Sunday, October 2, 2016

Art Jewelry Elements Reveal

The folks at AJE blog again opened up the challenge for anyone to play along. This month it was a Tree Theme! I had these Humblebeads that I'd been wanting to use, they are an acorn, and some little birdies and some branch beads. Unfortunately, I did not get done in time to post with the reveal, but please take a look at what everyone else did! What a fun challenge! It took me a while to get started because this month I was a little busy with work and crate training our new puppy, so I am glad I got one done. It all came together along with the Sarajo's Honey Do challenge... I used the same piece for both! I know, it's not exactly *illegal*, but it is not something I normally do. I love the challenges each month, they are my muse!! Next month I will be better, I promise!

Why, yes, you CAN see some pictures of my new puppy! His name is Goose.

Hahahahaha! Goose is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and he doesn't sit still.

But I managed a good picture ...

I KNOW, ISNT HE ADORABLE?!?!?

Any way, on to my piece...

Thanks for looking, be sure to check out every one else's piece on Art Jewelry Elements blog.

 

Sarajo's Honey Do reveal

Well, I did it. I finally finished a September challenge. Here's Sarajo's Challenge for this month...

Here's my interpretation. (I actually will use this for two challenges!)

And again, I did not follow the 'guidelines' and I purchased new beads just for this challenge... the orange and gold rounds are perfect to represent the spray paint. I wanted an autumn feel and I found the decoupage tile in my stash. The blue doesn't match the photo, but it did match some Humblebeads that I had just purchased! So... this will also be my reveal for the AJE Tree Challenge.

Thanks for looking! Hop to see all the other projects on Sarajo's blog!

Also, take a look at my post for Art Jewelry Elements, I didn't make it in time to post with the others, but I had fun writing it anyway!

 

Thursday, September 8, 2016

September To-do list

Pretty Palettes:
 Team Colors - Wednesday September 28th


Art Bead Scene:
"Old Woman from the Poorhouse in the Garden with Glass Ball and Poppies"
By Paula Modersohn-Becker, 1907 - Friday September 30th

Art Jewelry Elements:
Trees - Thursday September 29th
 


Sarajo's Honey-Do Challenge: Monday September 26th

Inspired by Reading:
This Census-Taker - Wednesday September 28th

Allegory Gallery Design Challenges:
Mystery Challenge 3 - Thursday September 15th







Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Where do you want to be?

So Today... My printer at work decides (for no apparent reason) to not communicate with my computer. Takes me hours to fix, and I was not even sure it was fixed when I left.

On my way home, my car decides to do this christmas-light-up-error-dashboard....

 
 

 

And now, I am currently fighting with blogger.com, the blogger tablet app, and the blogsy app to make them all play nice together. (They absolutely will NOT.)

After lots of swearing, and before swearing off technology forever, I think to check the Farmers Almanac for Mercury in Retrograde dates, ya know, just for shits and giggles...

YUP. I'll be darned. Sure enough...

TODAY is the start of another cycle of the seeming backwards motion of Mercury.

For those that don't know (believe, understand, realize, etc) this starts a month or so of complete and utter frustration with all types of communication (which in 2016 is mostly technological in nature).


In addition to communication, "the planet Mercury rules travel, contracts, automobiles, and such. So,when Mercury is retrograde, remain flexible, allow time for extra travel, and avoid signing contracts. Review projects and plans at these times, but wait until Mercury is direct again to make any final decisions."

 

You have been warned.


SO, it is very possible that you are here and don't want to be...
Click where you want to be, and hopefully the link works!
Do you want to be at ART JEWELRY ELEMENTS CoM REVEAL?
Do you want to be at ART BEAD SCENE REVEAL?
Do you want to be at SARAJO's HONEY DO LIST REVEAL?
How about PRETTY PALETTES AUGUST REVEAL?
No? How about INSPIRED BY READING AUGUST? Not written yet, check back.

Hopefully this helps you find your way (around my blog and in the universe)!
xoxo

 

Friday, August 26, 2016

Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month Reveal

This month was meant for everyone to play along.... It's the Artisan Headpin Challenge. Each month the ladies at Art Jewelry Elements host a challenge with artisan components. This month we were all invited to use anyone's headpins in a project.

