Week #33 - Memorial Earrings

Last Monday, I received a text that no one wants to receive.  My uncle died.  Earlier that morning, he'd called to get fuel oil delivered to his farm.... within 2 hours (and before the fuel arrived) he was gone.  He'd fallen face first on the ground.  A woman, who happened to be a nurse, had driven by his home and thought something didn't look right.  She turned around and tried CPR - to no avail.  She also called the rescue squad but he was already blue. 

Uncle Chester

It's been a difficult week and Saturday was the funeral.  Things I learned about him:
- He had taken 60 hours of ground, flight school
- He donated 136 pints of blood - nearly 17 gallons (no wonder he was so pale!)
- You could set the clock by him.....9am he was at McDonalds. 
- He was very well loved, despite never marrying, having a girlfriend or a family of his own
- He was ready to be called to the Lord
- He'd spent time with the Lord that morning - reading his Bible and doing his daily devotional. - The Pastor noted that he'd had his quiet time and the Lord said "Chester, I wanna continue this conversation" - which REALLY was an incredible picture in my mind (and frankly, brings tears to my eyes)
- He was a farmer most of his life, except when he was in the service
- He served at Ft. Belvoire and I had worked there, as well, when I lived in the DC area
- Church was often canceled on Sunday nights during the Fair, so that the entire church could go cheer him and my other Uncle Wally on, at the Demo Derby

So, to honor him and his love of cows - I present this week's earrings:

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Week #32 - I love me some, Colah!

Week 32!  What a week, too!

This week's installment is full of COLOR!  Those who know me, know I'm kinda a freak for rainbows and bright colors...... check out this week's manicure:

 

I rest my case. =)

So, when I saw these GORGEOUS stained glass window-ish, handmade, lampwork beads - I KNEW they needed to be in my grubby little hands. =)  I added some bead caps, and some INCREDIBLE Swarovski pendants.  

 

DEFINITELY some of my favorite-est earrings so far!  Hooray!  What do YOU think?


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JSBArts Beach Blog Hop

Hello Dear Friends - Please excuse my tardy entry.  You don't wanna know and frankly - who needs excuses? Right?

So, a few weeks ago, I received some hand crafted, one of a kind beads from Shawna Barnes of JSB Arts. Her theme was Summer Lovin'!

 TOTALLY exciting!  I love EVERY.THING. beach so I was ALL OVER this! =)

I will say - I was VERY challenged with this round.  For a couple of reasons - personal reasons, as you see above and I really had no.idea. what to do with the beads I was sent.  They were in colors I wasn't expecting, so it really took me a while to kinda think through how *I* could make them shine.

What I received - sweet beads and some silk

After thinking long and hard.... I decided to go with some gorgeous beach colored glass beads I had.  I loved that they helped bring the neutral color of the designer beads, up to a beachy look.  I, also, found some GORGEOUS Amazonite that tied all the colors together.

Now, to figure out how to put it together.... I could just string it - but why?  Does jewelry cable really help the design?  Not really.  So, I went through my drawer of goodness and found some beautiful green/tealy waxed linen cording that was PERFECTION!  I have never used it, so in keeping with another challenge I've issued myself, to continue learning and trying new products during challenges, I dug in.  =)

It took me 3 tries to FINALLY get it to where I liked it, the knots worked well together, even spacing etc.... but I fell in love with it.  Pretty proud, indeed!

My piece - ceramic beads, glass beads, Amazonite, bead caps and a gorgeous anchor charm

Details of handmade beads and cute linen in between

If I were to do it again, I'd have made the knots a bit bigger, but otherwise - very proud of this bracelet and am VERY excited to wear it!



Thank you, Shawna for putting this together!. Check out some of my friends work here:

To see more of Shawna's components available for purchase, please see her Artisan Component Marketplace store.

Linda A. - http://fromthebeadboard.blogspot.com/
Kelly P. - http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com/
Wendy S. - http://dragonflydreamers.blogspot.ca/
Lori S. - http://beadaddicted.blogspot.com
Shaiha W.  - http://www.shaihasramblings.com
Carolyn - http://Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Debbie E. - https://www.facebook.com/designsbydebbi

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To be sure you don’t miss out on any of my crazy adventures, you can sign up to follow my blog by email or news servers using the links in the right column of my page. You can also follow me on Facebook get updates about blog posts, my latest jewelry designs, show schedule, and other happenings!
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ZNetShows Summer 2015 Creative Spark!

