Ceramic Disk Challenge 2015

Today is the revel for the Ceramic Disk Challenge sponsored by Lisa Lodge of A Grateful Artist.

When I first got my ceramic disks, I ordered two sets, I really wasn't sure what to do with them. I went through many ideas, then just set them aside.

 I knew they would work in a bracelet..but what kind...hmmm...well I finally hit upon the solution. I had my macrame book out as I am really wanting to get into it again and, chaching, a macrame bracelet...I am still not real good at it, but I did get a bracelet done and a key ring dangle.

I really like how the bracelet turned out...I can see where I think I did the stitch wrong, but I will get it.

Thanks to Lisa for this challenge and hop back Nov 7th for her next one!

Autumn Earth Challenge October 2015

Hello again. It is time for the Autumn Earth Challenge put on by Lisa Lodge of A Grateful Artist - Pine Ridge Treasures.


These are the beads that I received from Lisa. All autumn colors. Though the small dark round pearls are really a maroon color.

After separating them I had a real problem coming up with a design. It is hard to think autumn when it is in the 90's... But I found some autumny glass beads in my stash that seem to want to be used. And some green that looked good with the autumn colors.
















So after playing and looking at them for several weeks, moving them around and around, this is what I came up with. Really like how it turned out.

The glass beads on the inside loop came with the black beads that I used in the outside loop and they really seemed to work great with the brown and green crystals and white seed beads. You really can't see it in the pictures but I used bright goldy orange sequins at the ends of the glass beads. The small glass beads on the inside loop between the larger gold and black beads are a smoked glass. Almost like a sea glass. And of course I made earrings to match.

A close up of the larger gold and black glass beads

and the smaller green and brown crystals with the black beads. 

And a close up of the toggle clasp I used that came with the
beads.





All in all, I am happy with how this came out. I really like it and can't decide if I want to put it on my Etsy site or not.










Next up I made a bracelet using the square brownish beads, the rice pearls and the darker smoked crystals. I did a stitch design, not sure if it has a name. I had plan to put some green around the outside, but my daughter said it didn't need it. While looking for something else in my button stash, I found the round button with a star design and the color went really well with the bracelet, so I used it to make the closure. The other end slides over it really well and it sits really nice on my wrist. Another piece I am not sure I will post..lol.

I didn't use all the beads as I came down with a cold, thanks to my daughter who brought it home from work. I do have some other designs in mind, but when you are on cold medicine, the brain doesn't work as well! I will try and post the other later. 

 Thanks for stopping by and until next time...

Keep on Beading!

Veralynne

Pine Ridge Treasures' Blog Hop and Challenge - Sept 12, 2015

Once again, Lisa from A Grateful Artist has given us a challenge to complete. I so love these challenges as I use them to try and think out of the box. And in this group of beads I had a lot to challenge me. Normally when I get my challenge kit in, the beads start talking to me right away...This was a very quiet kit! But I started moving them around and putting them in different configurations and finally all the beads except one set talked to me.

SOOO...lets see what they said. First up:  I don't normally post clothes with my jewelry, but my daughter is a fan of Japanese culture and found this dress on line right after I made the necklace so I couldn't resist. Matches pretty well I think. The red balls are thread covered and then I used red and turquoise seed beads, though they look kind of blue in the picture. The bigger blue round beads and the blue disk beads were in my kit. I used bright silver tone bead caps on the red beads. I really like this piece and so does my daughter, it is no longer in my possession!

Next I wanted to do something with just the pearls and crystals and something swingy but feminine. So I found the silver necklace piece in my "junk" drawer stash and hung the crystals and pearls from it on wire that I flatten the end of, made the side pieces by stringing them on beading wire and then attached the sides to an antique silver chain with a lobster claw closure. Then as I have to make earrings, I did so.. 

In this one I used the small pale green crystal disk.They are so pale and small, they are hard to see. But they are glass and very cute. Then added pearls and acrylic aqua beads. Very simple looking. Has a silver tone toggle closure.The earrings I wired wrapped between each bead then attached to ear wires.

 Wanting to try my bead stitching again, I used a pattern from Domestic Diva that I had gotten offline. The pendant in the pattern is real small, but I used it to get started and then "grew" the pattern a little and added the spikes and oblong aqua beads. The twin seed beads that I used are a kind of brown with silver seed beads between them. There are brown veins in the spikes and then in the turquoise beads from my kit there are silver veins. The topper of the pendant is my own design, I just kept working at it til I got it the way I wanted. There is a little "bridge" on top to put the jump ring through. For the rest of the necklace and the earrings I used the turquoise round beads and the aqua round disk from my kit and added silver grey pearls and brown glass seed beads along with the oblong gold and aqua beads. 

There were a little package of these trapezoid looking wooden beads with two holes and they just screamed bracelet, so I used some small silver tone metal flower spacers, strung it all on wire, bent it to my wrist, attached a chain and toggle clasp. I really like, so I think I might keep it. It is easy to get on and off. 

And lastly, there were some small blue beads that kinda looked like coral, so I got out my sea shells, drilled a few, got out my sea creature charms and strung them up on head pins and attached to a chain with a toggle clasp, though I think I may change it, not sure. But it is swingy and says "beach"

Well, that is all for me. The blue glass beads that stayed silent are still in a baggie on my desk. When they decide to talk I will let them out. ;-p.

To see more challenge pieces hop over to Lisa's page for a list of the participants. 

Thanks for stopping by and til next time...

Keep on Beading

Veralynne

We're All Ears :: August Inspiration -(more canyon pictures here)

We're All Ears :: August Inspiration -(more canyon pictures here)

One of the least accessible and most photographed vistas in the American Southwest is Antelope Canyon.
Antelope Canyon in northern Arizona is home to some magnificent slot canyons. According to Wikipedia, the Navajo people have a name for the Upper Antelope Canyon - Tsé bighánílíní - which means "the place where water runs through rocks." Slot canyons are chasms eroded over eons by wind and rain and raging floods to create one of the most spectacular natural masterpieces. Antelope Canyon is located on the Navajo Reservation and can only be accessed by licensed tours with a guide and a permit to visit them. At certain times of the day, light penetrates the canyons bathing the entire area in a haze of liquid gold. At certain places magical shafts of light - sometimes referred to as "God Spots" - penetrate to the canyon floor, as if a cosmic stage performance is about to begin. These magic shafts of light only penetrate the secret chambers of the canyons for around 30 minutes each day from late May to late June. The undulating views of the sandstone walls play with your depth perceptions and make for fantastic living sculptures that will continue to shift and change with the coming years. 

(This is the shot I chose)

"Lower antelope 1 md" by User:Moondigger - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons.

I loved all the pictures, but this one drew me in. And as luck had it..I had beads that I thought would pay homage to the wonderful earthy colors of the cave. I had several designs in mind, but life has really gotten in my way the past few weeks so I was only able to do one. I hope to finish up the other ideas I had and post at a later date. 

So here is my offering for this challenge. I thread wrapped the beads back and forth around the silver tone metal earring hoops.

The stones just seem to mimic the swirls, dips, and rises in the stones of the cave. Beautiful earthly colors.  For more great ear candy by other designers check out Erin's blog page. 

For now..

Keep on Beading

Veralynne