winner is Heather Richter!

Once again another reveal day has arrived. It started back in June when I signed up for the challenge on Lisa's Pine Ridge Treasures Facebook Page.

Here is the wonderful selection of beads that I received from Lisa. It included sea glass, rondelles, gemstones and brass beads and findings.

I posted last month about using some of the lampwork beads that I had in my stash as focals for two of my creations.

For this first one I used the gemstones (not sure what they are), rondelles and large white pearls I had purchased during a recent destash event.

For this second one I used the wavy blue sea glass, brass beads and white barrel sea glass I also got during another of Lisa's destash events. I also used the toggle for the challenge kit.

The last item that I created from the kit used the three large holed freeform beads. I really wanted to do something different with these. I played with making a beaded bail but could not get it to work the way I would like. Next I played with connecting them with some brass chain that I had in my stash. Again I did not like the way it was working, the chain was too chunky.

I used the design idea from connecting with the chain but with a finer chain. Here is used a silver tone chain to create a Y-shaped necklace with all three of the beads.

I still have beads left which will be added to my stash, but that is all for now.

Please take some time to hop around to the other participants of this challenge.

 Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Karen Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera 
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life

Gloria Allen, Wings and Beads

Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry

Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog

Lisa Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs

Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Raissa de Guzman, Abloro

Jill Bradley, Jilly Beads

 
Thanks once again to Lisa Lodge for hosting this challenge.

I have decided to do a giveaway as part of my reveal. To enter just comment on this post by 12 pm EDT September 20, 2014. The winner will receive the Blue Fantasy necklace of their choice. Winner will be announced on September 21, 2014.

Happy Beading!

Summer Carnival Blog Hop Reveal Day

It has been almost 6 months since I signed up for yet another of Lisa Lodge's blog hop challenges. I was sent a kit with a mix of crystals, sea glass and metal beads. The challenge create jewelry with a Summer Carnival theme.

Amazing selection of beads from Lisa

I had a plan for my project and everything was in a basket on my beading desk. The basket got moved and buried during the spring and early summer. As I was hopping for the Gemstone and Metal hop I saw the top image on a number of the other blogs and was reminded that I had signed up as well. So I had two weeks to make and photograph my project.

First my inspiration. Here is Toronto our big summer carnival is the Canadian National Exhibition (aka the CNE or the EX). Among my favourite parts of the EX is the International Building, to see products and crafts from around the world, and the Arts & Crafts Building, to see wonderful handcrafted products. I decided to make something inspired by a handcrafted necklace from another part of the world.

My inspiration necklace was a gift brought back from Ukraine by my friend and beading mentor, Maria Rypan. It uses to simple beaded bands and strands of strung beads.  This is made with various sized seed beads.

Inspiration layed out flat

Inspiration as it would be worn

For my version of this design I knew that I would have to use larger seed beads for the band. I used size 8 blue seed beads and size 6 silver tone metal beads. I beadwove 2 - 10 bands using diagonal weave. They are connected with 6 strands of beads from the kit and a mix of blue, yellow and silver tone beads.

Finished piece layed out flat

Finished piece as it would be worn

I like how my piece turned out. I did not use all the beads in my kit and will likely make some simple strung bracelets to go with the necklace.

Take some time to see was some of my fellow participates have created with their beads.

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall 

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Catherine Yvonne King, Catherine's Musings

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Dee Alcalde, Agape Creations Jewelry

 Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry

Carole Carlson, Bead Sophisticate

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Dolores Raml, CraftyD's Creations 

Marianne Hurley, Reads and Beads

Marci Allen Koziolek, Krafty Max Originals

Happy Beading!

Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop Reveal

It is finally here! Reveal day for the Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop.

Back in the spring I signed up for another of Lisa Lodge's challenging blog hops. This one combined gemstone and metal beads. I got a kit that include jasper beads, in various sizes and shapes, and silver tone beads and findings. 

Everything in the kit

Silver-tone beads and findings

Jasper beads

Early in June I posted about using beadweaving for one of the projects. Here is the completed necklace.