What do get when you take a bunch of designers, lovely sea glass beads and tell them to go crazy?  Why a magazine, of course!

This Summer's Edition of the ZNetShows  Creative Spark Magazine

As a part of their design team, I was chosen to make some pieces with their INCREDIBLE Sea Glass Beads (seriously DROOL worthy!)  My favorites include the Purple tubes, which I used in my earrings:

Love the components on the bottom?  Contact me for more info!

I also fell in LOVE with the crystal barrels and the turquoise lava beads - OMGoodness!  A-MAZ-ING!  I used both of these in my necklace, as well as a starfish I, also, made. =)

 You can read more about my pieces and their inspiration in Creative Spark! 

A few notes about ZNetShows.com sea glass beads section:

- You can browse by SHAPE or COLOR
- They offer several strands when you purchase
- I like that I can even search for something I can't find right away
- They also have INCREDIBLE lava beads!
- They have an OUTSTANDING selection of different colors
- They even offer pendants!

I hope that you will try out some new designs with this GORGEOUS Sea Glass from ZNetShows.com - BEAUTIFUL sea glass, indeed!


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To be sure you don’t miss out on any of my crazy adventures, you can sign up to follow my blog by email or news servers using the links in the right column of my page. You can also follow me on Facebook get updates about blog posts, my latest jewelry designs, show schedule, and other happenings!
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Disclosure:
I was compensated with free beads for my time and design skills.  My opinions of the products are STRICTLY my own and were NOT influenced by the company or the fact that I received beads from them.   




 

Week #31 - Bead Caps Keep A Comin'!

So, this is week #3 of bead caps.  =) 

I didn't realize how EXPENSIVE these little buggers can be!  Holy man!  So, a little confession to make - sometimes I troll certain websites for folks who are selling their beads....I won't say which for fear that someone else may become my competition...but anyway. =)  I found this listing that a woman had put up saying that she had bead caps.  I clicked on the link and saw a smattering of bead caps, and not really sure how many or what they REALLY looked like - but I bit the bullet.  I bought them from her, and she was kind enough to send them to me. 

When the package arrived, I nearly dropped it on the floor - it was HEAVY!  I weren't expectin' that.  I opened the bag....and my jaw about hit the same spot as the envelope!  That sucker was PACKED with bead caps.  SO!  You can see a *small* sampling of the goodies that I received and have sorted.  I've got about 3/4 of the bag left.  

I decided this this week, I hadn't really worked with pearls too much so I pulled out my organizer of pearls and settled on these pink marquis sweethearts.  I used some of the caps from the bag and matched the pearls with some GORGEOUS, round, Jonquil/Antique pink Swarovski crystals.  I LOVE how they turned out.  What do YOU think?

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Week #30 - "Joy of" Earrings

If you've been a fan of mine for a while, you probably have read somewhere that I lived in the DC area for 13+ years and during my last 2ish years there, I started learning how to make jewelry.  There were 2 local bead stores (LBS) within 6 miles of my place and 2 big box stores with about 3 miles.  So to say I was SPOILED is an UNDERSTATEMENT.  I had no idea!

One of those LBS, The Joy of Beading, is where I really learned and took off.  The owners were VERY encouraging in my jewelry.  I really loved learning and they loved teaching. =)  They had some of the most beautiful beads, I'd ever seen!  It was always something new and interesting.  The sweet store ended up closing, not long after I moved - which devastated me.  SO!  This pair of earrings is kind of an ode to them....

The head pins were hand crafted (by me!) and the large crystals are from their store.  They are SPECTACULAR in real life - a GORGEOUS montana, disco type, rondelle.  

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To be sure you don’t miss out on any of my crazy adventures, you can sign up to follow my blog by email or news servers using the links in the right column of my page. You can also follow me on Facebook get updates about blog posts, my latest jewelry designs, show schedule, and other happenings!
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Week #29 - Ode to Bead Caps - Part Duex

As promised, this week's installment is also dealing with bead caps.  As I mentioned in my last post, I haven't really ever been comfortable using bead caps.  A gf asked me why and as I thought about it - I realized that sometimes bead caps tend to make a piece look more...... mature.  If that makes any sense?  So, part of my goal in figuring out this bead cap thing is to make sure that my designs don't look matronly.  Not that there is anything wrong with that - because there is a HUGE market for matronly pieces.....just not mine. =)

These gorgeous earrings feature Swarovski crystals (my fav!), antique silver and bright silver bead caps and GORGEOUS handmade lampwork beads by Matt Jordan of Boise Art Glass.

