Sharyl's Jewelry Seed Bead & Metal Blog Hop

Today is the day for the reveal for Sharyl's  Jewelry Seed Bead & Metal Blog Hop. 

I have to apologize for the pictures and post tonight.  My internet is down and I had to use my phone for the post.

Sheryl sent me several goodies to play with.  A couple of colored metal disks with earring wires that she made.

She also included a seed bead focal piece made by Shirley Moore. 

Shirley used dark green, honey beige, lime green lined clear area beads and pearly colored faceted beads.

I started with Shirley's focal piece.  I wished I was able to do any of the beadweaving ropes as I thought that would have showed off the focal really well. Since I don't do beadweaving, I strung three different wires  with black, pearly white, and crystal faceted seed beads and then hung the focal from them. 

Next I worked with the metal discs that Sharyl made.  She colored them with a peachy rosey color.  I added some strawberry glass rounds.

Sharyl had also included a strawberry colored pendant along with some multi-colored ribbon.  I had planned to add the pendant to the ribbon and make a short necklace.  I actually went shopping for ribbon ends, put end in the cart, forgot to give them to cashier, and left without them.  As soon as I finish the bonus pieces, I will post the pictures.

Please visit Sharyl's blog for the list of other participants.  http:sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by.

Carolyn

Tree Wings Studio giveaway

Tree Wings Studio is having a giveaway of three of her new Queen Anne Lace pendants. 

Www.treewingsstudio.com/2013/10/fall-sale-giveaway.html

Please stop by and enter her giveaway.

Thanks for stopping by.

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

Travel Challenge Staycation - Olympia WA

 Welcome to the Travel Challenge Staycation version.  This year Erin decided to have us blog about our home town.  I currently live in Olympia Washington.  I moved here approximately 22 years ago when my daughter was ready to start high school. 

Olympia is the capital of the state of Washington and was established as a city in 1859.  It is also the county seat of Thurston County.  It makes up part of the tri-city area of Puget Sound, the other cities being Lacey and Tumwater.

On my staycation I took daily walks with my dog., Hank.  He is a Chow and Lab mix and the most gentle dog that I know.  He is a very people person, always loving some attention.

The strap over his nose is called a "Gentle Lead" which allows me to have a bit of control over him as he is a big dog (90 lbs.)  He doesn't mind it too much but is glad to get it off once we are home.

One of Hank's favorite places to visit.  The wait staff always has a doggie biscuit or two when we come by.

On one of our walks we discovered an older car.  Not sure of the age but Olympia does have several car collector clubs.  Here is a link to pictures of a recent show:  12th-annual-tenino-quarrymen-car show

You will see giant sunflowers in peoples yards as they grow to six-seven feet tall.

or you can see growing pumpkins

or possibly even a family of deer

This was the first time that I had seen a pair of fawns.

Here is a preview of the beads that I used in my jewelry set.

I decided to make something with wood for two reasons.  I had the beads already and Olympia is a port that exports logs to other areas of the world.  I was hoping to get a picture of one of the trucks taking the logs down to the docks but wasn't able to.  I also used agates as they are a type of stone that is found here in Washington.

This pictures shows of the red-orange agates that I used both in the necklace and in the earrings.

Please visit Erin's website (2nd-annual-challenge-of-travel)  to see the list of other participants.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will come again.

Carolyn

Millenium Moment Giveaway

Pips from Pips Jewellery is having a giveaway (a-millenium-moment-calls-for-giveaway) to celebrate having 1000 likes on her Facebook page. 

Pips is a polymer clay bead artist from Bath, United Kingdom.  She is giving away of some of her newly designed polymer clay beads.  She has pictures of some of her current beads on her giveaway blog page that are so beautiful.  Here are a couple of beads from her web page that I like.

Remember leaves

Clemetis bud

I am looking forward to seeing what the new beads look like and would love to win some.

If you would like a chance to win some free beads, please visit the link above and find out how to enter the giveaway.

Thanks for stopping by.

Be sure to come back on Saturday, August 31, to see what I made for Erin's Travel Staycation Challenge.  See you then if not before.

Carolyn

Challenge of Travel Blog Hop coming

I have decided to participate in Erin of Treasures Found's second annual Travel Challenge Blog Hop to be held on August 31, 2013.  Here is a link to her blog where she talks about the blog hop:  2nd-annual-challenge-of-travel.

2nd-annual-challenge-of-travel

This year the theme is staycation.  Please return on August 31 to here where I spent my staycation.

Thanks for stopping by.

Carolyn

Sleepy Critter giveaway

Tree Wing Studios is having a giveaway on the cutest little critter beads, owls, foxes, and fawns that she makes.  Which one would you like to win?

Sleepy Critters by Tree Wing Studios

You can visit her blog http://www.treewingsstudio.com/2013/08/sleepy-critter-guessing-game-giveaway.html to enter.

Thank you for stopping by.

Carolyn

Comments are always welcome.