Michael's Beading Challenge Blog Hop reveal

Heather Powers of Humbleads and Lorelei Eurto of Lorelei's Blog are co-hosting a blog hop using Michael's Bead Gallery beads.  Heather saw that the beads were on sale for 40% off and picked out the beads pictured below.  Picture from Heather's blog.

In the order they are pictured from top to bottom: 

Round Cut Horn Beads

Aqua 9.5 x 10mm Table Cut Glass

Purple Glass Round 6mm

Green Ceramic 12mm Round

Aqua Opaque Table Cut Glass

Bone Amber Rectangle 12 x 20mm

Reconstituted Turquoise White Rondel

When Heather called this a challenge, she meant it.  I would never have selected these beads to go together but that is what a challenge is.  My friend Evelyn and I decided to split the beads between us to see what we could come up with.  The only thing that we came close to making the same were the earrings.  You can see her creation here.

I had a vague idea of what I wanted to make and just laid it out.  I used the rondels as spacers, the amber rectangles as the focals beads, and the purple glass beads as an accent on either side of the amber rectangles.  I then alternated the green ceramic, the cut horn beads, and the aqua opaque beads up the sides of the necklace.

Below is a picture of the complete set to include earrings.

The earrings.  Just nice simple ones.

 We will using the Linkz up tool on Heather's blog so be sure to visit to see the other participants:  Humblebeads

Thanks for visiting and come back tomorrow as a I will be revealing what I made for Andrew Thornton's Good Earth Challenge.

Also be sure to come back on Saturday, July 19th for the reveal of Lisa Lodge's Gemstones and Metal blog hop.

Carolyn

My Country Blog Hop reveal

Today is the reveal for the My Country Blog Hop sponsored by Nan Smith of Wired Nan.  This an international blog hop where each of the participants/artists will create something that represents her country.

Nan Smith, the hostess, is Canadian and I know there will be other Canadians participating.  There are artists from Europe and Australia.  The USA has several artists representing various states.  When the blog hop was announced I knew I wanted to participate but was not sure which state I wanted to represent.  I have lived in California and currently reside in the Pacific Northwest, two great states that actually have some things in common.

They each grow grapes and are leaders in the wine industry.

They each have snow on the ground in certain parts of the state and in the mountains.

The grow pine trees that have their own ornaments - pine cones.

They can make snowmen.

Each state has a large military force based there.

Each has recreational boating and naval shipyards.

Because of the closeness to the sea, each has their own seabirds.  Roosting on telephone poles.

One state has leaves that turn colors in the fall.

Both states grow pumpkins in the fall.

One state exports wood overseas.

I hope you have enjoyed the representations on the states that I have lived in.

Be sure to visit the other artists to see which parts of the world that they represent: 

My Country Blog Hop Participants

Nan Smith (hostess|)                                                                    nanmade.blogspot.ca

1. Ana (Portugal)                                                                             acbeads.blogspot.ca

2.Rita  (Orlando)                                                                     JewelSchoolFriends.com   

3. Dini (The Netherlands)                                        angazabychanges.blogspot.nl

4. Robin Reed  (Indiana)                                                      willowdragon.blogspot.com

5. Lilik Kristiana   (Indonesia )                                                       pcbylik.blogspot.com

6. Karla Morgan  (Texas)                                     texaspepperjams.blogspot.com

7. Karen Mitchell (South Australia)                              www.overthemoon-design.com

8. Jayne Capps  (Oklahoma)                                    mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com

9. Melissa Trudinger  (Australia)                                      beadrecipes.wordpress.com

10. Johana Nunez  (Puerto Rico)                                                    http:artincendi.com

11. Kepi  (Alberta)                                                               kepirasmussen.blogspot.ca  

12. Deb Fortin  (Ontario)                                                             studiok24.blogspot.ca

13. Divya  (India)                                                                              jewelsofsayuri.com

14. Tammy Adams  (Arizona)                                    paisleylizard.com/blog.html

15. Kay Thomerson  (Texas)                                            kayzkreationz.blogspot.com

16. Bairozan  (Bulgaria)                                                               bairozan.blogspot.ca

17. Carolyn's Creations  (           )carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com  (you are here)

18. Lecia Woessner   (New Orleans)                           copperroses.blogspot.com

19. Linda A.  (Wash. D.C.                              FromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com

20.Inge Van Roos (California)                                       ingetraud.wordpress.com

