Seasons Blog Hop

Sorry for the delay....my doctor prescribed a new antibiotic for me, and well, I am highly allergic to it. I have been in bed for two full days. Today is the first day I have ventured out of it. So I am a day late!
Today is the reveal date for the Seasons Blog Hop, a challenge put together by Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures and the blog A Grateful Artist. Lisa's blog hops start with a kit especially created by Lisa containing unique combinations of beads, findings, pendants and art beads.

In this blog hop, Lisa asked us to create jewellery that fits one of these two themes:

A season of the year—Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall

A season in your life—for example, first love, collage days, and so on

Lisa sent me some wonderful blue crystal seed beads, then some large oblong beads and then those small round beads.  She also included the little butterflies and the clasp. Of course  I forgot to take pictures of my stash before hand....But below is what I came up with. 

The blues reminded me of the beach and how growing up we used to go to the beach all the time.  I can't tell you how many shells we collected along the way.  Or how many sunburns we got! But I loved looking for those unusual shells that were always hiding a low tide.  Or to go out after a storm and see what the sea had offered up for me to see on the beach. Even after I got married (to a sailor) our first place was a furnished apartment on the Chesapeake Bay.  I love it. The waves crashing, the seagulls challenging each other as they dove for fish. My perfect spot to live would be in the mountains, but facing the sea....I would be in seventh heaven!

Anyway, to Lisa's beads I added some small conch type shells. And then to the focal piece which I made off kilter, I added some metal birds.  And to a piece of cool looking chain, I added metal shell beads.  I love this piece. It really came out better than I expected.  

I am glad you stopped by, for more go to A Grateful Artist

It's here!!! Reveal day for My Country............Of Thee I Bead!!!!!

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Hi all, as usual I am late.  BUT, my dad passed recently, (was expected) and today we had to deal with an estate sale and such and sooooo totally forgot about this til I sat down this even.  But I have had my piece done for weeks....It all just came together for me.

Anyway, while my roots originate in Germany, I am an American.  But my husband is German so I took both flags....

DESCRIPTION 

The Germany flag was officially adopted on May 23, 1949. It was used by West Germany when the country divided itself into East and West. Note that both were reunited into one nation in 1990. 

The tricolor flag was designed in 1832, and the black, red and gold colors were taken from the uniforms of German soldiers during the Napoleonic Wars. 

The flag of the United States features thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies. 

 The flag is known as Old Glory, and no one knows for certain who designed it. Many historians believe that U.S. Congressman, Francis Hopkinson was the original designer, while a few still think that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, made the first one.

If you notice, they both have red so I utilized that in the earrings...

The topper beads and wire are red, then the ribbons are black, white, yellow (gold) and blue.

The necklace I crocheted with ribbon yarn and added red, yellow, white and black buttons.  The yard is a dark blue.  It didn't turn out quite like I had imagined but.....

I really enjoyed this challenge, hope to do another one soon.


For more countries hop over to Wired Nan

Art Bead Scene - May

Vaas met bloemen in een venster :: Vase with Flowers in a Window, 1620

Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder
Oil on Copper, 64cm x 46 cm

About the Art

Rendering meticulous detail, Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder conveyed the silky texture of the petals, the prickliness of the rose thorns, and the fragility of opening buds. Insects crawl, alight, or perch on the bouquet. Each is carefully described and observed, from the dragonfly's transparent wings to the fly's minutely painted legs. Although a vague reference, insects, short-lived like flowers, are a reminder of the brevity of life and the transience of its beauty. 
A rising interest in botany and a passion for flowers led to an increase in painted floral still lifes at the end of the 1500s in both the Netherlands and Germany. Bosschaert was the first great Dutch specialist in fruit and flower painting and the head of a family of artists. He established a tradition that influenced an entire generation of fruit and flower painters in the Netherlands.

This month I decided to get an early start so I would make sure my piece was seen! :-)  For some reason this piece came together with no trouble at all.  My focal bead(s) are the two head pins in the middle made by Genea at Genea Beads. They are blown glass with a type of and finish that makes it rough. I fell in love with them and knew that they would match the color scheme!  The I just happen to be at Walmart (hehehe) and found the red/gold/metal beads.  The blue beads I had.  I don't think I have had a design come together so quickly. So enough rambling...below are the pictures.

 

Aren't the colors divine??? For more info hop over to Art Bead Scene!

