Designed by Vera

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Into The Forest - For Real! Blog Hop

Hi all and welcome to my Into The Forest Blog Hop. Our challenge hostess, Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasure, sent us beads back in the fall of last year for the blog hop today...gave us PLENTY of time to think of a theme...I can't tell you how many times I have changed my theme...but...I did finally come up with one.

In my stash of beads I had green czech glass, seed beads and yellow turquoise large nuggets.

I had almost forgot to take pictures of the beads. So here is what I received.

I had so many ideas but I settled on a kind of autumn in the forest theme. I added some orange, brownish/tan, brown, and white beads. I decided on a three stand necklace with a bracelet and earrings.

The design I got from Mixed Media Jewelry Techniques book by Lana May & Her Friends.

The pattern is called The Harmony of Three by Albina Manning and Geri Cook. Geri Cook is the one that actually did the necklace pattern. In the pattern though they just did a pass through of the focal, but I want to "add" because that is the way I am, so I "added" some leaves and branches with "flowers" at the end of the focal. It took me a while to get the spiral going...but I love it. I can see so many different ways to use it. and it was fast to do once you got the hang of it.

The bracelet is just one on memory wire and the earrings are the swirl pattern with leaves at the bottom.

The closure is a simple three prong end piece on each side built for three stands and a lobster claw closure on one end.

I had a blast doing this and the metamorphosis my ideas and designs went through. Below is the links to the other participants. Please do hop over and check them out. We have such talented people!

AND...coming up in the spring we will have another challenge/blog by Lisa...so stay tuned!

Your 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

Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Janine Lucas, Esfera Travel Blog

Jasvanti Patel, Jewelry by Jasvanti

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me

Monique Urquhart, A Half-Baked Notion

Janet Bocciardi, Honey from the Bee

Dini Bruinsma, Angaza by Changes

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Christina Miles, Wings n Scales

Elizabeth Engriser, Bead Contagion

Alice Peterson, Alice Dreaming

Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things

Catherine Yvonne King, Catherine's Musings

Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles

Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

Monday, January 6, 2014

100 Earrings in 100 days

Sponsored by Amy Freeland at Copper Diem....she threw down the gauntlet again this year...make 100 earrings in 100 days...gonna try again....have a new job starting but we will see...check her out on face book and see what it is all about...

Anyway here are my first 7 sets...soon to be on Etsy. $5, free shipping...

More info is on Pinterest under 100 Earrings...

Into The Forest preview part 1

I can't stand it....my piece(s) are finished....I want to post SOOOOOOOOOOOOO bad.....but I will just post a peak....

can you see?????? LOL!

Ohhhh come on Sat!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Into the Forest Blog Hop

I can't believe it is almost here....seems like such a long time ago I signed up....

But since that time....when I took pictures...my computer has crashed and I lost the pictures, BUT I do have some of the beads I haven't used yet and the focal...so here is the "mix" that Lisa Lodge sent to me for this challenge...

I have had a blast with these beads and have changed my mind a hundred times...but I decided upon a design and can't wait to show it on the 11th...so stay tuned!!!!!

Saturday, December 14, 2013

The 3rd Annual Handcrafted Ornament Swap and Hop

Sorry I am late in posting...I am having such a time with my computer...hopefully after the first of the year, I can get a new one.

Though she doesn't have much to do.....(not) our esteemed leader Sally Russick has again challenged us to create a Christmas Ornament and swap.

This year my partner was Therese Frank of Therese's Treasures/facebook. I love the ornament she sent me as it is done with bead weaving...something which I am really trying to get the hang of. It is beautiful and is hanging on my tree in a front spot.She didn't think a white snow flake would be right since we both live close to the Gulf. And the blue and sandy colors represent the ocean and beach. The bead with the snowflake was made by Lesley Watts of the Beading Goddess Blog. I think it is just stunning. She even added a few goodies to my box to wet my appetite to get creative. I love it and even when we put the Christmas tree away...I have a hook by my desk that I am going to hang it on so I can look at it year round. Kudos to Sally and her awesome prompts for us.

Here is a picture of the one I sent her. I am a crocheter and always make different kinds of crocheted ornaments each year. The piece hanging on the bottom I bead wove around the picture made into a cabochon. This is where I am in my bead weaving skills.

For more Ornament goodies hop over to The Studio Sublime and check out the list of the participants.

And may I say to all who land here....Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! And May 2014 be the best year for you.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Lampwork and Clay 2013 Blog Hop

Way back in the summer Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures sent out a challenge using Lampwork beads and Clay beads. When I first got them...I of course had to try out some different arrangements...but nothing would work...they seemed to just laugh at me....soooooo....I am like...OK...you can go back into your envelope for now and sit on the back burner...I don't need you til Nov anyway....

Don't laugh...I know there a LOT of you that talk to your beads.....

So anyway I got busy with life...and was looking for something else when ALL OF A SUDDEN...this painted shell pendant just LEAPED at me and said..."hahaha...here I am and I know I will look GREAT with those Lampwork and Clay beads....." and you know...it was right....in fact...all that I needed just happened to be RIGHT ON my work table....How did they know?????

I had taken some before pics...BUT....my computer died the other night and of course I can't get to my pictures....so I had to take new ones of the finished product..

But before I show you...the Large clay beads are by Kazuri of Antelope Beads and the small one are by Bucaroo Beads, a Michigan Artist..no website. the painted shell was in my stash...I know I got it at JoAnns at some point...and then the rest of the beads are from my stash and from Cousin Beads...which I pick up at Walmart and JoAnns or anyplace really I see them... I just love working with them.

Anyway..below you will see the pictures...I even made matching earrings.

The two black shiny beads with the green/orange on them and the little orange disk on each side of them are the ones Lisa sent me...

This is a close up of the pendant that "spoke" to me....

And this is all beads together...don't they play nicely??? I used orange waxed cotton cord that I had picked up at JoAnns ages ago...then attached it to black chain using black wire that I had.

The green square beads are from Cousin Beads that I got at Walmart. I buy beads all the time and keep them in my stash area...never know when you will need them...the orange round ones...I have from a bag of broken jewelry I got at a thrift store... and the little black circle/spacers...I had on hand too.

I even made matching earrings...

I will soon have these in my Etsy shop...

I really enjoyed this challenge and have signed up for more of Lisa's challenges...just keep a look out for them...I can tell you I have one coming in January....maybe two....

Thanks for looking and for more great goodies...check out the links at Lisa Place.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Halloween/Day of the Dead Jewelry Blog Hop

It feels official here in FL. The weather has cooled...yeah...so it is beginning to feel a lot like fall/winter. I mean....50 degrees in FL...that is COLD to some, though I like it.

Anyway...everyone is hopping on the holiday bandwagon so I am too. My first Holiday Challenge is by Diana Ptaszynski of Suburban Girl Studio. It is called Halloween/Dad of the Dead Jewelry Blog Hop. My offering is made of clay that was made by a friend several years ago...of course my husband says they look like dogs...but they are really skeleton heads....

I did a coil of black wire and input red satin ribbon in it and capped the ends with Antique Copper styled cones. I then attached the bead with black wire. The earrings are just a smaller version of the main bead.

I am really trying to step out of the box and try different techniques. I like how the wire looks...but it is a bit stiff for my liking. But if the wire was any softer I don't think it would hold as well.

So here is my piece...make sure to hop around to the others listed below to see what spooky pieces they created in their cauldrons.

Thanks for looking and come back soon!