21. Natalie   (New Zealand)                                  http://www.northshoredays.com

22. Lori Schneider (              )                                           beadaddicted.blogspot.com

23.Mary Harding (New York)                maryhardingjewelrybeadblog.blogspot.com

24. Bouchra Rebai (Algeria)                                         bouchrarebai.wordpress.com     

25.Michelle McCarthy  (Florida )                        Fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com 

 

Thank you for stopping by.  Be sure to come back again on July 10th for Andrew Thornton's Good Earth Challenge but you are always welcome to drop and see what I have been up to.

Carolyn

Pearls, Pearls, Pearls Blog Hop reveal

Today is the reveal for MiShel Designs' pearl challenge.  We were tasked with making something (It didn't have to be jewelry!) from pearls.  It could be made from freshwater pearls or glass pearls, just had to be a any type of pearl.  I have done a couple of pearl challenges already this year and was ready for another one.

I used the pearls that are in the mid and lower right of the picture to make my item.

I used three of the flat pearls and 12 of the round pearls to make a bracelet.  I added copper seed beads to pick up on the copper sheen on the pearls.  I used a fold-over clasp in copper and added two of the round pearls on head pins to the clasp in order to weight it down so it won't turn. 

I took the picture below on a necklace form so that you can get an idea of the full size of the bracelet.

I think the picture below shows the sheen on the pearls.  What do you think?

I also did some pearl earrings.

I had some gold pearls left from an earlier challenge and combined them with some gold twisted ovals.




I had other gold pearls and combined them with some clear cathedral beads.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit some of the other participants:

Ocean Blog Hop reveal

Today is the reveal of the Ocean Blog Hop spondored by Lisa Lodge of A Grateful Artist - Pine Tree Treasures blog.  She prepared kits of beads for each of the participants and I was fortunate enough to get a kit that was in my favorite color of gold, gold pearls, gold cultured sea glass, clear cultured sea glass, and gold cathedral beads.  Love them. 

 

Pearls (fresh-water, I think), gold twisted beads, gold glass pearls, gold cathedral beads.

Gold and clear cultured sea glass, brass starfish and toggle clasp.

Unfortunately, I did a good/bad thing.  In order to not lose the beads, I put them in a safe place as I received them back in December and was not ready to work on the projects.  The blog hop kinda of slipped my mind and other challenges came to the front.  When it was getting close to time for the reveal, I was scrambling to find my "safely put away" beads.  I searched for two weeks and finally found them last week. 

I was able to get three pieces partially constructed and hope to finish them tomorrow and post the finished pieces on Monday evening, so be sure to come back and see the finished pieces. 

I used one size of the glass pearls and the twisted beads in the outer strand and another size of glass pearls and the cathedral beads for the inner strand.

I used the cultured sea glass to create the necklace below.  I added some brass jump rings as spacers.

I used left over cultured sea glass for earrings along with the brass starfish.

 

Ocean Blog Hop June 14^th Reveal:

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations  You are here

Ev Shelby, Raindrop Creations

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends (Posting Later)

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Catherine Yvonne King, Catherine's Musings

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes (Posting Sunday)

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware (Posting Sunday)

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Jill Bradley, Chat 2 Jill

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit the other blogs to see what they created.  Please come back on Monday evening to see my completed pieces.

Carolyn

Art Jewelry Elements Componet of the Month for May

Today is the reveal day for the Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month and I am one of the lucky ones that was chosen to participate.  May's Component of the Month was made by Susan Kennedy of Sue's Beads.  We were given either a set of three pressed flower beads, or 1 pressed flower cabochon.  I was given the first set of pressed flower beads shown in this picture. 

Many ideas ran through my mind about how to use the beads and what to make.

Do I use dark green beads?

