Superstition Blog Hop

Paisley Lizard's Tammy Adams is sponsoring her first blog hop and I couldn't wait to participate. 

Tammy was offering a black cat pendant at a special price to be used as the source of our inspiration.  This was a pendant that Tammy made herself.  I like the background of black, gray, and silver,

I had a hard time trying to decide which other beads to use. 

Black faceted beads and silver seed beads were a possibility

Another choice was gray pearls with black ebeads and the black faceted beads from the first choice.  I almost think those black beads are too large.  All I am seeing are the big beads and nothing else.

The last choice was the large black beads again with a matte silver seed bead.

The end result was something completely different from most of the suggestions.  I almost wonder why I take pictures of the wannabes.  I never end up taking a progress shot of what I actually end of making.

I actually ended up using two different sizes of gray pearls, black seed beads and some gray tube beads that I either got in a destash or one of Andrew Thornton's challenge kits, I can't remember which.

I found a cat and fish toggle clasp in silver to use.

I made earrings to go with the set.  I always try to make earrings whether I end up selling them with the necklace or not, I want to give the customer an option.

Please stop by the other participants of the blog hop and say hi:

Tammy Adams (Hostess)	http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog/
Renee Hong	http://www.fineanddandyjewelry.blogspot.com
Betony Maiden	http://beadwenches.blogspot.com/
Coral Law	http://abcoraldesign.blogspot.com/
Lee Koopman	http://stregajewellry.wordpress.com
Jeanette Belmont	http://www.onecanvasatatime.com
Shai Williams	http://www.ShaihasRamblings.com
Beth McCord	http://ebbeadandmetalworks.blogspot.com/
Robin Lynne Showstack	http://heartsdesiresjewelryforyou.blogspot.com/
Lori Blanchard	https://alainnjewelry.wordpress.com/
Deb Fortin	http://www.mhotistudio.blogspot.ca
Michelle McCarthy	http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com
Maria Rosa Sharrow	http://willowstreetshops.blogspot.com
Kim Dworak	http://cianciblue.blogspot.com/
Divya N	http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com
Karin Grosset Grange	http://ginkgoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr
Mowse Doyle	http://mowsemadethis.blogspot.com/
Rebecca White	http://morganafeycreations.121hub.com/#sec-blog
Shawneen Fagnani	http://blondespotpinkshoe.blogspot.com/
Catherine King	http://Catherines-musings.blogspot.com
Brook Bock	http://artisticendeavor101.blogspot.com/
Kari Asbury	http://hippiechickjewelrydesign.com/blog
Nan Smith	http://wirednan.blogspot.ca
Carolyn Lawson	http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com  You are here!
Linda Anderson	http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com
Ann Schroeder	http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com
Melissa Trudinger	https://beadrecipes.wordpress.com/
Kathy Lindemer	http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com/

Thank you for stopping by.  Be sure to come back next Thursday, November 19, to see what I have made for the reveal of Andrew Thornton's Gold Dust Special Challenge and Last Harvest Challenge.

Comments are always welcome.

Carolyn

Gentle Hues Challenge

Today is the reveal for Lisa Lodge's Pine Ridge Treasures Gentle Hues Challenge on Facebook.  I purchased a kit from Lisa and received a variety of pastel colored pearls and some pink and purple tiles.

 

I had some tough decisions to make - what to make.  I found a couple pendants that I had gotten from Lori Anderson and thought that they might work.  Then the decision was which beads to use with the pendants.

Will it be pink pearls with this pendant?  Not sure who made this pendant.

Will it be lavender pearls with this pendant by Gaea?  If so, the rounds or the egg-shaped ones?

Or will it be the tiles with this pendant by Gaea?

The pink pearls win out to be used with the pink pendant.  I used copper seed beads as spacers along with a copper toggle clasp.

Close up of the pendant.  If anyone recognizes it and can let me know who made it, I would love to give them credit for it.

Here is the copper toggle clasp I used.

The harder decision was what to use with Gaea's pendant, the pearls or the tiles.  I went with the egg-shaped pearls.

I used a S-shaped clasp at the front of the necklace as the clasp.  I need to find some more of the pearls as I got so engrossed in making the necklace I forgot to set aside a couple to be used for earrings.  I think I also want one for a dangle.

Here is a close-up of the pendant.

Thank you for stopping by.  I have another blog challenge next Friday, November 13 - Tammy Adams' Superstition Blog Hop.  To be followed by two of Andrew Thornton's challenges, Last Harvest and Gold Dust the following Thursday, November 19, 2015.

Comments are always welcome.

 

Carolyn

Summer Waters Blog Hop/Challenge

Sorry for the delay in posting. 

