New stuff

Do you ever have a hard timing naming things...like, your jewelry, or your blog title?  Sigh...I do.

Anyway, just trudging along here.  I had a sale in my shop last week and one extremely lovely lady purchased 17 items in one fell swoop- talk about shock!  Anyway, Miracle Horse Rescue received a nice big donation last week - thank you to everyone who purchased from me - my best sale ever!

So, I have to fill the shop up!  This is what I have made, the past couple of weeks.

I have been twisting some heavy gauge copper wire lately, just love this look!

This pair features hand cut and textured bead caps, made from scraps, and lovely artisan lampwork.  The artisan beads were gifted to me from Sue Kennedy, though she is not positive of the maker.  Thank you, Sue!

The earrings above are the LONGEST earrings I have ever made, LOL! I soldered some sterling balls to the bottom - which I melted from scrap silver and then textured with my hammer.  Though long, these are incredibly lightweight - so slender, that the length is actually more dramatic than a heavier earring, if that makes any sense!

The pretty Bali Beads I added make for a great mixed-metal look.

These gorgeous turquoise baubles (love that name) from Scorched Earth have been topped with some handmade charms.  I cut some ovals from copper sheet, hand stamped, and then added just the slightest curve - so much more dimension than if the charm was left flat.

More Scorched Earth!  The intensity of the blue is just amazing.  These Czech Glass nuggets matched perfectly, too.

Kristi Bowman makes beautiful components!  Those above are made from white copper clay - so reminiscent of antiqued silver or pewter!

The bracelet above features a gorgeous lampwork focal handmade and donated to me by Mallory Hoffman.  The colors are fantastic for this time of year, too!  I have been making quite a bit of this handmade, mixed metal chain lately.

I made another bracelet with copper tubing - the first one sold.  This time around, it is truly mixed metal, right down to the chain.  See...more of this chain!

The bracelet above features a beautiful focal made by Lea Avorch.  I won this bead from a Facebook Group that was having a giveaway.  My pictures do not do justice to this lovely bead - the silvered ivory base looks like rock, and the green swirls of glass look like gemstones. Flashy!  The two, peridot green lampwork beads on the sides were part of the gift of beads I received from Sue - thanks again, Sue!

Bangles will always be my favorite jewelry item to make - I don't know why...it might be all that banging of the metal!  These bangles feature two twists - so happy I figured out the mathematics for how to do this!

I usually solder the bangles closed, but this time, I tried rivets.  Love, love, love these!  That little rivet brings even more texture to the bangle, and I am always yearning for more texture!

A couple of blog posts ago, I posted pictures of my completed Riveted Circle Link necklace.  Well, I felt confidant yesterday, so I made a sterling silver bracelet.  This time, the bracelet links are much smaller than the necklace links.  I LOVED making the bracelet, but man, it is a lot of work  - and worth it! :)

I even felt brave enough to solder the little jump rings that are attached to the toggle - love how this one turned out!  It is intended for a friend, if I ever get around to putting it in the mail!.

This sterling silver riveted bracelet above is 100% inspired by Deborah of Cold Feet Studio.  OMG - her work is no less than A.M.A.Z.I.N.G, and she also donates all her proceeds from her jewelry sales to Charity.  Recently, she posted this tutorial on her blog, which I did not even see until two or three days after I started the riveted copper necklace.  So inspiring was this post, that I knew I had to attempt the bracelet!

Anyway, this is what I have been up to lately.  Tomorrow, summer returns for hopefully one last hurrah (interpretation: hot and humid), and then the temperatures will DROP.  Yeah!  Sarge and I love Fall weather the best...actually, give me snow and I am happy!  Friday I will be in the dental chair for hours - I broke a 5-tooth bridge two weeks ago, and the Quick Fix by dentist did not work.  Ugh.

Thanks for stopping by - have a wonderful rest of the week!

xo

Patti

Handcrafted Ornament Swap & Hop

Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime is hosting her 3rd Annual Holiday Ornament Blog Hop today!  We put our names in a hat and Sally chose our partners.  The only requirement was to use at least one art bead in our ornaments.  Who would not love to receive a handmade ornament?!

I was pleased as punch to have Susan Kennedy of Sue Beads chosen as my partner!  I have blogged many times about Sue's lampwork beads - and she is also an expert with enameled beads and now...beaded beads (those dreaded little seed beads that I CANNOT work with)!

First up, Sue's box came wrapped with this beautiful pendant she made with one of her lampwork beads and a highly faceted glass bead with AB finish.  (I tore the package open BEFORE taking a picture, because that is how I roll....)

This looks gorgeous on a silver chain - wearable holiday ornament for me!

