Pepita's Butterfly Birthday Blog Hop and Giveaway

Alenka of Pepita Handmade blog asked for people to help celebrate her birthday by making something with butterflies whether that would be a piece of jewelry, an ornament, or something else.

 

I had the intention of making crystal butterfly earrings but time got away from me.  So I decided I would showcase a necklace I made a while ago.  I think JoAnn's was either having a sale or closing out some of their Swarovski components.  I picked out the butterfly that is in this necklace.  I usually do not tend to pick out silver components but I really liked the colors.

 

  

I added some crystals in Violet, Jet Black, and clear colored Crystal.  I added a lobster claw clasp at the back making the butterfly offset to the side.

 

 

Please join me in wishing Alenka "Happy Birthday".  Her birthday was actually March 28th but that date had several blog hops already scheduled and Alenka rescheduled so that the blog hop would not get lost among all the others.

 

Be sure to visit her blog and leave a comment for a chance to win a pair of earrings that she has made. 

 

Please visit the other participants to see what everyone made.

 

 

1. Alenka (Pepita) - hostess --> http://pepita-handmade.blogspot.com

2. Monique (A Half-Baked Notion) --> http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com

3. Beti Horvath --> http://stringingfool.blogspot.com  

4. Kathy Lindemer --> http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com

5. Kepi --> http://kepirasmussen.blogspot.com

6. Christine Altmiller --> http://onekisscreations.blogspot.com

7. Amy S. --> http://blogspot.amybeads.com

8. Dini Bruinsma --> http://angazabychanges.blogspot.com

9. Cynthia (Antiquity Travelers) --> http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com

10. Alicia --> http://www.allprettythings.ca

11. sheilaposter --> http://catswithbeads.blogspot.com

12. Therese Frank --> http://theresestreasures59.blogspot.com

13. Rebecca White --> http://morganafeycreations.121hub.com

14. Rachel Mallis --> http://www.mintmonarch.com/#!blog/c1jlz

15. Liz E --> http://beadcontagion.blogspot.com

16. Ana (ACBeads) --> http://acbeads.blogspot.com

17. Jasvanti Patel --> http://jewelrybyjasvanti.blogspot.com

18. Carolyn --> http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com   You are here.

19. Nan Smith --> http://wirednan.blogspot.com

 

Thank you for stopping by.  Be sure to visit my other blog posting for the Artisan Component Marketplace Blog Hop.

 

Carolyn

Jasper Intrigue Blog Hop

Today is the reveal day for Lisa Lodge's Jasper Intrigue Blog Hop.  I needed to purchase a kit from Lisa and I received a bag full of goodies that I was to use to make a piece or two or three of jewelry. 

Here is what I received from Lisa:

A little metal birdie and a brass stamping, a strand of beads, and some green and red jasper (those pieces on the left) and some dark gray and red jasper (on the right).

On the top right are two pieces of oval shaped jasper, a strand of crystal rondells, some egg-shaped green and red jasper pieces that match the pieces in the first picture.  Some more smaller sized crystals and some pretty brown jasper.

I used the egg-shaped green and red jasper and some of both sizes of crystals along with some dark red seed beads to make a necklace and matching earrings.

I still have more beads left over.  One bracelet is in the works and at least one more pair of earrings.

Please be sure to stop by and visit the other participants.

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Susan Anderson, La Main Tresor

Karin Grosset Grange (France), Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings

Sheila Prose, Cheap Charms

Terri Wlaschin, Baking Beads in the Keys

Therese Frank, Therese's Treasures

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Carolyn

Marsala Valentine Challenge Blog Hop reveal

This post is late and I am sorry for the delay.  Computer problems that I hope have been solved now.

Today is the reveal for Andrew Thornton's Marsala Valentine Challenge. 

Andrew prepares 20 bead kits that he makes available for purchase through his store Allegory Gallery's website. 

The above pictures are from Andrew's reveal blog posting:  /marsala-valentine-challenge-reveal

Andrew always includes a mystery component or two in his kits.  This time we lucked out and received two components.

 The following are what I designed and put together.

When I saw the large bead that was included in the kit, I decided to make that the focal of this necklace.  I had some silver chain that I used to thread the silk through that was included in the kit.  I then used two sets of matching dark red beads to hand on either side of the focal.

I then made several pairs of earrings, including a pair using the mystery components.

The first pair of earrings were made with a pair of diagonally drilled cube beads and some oval shaped beads that were light and dark colored shades of red.