Netted Jasper Collar

I used some beautiful green seed beads that worked with the green in the jasper. I also used some silver seed beads for mesh point (they don't show in the photo). The basic technique for this netted collar are from Maria Rypan's Netting Primer.

Another view

Later in June I posted about another technique I was trying for this challenge.  Here is the completed bracelet.

Floral Jasper Charm Bracelet

Using my One-Step Looper I created all the dangles for the Floral Jasper Charm bracelet.

Continuing with my One-Step Looper I created some more dangles to hang on the chandelier earring findings. I have made them into pendants  by attaching them to the bails.

Floral Jasper Pendants

Of course I also made a simple bracelet by stringing an assortment of the beads on beading wire and using the pretty floral toggle.

Jasper Bracelet

Once again I loved doing this challenge that Lisa created for us.

Take some time to check out the other work by my fellow beaders.

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A GratefulArtist 
Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Karen Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot 
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Katrina Taylor, I Wanna Go Out

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall 
Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog 
Margaret Pelech, Big Margaret 
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation 
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design 
Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs 
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations  
Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes 
Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings 
Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware (May be delayed a few days)
Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life 
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design 
Robin Reed, Artistry HCBD 
Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry 
Cassi Renee Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill 
Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons 
Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things (May be delayed a few days)
Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs 
Judy Campbell, Macmillanmarie Jewellery Design 
Nan Smith, Handmade Jewelry Nanmade 
Marde Lowe, FanciMarDesigns 
Linda Anderson, From the Bead Board 

Leithleach Alainn Seodra, Alainn Jewelry 

Lisa E. Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs
 Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

Happy Beading! 

Ocean Blog Hop Reveal Day

The day is finally here. It is Ocean Blog Hop Reveal Day. I signed up back in the depth of winter and am getting to share it with you just before the official arrival of Summer.

Our organizer, Lisa Lodge, sent us each a kit with an assortment of beads. We were challenged to create jewelry that has an "Ocean" theme.  I got a kit that included cultured sea glass, a clay fish by Shaterra and clay mermaid beads by Gaea.

Kit from Lisa

I bent the rules just a bit by doing a beaded box, But I already had the delicas pulled together for the wave box designed by Julia Pretl. So I made a few changes to the colours that Julia used so that the mermaid beads from Gaea would work as feet and a finial. I used the following colours 351/372/792/84/310.

Wave box, design by Julia Pretl

I secured the feet and finial with head pins, crystals and earring stoppers.

Gaea mermaid beads used for feet and finial

Now back to following the rules. I wanted to create a bracelet so that it would look like the fish was jumping out of the water. I orginally tried to rechart the wave from the box but that proved too difficult. I knew that there had to be a pattern out there for me to use.

I had seen some of Debbie von Tonder's wonderful cuff patterns on Facebook. So I went to her peyote pattern etsy store and found two possible patterns, Sea Curl and Under the Sea.

I decided to use the Under the Sea pattern with colors from the fish. The tail of the fish is attached to one end and a lobster claw clasp is on the other end. A couple of jump rings hang from the mouth to finish the design.

Under the Sea Cuff with Shaterra fish, designed by Debbie von Tonder

Another view of cuff

What to do with the white cultured sea glass beads. I added some other cultured sea glass that I had purchased during one of Lisa's destash events on Facebook. These soft green star fish and small round green beads are perfect. I used a small round magnetic closure.

Cultured Sea Glass Starfish Bracelet

I had one of the mermaid beads from Gaea left. I decided to make a purse charm with the addition of some chain and crystal starfishes from my stash.

Last Gaea bead with crystal stars

I am so glad that I was able to use all the beads in the kit. It was great to do another of Julia's boxes and try something different like Debbie's peyote cuff.

Thanks again to Lisa for organizing this great challenge.

Take some time to see what some of the others have done -

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Monique Urquhart, A Half-Baked Notion

Katrina Taylor, I Wanna Go Out

Mary Ann Macri Jacobs, Trucksville Crafts

Jeanne Steck, Gems by Jeanne Marie

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry

Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog

Margaret Pelech, TBD 

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations

Happy Beading!

Bead Soup Blog Party #8 - It is Reveal Day!