Today is the reveal date for Lisa Lodge's latest blog hop/Facebook challenge Summer Waters.  I purchased a kit from Lisa and created several different items.  But to start off, here is a picture of the kit that I received from Lisa:

Lovely white pearls, a silver clasp, multiple cultured sea glass pieces, light aqua barrel shaped beads, dark blue square spacers, a pair of dark blue wings, aqua star fish, aqua rondells, and spacers.

Here is the first piece that I made using the aqua cultured sea glass, 4mm white pearls, and large hole silver spacers that slide slightly over the pearls.

The next item that I made used the dark blue wings.  The wings have little indentation on the curved edges so they look like feathers.

Next up was a necklace using the dark blue square spacers, 6mm white pearls from my stash and some red matte seed beads from another kit of Lisa's.

Next were earrings to go with the red, white, and blue necklace.  In fact, I think I went a little overboard.  I made four pairs using all the left over blue spacers. 

Sorry about the pictures.  I am not able to access the pictures I took with my phone.  I was playing around with my camera and these are not the greatest.

 



Fortunately I took some individual pictures so here are some close-ups.

Last but not intended to be the least of what I tried to make.  I need some help here.  What is the best way to make these starfish into earrings?  Premade jump rings don't seem to work.  I am open to suggestions.

Thanks for stopping by.  Please be sure to visit the other participants listed below.

 

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations  You are here.
Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Susan Anderson, La Main Tresor
Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue
Saundra Farren, Something by Saundra
Gloria Allen, Wings and Beads
Shaiha Williams, Shaihas Ramblings
Rosee Chara Hanemaayer,  Silver Penny Artisans

Artisan Component Marketplace Blog Hop

Artisan Component Marketplace is a fairly new component marketplace where you can buy handmade components from approximately 25 vendors.  They recently called for people that would be interested in participating in a blog hop using some of the vendors' components.  I was one of the fortunate ones that was chosen to participate.

 

I received a copper component from Kristi Bowman Design:

 

 

 

A ceramic component from Marla's Mud:

 

 

 

A wood toggle clasp from Asbury Avenue Designs:

 

 

 

The first piece that I made went together fairly quickly.  I had some crystals leftover from another blog hop on my bead mat waiting for me to make something.  They went together perfectly with Asbury Avenue Designs toggle clasp.  I used the sari silk that came with the components to make a necklace.  I don't do mixed media very often but I think it turned out nicely. 

 

 

 

Below is a close-up of the toggle clasp and the crystals.

 

 

Below is a better look at the sari silk and how the colors go with the toggle clasp.

 

 

 

Marla's component went really well with some pearls I had laying on my beading table.  I took an eye pin and bent it around the component and wrapped it to make the bail.

 

 

 

The component had touches of pink and gold over a darker rose color.  I used dark rose pearls along with pink rice pearls and gold seed beads,

 

 

 

The final component I need to use is the pretty diamond-shaped copper bracelet bar from Kristi Bowman Designs.  I wasn't able to complete the bracelet that I plan to make.  Here is the idea that I have for it:

 

 

A three strand bracelet with turquoise heishi beads.  I plan to use the copper round beads you see on the top strand and some red seed beads for another strand and the final strand will probably have bright copper seed beads.  I thought to use a lobster claw clasp on one side of the bracelet bar.

 

This should be finished on Sunday and I will post the finished bracelet then.

 

Please be sure to visit the Artisan Component Marketplace blog to see what Kari has made and the links below to see what the other participants made.

 

Brandy Haag http://bhjewelry.wordpress.com/

Carolyn http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com/   You are here

Jenny Kyrlach http://anafiassa.blogspot.com/

Kelly Hosford Patterson http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com/

Lori Poppe http://lorillijeanscreativecorner.blogspot.com/

Rachel Mallis http://mintmonarch.com/blog

Robin Kae Reed http://artistryhcbd.indiemade.com/blog

Terri Arcas http://driftnbleu.blogspot.com/

Gloria Allen http://wingsandbeads.blogspot.com/

 

Thanks for stopping by.  I participated in another blog hop today, so be sure to visit it /pepitas-butterfly-birthday-blog-hop-and-giveaway 

 

Carolyn

 

Pine Ridge Treasures Clay and Metal Blog Hop reveal - Part 2

Today is the reveal for Lisa Lodge's Pine Ridge Treasures Clay and Metal Blog Hop reveal.

This will be a reveal sorta. It will have to be a reveal in two parts because I have before pictures (if I can get to them, camera is not being cooperative) but no after pictures. The finished pieces are over at my beading partners' house and I won't be able to get them until later today. I was just looking at my camera to see what pictures I have and only found the two before pictures I remembered to get before I completed the pieces that I made.

I just love the clay pieces that Sharyl McMillian-Nelson makes and sells in her three shops. Everytime she has a sale I manage to find a couple of more pieces to add to my collection.

