Saturday, March 30, 2013

Jaspers Gems Color Challenge...

I am not so sure what I was thinking when I signed up for this challenge as it's only one day after the Bead Soup Blog Hop. It was fun and I guess I work well under pressure and with deadlines. More info can be found here.  

We had three color pallets to choose from so I chose this one.....

Not only did I choose this pallet but I was also inspired to use a bird as my focal and a tiny sparrow clasp. I hope you like what I came up with!





 Here is a list of the others who participated in this challenge. I will finish up my Bead Soup blog hop tomorrow and then start this one too.

Alicia Marinache
Leah Curtis
Cheryl Dunham
Andrea Trank
Shai Williams










Friday, March 29, 2013

Bead Soup Blog Party 1st Reveal Here It is....

7th Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal

Hi all, I again have had the great fortune to participate in the lovely, ever so talented and kind Lori Anderson.
She is the hostess of the most awesome Bead soup Blog party. This is the 4th time I have participated in the festivities and look forward to participating every time!

I was very lucky to be paired with Kat Barron Miller.
Her work is amazing! You can check out her Etsy sight here MKP Jewelry.  

This is what I sent to Kat....

2 of my handmade butterfly wing pendants a pewter toggle clasp and matching crystal beads.




And this is what Kat sent to me.....

 Lamp work fairy bead,silver butterfly toggle clasp some vintage beads,crystals and lamp work floral beads.



The little lamp work fairy was too adorable for words. I am obsessed with gnomes,mushrooms,fairies and  flowers. If you have ever read my blog I have shared pictures of my garden which have all of the above scattered in my flower beds. So I was elated to get a cutie gem like the fairy. I knew that I must keep her for myself which is where the problem began.

As much as I like making necklaces I never and I mean NEVER wear them. Bracelets yup, earrings absolutely necklaces,nope. So my dilemma was she's too big and fragile to use in a bracelet. And If you haven't gotten it by now necklaces are out of the question for me. So what's a girl to do?

The gears started moving in my brain, my first thought was to make her into a fan or light pull, but my living room decor is pretty modern and stream lined and my kitchen is loaded with slate and has an Modern Asian flair to it. So that wouldn't work.
 When we bought the house a few years back my intentions were to keep things as zen, uncluttered and to a minimum as possible (my house is very modest in size). I decided the only option I had left was to make something for my studio.  My studio is in my finished basement. That's where I keep all of my fun,funky decor, which is so full of color and whimsy that it always feels like an over the top party down there.My Perfect muse for creating.

So my fairy was made into this  **** warning image heavy.....








 I twisted and wired together this frame and made each of the beaded flowers,leaves and sprays (mostly crystals,so it sparkles to high heaven) and then I decided to add an inspirational plaque which reads what? INSPIRE and she dangles right in the center. I know this is not a conventional use of a focal and that most people will make jewelry out of their focals,but I'm not really all that conventional. This piece includes my love of fairies and flowers and is a perfect fit for my studio.  I love how it turned out and am going to hang her up tonight!!!

I did challenge myself to try to use every bead Kat sent me. Lamp work beads are generally not my thing, love the looks of them they are tiny pieces of art,just not my style, but I made this set, which I gifted to my mother as part or her birthday gift. This includes my use of the toggle,some crystals and the lamp work floral beads.
 She loved it. Not only does she like lamp work,she also loves the color red and flowers. How perfect is that!

Then I made this next piece using a vintage brass clock key which I added one of the crystals to the end (clock keys have a hole in the bottom to wind clocks) hung the key from round brass links,then to a large link brass chain,and on the one side of the chain I wire wrapped a couple of the vintage glass teardrops from my soup. I wish I wore necklaces that's how much I favor this piece.

I do have 2 more pieces that I made, a pair of earrings that are made to be worn with the above necklace and also a bracelet but I will show them at another time.  I knew that this was going to be a long post and people need to hop to so many other blogs so stay tuned for the rest.

Here are the other participants of the 1st reveal I hope you make it to each and every one of them! I know I can't wait to see what these talented jewelers have worked up!




First and Last Name
Blog URL
Alicia Marinache
Amber Dawn Goldish
Barb Solem
Bev Breisinger
Birgitta Lejonklou
Breana Fry
Brenda Sue Lansdowne
Bridget Torres
Carol Dee Myers
Carolyn Chenault
Cassi Paslick
Cece Cormier
Cheryl McCloud
Cindy Wilson
Crystal Thain
Cynthia Riggs
Dana Hickey
Dana James
Darlene Fortier
Deana Hager
Deanna Cox
Deb Brooks
Debra Behrends
Denielle Hagerman
Denise McCabe
Diana Frey
Diana Welte
Dini Bruinsma
DiYana Alcalde
Dolores Raml
Donna Millard
Dot Lewallwn
Duane Clark
Dyanne Cantrell
Eleanor Burian-Mohr
Elisabeth Auld
Elizabeth Owens Dwy
Emily Greer
Enikö Fabian
Erin Grant
Eva Kovacs
Eva Sherman
Gina Hockett
Grace Rotenberg
Gretchen Nation
Hannah Rosner
Heather Davis
Heather Marston
Heather Powers
Ingrid McCue
Jacqueline Marchant
Jan Petek
Janeen Sorensen
Jane-Michael Stallings
Jasvanti Patel
Jayashree Paramesh
Jayne Capps
Jean Yates
Jennifer Cameron
Jennifer LaVite
Joan Williams
Jodie Marshall
Judy Riggs
Julie Anne Leggett
Kat Barron Miller
Kathy Lindemer
Kim Hora
Kim Houston
Kim Sparks
Krafty Max
Kris Lanae Binsfeld
Krista French
Kristen Stevens
Kristi Harrison
Kumi Fisher
Laren Dee Barton
Laura Bracken
Laura Demoya
Laurie Hanna
Laurie Keefe-Cecere
Lea Avroch
Leanne Loftus
Lee Anne Messerschmidt
Leslie Schenkel
Linda Anderson
Linda Djokic
Linda Murphy
Linda Sadler
Lisa Liddy
Lisa Suver
Liz DeLuca
Liz Engriser
Lola Surwillo
Loretta Carstensen
Lori Anderson
Lori Bergmann
Lori Bowring Michaud
Lori Poppe
Lori Schneider
Lyn Foley
Maddison Langford
Magdalena Sikora
Mallory Hoffman
Marcella Austenfeld
Marcy Lamberson
Maria Clark
Maria Rosa Sharrow
Marianna Boylan
Marie Covert
Marti Conrad
Mary Ellen Merrigan
Mary Harding
Molly Alexander
  Nan Emmett
Niky Sayers
Pam Chesbro
Pam Farren
Pam Sandy
Pam Traub
Pamela Gangler
Patricia Buchanan
Patricia Johnson
Patty Miller
Paula Hisel
Peggy Gabrielson
Perri Jackson
Rachel Baron
Rachel Stanley
Rain Hannah
Rana Wilson
Renetha Stanziano
Robin Reed
Rochelle Brisson
Rose Rushbrooke


Ruth Szapa
Sally Russick
Sandi Volpe
Sandra Pendragon
Sandy Richardson
Sarah Small
Shannon Hicks
Shari Replogle
Sheila Daniels
Sheila Davis
Shiraz Biggie
Shirley Moore
Skylar Bre'z
Staci Smith
Stacie Florer
Stacy Pomerleau
Stephanie Weiss
Sumi Rani
Susan Sheehan
Suzette Bentley
Tamera Norris
Tracy Choy
Tracy Stillman
Valerie Norton
Vicki Holliday