The ornament Sue made for me is comprised of gorgeous faceted chandelier crystals and one of her beautiful green lampwork beads!  I have made earrings in the past from those beads!  :)  Love them!

She used these awesome gold connectors for each section of the ornament -  I have never seen these before!

The ornament looks fabulous in situ...don't you agree?

Sue also gifted me a pair of her beaded beads - which I just LOVE!  

Love the baby blue with purple seeds...so much so, that I already whipped up a pair of earrings with some faceted Amethyst:

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Sue!  I am beyond grateful for your generosity!  The ornament looks fabulous on my tree, and I will cherish it for years to come! To see what I made for Sue, go to her blog here.

A HUGE thank you to our wonderfully creative hostess, Sally, for hosting this wonderful Blog Hop!   

Now, hop on over to the other blog participants to see the beauties they received!

Sally Russick and Beth and Evie McCord

Erin Prais-Hintz and Melissa Trudinger

Karen Williams and Shirley Moore

Lori Finney and Alicia Marinache

D Lynne Bowland and Paula Kramer

Kim Bender Hora and Jenny Davies Reazor

Becky Pancake and Lori Anderson

Veralynne Malone and Therese Frank

Tanya Goodwin and Sandi Volpe

Jeanette Ryan and Rochelle Brisson

That's me! --->Patti Vanderbloemen and Susan Kennedy

I am vending today at my last show of the year (praying for good weather - snow/ice is in the forecast!) - I will be hopping after the show on Saturday evening.

Thank you so much for stopping by, and enjoy your weekend!!

xo

Patti

I could become addicted to this....

Post Earrings!  These are my favorite earrings to wear - I tend to push my hair back behind my ear, and almost always knock my french ear wire earring straight to the floor.  Does anyone else have this problem?  Please tell me I am not alone! Although, my dear sweet mother has lost several earrings this way, though she does not have long hair, so I am not sure how that happened! :) 

One of the classes that I had at ArtBliss was with Stacie Florer.  She was kind enough to share many tips on how to solder on that tiny, tiny post to an earring back.  And I am going to town with it!

I hand cut the discs from silver sheet and hammered them for texture:

I put no texture on these discs - just brushed them to a mirror-like finish.  Of course, now I have yet another photography hurdle to master - how NOT to capture a picture of my camera, my hands, the light bulbs...etc. in the silver.  Ugh...

This pair looks awesome when worn - I cut a rectangle from sheet, then cut it into triangles.

I was so excited to finally use a tool I have had in my arsenal for AGES - a Swage block!  This tool helped me achieve a cool curve on the metal.  I added some garnets to the bottom for just a little bit of swing.

Photo Source: RioGrande.com

Two discs together, hand stamped with "XO" - As I look at this picture now, I see a snowman....hmmm...

One of the highlights of artBLISS was shopping for art beads!  We were treated to the ultimate shopping experience - pizza and beads!  I blew my budget on lampwork by Sue Kennedy (SO HAPPY TO FINALLY MEET MY FAVORITE LAMPWORK BEAD ARTISTS!!), Jenny Davies-Reazor, Karen Totten of Starry Road Studio, and Diana Ptaszynski of Suburban Girl Studios!  I bought several sets of tiny ceramic cabochons from Diana - this is the first pair, bezel set in silver:

Love My Art Jewelry has been focusing on hoops this month - I am always a day late and a dollar short in joining blog hops.  But, I follow this blog religiously and made this cute little pair of hoop earrings.  Pretty, tiny (5mm) Sunstone cubes have been wired to the bottom:

This last pair of earrings is MY FAVORITE!  I mixed up the metals, and added these sterling silver charms that I have had 4EVER!  So lightweight!

I bought several ceramic and porcelain focals from Jenny Davies-Reazor.  So far, I have used two of these Halloween-themed focals.  The first necklace used links from Cindy Wimmer's awesome new book, The Missing Link.  It has sold (the equines at Miracle Horse Rescue say THANK YOU for the sale!)

This wrapping on this last necklace took me a LONG time...I am not quite sure why...but I love how it turned out! Mixed metals of copper and silver:

The sale in my shop continues through October 31, 2013.  All proceeds will be donated to Miracle Horse Rescue!  Thanks for our support!

Thanks for stopping by today!  Enjoy your week - I know I will, as the high heat has left Northern Virginia - yahoo!!!

xo
Patti

I think it is time for a giveaway!

Last week, I posted that I would be having a fundraiser, of sorts, to both raise funds and garner attention for Miracle Horse Rescue (MHR). (You can read that post here) To date, I have sold over 25 pieces of jewelry! Many of my "online friends" have been kind enough to share my many posts to Facebook - THANK YOU! And, many of the jewelry purchases have been from fellow jewelry designers - I am so humbled and grateful for your purchases!!  THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!  Funds have already been sent to MHR....but I want to send more!

