2019 Swap N Hop Reveals!!

Well well well,
Another year, another Swap.  I canNOT believe it's been *5* years!  I need to thank each and every person who is READING and who has participated over the years.  It's been SUCH an incredible opportunity to get to know new people, learn about jewelry, learn about another person, learn about  myself and more than ANYTHING - growing my skillz.  What an adventure!

Now, to my partner!  I had the wild and fabulous Jeanne Parker!  She's from PA and in her past life, she had a family farm.  Since they sold the farm, she takes care of a fellow who is blind and autistic.  She also looooves spending time with her granddaughter.  She has an INCREDIBLE artistic eye!  She has painted, illustrated, done some advertising and now even etches her own components.  (holy jealous, batman!)

For her goodies, I was putting some things away and I found the PERFECT focal!  It was from Grubbi Ceramics and featured a painting of rolling hills, and a farm.  =)  I thought it'd be a great fit!
So, that's what I sent.

Now....what I received?!  Holy MOSES!  I was SOOOOOO spoiled!  Jeanne sent me all KINDS of things!  I will say that I had a hard time finding a theme.... so I pulled a few pieces out and made them work. =)

Click to enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

My first project was a bracelet.  Again, I'd found the focal while putting some things away. (LOL!  I put stuff away alot, I guess?!)  But I just LOVE this focal and a few of the pieces Jeanne sent, seemed to match the colors.  The accent beads on the focal were from Jeanne, as well as the clasp.  I had some of the Beadalon artsy wire (I found it chips somewhat easily... so some of the copper shows through) and ended up making the chain.  It seemed to be a perfect match!  So, this was a real stretch for me.  I've made chain with beads before...but never from just wire.  I like it, alot!  So, I may end up doing that more often.

My second project is my piece de resistance.  I fell in LOVE with the flower bead that Jeanne sent.  My problem was that it wasn't really big enough to be a focal, by itself.  SO, I started with the focal and tried to build it up a bit by making the headpin with the big loop, adding a dragonfly from Jeanne and some crystals.  Then it was a challenge to figure out what to do with the focal to really make it shine.  After going through this and that... I found a bag of lucite flowers I'd bought a few months ago...and that's when the project really took off.  From there, I pulled out a Vintaj connector and since it was the wrong color - I painted it.  In addition, I wanted the piece to be a little.... whimsical?  What's more whimsical than white pearl leather, with pastel paints hand applied?  =)

Andy's Garden (

I LOVE it!  I really, REALLY do!  I love the colors, I love how the paint brought everything together AND that I won't be allergic to this piece! ;)

 But really - this piece reminds me of my Grandmother and my Dad.  My Grandma always had a big, beautiful garden.  I remember going out and picking fruits and veggies from there and sneaking cherry tomatoes (because No Grandma..there weren't any out there!).  She grew state fair winning flowers!  My Dad also has an INCREDIBLY green thumb.  He grows gladiolas - usually around 700 bulbs.  He's sold them locally and does it because he loves them.

So, this piece is going to be called "Andy's Garden".

  

Here you can see the details of the filigree I painted.   I, also, added some light paints to the metallic pearl leather.  The paint ties everyone together, so nicely....AND it's a personal one-of-a-kind finish.  (and SUPER easy to do!) The little rhinestoney part is actually a pearl enhancer... I'm using it as a clasp, here.  (Thanks, Diane Whiting!)

You can see the paint on the leather here (Click to enlarge)

I decided at the last minute to make a pair of earrings, as well.  This is what I came up with....

Yep - just 1.  The other is currently on the other side of the bead room.  ROTFL (No really... ) I'll finish it tomorrow.  The ear wire and bead came from Jeanne, too.  Once I finish the other, they'll go delightfully with both the bracelet AND Andy's Garden!  Hooray!

THANK YOU, Jeanne!  I had SUCH a great time and I'm thankful to have had YOU for my partner!




AND THANK YOU to everyone who played along this year!  I can't WAIT to see what y'all made!  Here's a list of all the friends who played along!

Hostess: Linda Anderson http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com you are HERE!

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Non-Seed Beaders

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Linda Anderson http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com you are HERE!

jeanne parker http://www.instagram.com/silverwoodstudio

Fay Wolfenden http://beadsbitsbaubles.blogspot.com

Teri Del Signore http://instagram.com/artisticaos_studio

Natalie Davidson http://www.northshoredays.com/

Tammy Adams http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog/

Shai Williams http://www.shaihasramblings.com/

Rozantia Petkova http://bairozan.blogspot.com/

Kari Asbury https://www.facebook.com/kariasburyjewelry/

Sarah Reid http://www.instagram.com/sarahreiddesigns

Robin Reed http://www.facebook.com/artistryhcbd

Divya N http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com

Samantha Jones https://www.facebook.com/Arm-Candy-by-Sam-1735179996705639/

andrea frank https://www.instagram.com/andreazeef/

Inge von Roos https://ingetraud.wordpress.com

Lois Sherwood http://www.facebook.com/groups/beadPeeps.

Valarie Dunsmore http://www.facebook.com/groups/beadpeeps.

Marde Lowe http://fancimardesigns.blogspot.com.

Raquel Rosario http://facebook.com/seaglassparadisetreasures

gloria allen https://www.facebook.com/GloriaAllenDesigns

Leah Schneider http://www.facebook.com/groups/beadPeeps

Cheri Mitchell-Reed https://www.facebook.com/creativedesignsbycheri

Kathy Lindemer https://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Strehler http://www.facebook.com/groups/beadpeeps

Terry Jeanette Carter https://tappingflamingo.blogspot.com

Cynthia O'Toole https://www.facebook.com/Sparkles-and-Sweets-211404598956160/

Christina Hickman https://www.instagram.com/laughingsalmon/

Cindy Peterson https://www.facebook.com/howlingdogjewelry

Hope Smitherman http://CraftyHope.com

Bonnie Robbins https://www.instagram.com/brobbins_wireandwonder/

Sarah Auerbach http://www.jewelrybecause.com

Catherine La Vite http://drygulchbeadsandjewelry.blogspot.com/

Nadine Edris https://www.facebook.com/moondancejewelrymaine/

michelle marson https://www.instagram.com/ellecountry/

Lori Poppe http://lorillijeanscreativecorner.blogspot.com

Kristina Peck https://tealeavesandtinyhats.blogspot.com

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Seed Beaders

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Dora Oresic https://m.facebook.com/nakitich/

Krafty Max http://www.kraftymax.net

Susanne Stelljes https://www.facebook.com/sbeadz/

Penny Houghton https://www.instagram.com/forgottentrack/

naomi knafla https://www.instagram.com/naomiknafla/

Heather Faaborg https://www.facebook.com/heather.faaborg

Marcy Roll http://www.facebook.com/groups/beadPeeps

Carla Fry http://www.instagram.com/carlafrycreations

Renetha Stanziano https://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/

Krafty Max http://www.kraftymax.net

Tina Hemr http://instagram.com/mariecaroldesigns

Kelly Rodgers http://beadinblacknblue.blogspot.com

Shannon Luthy https://www.facebook.com/BeYoutifulBeads207/

Marianne Baxter http://www.facebook.com/groups/beadpeeps

Heather Canepa http://www.instagram.com/canepaheather

Sue wagner https://www.facebook.com/SueZeeBracelets/

Deborah Apodaca http://www.deborahapodacadesigns.blogspot.com

Barbara Harbuck http://www.facebook.com/groups/beadPeeps

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