One week later than originally scheduled ... it is finally Reveal Day!

I have had my pieces finished for awhile. I have even worn them to work and a family gathering. I am pleased with my designs, but might tweak them for weariblity.

Here is what I was sent by my wonderful partner and fellow Canadian Deborah Read.

Wire, cubes and crystals

Two colour palettes

Blue, teal and copper

Ocher, cream, copper and silver

I used the cubes, teal lampwork beads, copper cresent, mixed metal beads, copper rings and toggle. I added copper seed beads, wavy discs, end cones, toggle and Conso thread.

I wanted to see if I could continue my recent fascination with Kumihimo using the cube beads. I knew that I would need to test the workablity of the cubes. I did a quick test using the cubes and size 8 seed beads.

Test of kumihimo with cubes

This worked well, but it needed a large seed bead. I was able to find some amazing copper metal seed beads in size 6.

Detail of kumihimo braiding

With two lengths of braiding done with cubes and copper beads I connected them together with the etched copper crescent (from the soup), copper seed beads, wavy discs and some of the teal lampwork beads (also from the soup).

Detail of focal arrangement

I used a basic copper toggle to finish this necklace. I have worn it a few times. I like the drape of the focal but it might look better if it was perfectly straight. Will have to look for a harden piece of copper to use.

Overall finished necklace

I decided to use the uncoloured etched toggle that was included in the soup along with most of the remaining teal lampwork and an assortment of the various metal beads included to make a co-ordinating bracelet.

Bracelet

That was everything that I had finished in time for the original reveal day of May 3. With the postponement I was able to do this one other design.

I use a few of the ocher and frosted white lampwork beads with this new earring findings I was sent from John Bead. These findings are interchangeable. You can change out the beads. For now they have the lampwork and a couple of crystals each.

Interchangeable Earrings

Thanks once again to my partner Deborah Read for the amazing soup. I know that I will make other projects with the soup leftovers.

Thanks also to our amazing host, Lori Anderson. I know that being part of this creative adventure helps me to work outside of my usual comfort zone. It is fun, creative and amazing.

I have been lucky to participate twice before. The first time Jelveh Jaferian was my partner and here is what I created and what she created.

6th Bead Soup Blog Party Creations

The second time my partner was, fellow Canadian, Cheryl Brown and here is what I created and what she created.

7th Bead Soup Blog Party Creations

Take some time to look at some of the amazing designs create by my fellow 8th Bead Soup Blog Party participants.

Thanks to all who stop by and Happy Beading!

I love clay blog hop

I sat down at my beading table last night to try and tidy it up. I was surprised to finded the beads and information sheet from Lisa for this blog hop that I had signed up for. Problem I did not remember that I was part of it. So it was time to get to work and create something with these beads by UK ceramic artist Grubbi.

Here are the beads that I got from Lisa when I signed up for this challenge.

What could I do last night to have it ready for today's deadline. The earth tones of the clay beads are not a palette that I normally work with. I look thru my collection of works in progress to see if there something that I could use for this challenge. I found a spiral rope worked with matte dark bronze beads, metallics cubes and delicas.

Finished off the rope and used a simple jump ring to hang the pendant.

To use some of the other beads I dug into the beads that I bought from Lisa during her destash event earlier in the fall. I love these turquoise hearts.

Combined with some of the metallic cubes used in the spiral rope and a few turquoise coloured lantern beads the clay beads make a wonderful bracelet to go with the necklace.

Here are the participants of the hop. Take the time to see what they have created with the clay beads that they were challenged to work with.

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyns Creations

Bonnie Coursolle, Jasper's Gems

Dolores Raml, Crafty D's Creations

Therese Frank, Therese's Treasures

Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Mowse Doyle, Mowse Made This

Janine Lucas, Esfera Travel Blog

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Kelli Nelson, Zenith Jade Creations

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Jasvanti Patel, Jewelry by Jasvanti

Candida Castleberry, Sugar Spun Beadworks

Robin Reed, Artistry HCBD

Katrina Taylor, I Wanna Go Out

Thanks to Lisa for the challenge!