I also mentioned that there would be Giveaway's...so here is the first one!  

Information about Miracle Horse Rescue

MHR is a federally-recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization which is dedicated to the preservation and welfare of abused, neglected, and unwanted domesticated horses of all types and conditions.  Some of the stories they have shared are simply heartbreaking.  As MHR is a very small organization - run by only 2 people who have literally dedicated their entire lives to helping these horses- I want to help as much as I can. For more information, please view their FaceBook page. 

My Fundraising Activities

So, from September 13, 2013 through October 31, 2013, I will be donating 100% of the proceeds from the sale of my Etsy shop to MHR.  To further entice you to start your Holiday shopping or buy something for yourself, I am offering huge discounts!  My sale prices will be already be reflected for each item.  Here is the low down I am offering:

9/13/2013 - 9/20/2013    - SAVE 30%

9/21/2013 - 9/27/2013    - SAVE 25%

9/28/2013 - 10/11/2013  - SAVE 20%

10/12/2013 - 10/18/2013 - SAVE 15%

10/19/2013 - 10/31/2013 - SAVE 10%

Again - 100% of all proceeds will be donated to this wonderful organization!  Please help me to help these gorgeous furbabies!  

The Goods

Mary Jane Dodd posted an awesome tutorial on the Love My Art Jewelry Blog for making hoops without solder.  I tried it...and I LOVE IT!  These are the earrings I will be giving away:

click on the picture for a larger view!

These earrings are made from sterling silver wire, Argentium sterling silver ear wires, and a lovely pair of lampwork beads from one of my favorite lampwork artists - Sue Kennedy of Sue Beads.The earrings measure 1 7/8" from the top of the ear wire to the bottom of the earring.

How to Enter

1.  Leave a comment on this blog post -  equals 1 entry

2.  Post a link to this blogpost on Facebook - equals 1 entry

3. Go to my shop on Etsy Shop (link here and PIN an item to your Pinterest Board - equals 1 entry

For each task above, you must leave a separate  comment on my blog to let me know!  I will choose a winner via Random Organizer sometime on Sunday.  Lastly, make sure your contact email is "turned on" or leave me your email address so that I can contact the winner!

My whole reason for this giveaway and my measly attempt at fundraising is to spread the word about this wonderful organization!

More giveaway's to follow! (I'm thinking bracelet for the next one....)

Thank you so much for stopping by today - Enjoy the Weekend!

Patti

Progress via a Gift

Since my jewelry class debacle (I posted about it here), I have decided to brush off the negativity and put the soldering tips I learned to use.

I have had a friend via "the Internet" for many, many years now.  She is a very special person who has been going through some tough times lately.  She had a stroke last August, actually - two strokes - and she has been progressing wonderfully.  During this terrible time, her father was diagnosed with Cancer.  Having gone through this dreadful disease with my late father 8 years ago, I know all too well what she is going through.

She is one Tough Broad - in a good way (I would love to be called a Tough Broad!)  She is dealing with these emotional and physical hardships in the most beautiful way, and I am awestruck by her strength and beauty.

I wanted to give her something, specifically, I wanted to make her something that would reflect how I feel.  So, I did my best and put what little skills I have to use and I made her this pendant.

It features a cabochon by, quite frankly - yes I am going to say it - my FAVORITE lampwork artist - Sue Kennedy.  I usually say "one of my favorites" - but her work truly speaks to me and if you saw the amount of my purchases of lampwork beads from etsy, the majority are from Sue!  So there...I said it!  Anyway, I stamped the words STRENGTH on the back of the pendant (can you believe I forgot to take pictures of the back! ha!)  I was lucky to find in my stash other GORGEOUS lampwork beads by the ultra talented Donna Millard - a match made in heaven!

Naturally, I completed this necklace with swirled links (again - credit for this design goes to Kerry Bogert!).  This necklace had to be 100% handmade!  I oxidized, buffed, tumbled, buffed again....

My friend has a friend who was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  I am so tired of reading about one more person stricken with this horrible, horrible disease.  My immediate thoughts ran to Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp - a way-too-young mother who was also recently stricken with the Big C.  For those of you who may not know Marie (how can you not know her work??!!), she is an extremely talented jewelry AND component designer who has bravely shared her journey via the WWW.  Marie has exhibited an awesome amount of COURAGE during her ordeal....so I made a "kind of" matching pendant for my friend's friend:

Again - a most lovely cabochon by Sue and I believe these are my favorite color combinations!  And, how befitting to augment this cabochon with yet more gorgeous lovelies in purple by Donna.

I stamped the word COURAGE on the back of this pendant (again...no pictures of the back!  Shame on me!)