 

I like a challenge, so I tried to use the headpins that I already had in fun and unusual ways.


Here is a necklace I made to show and teach single strand braiding.
I used a headpin from Marsha Neal Studios.

 
This next piece is a re-do of an older necklace and I added some art beads from Ren Farnsworth of Designs in Glass, including the headpin that I used for the focal.

I made earrings, too! Unfortunately, since I don't make many earrings, I made these too heavy. So, I'll be re-doing them soon. These headpins and art beads are from Michelle McCarthy of Firefly Design Studio.
She had them in little kits all ready to go!
Thanks for looking! Check out the AJE Blog for the full information about this bloghop.
 
Here's the list of participants:

Guests:

Alison Herrington

Renetha Stanziano

Karin Grosset Grange

Gloria Allen

Deb Fortin

Cate van Alphen

Mona Arnott

Shai Williams

Sarajo Wentling

Kathy Lindemer

Solange Collin

Brooke Bock

Melissa Meman

Patricia Handschuh

Tammy Adams

Melissa Trudinger

 

AJE Team Members:

 

Caroline Dewison

Lesley Watt

Cathy Mendola

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Susan Kennedy

Laney Mead

Diana Ptaszynski

Lindsay Starr

Niky Sayers

Jen Cameron: Blog: Glass Addictions by Jennifer Cameron

 

 

Pretty Palettes August Reveal

Welcome to my reveal for the Pretty Palettes from Halcraft Beads. Every month I try to make something with Halcraft beads, either from Bead Gallery or the line that Joanne's carries. 
This month the inspiration was berry colors! Thanks to Erin Prais-Hintz for picking such fun inspiration palettes. 
And for some "The More You Know"... blueberries are the only naturally occurring blue food. 
If you would like a long drawn out argument, go ahead and Google it... but FOR THE MOST part,
Blueberries are the only naturally occurring blue food.
(Blue Corn, Purple Potatoes, and Red Cabbage are all MORE purple than blue)



Here are the beads Erin P-H chose for herself and her partner this month...

Here are the beads I choose... I took them off the tags and I always forget to take a picture...

Here's my wrap bracelet I made with them. I got all the same size rounds and used leather and silk with a Saki Silver button.


FUN FUN FUN! 
Thanks for playing along... Check out what everyone else made by CLICKING HERE and going the post! Thanks again to the Halcraft Team for hosting this.


Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Ode to Candie and Ode to Laurel

Candie Cooper might be the cutest thing ever. She's my girl-crush and Laurel and I are definitely ceritifiable stalkers.

So, when she had a kit for sale, I needed to own it. AND I loved it... All my favorites, silk cord, sliced druzy, tassel, and Swarovski bicones! Check it out!

She even included the feather and photograph! Isn't she the best! So here's my Ode to Candie... Who, by the way, we ALMOST kidnapped from Beadfest and brought her home...

 

My Ode to Laurel starts out with a tale of two radishes. Background: Laurel and I may be (also) slightly obsessed with Jade Scott pendants. Well we are. So there. We may have been going slightly crazy on some de-stashes and Laurel was grabbing them up so fast, she forgot what she already had. Hence, two radish charms. I kept teasing her about what was she gonna do with ONE radish, let alone TWO.!? So, she gifted me a radish. Charm, not a real radish, because you see I don't eat radishes or many (any) other vegetables. So now what am I going to do with a radish charm! Well I made it a mission at Beadfest to find some thing to do with the radish...

Here is my Ode to Laurel

I found a carrot by Joan Miller, a gourd by a new to me artist Louise Mchaffey, a clasp by C-Koop. The mushroom and Golems are from a destash. The donut glass beads are from last Beadfest and the rest, well there's this little place called Allegory Gallery. (As an aside: I don't eat any of the vegetables featured on this necklace. Yuck.)

