Gems and Metals Hop

*****Looking for my Bead Soup Piece? =) Click here!**** 
DISCLAIMER:
Please do NOT be offended if this is your favorite gemstone.  This merely MY experience with it.



OHMEGERD - what a CHALLENGE!  So, I signed up for this great little challenge called "Gems and Metals" - I would be sent a package of pre-selected, random gemtones and a chosen metal.  I was VERY excited.  I hadn't done one like this before and had visions of sodalite, amazonite, pietersite and mookaite dancing in my head.  Would I get gold, silver...copper?  I was SO excited when the package came...I KNEW this was my big moment......I anxiously ripped that envelope open and to my shock and awe - I found...... what the?! What IS that?! I ain't never seen THAT before...what IS it?

RED AVENTURINE - in my eyes - baby food orange.......ew.  What the BLEEP am I gonna do with THAT?!!?!?

Stone and antique brass metal finding

So, after I recomposed myself - I'm not gonna lie....it took a few weeks....I finally pulled out my baby food. In the meantime, I went to a trade show and picked up some fun new beads.... not even considering my red aventurine. It was home and I was HAPPY! As time continued to pass by, I just kept shaking my head going - what am I gonna do with that?!!?

Time was closing in quickly and while I was putting my new beads away, I came upon my challenge.... and decided that perhaps it was time to pull out the "big guns" - a color wheel.  I know - crazy, right!?  The color is very red-orange.....and compliments to it include blues, purples and greens.  So, at least I had a jumping off point - somewhere to begin.

On a whim, I held up my new aqua quartz and HOLY SCHAMOLY it looked AMAZING!!  Ok, I'm on to something here..... so I went through my spacer beads and had 0 that were bright gold (remember the metal I was given was an antique brass color) - so I found some seed beads I had and they were PERFECTION!   

I present to you....Piece 1.....*drool*

 Piece 2:
Now, I had some of these crazy sticks to use.... if  you know me at all - you know that I'm NOT a fan of sticks (ok, not a fan of Red Aventurine + not a fan of Antique brass + NOT a fan of sticks = GREAT challenge!) =)  So, I tried to take a fresh look at them.  Again, back to the color wheel and back to my greens and blues.  I decided to try a new product (to me) and put some very cool electroplated hematite in between them.  I used blue/green on top and a bright blue on the bottom.  Using the 2 colors gives me more options of things I can wear this piece with. =)

I'm actually surprised at how much I like this piece.... considering all it had going against it. ;)  It needed a little jazz , so I went a little crazy with the filigree connections..... it took some time to get it figured out and in the process.... this came out - which I kinda LOVE =)  Hot, right?!

But this is how it ended up and frankly - I LOVE this piece.

Red Aventurine?  Eh - it's not so bad.... not my favorite but I don't have a vendetta against it.......anymore. ;) 



As a side story: A dear friend had come over one day and asked me if I had any new challenge things I was working on....I mentioned my "UGH Red Aventurine" and after talking about it for a while...I ended up showing her my start (which at the time was the first piece with the aqua) and I REALLY loved the way it was shaping up.  She nearly brought tears to my eyes when she said that even though it wasn't something that I'd have chosen on my own, I knew how to elevate it and make it gorgeous - really - I about lost it.  I was so humbled and thankful for her encouragement.  <3 you, girl!

Be sure to leave a comment on what you thought, and don’t forget to visit all of the wonderful other artists in this fun blog hop!
 Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

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 (You are here)

Leithleach Alainn Seodra, Alainn Jewelry

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

Country Blog Hop - #fail

Hello Friends,
Due to an unexpected surgery, I have not finished my country piece.  I'm so sad and sorry.  Here's the beginning - celebrating Washington DC

What I learned from 500+ Blogs

*****Looking for my Bead Soup Piece? =) Click here!****


A few weeks ago, I posted about being part of Bead Soup Blog Party (This party has taken a hiatus)  where I exchanged beads with my partner, Lisa Johnson of http://spudandmrsbutters.blogspot.com and made some pieces with what she sent me.  As part of the "party", I made a commitment to myself that I wanted to go to each blog to see what was made and I DID IT!  I commented on most (probably 400+) and tried to make personal comments vs something generic like 'nice piece'.  After visiting all those blogs (including folks from 30+ countries), I started to notice some things and wanted to share with the class...