I made matching earrings - swirled links for the both of them.

My heart goes to anyone who is struggling with health issues...especially Cancer.  As only an "onlooker", as in I am not there physically, I feel helpless.  But, I say my prayers and hope the Good Lord takes the utmost care for not only those who are going through the actual physical suffering, but also the caretakers - their suffering is just as real.

Thanks for stopping by today...

AJE Earring Challenge...and Giveaway Winner!

Today is the first reveal in the Art Jewelry Elements (AJE) Challenge!  We have been challenged to make one pair of earrings per week, and to post these earrings every other Sunday.  The only requirement is to use a handmade art bead....my only problem with this is choosing which art bead to use!

First up is this pair of earrings, featuring handmade lampwork beads by Sue Kennedy of Sue Beads.  If you have read my blog, you already know that I am a HUGE lover of her beads! Not only is she a lampwork artist extraordinaire, but her enameled components are STUNNING.  But the beads I have chosen to illustrate here are so appropriate for this time of year - at least in my neck of the world (Virginia) - because they represent an escape:

Will you look at the detail in these beads!!  Sue calls them Beach Beads - and I am there in my mind right now!  I am not sure which aspect of these beads is my favorite - the sand, the beach ball represented by her murrini or the crystal blue of the water OR sky!  The bit of silver she swirled across the top could represent the stars at night - who does not love the beach at night, where the stars always look brighter than in City lights?!  I kept this design as simple as possible to highlight these gorgeous beads!

 

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I had to whip up a pair of earrings just for the occasion!  And, Unicorne Beads rose to this challenge!

  

Lovely swirls of blues and greens in these boro beads - and they are not large and heavy, as would be expected!  These beads are so lovely to look at - and wear! I have listed these beauties in my Etsy shop.

It was a busy morning for me today - I had to choose the winner of my 100th blog post Giveaway!  This bracelet - made with gorgeous purple boro beads (also from Unicorne) goes to....

Shirley Moore!!  I will be contacting you via email, Shirley, to get your mailing address!  Congratulations!

 

 

Thank you to EVERYONE who left comments for this giveaway - I was only anticipating a few and was astounded at the response!  This was so much fun that I will be having another giveaway soon!

 

Now...hop on over to the AJE Blog for links to all of the other participants in the AJE Earring Challenge!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by - and your comments are always so much appreciated!  Happy Sunday!

 



More Donated Bracelets for the Rare Project Organization!

I am sharing more pictures of the completed bracelets I made for the Global Genes / Rare Project Organization's Gala to be held at the end of this month.  All of the lampwork beads used in the bracelets below were handmade by Sue Kennedy of Sue Beads.  This batch of pictures also includes pearls and lots of man-made sea glass beads.

Click on pictuures for a larger view

Man-made sea glass and two sterling silver beads.

This was the first bracelet I made - sterling silver chain and LOTS of wrapped pearls.

I punched holes in this "Hope" ring and attached Sue's beads, along with some coordinating tiny Czech glass beads.  I really love the shape of these beads that Sue made, and the colors are so bright and pretty!

Sue's beautiful pastel beads went well with some sea glass, two pewter heart-shaped beads, and a sterling silver "heart" charm.  I added a handmade, sterling clasp.

Man made sea glass beads, a Bali silver bead, and a sweet sterling PMC charm by the lovely Lesley Watt of THEAtoo

Sue used a beautiful deep green in these lampwork beads - I wrapped them in sterling silver and added a handmade sterling silver clasp by Joanne Tinley of Daisy Chain Extra.

Along with lampwork beads, I added some wrapped clusters of Czech glass flower buds, and a handmade sterling clasp and "Believe" charm

Turquoise glass beads and fringe chain

Man-made sea glass beads, and a handmade bronze sea-shell charm by Lesley Watt

Sue etched these lampwork beads - I love this effect - which coordinated well with some man-made sea glass beads, and a handmade sterling clasp

Two sets of Sue's lampwork, with some sterling spacers, chain, and a handmade clasp

Sue's pale lampwork beads, flecked with silver, looked so pretty with some turquoise chunks.  I added a Green Girl Studio pewter "Guardian Angel" charm.

More of Sue's etched lampwork beads in varying hues of soft blues, wrapped in sterling with a handmade clasp.

Sue's lampwork beads, a sterling Bali bead, and light blue glass beads, with a handmade sterling clasp

Beautiful deep green lampwork beads by Sue - these beads have flecks of purple and are so pretty in person!

Well, that it my picture show for today!  As always, my thanks to Sue Kennedy, and the other artisans noted above, for making my bracelet-making project so much fun!

 

If you would like to find out more about the Global Genes / Rare Project Organization, please visit the link below.

 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by - I love reading comments!