Hats Off Challenge/Blog Hop from Churchill Downs

Bobbie from BeadsongJewelry gave us a challenge to use what inspiration we had gotten from BSBP.......



Worried what you might do to occupy your beady imaginations after the BSBP?  Come join me for the first Hats Off Challenge!

This springs from my observation a couple of years ago that the timing of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding and the Kentucky Derby were very close, so I took it upon myself to declare it Hat Week.  I found pictures of some of the fabulous hats being worn in London and Louisville, and paired them with jewelry from my worktable that seemed reminiscent of them.  See here and here for some examples.

This year, I'm expanding the celebration by kicking off the Hats Off Challenge, where participants will create a piece of jewelry inspired by one (or more) of the fabulous hats below.  Look through the photos (it is a little photo heavy), get inspired, and leave me a comment below to sign up.  Then on May 4th, we'll get in the mood for Derby by blog hopping to enjoy everyone's creations!.

Then she gave us a group of hats to choose from you can check them out here:Bead Song Jewelry Hats Off . I won't show them as there are a lot... But from the lot I chose 5 I liked...then I narrowed it down to 3 then chose this one...















This is the necklace I came up with:

I used a large Orange button, then crocheted a cover for it. I then made the fringe from some Home Dec trim I had. I took each fringe piece and restrung it on thread then attached it to the crocheted bottom rim. I have aqua and clear glass beads around the inside and a gold metal bead cap stuck in the middle with a clear crystal bead strung on the top with the thread going through the button holes and being tied on the back.  I then strung it on a orange cord and finished off the ends.

So there you have it.  My take on Hats Off!

Thanks Bobbie it was great fun and I can't wait for next year!

Art Bead Scene - April

April Monthly Challenge

Walk in the Meadows at Argenteuil, 1873

Claude Monet
Oil on Canvas, 54.5cm x 64.5 cm
Private Collection

About the Art

Impressionism is a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists. Their independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s, in spite of harsh opposition from the conventional art community in France. The name of the style derives from the title of a Claude Monet work, Impression, soleil levant (Impression, Sunrise), which provoked the critic Louis Leroy to coin the term in a satirical review published in the Parisian newspaper Le Charivari.
Impressionist painting characteristics include relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subject matter, inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience, and unusual visual angles. The development of Impressionism in the visual arts was soon followed by analogous styles in other media that became known as impressionist music and impressionist literature.

When I saw this I knew exactly what I wanted to do, BUT, getting from my mind, to paper, to fruition wasn't that easy.  Any way, the blue and yellow flowers were made of rick rack by Kathy Jo. I added the green leaves.  The Bib, I made using material and green lace. The butterfly, which I realize is too big, I need to make smaller, I made using wire, crystals and beads.  All I have left to really do is put on the gold tone chain, but I was still waiting on the flowers to dry to the material....but you get the idea. I love doing these challenges to see what I can come up with.

Without flash......                

With flash

Once I redo the butterfly smaller and put the chain on I will re-post.

Macro Monday 042213

This cute little guy was found in my dad's garden. As it is a black snake I wasn't really scared. I had already seen him moving around in the garden, and I guess now he wanted a drink!  Enjoy!

Macro Monday - 041513

Well I have been out of the loop for a bit, but trying to get back into the swing of things so here goes!


Now I am not a fan of  "bugs" but living in the country you tend to run into a few. This little critter, he is really only about 2 inches, went running across my desk the other day. Being more startled than scared he got away before I could grab my camera.  So later that night, my son happened to see it on the door between the dining room and family room and was able to get some pics.  To look at it you would think it was a spider, then no...the front legs are to long and he has "10" legs.  Sooooo being that I HAD to know what it was I set on an adventure to find it.  It was very illusive to say the least. I even emailed Glen at http://www.spiderzrule.com/wind.htm   to find out what it was. But lo and behold, it ISN'T a spider. It is an arachnid. It is called a sun spider, wind scorpion, camel spider and so on. Non venomous, but kills it prey by ripping it apart.  (Sounds like The Terminator) anyway, it is good for catching other bugs.  So I guess it can stay as long as it stays OFF my desk!  Oh yea, when they curl up, they bring those longgggg legs up close to them and look dead......

Thanks for looking and for more wonderful Macro's hop on over to Macro Monday.

Bye!