Inspired by Winter Challenge

As if Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime did not have enough on her plate with the 52 Week Focus on Life Challenge, she came up with yet another one... "Inspired by Winter".  Sally instructed us to create a piece of jewelry that reflects the beautiful shimmer of newly fallen snow ; the muted colors of nature as it awaits Spring; the yummy browns of hot cocoa, the deep greens of the evergreens, or the bright red berries from the holly bushes.

I love Winter - it is my favorite of all the seasons.  I was born in Chicago and vividly remember The Chicago Blizzard of 1967 that literally shut down the City.  Over 23 inches of snow fell in less than 24 hours on January 26th.  To this day, it is the worst blizzard in Chicago history.  COOL! My Mother remembers it too, though her memories of this week were not as fond as her 6 year-old child who did not have to go to school!
 

Just say the word Winter to me, and this is what my mind sees:

So far this season, Mother Nature has basically forgotten about me, as there has been but a smitten of snow in Northern Virginia...sigh.  Oh well, still inspired, this is what I created:

GORGEOUS beads by Sue Kennedy (SueBeads)  aptly named "Winter White Sparkle Beads" adorn this bracelet wired in Silver. 

I added some tiny Czech glass bead dangles

Had to make earrings to match!

Look at this absolutely stunning lampwork bead by GlassBeadArt!!!  It just shimmers and shines and screams Winter!

I had fun playing with these pictures in PicMonkey - I added my own frost, since Nature could not provide it for me!

Thank you, Sally, for hosting this Challenge!  I at least got to visit Winter in my mind!  Now, go visit all of the participants who have been Inspired by Winter!

Sally Russick

Patti Vanderbloemen <--That's me!

Shelly Buettner

Therese Frank

Donna Bradley

Jo Tinley

Karin Slaton
Rochelle Brisson

Renetha Stanziano

Tanya Goodwin

Jenny Davies Reazor

Cynthia Machata

Lola Surwillo

Veralynne Malone

Mary Lamoray

Lynsey Brooks

Mary K McGraw

Ailsa Cordner

Staci Smith

Rana Wilson

Karin King

Beth Emery

Pam Farren

Jess Green

Susan F.

I am so sad...

This morning, I got to my computer at my normal 5:30 am and realized that today was the very last day of Kerry Bogert's Aspire to Wire e-class!  30 new projects in 30 days!  Kerry is truly a wizard with wire!  This class was so full of wonderful, creative techniques and I have thoroughly enjoyed every single project!

 

I have incorporated some of these techniques into some pieces I have made in the past week.  This post is pretty picture-heavy, for sure!

 

These earrings are a spin-off design from Kerry's class.  Beautiful boro lampwork beads that I have had FOREVER.  They were the last two in a set of 10 beads that I have slowly incorporated into other designs.  I am afraid I cannot remember the maker of these lovelies...

Just a simple necklace and matching earrings - but these artisan beads are from two separate bead artists and I thought the beads complemented each other well.

I am so in love with this green lampwork bead by GlassBeadArt - I attached tiny Czech glass dangles - doesn't this color remind you of peridot??

 

I also used a sweet handmade clasp by Joanne Tinley

Is this not a fun color?!!!  Beads by GlassBeadArt

These are tiny lampwork beads by Mallory Hoffman- I am happiest when I get to bang my hammer and make these, my favorite earring style to create.

This necklace was made using a link style technique highlighted by Kerry Bogert, and beautiful ceramic beads by Natalie McKenna.  The next 3 pics are of the same necklace.

I was inspired by Kerry to coil...coil...coil!

 

At my last craft show, if I was asked once, I was asked 100 times..."do you have earrings to match??"  Why yes...I do now!

More beautiful ceramics by Natalie McKenna-this time a bracelet.

 

I won a gorgeous "bag of beads" by leaving a comment on Alice Peterson's blog a couple of months ago.  Her bag of beads included this beautiful Silver Mist Jasper..yum!  Alice is having health issues right now and has taken a temporary sabbatical.  I include her in my daily prayers - she is a sweet lady-and I wish for her a speedy recovery!

Twisted chain again..this time in silver.

Gorgeous beads from Unicorne - this shape is so beautiful and there is  just a touch of dichroic glass in these beads.

 

 

I made this necklace nice and long...there is that link again!  Can you tell how much I enjoyed making handmade chain!

This last picture is my FAVORITE!  Kerry gave some fabulous tips on riveting with WIRE - this is the result!  I was so pleased!  I have only ever used actual rivets before!  I made a few of these in silver too....love it!

 

Have you tried any new techniques lately? 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I love to read each and every comment!

Focus on Life - 5/52

This week's Focus on Life prompt from Sally Russick is Capture Our Hearts.  Sally's email included the following:

"Have you ever taken a moment to notice all the hearts that come into your life everyday? From candy hearts, patterns on clothes, a paper heart you make yourself or heart shaped spirals made from the ornate rod iron fencing that you may or may not have ever noticed on your walk around the neighborhood, hearts are hiding everywhere." 

I was excited to receive this prompt - I actually carried my camera with me when I was out running errands ( I never do that)!  I looked everywhere - including my wrought iron fence, as I was positive the scrolls on my gate would form a heart SOMEWHERE!  Nope!  I refused to take a picture of a bag of candy at CVS, or the numerous hearts in the Hallmark Card aisle.  This made me a little sad!

 

So, the only place I found hearts were in my jewelry...again (I have got to expand my horizons and come up with another venue to express myself other than jewelry)!

 

Before I show you the pictures - which I did have fun editing in PicMonkey - I want to thank all of the artist for their inspiring posts, especially last week's (Create Art).  I was in awe - truly!  Oh - and Sally - I am so happy to report that I was contacted by someone to design a necklace - I actually did a sketch of the design and sent it to her - I was so proud of myself!  I would never have sent her that sketch if I had not gone through these past few weeks of blog posts - you are helping me to attain FEARLESS!  Thank you!

 

Okay..here are my hearts...

 

Sweet little lampwork hearts by Unicorne

I bought the Unicorne Heart Beads months after I bought the marble rounds and was pleased that they matched so well!

A single Unicorne Heart bead surrounded by gorgeous boro beads by JavaBead.

Thank you for stopping by today - and please be sure to visit Sally's blog here to follow along with all of the other participants who have Captured Their Heart this week!  Enjoy your weekend!

Focus on Life - 4/52

This week's prompt from Sally Russick's "Focus on Life Challenge" is to Create Art.  While I do consider my self somewhat creative, the mediums in which I dabble are limited.  I do not draw - I do sketch jewelry designs occasionally, but they tend to fall in to the category of doodles.  I do not own paints - though many years ago, I painted bisque ceramics (this art form came from my mother).  I do not own a journal - correction - I own several journals filled with completely blank pages.  I have not picked up a crochet hook in MONTHS ... and I miss it.  But at this point in my life, my jewelry is my way expressing my art.

 

I did not want to bore you with tons of pics, so here is a collage of just a portion of what I have created this week.  

In addition to my newest love - Jasper - there are lots of artbeads above, including lampwork from Kerry Bogert, Outwest, Unicorne, JavaBead, and SueBeads.  Have I mentioned I love lampwork beads???

I am still very much involved in Kerry Bogert's Aspire to Wire e-class - a new wire project every day for 30 days.  I open my emails at 5:30 am and BAM - a new project that I cannot wait to try!

Head on over to The Studio Sublime to follow the links of this week's Challenge participants.

Thanks so much for stopping by - I love to read your comments!

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!