- Sometimes it's hard to comment on things that you just don't get or like (that's ok and part of the fun) 

- MANY tried something new - either a technique, a color palate or style 

- LOTS of pieces featured asymmetry 

- LOTS of pieces featured cording of some nature (i.e., linen cotton, leather, rat tail, etc...) 

- I was exposed to all SORTS of new ideas and techniques

- I found myself downloading ALOT of pieces in my "inspiration" folder - I wish more had put a watermark on their photos so I know whose pieces I'm looking at again

- The average comments per post was about 35 

 - Of those who participated, many are collecting pieces for next years soup already 

- There weren't as many seed bead pieces as I expected 

- I LOVE seeing the international pieces 

- I feel like i have to use ! for everything! 

- It's interesting to see how folks overcame their challenge

- It's interesting to see what folks considered a challenge and/or thought their partner would be challenged with

- Photo backgrounds can make or break how a piece looks =)

- If the person is an active blogger, it was REALLY helpful to have a link near the top directly to their pieces so I didn't have to scroll through everything to find it

- I was surprised at how many hadn't posted something (especially since we had an extra week). It made me sad that they didn't post and that there were many who would have given their eye teeth to be able to participate. More than that, that Lori worked so hard to pair people up and it was like her work didn't matter. =(  That hurt my heart.  And I know things come up, life happens...but post *something* - I stubbed my toe, my order was lost, my dog ate my piece...just something.

- Of those who posted nearly every.single.one. mentioned how much they appreciated how much work Lori Anderson, and her AWESOME support team, did!  

- CAPTCHA blows when you're commenting on 400+ blogs

- The creativity of the people in this group is ASTOUNDING

I've been honored to be a part of this group of EXTRAORDINARILY TALENTED jewelry designers.  They have encouraged me, challenged me and made me a better designer.  If you're a designer - JOIN.THIS.GROUP.  You'll be amazed at what you'll learn!

Challenges and Teams - Oh MY!

**** BSBP 8: Here's My Bead Soup Piece! =) ****

After taking some time off of blogging, for my Bead Soup to be accessible, it's time to get back at it!  And I've got some more exciting news to share!!

First - I've been busy as a beaver signing myself up for some new challenges including Octoberfest, Choosy Chicks Choose Chicklets and still working on my MOJO challenges. =)

Second - Some INCREDIBLY EXCITING news!  I have been invited to join the design team for ZNetShows!  I have purchased from them for a long time at various shows and am THRILLED to be a new member of their team! =)  

Third - I had a few more pieces picked up with another magazine - so when I get publishing dates, I'll let y'all know!  

Forth - Speaking of publishing - I'll have a pair of beautiful earrings in the Fall 2014 edition of Jewelry Stringing Magazine!  


Personally - this has been a trying last month.  My body has been struggling more than it had been - i found out why.... a device that I had implanted 7 years ago has stopped working.  I'm praying that Medicare will cover this surgery as I'm desperate to get, at least a bit, of my life back.  

I'm also working to get my belongings back to me, as they have been in a storage unit in DC for 2 years.  I'm desperate to get my things back to me, including my car.  It's EXPENSIVE and I've been struggling to save the money I need to get my things HOME.  I've been "destashing" alot of my jewelry supplies which has helped to get me started on my journey towards getting everything back.  I'm *DESPERATE* to get my bed here.  I have a hospital style bed that I need, especially in light of new news that I've got some spine issues that may require shots and eventually surgery.  This has been a long, rough road but at the end of the day, I'm thankful that I can sell some things and that God has provided for me in ways I never dreamed.  

If you feel led to make a donation (nothing is too small) you can donate here at my GoFundMe page or check out my destash page to peruse a whole lotta unclaimed beads and bits!

Looking forward to an awesome next few months and seeing what's next in Linda Land! =)

I'll be returning to my "Whys It Gotta Be So Expensive....." series in my next post

Allow Me To Introduce You To A Special Girl

**** BSBP 8: Here's My Bead Soup Piece! =) ****

======================================

Friends - Several months ago, I saw a reporter was looking for some great people from the Dayton, Ohio area.  I sent the writer an email and told her about this wonderful girl who has purchased jewelry from me for homecoming and prom (and has even said she wants me to do her jewelry for her wedding if she gets married someday!) .  I sent her story in and today it was published in the Dayton Daily News

This piece requires a subscription and I paid for a day pass to see the article.

If you know someone going to Prom, Homecoming, Graduating, Getting Married or otherwise have a special occasion coming up - please contact me! I LOVE custom orders! =)

Kyra's Prom Piece

 ======================================
 Dayton Daily News

Focus on the Positive: Personal Journey

Cinderella’s Closet donates prom dresses

Church program helps girls afford their big night.

