Pearls Blog Hop Reveal

I started working on the pieces for the challenge shortly after I got the beads in May.

I started with this necklace. 

Using two different shades of the lilac and faceted crystals from the kit I added some silver hearts. The closure is a magnetic heart with crystal embellishment. This piece can be worn with the closure at the front or back.

Next I played with doing some sort of a netted design with the grey rice pearls but was not happy with any of the ideas. So I decided to do a simple ladder stitch bracelet using purple velvet Swarovski crystals on the edges. This is long enough to be worn as a double wrap bracelet or a choker.

Here are the blogs of this hop:

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue
Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool Jewelry
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Ann Schroeder, Bead Love
Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

Pine Ridge Treasures' Pearls Blog Hop

It has been a very long time since I have posted here. I have been sharing my beadwork on Facebook. I also had not signed up for any beading challenges or blog hops.

But recently Lisa posted on Facebook that she was hosting a Pearl Blog Hop. I decided that maybe doing it would help motivate me to create and post projects here.

So I purchased the lilac pearl kit from Lisa back in May. Here is what I got from her in the mail.

Stop back on Saturday to see what I have created with these beads.

Here is a list of all the blog participating in this hop.

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue
Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool Jewelry
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Ann Schroeder, Bead Love
Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

Checkerboard Blog Hop

It is reveal day for the latest blog hop hosted by Lisa Lodge. This one is inspired by the colours of a checkerboard; red, white and black.

I signed up for this challenge back last fall. Thanks goodness that I had a list of upcoming challenges post by beading table or I might have forgotten to get this done.

I have being playing alot of checker games lately. The student that I tutor as part of the Toronto Public Library's Leading to Reading program loves to play it on my iPad. We always play a game or two to end our session each week. During the week I play against the computer just for fun. We always play black versus white. But I love that Lisa included red in our kits.

Cultured seaglass and fire-polished crystals

I tried to mimic the alternating pattern of a checkerboard in my designs.

For my necklace I created small links of black & red beads and white & red beads. These were alternated with the large, thin black and white seaglass beads. I attached the seaglass sea dollar pendant with a series of jumprings.

Finished neckace

For the bracelet I went back to the basic black and white pattern. This time I used the large, flat free form shaped seaglass.

Finished bracelet

Thanks for stopping by and take sometime to hop around to the other blogs to see what my fellow artisans have greated with thier kits.

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Mischelle Fanucchi, Micheladas Musings

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

Susan Anderson, La Main Tresor

Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Margaret Pelech, Margaret Pelech's Blog

Lisa Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs

Annette Rivers, Mama Owls Mess

Carol Briody, A Beads Life

Miranda Ackerley, MirandAck

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Karin Grosset Grange (France), Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Katrina Scuderi Taylor, I Wanna Go Out

Happy Beading!

Clay and Metal Blog Hop

 

It is time again for another of Lisa Lodge's blog hops. I signed up for this one at the end of the summer. The kits contained either clay or metal artisan made components by Sharyl McMillian-Nelson aka Metapolies.

My kit contained these brightly coloured clay birds.

This was challenge for me as this is not a colour palette or style that I normally work with.  I played with a few ideas but nothing was coming together is a way that I liked. 

So I fell back to the easiest and simplest idea for a pair of matching components, I made earrings. 

Sorry I did not create something more elaborate for this challenge. 

Take some time to hop around and see what the other beaders, listed below, created with their kit.

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Shaiha Williams,   Shaiha's Ramblings

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Karen Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Lisa Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs

Carol Briody, A Beads Life

Miranda Ackerley, MirandAck

Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

Susan Anderson, La Main Tresor

LeAnne Loftus, First Impression Design

Leithleach Seodra, Alainn Jewelry

Happy Beading!

Pearl Challenge

This pearl challenge is yet another event hosted by Lisa Lodge. This one is a little different in that you did not have to blog about your creations. This allowed beaders without a blog to participate. Everyone's creations are posted in an album on Lisa's Pine Ridge Treasures' Facebook page.

I have decided to blog about my creations beyond what I sent Lisa to be posted in the album.

These are the glass pearls that were in the kits I purchased by Lisa. Two different sized round deep red, small round white and rice pearls in both the white and the deep red.