Do I use light colored beads?

Do I use light colored beads with light blue and dark blue beads?

After deciding which beads to use, I then had to decide how I wanted to use the beads.  Do I use them in a horizontal row or do I use them in a vertical row?

I made the decision to use them in a vertical row but I did this in a different manner than what you might expect.

I added small lobster claw clasps to two of the beads and to the bail that the beads will hang from.  You can hang them in a variety of designs.  You can hang one bead, two beads or all three beads.

I decided to string the light colored beads with small accent beads with gold spacers.  I used a bail that I attached a small lobster claw clasp to so that the Component of the Month could be added.

Here is the finished necklace with the Component of the Month attached.  I also made matching earrings.

Here are a couple of pictures to show how the Component can be changed.

One bead

Two of the beads

All three beads

Thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to visit the Art Jewelry Elements blog to see what the other participants did with their components.  http://artjewelryelements.blogspot.com/

Carolyn

Waxed Linen Jewelry Blog Hop Reveal

Today is the day for the reveal for Diana of Suburban Girl Studio's Waxed Linen Blog Hop.  Our mission was to create an item of jewelry with waxed linen cording.  I was interested in this blog hop as I have received some of this cording in some destashes that I had purchased or that was gifted to me.  I had never used this before but had seen some designs that other jewelry makers had done. 

The latest cording that I had received was from the Deep Water Challenge that Andrew Thornton had put on. 

I did not get the chance to use the cording for that challenge but I decided to make a pair of earrings using the cording and beads that I had left over.  I used a rondele bead and a round bead in similar colors and knotted the ends of the cord and added a loop at the center of the cording and added that to the ear wire.

I am undecided on whether to leave the tails on the cording, to feather it (unravel it), or to cut it off.  What do you think?

The next item I found to make was an earring kit that included all the necessary material.  As I was making the earrings I realized that I did not have enough spacers to add to the dangles.  Spacers that I did have, I thought were too big compared to the original spacers.

Original spacers are the three mid-left of the picture.  Others that are similar in shape are the four silver to the upper right and the four gold to the lower right of the picture.  A similar size but different shape are the three gold rounds in the lower left.  Will have to make up my mind about which one to use.  Which do you recommend?

Here are the earrings waiting to be finished.

I loved working with the linen cording and can see myself making other earrings with it and possibly making some necklaces as others have done.

Here is a list of the other participants.  Please drop by and visit them.

Diana Ptaszynski Our hostess!
Kelsy Vincent
Susan Kennedy
Linda Landig
Kashmira Patel
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Vanessa Gilkes
Sandy Huntress
Kay Thomerson
Sarajo Wentling
Kari Asbury
Rebecca Anderson
Melissa Trudinger
Ann Schroeder
Shai Williams
Blanca Medina
Cheryl Brown
Johana Nunez Rivera
Lori Bowring Michaud
Kelly Morgan
Barbara Bechtel
Kristen Stevens
Heather Boardman
Janet Bocciardi
Kathy Lindemer
Lesley Watt
Susan Kolovson
Jayne Capps
Michelle McCarthy
Cynthia Deis Enter to win a kit from Ornamentea!
Karla Morgan
Erin Siegel
Becky Pancake
Kelly Hosford Patterson
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson
Inge von Roos
Carolyn Lawson  You are here.
Linda Younkman
Sandi Volpe
Toltec Jewels
Michelle Mach
Jen Cameron
Dorothy Winchell
Darlene Mansue

MiShel's Pearl Challenge

Michelle of MiShel Designs is having a blog hop using pearls.  I participated in her pearl blog hop last year (2013 pearl blog hop) and had such a good time.  I plan to particpate again this year.

You can signup through this Saturday, May 24, 2014, and the reveal will be Sunday, June 29, 2014.  Here is a link to her blogpost announcing the the blog hop if you are interested in signing up:  http://misheldesigns.blogspot.com/2014/05/pearls-pearls-pearls-blog-hop-ii.html 

Be sure to mark June 29th on your calendar and stop by to see what I have created.

Thanks for stopping by.

Carolyn