Posted: 12:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 21, 2014

By Beth Anspach - Contributing Writer



The prom dress a girl chooses often becomes as important as prom night itself. But for many girls, the expense of the dress, coupled with the accessories, hair and makeup, makes prom night something about which some can only dream.

Carlisle High School senior Kyra Utech, 18, says her senior prom on May 9 ended up being “the best school dance I’d ever been to,” thanks to an organization called Cinderella’s Closet.
 

Kyra Utech and her friends from Carlisle High School pose for a photo while enjoying their senior prom at Yankee Trace Golf Club on May 9. Front (from left): Kyra Utech, Lori Crooks, Sam Haddix and Kyra Maple. In the back: Jacob Neace. CONTRIBUTED

The group donates prom dresses and accessories to needy girls who might not otherwise have an opportunity to attend.


Linda Anderson of St. Cloud, Minn., a longtime friend of Utech’s mother, Janet Johnston, said Kyra is deserving for many reasons. “I have known Kyra since she was a newborn and have watched her grow up,” said Anderson. “Her family has struggled with a sick child (Utech’s younger sister Zoe) and they nearly lost her. Kyra has sacrificed so much for her sister. She gave up marching band — something she loved — her senior year, because her family couldn’t afford to pay for both girls to do it. As an older woman looking at a young lady, I see that it’s such a sacrifice she made during her senior year for her sister. She has a loving heart.”

And though Anderson doesn’t see the family often, she and Utech correspond often, and Utech has purchased some of Anderson’s handmade jewelry, which she has worn to several school dances. “I’ve been so honored that she would trust me to make some jewelry pieces for her,” Anderson said. “She is a special young lady.”

In addition to marching band, Utech has been involved with Winter Guard and performs in four different choirs. She has also played the piano since the age of 7. Her sister, Zoe, now 17, was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when she was a sixth-grader.

“Zoe was in the hospital for about three weeks when she was first diagnosed,” Utech said. “She has to have surgery this summer because she is sick a lot.”

Utech also has two younger brothers, Evan, 14 and Joah, 9.

Anderson said the family has overcome many struggles, but Utech has a “wonderful stepfather” now. Still, money is tight, and Utech worked a job to help out. “I started working at Dairy Queen to help pay my sister’s band fee,” Utech said.

According to some published reports, average prom expenditures are now surpassing $1,100, with the majority of this spent on that special dress.

Utech found her “fairy godmother” in Cinderella’s Closet. “My choir teacher, Mrs. Shively, heard about Cinderella’s Closet at Center Pointe Church and nominated me and two of my friends, and we were chosen to go and get free dresses, shoes and accessories,” Utech said.

Utech and her friends went to the church on April 12, met her “fairy godmother,” Lisa, and was given the royal treatment, until she found the perfect dress for her special night.”

“Junior and senior high school girls are referred to us by a school staff member, social worker or community liaison,” said Sara Mosteller, director of Cinderella’s Closet in Liberty Twp. “Girls come to us for all different reasons, and we don’t require proof of need. They are paired with a ‘fairy godmother’ who shows them love and makes them feel like they are smart, talented and pretty all day long.”

Girls coming to Cinderella’s Closet go home with a prom dress, shoes and jewelry of their choosing, all of which are theirs to keep. Each also receives an 8-by-10 photo taken in the dresses.
“We have more than 1,500 dresses here, either donated or purchased with donated funds,” Mosteller said. “Prom costs a lot of money and I can tell you that many of these girls just wouldn’t get to attend unless they could get assistance. I have watched countless girls come in with their heads down and they put on a formal dress and we compliment them and it makes them feel good. The most rewarding part is to watch the girls change on the inside because of what is happening on the outside.”

Utech and her friends enjoyed a wonderful prom night at Yankee Trace Golf Club on April 9 as a result of the dress donation. And on May 31, she will graduate from Carlisle High School and has plans to study nursing and also attend cosmetology school.
For more information about Cinderella’s Closet, go online to www.cinderellasclosetusa.org.

Help Me Get Home?

Looking for my Bead Soup Piece? =) Click here!

Hey Y'All - It's looking like I might FINALLY be making progress to get my belongings HOME!  They are currently living in Virginia, right outside of DC, while I'm living in Minnesota.  I need to raise about $700 more dollars and I'll be able to get EVERYTHING home! 

