Carolyn's Creations

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Challenge of Travel reveal

Sorry this wasn't posted at with the other posts but the scheduler didn't work the way it was supposed to.

I signed up for Erin's blog hop as soon as I heard about it. I have always liked traveling, getting on a plane and arriving some place that you have never been before. Getting the chance to visit places and see the sights.

When I signed up, I had the option of choosing my own country or letting Erin choose for me. I chose the continent, Asia, and Erin chose the country, South Korea.

South Korea! I immediately thought of the TV series M*A*S*H. Taking place in the early 1950s at the time of the Korean War. Never mind that it was actually filmed in California.

South Korea was created after World War II when Korea was divided with Russia having a trusteeship over the north and the United States having trusteeship over the south. This was supposed to be temporary but the North would not agree to holding elections and establishing a national government. An election was held for the South and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) was proclaimed on August 15, 1948. The United Nations recognized the Republic of Korea as the sole legal government of Korea in December 1948.

Below is the flag for South Korea called Taegukki (Taeguki means harmonious state of movement for yin and yang and ki means flag). The red stands for Yang and the blue for Yin. Yin and yang are opposites and struggle with each other while they cooperate in harmony thus taeguki. The symbols in the corners are called Kwae and mean the principle of movement and harmony. These different symbols mean heaven (Kun) (upper left), fire (Yi) (lower left), water (Kam) (upper right), and earth (Kon) (lower right), thus the movement of all objects in the universe and the movement of the universe itself.

image by Željko Heimer (information on the flag came from "FOTW Flags Of The World website at http://flagspot.net/flags/")

Seoul is the capital and largest city with 11,000,000 of the reported 48,900,000 population living there. The best months to visit are April, May, September and October. You can stay in the country for up to 30 days with no visa and up to 90 days with a tourist visa. Travel within the country is reasonably fast with fast and comfortable buses and trains along with domestic air flights. There are well maintained roads and rental cars are available. There are many choices for rooms and restaurants to meet every price point. Many people speak at least a little English and some of the street signs are written in English. There are plenty of tourist attractions depending on what you are interested in. You can also shop, hike, play golf, visit museums, or temples.

Here is what I started with to make my South Korean represented jewelry. The large square stones are jade from South Korea in a kind of grassy green with black markings, thus the black seed beads and cubes.

Earrings made from the black cubes and 3-sided Korean jade.

Bracelet with Korean jade and black accents.

Matching necklace

Thanks for stopping by. Please stop by the other participants and see where they have traveled and what they have made.