 

Monday, August 22, 2016

Sarajo's Honey Do August

Thanks to Sarajo for letting us play along with her Honey Do Challenge! Her hubby Eric gives her a staring point to use up some of her bead stash and this month it was a photo he took while visiting us at Allegory Gallery for Creative Camp 2016. They went on a hike to see a natural bog and the carnivorous plants were in bloom. These are a species of pitcher plant.

This was a difficult color challenge for me. I wasn't thrilled with the mix that Andrew put together, the red wasn't right, it was too orange.
I am not thrilled with the red I chose either, it's too pink.
I do like the bracelet nevertheless. I used a seed bead mix that I've used before along with the Czech glass daggers and rounds. For the focal there is a Humblebeads bird, an Outwest glass donut, two recycled glass bottle beads, vintage plastic round and vintage plastic donut.

It was hard to keep it from looking too Christmassy with all the red and green, but with the bird and dagger beads I think that helped.

Check out Sarajo's blog for more!

 

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Art Bead Scene August Challenge!

I know I say this every time, but this is my favorite challenge! I love to dig thru my art beads and / or scour etsy for the perfect beads to perfectly match! Thanks always to Art Bead Scene for hosting.
Here is this months art:  Park Near Lu - Paul Klee artist. It's a depiction of a park near Lucerne, Switzerland. I am especially fond of this piece because I have been to Lucerne Switzerland. So very possibly I may have been to this very park that Mr. Klee is painting. If you look squinty eyed and use your imagination you can see the pathways that meander through the park. Plus all the colorful flora and fauna that line the paths. I focused on the warm colors of the pinks/oranges/peaches/yellows for my necklace. Maybe I will make another focused on the cool colors?

I knew I would use my new Humblebeads for this, they are a fun disk shape and they have the perfect pink and peach colors with black. I also have been wanting to redo a piece with my Joan Miller mermaid pendant in the perfect shade of pink. Next I dug out some Barbara Bechtel faceted polymer clay rounds that I've had for a few years! OH, then I remembered I got a de-stash bag from Andrew Thornton which had a perfect lampwork glass bead by Joyce Rooks, I barely had to admire its beauty before I put it to work in this new creation!

My new favorite way of photographing jewelry is using Jes MaHarry's new coloring book as background. It's perfect for most of my creations! I hope I do her justice! Go and buy her book!

While the others haven't posted yet, visit the ABS site to check out the Pinterest site for all the new additions daily! Then check back on the 31st of August for the re-cap! 

Friday, July 29, 2016

Art Jewelry Elements:July CoM

Hello all!

Welcome the the July Component of the Month reveal! This month two lucky people won an ammonite pendant from Leslie Watt! When I saw she had more for sale, I just HAD to buy one and play along. I may be addicted to jewelry challenges, no that's wrong... I AM addicted to jewelry challenges. :-)

Click back to the original blog post to read about the challenge. Here's what she had to say about the pendants:

This pendant set is made fromstoneare clay which have been sandwiched together to create a beautiful layered effect. The clay has been fired twice to create the finished product. The clay is fired slowly for 12+ hours to temperatures in excess of 1000ºc to vitrify (harden) the clay. The beads are then painted with 3 layers of glaze and refired for another 9+ hours to complete the vitrification process and melt the glaze to the beautiful finished colours you see here...a slow and labour intensive process but well worth the effort.

The first thing I noticed about the 'in real life' pendant was the color of the glazes... Beautiful. There is a sandy, stoney quality to the base color and I wanted to pick up the pink color that is mottled throughout.

I knew I wanted a random assortment of beads and I stuck with natural materials (although there is one Raku bead and a Golem bead) to honor the real ammonite Leslie used to make the mold for these pendants.

I would love honest feedback! How is the flow of the necklace? Are the pinks too 'much'? Does it lie/lay okay when worn? Thanks for the comments! I look up to each and every one of you and your artistic eye!

If you're new to the Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month, check out the blog for NEXT MONTHS challenge... Everyone is invited to play along with this one as well!

Here's this month's list of artists that created with the ammonite pendant!

Guests

Sandi Volpe

Claire Fabian

Alison Herrington


AJE team

Lesley Watt

Caroline Dewison

Niky Sayers

Susan Kennedy

Jen Cameron

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Lindsay Starr

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