Would you help?  You can make a donation here: Go Fund Me Page or purchase some jewelry here: Cherry On Top Design.Co. I'm SO CLOSE!  Even $5 would be a HUGE help!

BEAD SOUP REVEAL!!

Here it is!!

As a reminder....here's what I sent Lisa (plus some round quartz, silver stardust rounds and a few strands of czech glass not pictured.  I felt like my soup was a little....thin...needed some more ....'veggies', if ya get my drift)  The oranges are some of my favorite beads and the focal was hand made glass discs. 

 Here is what Lisa from http://spudandmrsbutters.blogspot.com sent!  So beautiful, I cried.  Yep - it's true.  Tears.

Click to enlarge

Let me start by saying this was a CHALLENGE.  Not because I didn't have gorgeous soup - because HOLY CANNOLI!  LOOK AT IT!  I felt inadequate.  I wasn't familiar with Czech glass and I was really becoming discouraged.  But let me say this...... I am SO.PROUD. of the pieces I made.  Seriously, I haven't been this proud in a LONG time.   Lisa - I hope I did YOU proud!

One challenge I encountered was scale.  Scale is the size of things and how they relate to each other.  Typically, big things go with big things...little with little.  Well, you'll notice that the coordinating beads are itty bitty while my gorgeous Owlivia (the ADORABLE owl) is a little... on the plus size.  =)  So, I was REALLY struggling to make it all work together until one day it hit me.... make 2 pieces.  (And Lisa thought my biggest struggle would be working with copper...heh heh)  I'll dig into these pieces a lot more, later.  Without further delay...

The first piece features the beautiful itty bittys and the GORGEOUS clasp!  I made the connector out of copper.

 The second piece features my adorable Owlivia!  I wired wrapped her (my first real wrapping experience) and made the clasp, carrying the theme of the flower through the clasp.  =)

Then.... I needed earrings of course.....
For these little gems, I made the pins with the swirls on the bottom, to mimic the swirls on Owlivia.












 





AND I made these little guys - including the pin, ear wire and the flower on the bottom!  Aren't they AWESOME!?!? (If I do say so, myself)

I had a little fun doing a selfie session with my new pieces.... enjoy! =)

Whoooooo!

Too much?  (both pieces on)

 

Fishface!

Not bad, kid!

Proud and SO GLAD I did this, again!  Thanks, Lori!

Check out what the rest of my 499+ friends did here:

http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2014/05/welcome-to-8th-bead-soup-blog-party.html

BIG NEWS!!

SO....a few weeks ago I posted about some *big news*.....

I'm going to be published again!!!  HOORAY!  This time, just a pair of earrings in Jewelry Stringing Magazine!  Fall 2014 issue.  VERY excited! 

Czech glass

Continuing the series on Whys It So Expensive?!......

Glass is glass is glass....right?  Or is it?

When we buy things like glasses or windows or even mirrors, we start to learn that all glass is not created equal - and the same is true in beading.  The most popular types of glass include lampwork (see the last edition of "Whys It So Expensive"), crystal, dichroic, Venetian, vintage, cats eye, and today's topic Czech.

I've been learning all about Czech glass in the last few weeks because my Bead Soup partner is a big fan and sent nearly all this type of beads to me.  It's been a challenge and so much fun to learn about the different finishes, shapes, colors, mixes and types of beads.

ArtBeads.com describes it this way:
Glass making in the Czech Republic is an age old cottage industry. These glass beads are still made in small quantities by hand. Due to the way the glass is made, there may be slight color variation from one bead batch to the next.

Now, you may wonder why this matters....well...it matters because when an artist decides to use this glass, it's more expensive than say something that is mass produced.  HOWEVER, this glass is simply *splendid*!   Check out some of these different types:

Click Photo to Enlarge

GORGEOUS, right?!!?  I'm having a great time using these 'new to me' beads and looking forward to using them in my jewelry.  I LOVE that they are hand made in small batches and that gives them more personality!  The price is a bit higher than a typical glass bead, made in large quantities but it is CERTAINLY worth it!

Here is an adorable pair of earrings I made with some adorable pressed flower bead caps:




Next time you're looking at hand made jewelry and they tell you it's made with Czech glass - you know that while it may be a little more expensive - it's also that much more special!

OOOOOOOOHHHHMOMMA! You Ain't Gonna Believe THIS!

....... some CRAZY NEWS is a COMIN'!!