Name	Blog	Region Chosen	Inspiration Nation
Monique Urquhart	http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.ca/	Africa	Burkina Faso
Niky Sayers	http://silverniknats.blogspot.co.uk/	Africa	Egypt
Therese Frank	http://www.theresestreasures59.blogspot.com	Africa	Kenya
Raychelle Heath	http://abeadloveaffair.blogspot.com/	Africa	Lesotho
Joan Williams	www.lilrubyjewelry.wordpress.com	Africa	Mauritania
Sherri Stokey	http://www.KnotJustMacrame.com	Africa	Senegal
Regina Santerre	http://reginaswritings.blogspot.com	Africa	Seychelles
Raida Disbrow	http://havanabeads.blogspot.com	Africa	Tanzania
Kristi Wodek	http://livedinlife.blogspot.com	Africa	Zimbabwe
Sally Russick	http://www.thestudiosublime.com	Americas	Brazil
Melissa Trudinger	http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com	Americas	Mexico
Tracy Stillman	http://www.tracystillmandesigns.com	Americas	USA
Sandra Wolberg	http://city-of-brass-stories.blogspot.de	Asia	India
Tanya Goodwin	http://pixiloo.blogspot.com	Asia	Japan
Susan Kennedy	http://suebeads.blogspot.com	Asia	Japan
Beth Emery	http://storiesbyindigoheart.blogspot.com	Asia	Japan
Lisa Cone	http://inspiredadornments.blogspot.com/	Asia	Japan
Tanya Boden	http://fusionmusebangkok.blogspot.com/	Asia	Japan
Inge von Roos	http://ingetraud.wordpress.com	Asia	Laos
Erin Prais-Hintz	http://treasures-found.blogspot.com	Asia	Nepal
Dee Elgie	http://cherryobsidia.blogspot.com	Asia	Phillipines
Carolyn Lawson	http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com	Asia	South Korea
Lisa Stukel	http://carefreejewelrybylisa.blogspot.com	Asia	Sri Lanka
Elly Snare	http://themagicsquarefoundation.wordpress.com	Asia	Thailand
Shelley Graham Turner	http://www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com	Europe	Austria
Mallory Hoffman	http://rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com/	Europe	Bosnia Herzegovina
Paige Maxim	http://www.pmaximdesigns.blogspot.com	Europe	France
Jenny Davies-Reazor	http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog	Europe	Germany
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson	http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com	Europe	Greece
Evelyn Shelby	http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/	Europe	Iceland
Holly Westfall	http://silverrosedesigns.blogspot.com/	Europe	Ireland
Rebecca Siervaag	http://www.godsartistinresidence.blogspot.com	Europe	Ireland
Toltec Jewels	http://toltecjewels.blogspot.com	Europe	Ireland
Lee Koopman	http://StregaJewellry.wordpress.com	Europe	Ireland
Laren Dee Barton	http://larendeedesigns.blogspot.com	Europe	Italy
Cindy Wilson	http://www.mommysdreamcreations.blogspot.com	Europe	Norway
Kathleen Lange Klik	http://ModernNatureStudio.blogspot.com	Europe	Poland
Shaiha Williams	http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/	Europe	Portugal
Jennifer Justman	http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/	Europe	Romania
Elsie Deliz-Fonseca	http://ladelizchica.blogspot.com	Europe	Spain
Lola Surwillo	http://www.beadlolabead.blogspot.com	Europe	Sweden
Kim Hora	http://www.kimmykats.com	Europe	Switzerland
Leanne Loftus	http://firstimpressiondesign.blogspot.com	Europe	The Netherlands
Patti Vanderbloemen	http://myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com	Europe	The Netherlands
Marcie Carroll	http://labellajoya.blogspot.com	Europe	Turkey
Marlene Cupo	http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com	Oceania	Federated States of Micronesia
Ine Vande Cappelle	http://jewelsbyine.blogspot.com	Oceania	Fiji
Tammie Everly	http://ttedesigns.blogspot.com/	Oceania	Guam
Alice Peterson	http://www.alice-dreaming.blogspot.com	Oceania	Kiribati
Elisabeth Auld	http://www.beadsforbusygals.com	Oceania	Nauru
Susan McClelland	http://mistheword12.wordpress.com/	Oceania	New Zealand
D Lynne Bowland	http://islandgirlsinsights.blogspot.com	Oceania	New Zealand
Denielle Hagerman	http://somebeadsandotherthings.com	Oceania	New Zeland
Rebecca Anderson	http://songbeads.blogspot.com	Oceania	Papua New Guinea
Mischelle Fanucchi	http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/	Oceania	Samoa
Kari Asbury	http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com	Oceania	Solomon Islands
Cece Cormier	http://www.thebeadingyogini.com/	Oceania	Tonga
Emma Todd	http://www.apolymerpenchant.com	Oceania	Tuvalu
Debbie Price	http://greenshoot.blogspot.com	Oceania	Vanuatu

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Melissa Meman Earring Giveaway!!

Melissa Meman is recreating the earrings she made for her Bead Soup challenge and is giving them away. Aren't they lovely! Would certainly like to win them.

You can enter the giveaway by visiting the Earrings Everyday blog and leaving a comment.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you again soon.

Carolyn

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Heather Powell Nature-themed Retreat and Giveaway!!!!

Heather Powell is having a weekend retreat inspired by nature this October 26-28. It will be held at a location along the Black River in South Haven, Michigan.

It includes three classes: Resin Forest Treasures, Leaves & Berries, Metal Sketches, Birch Trees Duo, and Beaded Flora. Erin Prais-Hintz is the guest instructor and will offer design principles to breathe life into old jewelry.

All materials for the classes are included in the price of the retreat along with your meals. Lodging is not included in the price of the retreat. Check out the link above for more information. This sounds like it will be a fun get-together. Just wish I could be going.