Interestingly enough - the bright silver bead caps I used in these earrings - are the same as last week's.  =)  *proud*

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To be sure you don’t miss out on any of my crazy adventures, you can sign up to follow my blog by email or news servers using the links in the right column of my page. You can also follow me on Facebook get updates about blog posts, my latest jewelry designs, show schedule, and other happenings!
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Pine Ridge Treasures Beach Blog Hop!

OooO how I LOVE me some beach and sea glass!  When I saw the call for The Pine Ridge Treasures Beach Themed Blog Hop - I was on that like white on rice!  I dunno what it is about sea and sand that just makes my heart SING!

I made this adorable piece with memories of my trip to Puerto Rico, dancing in my head.  If you've followed my blog - then you've no doubt read about this amazing opportunity!  AND you've also read about my LOVE of the bio-luminescence bay tour that we went on.  The "Bio Bay" is one of 5 in the world where plankton turn blue, when they are disturbed.  SO, when you move the water - it's a beautiful blue color.  Just STUNNING!

So, you'd think THAT would be my inspiration for my piece....but it's not.  Instead, I went with the beautiful BLUE cobblestone that is throughout Old San Juan. 

Gorgeous blue and white sea glass with a sweet little sand dollar

Sand dollar up close - the piece needed a little something special

Check out the blogs of my friends who also played!

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

Susan Anderson, La Main Tresor

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Margaret Pelech, Margaret Pelech's Blog

Lisa Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs

Carol Briody, A Beads Life

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings

Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs

Rosee Floss Hanemaayer, Silver Penny Artisans

Saundra Farren, Something by Saundra

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool Jewelry

MaryAnne Kelly Hobbs-Fernie - TBD

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Kelly Fletcher – TBD

Linda Anderson, From the Bead Board (You are here!)

Diana Chavis - TBD

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To be sure you don’t miss out on any of my crazy adventures, you can sign up to follow my blog by email or news servers using the links in the right column of my page. You can also follow me on Facebook get updates about blog posts, my latest jewelry designs, show schedule, and other happenings!
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Week #28 - Ode to Bead Caps

This week has been a little cray-cray for me.  Haven't really felt myself and really haven't felt the urge to make jewelry so this week's installment is a pair that I made a few weeks ago, but made some others I liked more - so these got pushed back a bit.  =)

After intentionally making 28 pairs of earrings, and looking all over for inspiration, something I noticed in other people's work - but not mine - was bead caps.  Those little things that can add a little pizzazz, when used right or can make you go "huh?" when used wrong.  I've been kinda scared of them, mostly because I felt like each time I used them.....it was "huh? that looks awful. remove"  In the interest of the Year project, I know that this is something I need to get comfortable with and stretch myself in to using.  As a friend said "bead caps can make pieces that are "pretty" in to "pretty AMAZING"" So, here's my first - intentional attempt at using bead caps.  (Yes, I used them in the gushers earrings - but that was more of a trial and error) 

Would love to hear your thoughts!  Cute little, hot pink glass rounds with bright silver bead caps on top and bottom - accented with silver daisies and a silver ball at the top.

Catch the next pair of earrings - as they too - will be using bead caps.  Mixed bright and antique silver - oooooooooo!


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To be sure you don’t miss out on any of my crazy adventures, you can sign up to follow my blog by email or news servers using the links in the right column of my page. You can also follow me on Facebook get updates about blog posts, my latest jewelry designs, show schedule, and other happenings!
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Week #27 - Whoop it UP!

 This Year O Earrings project has really been a challenge for me.  I started it because I have known for quiet some time, that my earrings have REALLY needed some help.  IT's been so great to expand my earring line and to try new techniques as well as pushing myself outside of my comfortable box.  I've used silk, crystals, czech beads, copper wire, silver wire, wood beads, painted beads, resin beads, clay beads..... just really a smorgasbord of different things.  This week's new "thing" is using ribbon.

I kinda like the ribbon.  The earrings needed SOMETHING to whoop them up - and I think this ribbon fits the bill. =)   The ribbon has orange, red, purple, teal and yellow in it.  Just the perfect colors to pull out the earthy tones in the flowers AND make them a bit more versatile.   Hope you like them as much as I do!

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To be sure you don’t miss out on any of my crazy adventures, you can sign up to follow my blog by email or news servers using the links in the right column of my page. You can also follow me on Facebook get updates about blog posts, my latest jewelry designs, show schedule, and other happenings!
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