I started working with the smaller red pearls. I wanted to do something I had not done before, flat spiral. I found instructions in Jean Power's book Small Beads Big Jewelry. Jean's design used two different sized pearls and seed beads. I decide to use the smaller red pearls, clear fire-polished crystals and matte black seed beads.

After finishing this bracelet I thought what would if I used pearls on the edge and crystals in the center. A look thru my stash lead to this combination. Swarovski Pacific Opal crystals, the small round white pearls from the kit and seaform green seed beads.

Here are the two bracelets together, in the image that I sent to Lisa to include in the album.

Back in August while I was working on the challenge I was contacted by a fellow beader, Mary. She was looking for help with the Celtic Trefoil by Diane Fitzgerald in her book Shaped Beadwork. I had blogged about making some last summer. I decided the best way to help Mary was to make a trefoil and photograph some of the more challenging parts of the design. I decided to use colours that would work with the pearls in the kit and some bronze beads in my stash.

Here are some of the photos that I sent to her to help out.

At the second corner ready to add two beads for the increase

Completed third row and have stepped up to start fourth

Completed Trefoil

I then completed the necklace with a elegant pattern of the three different size and styles of the deep red pearls and the flat round bronze beads.

Take a moment to go over to the album on the Pine Ridge Treasure Facebook page to see the other beaded creations.

Thanks again to Lisa for the challenge!

Happy Beading!

Blue Fantasy Reveal Day

Update - Giveaway winner is Heather Richter!

Once again another reveal day has arrived. It started back in June when I signed up for the challenge on Lisa's Pine Ridge Treasures Facebook Page.

Here is the wonderful selection of beads that I received from Lisa. It included sea glass, rondelles, gemstones and brass beads and findings.

I posted last month about using some of the lampwork beads that I had in my stash as focals for two of my creations.

For this first one I used the gemstones (not sure what they are), rondelles and large white pearls I had purchased during a recent destash event.

For this second one I used the wavy blue sea glass, brass beads and white barrel sea glass I also got during another of Lisa's destash events. I also used the toggle for the challenge kit.

The last item that I created from the kit used the three large holed freeform beads. I really wanted to do something different with these. I played with making a beaded bail but could not get it to work the way I would like. Next I played with connecting them with some brass chain that I had in my stash. Again I did not like the way it was working, the chain was too chunky.

I used the design idea from connecting with the chain but with a finer chain. Here is used a silver tone chain to create a Y-shaped necklace with all three of the beads.

I still have beads left which will be added to my stash, but that is all for now.

Please take some time to hop around to the other participants of this challenge.

 Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Karen Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera 
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life

Gloria Allen, Wings and Beads

Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry

Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog

Lisa Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs

Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Raissa de Guzman, Abloro

Jill Bradley, Jilly Beads

 
Thanks once again to Lisa Lodge for hosting this challenge.

I have decided to do a giveaway as part of my reveal. To enter just comment on this post by 12 pm EDT September 20, 2014. The winner will receive the Blue Fantasy necklace of their choice. Winner will be announced on September 21, 2014.

Happy Beading!

Blue Fantasy Preview

 

Back at the beginning of the summer of signed up for yet another of Lisa Lodge's wonderful blog hop challenges. This one called to me as it was based on one of my favourite colours - Blue!

We each received a wonderful selection of blue beads along with plated metal beads and findings. The challenge create something wonderful. Here is the amazing mix of beads that arrived in my mailbox earlier in the summer.

I decided to start by looking in my stash on art beads know that I likely had some beads that could be the focal for a necklace or two.

The first I found was the lampwork bead with a number of different shades of blue. I am pairing with two of the various shades of blue in the kit from Lisa. I added accents beads from my stash.

I also found this wonderful soft blue bead. It works well with some of the seaglass and the brass beads.

Come back on Saturday September 6 to see the final reveal of these two pieces and and unique necklace combining chain and the seaglass beads.

Happy Beading!

Turquoise Drops Netted Collar

Here is another project that got buried on my beading table.

It started back in Febuary with some lovely turquoise beads that I purchased during a destash event host by Lisa Lodge on Facebook.