To give you a head start on your creativity, Lori Anderson has a giveaway from Heather for a $30 gift certificate to Heather's shop.

Thanks for stopping by.

Carolyn

Friday, August 10, 2012

Challenge of Travel blog hop

I received notice on Wednesday that I am one of the bloggers in the Challenge of Travel blog hop that Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati Jewelry and Marcie Abney Carroll of La Bella Joya are putting on. We were given the opportunity to choose a continent and a country on that continent or to be assigned a country to make an accessory that represents that country. I chose the Asia continent but asked them to assign me a country. I had second thoughts about that but did not pull out of the surprise element.

I found out today that I was assigned the country of South Korea. First thing I thought about was the TV series MASH!. My friend, Evelyn, and I listen to the DVDs while we bead. I also have two co-workers that are from South Korea who I can probably interview. I might have lucked out on this choice. I will have to wait and see.

I hope to begin posting about my country starting next week. I have family here this week that will keep me pretty busy. Probably not much beading to be done either.

Thanks for stopping by. Please come back again next week when I will start blogging about South Korea.

Carolyn

Friday, August 3, 2012

Beads Direct bead giveaway

The very generous Lori Anderson of Pretty Things and Bead Soup Blog Party fame is giving away some beads that she was sent from the British bead firm of Beads Direct. Lori was given these beads so that she could use them and then review the quality of them. Lori made a couple of bracelets and had beads left over, so she is very generously having a giveaway.

Here is a link to Lori's post: http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2012/08/giveaway-with-beads-direct-uk.html The winner will receive three large-hole wood beads and two magnetic clasps along with some braided leather and several different types of dyed wood beads. The only thing that you need to do is makie something from the beads and review it linking to Beads Direct's website.

I would love to try to make something out of the braided leather.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stop by Lori's blog to enter her giveaway.

Carolyn

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

After the Bead Soup Blog Hop reveal

It has been several days since the big Bead Soup Blog Hop reveal date number 1 for the blog hop that Lori Anderson of Pretty Things hosted this past Saturday. I was part of this reveal with 100 other beaders. I have visited a few of the other bloggers that made something this reveal and everyone did a super, super job.

Here is a link to my bead swap partner's blog, the Stringing Fool, so you can see what she made from the beads that I sent.

I also want to thank everyone for their generous comments regarding my designs and especially the jasper donut. The making of the pendant was something that I thought about and played around with. I am glad that it turned out so well. Thank you again for your wonderful comments.

Thanks for stopping by.

Carolyn

Friday, July 27, 2012

Bead Soup is done!!!

Here are my pieces from my Bead Soup mix that I received from Beti Horvath, the Stringing Fool.

I started with the flourite rounds and added peach-lined crackle beads with black seed beads as spacers.

Here is Beti's handmade clasp.

I added adventurine lentil beads and another shape for the peach-lined crackle beads.

The final design!

I still have another set of beads to be made up so look below.

The Jasper donut decorated with brass bead caps, a pearl, and root beer colored seed beads for the bail. You can see the pearls that I used. I added dark grey pearls to the blue ones that Beti sent me.

Other side of the above jasper donut. I used a head pin threaded from the other side and made tight loops on this side so the pearls do not move. Am thinking of adding short chain lengths to have a different look.

Beti's brass hook 'n eye clasp

The complete set!

The final set of beads - Adventurine chips and flourite rounds

I hope you have enjoyed looking at what I made. I want to thank Lori Anderson of Pretty Things for hosting this Bead Soup Blog Hop. I had a great time making everything and am anxiously awaiting the next Bead Soup Blog Party.

Here is a list of the other participants in the blog hop:

Hostess, Lori Anderson, PrettyThingsBlog.com

Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles

Alicia Marinache, All The Pretty Things

Amanda Tibbetts, Amanda Made

Amber Dawn Goldish, Inventive Soul

Annita Wilson, AW Jewelry

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool

Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit

Candida Castleberry, Spinning Spun Sugar

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Cassie Donlen, Glass Beadle

Cheri Reed, Creative Designs by Cheri