I received three pieces clay pieces, one a large pendant and two smaller charms, made by Sharyl and some clear beads from Lisa's stash.

Part 2 - the actual pictures.  I was never able to get the before pictures off my camera.  Will have to do some tinkering I guess.
 

I used white pearls from my stash, the blue matte finish bows and hearts from my friend and beading partner, Evelyn, and clear beads that I got from Lisa to make a necklace.  I wanted to keep the piece light so I stayed away from any large sized beads.

I used the two small charms as earrings adding some pearls so that they coordinated but did not match the necklace perfectly.  Aren't the earrings with their snowflakes cute?  What do you think?

I am going to try for some better pictures and see what I can come up with.  I need to really show-off Sharyl's components.  So there might be a part 3 reveal in the next day or two.
 

Be sure to visit the other designers that worked with Sharyl's beautiful pieces and stop by our hostess' website for a giveaway. 
 

Your hostess:Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations you are here

Shaiha Williams,Shaiha's Ramblings

ToltecJewels, 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

Winter Sparkle Blog Hop reveal

Welcome to the Winter Sparkle Blog Hop put on by Lisa Lodge of A Greateful Artist blog.  Lisa always has the best bead kits for her blog hops.  In fact I have several more of her blog hops that I will be doing.

Lisa advertised this particular blog hop last year and I hurriedly signed up as she has a limited number of kits.  I don't know if Lisa did it on purpose because she says that she sends the kits out blindly but I received a kit in my favorite shades of gold/topaz.

 

Beads included in kit.

 Here is a picture of the beads that were included in the kit:  two sizes of pearls, topaz-colored rondells, bicones and rounds, clear ovals, gold daisy spacers, gold seed beads, and two swarovski crystal pieces.

I did pretty good at using most of the beads in the kit.

Swarovski crystal earrings

Pearl and rounds earrings

Here are two other pair of earrings that I made using some of the pearls, topaz round beads, and lt. topaz rondells.









Memory wire bracelet

 I used the majority of the beads making this five strand memory wire bracelet. I used the smaller size pearls, the topaz bicones, rondells, and rounds along with the seed beads.  I also made about five different styles of dangles using the smaller beads.




The last of the beads were used to make this necklace.

Necklace

Thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to visit the other bloggers to see what they have made.


Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life 

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations   You are here

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Ev Shelby, Raindrop Creations 

Dolores Raml, CraftyD's Creations

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Cassi Renee Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill

Annette Rivers, Mama Owl's Mess

Tammie Tusher Everly, TTE Designs

Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Norbel Marolla, She Flies Again Jewelry

Karen Burg, KEB Designs

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Jasvanti Patel, Jewels by Jasvanti

 

See you next time.

 

Carolyn

Pearls, Pearls, Pearls Blog Hop

Michelle Buettner put out a request for people interested in doing a blog hop of items made with pearls.I was interested and put my name in the pot.

My design is made from pearls that I purchased from Michael's Bead Gallery line of beads.  Choosing the pearls I think was the easy part.  I had a choice of two sizes and made that decision fairly quickly.

The next step was to choose the spacers.  I picked out four to start with and whittled that down and then added additional ones, finally choosing one. 

Then it was on to choose a pendant if I decided to go that route.  I had two in mind, a Tree of Life metal and shell pendant and a brown metal flower with gold jewels.

Earrings were the next step.  What color to use?  Was I going to have extra beads?

Here is what I finished with.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Carolyn

Spring Fling Challenge

This was a post I started early this week but didn't finish, so I am turning it into my reveal post for Amy's Spring Fling Challenge.

This Saturday, April 20, is the reveal date for Amybeads' Spring Fling Challenge.  Amy and one of her previous Bead Soup Blog Party partners went together to sponsor the challenge.  Alenka made the pretty dragonfly pendant and Amy supplied the beads.



This is the selection of beads that were sent to the participants.



Here is the picture off Amy's website that is so much clearer than mine.



Below are the pictures of what I made from selections.  I used some of all the beads except for the crackle beads in the upper left corner of the picture above.

I used a glue-on bail for the pendant.  I glued it on at an angle so that the dragonfly is not straight up and down.

I added touches of green with Preciosa twin beads. 

I also added lavender/pinkish glass pearls to extend the length of the necklace.

In this picture is you can see the green Preciosa twin beads.

I used a triple ring toggle clasp to give the necklace some additional length.  It is 15 inches and the additional extension makes it 16 1/2 inches.

Here are the matching earring that I made using purple beads, white mirror beads and the navy pearls.

Here is a closer look at the pendant where you can see that the bail is off-set from the top of the dragonfly's head.


Here is a link to Amy's blog to see her creation and the list of the other participants:  Spring Fling Challenge

Thanks for stopping by.  Comments are welcome.

Carolyn