I wanted to make a netted collar with the drops along the bottom. I played with the colour of the seed bead, the accent crystals and the placement of the drops.

Size 8 seed beads with 3mm fire polished crystals and no picots

Same beads as above with the addition of a picot between the drops

Size 11 seed beads with 3mm fire polished crystals and picots

Comparison image

In the end I decided to use the size 8 gunmetal seed beads, 4 mm heliotrope Swarovski crystals and the turquoise drops. I did not have enough of the aqua fire polished crystals that I have used in the samples and I did not want to purchase anything else for this project.

I got the necklace started but once again it got put aside as I worked on other projects and challenges.

This only took an afternoon to finish. I used bead tips and silver tone findings to finish the piece.

Close up of necklace

Overall image

On to other unfinished projects.

Happy Beading!

Summer Carnival Blog Hop Reveal Day

It has been almost 6 months since I signed up for yet another of Lisa Lodge's blog hop challenges. I was sent a kit with a mix of crystals, sea glass and metal beads. The challenge create jewelry with a Summer Carnival theme.

Amazing selection of beads from Lisa

I had a plan for my project and everything was in a basket on my beading desk. The basket got moved and buried during the spring and early summer. As I was hopping for the Gemstone and Metal hop I saw the top image on a number of the other blogs and was reminded that I had signed up as well. So I had two weeks to make and photograph my project.

First my inspiration. Here is Toronto our big summer carnival is the Canadian National Exhibition (aka the CNE or the EX). Among my favourite parts of the EX is the International Building, to see products and crafts from around the world, and the Arts & Crafts Building, to see wonderful handcrafted products. I decided to make something inspired by a handcrafted necklace from another part of the world.

My inspiration necklace was a gift brought back from Ukraine by my friend and beading mentor, Maria Rypan. It uses to simple beaded bands and strands of strung beads.  This is made with various sized seed beads.

Inspiration layed out flat

Inspiration as it would be worn

For my version of this design I knew that I would have to use larger seed beads for the band. I used size 8 blue seed beads and size 6 silver tone metal beads. I beadwove 2 - 10 bands using diagonal weave. They are connected with 6 strands of beads from the kit and a mix of blue, yellow and silver tone beads.

Finished piece layed out flat

Finished piece as it would be worn

I like how my piece turned out. I did not use all the beads in my kit and will likely make some simple strung bracelets to go with the necklace.

Take some time to see was some of my fellow participates have created with their beads.

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall 

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Catherine Yvonne King, Catherine's Musings

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Dee Alcalde, Agape Creations Jewelry

 Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry

Carole Carlson, Bead Sophisticate

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Dolores Raml, CraftyD's Creations 

Marianne Hurley, Reads and Beads

Marci Allen Koziolek, Krafty Max Originals

Happy Beading!

Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop Reveal

It is finally here! Reveal day for the Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop.

Back in the spring I signed up for another of Lisa Lodge's challenging blog hops. This one combined gemstone and metal beads. I got a kit that include jasper beads, in various sizes and shapes, and silver tone beads and findings. 

Everything in the kit

Silver-tone beads and findings

Jasper beads

Early in June I posted about using beadweaving for one of the projects. Here is the completed necklace.

Netted Jasper Collar

I used some beautiful green seed beads that worked with the green in the jasper. I also used some silver seed beads for mesh point (they don't show in the photo). The basic technique for this netted collar are from Maria Rypan's Netting Primer.

Another view

Later in June I posted about another technique I was trying for this challenge.  Here is the completed bracelet.

Floral Jasper Charm Bracelet

Using my One-Step Looper I created all the dangles for the Floral Jasper Charm bracelet.

Continuing with my One-Step Looper I created some more dangles to hang on the chandelier earring findings. I have made them into pendants  by attaching them to the bails.

Floral Jasper Pendants

Of course I also made a simple bracelet by stringing an assortment of the beads on beading wire and using the pretty floral toggle.

Jasper Bracelet

Once again I loved doing this challenge that Lisa created for us.

Take some time to check out the other work by my fellow beaders.

Our hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A GratefulArtist 
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 

Leithleach Alainn Seodra, Alainn Jewelry 

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

Happy Beading!