This next pair of earrings were made with some wine colored round beads and some stick (not sure what to call them) beads.

 
This last pair of earrings are made with the mystery components which Andrew made.  I used some of the sequins that were included in the Luxury Bead kit along with two rose colored oval beads.

 



Thank you for stopping by.  Please be sure to visit all the other participants:

Alison Herrington
Dolores Raml
Carole Carlson 
Lennis Carrier 
Carolyn Lawson   you are here
Michelle McCarthy 
Ann Schroeder
Kari Asbury 
Shaiha Williams 

On Andrew Thornton's Blog:
Andrew Thornton, Nancy Noyes-Ward, Donna Hoblit, Cheryl Lee Tucker, Laurel Ross
Thank you for stopping by.  Be sure to return on Saturday for Lisa Lodge's A Touch of Mint challenge.

Carolyn

Pine Ridge Treasures' Checkerboard Blog Hop reveal

Today is the reveal for Lisa Lodge's Pine Ridge Treasures' Checkerboard Blog Hop reveal.  Lisa prepared kits for us to purchase that fit the theme. 

 

She is always generous with the beads that she includes in her kits.  Here is a picture of the beads that I received: 

 

 

There were black crystal rondells, black oval, white bowtie-shaped, and red disk matte cultured sea glass, along with some red crystal briolettes.

 

I was able to to create several different necklaces and earrings.

 

First up is a pair of earrings using a couple of the crystal briolettes.  I made hoop earrings using some rose spacers.

 

 

 

 

Here is the start of an idea I had for one of the necklaces that I made using the crystal rondells and briolettes.  I used crystal facted seed beads as spacers. 

 

 

My camera is not co-operating with me this morning.  I do not have access to the pictures of the rest of the completed projects.  Hopefully this afternoon my computer and my camera will start talking to each other.  So look for another post from me then.

 

Be sure to stop by and see what the other participants have made.

Checkerboard Blog Hop Link List

Your hostess: Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations  You are here!

Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Mischelle Fanucchi, Micheladas Musings

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

Susan Anderson, La Main Tresor

Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Margaret Pelech, Margaret Pelech's Blog

Lisa Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs

Annette Rivers, Mama Owls Mess

Carol Briody, A Beads Life

Miranda Ackerley, MirandAck

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Karin Grosset Grange (France), Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Katrina Scuderi Taylor, I Wanna Go Out

 

Thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to stop back by next week as I have another of Lisa's challenges to reveal.

 

Carolyn

Star Frost Special Challenge reveal

Today is the reveal of Andrew Thornton's Star Frost Special Challenge.  I apologize for the delay.  My computer decided it needed to update some programs and I wasn't able to wait until midnight so that it could happen.

Andrew always makes up the most inspiring bead kits for his challenges.

 

 

 

He selected a crisp, clean palette. The kit features snowy whites, cool silvers, icy blues, wintery grays, and crystalline clears. When thinking of the challenge, he tried to summon up the first weeks of winter, when all is transformed, as if by magic, into a winter wonderland.

Andrew adds a Mystery Component to each challenge. For the Star Frost Challenge, he created a polymer clay pendant using a combination of tinted pigments, Gilder's Paste, nail polish, and acrylic paint to create the finish on this pendant. He thought it was perfectly wintery to compliment the kit.

Above pictures and commentary are taken from Andrew's blog.  The following pictures are ones that I took.  Andrew's descriptions are so much more desciptive than mine.

I didn't get a picture of the full kit so I used Andrew's picture above.  Here is a picture of the beads that I managed to photograph.

 



I decided that I was going to be making a necklace using the string of white beads and the string of different colored blue beads.  The decision was on how to string them.  Do I use a blue and three white, a blue and three white beads or do I use a blue, three white, a blue, a white, a blue, a white, a blue and three whites?  Decisions, decisions.

I laid the mystery component on top to see how it would look.

So here's my final decision:

I used left over beads to make hoop earrings.  I made these rather full as just using enough beads to have blue ones on either side of the white and blue ones in the center didn't look right to me.

I used another set of beads to make a pair of earrings:

I still have few beads left to add to my stash or Andrew is going to have an after reveal reveal where you show what else you made or what you made but didn't get to post.  I believe this will be towards the end of February but I will let you know.

Be sure to stop by the other participants to see what they made.

Carolyn Lawson  (You are here)
Carole Carlson of Beadsophisticate
Shai Williams
Karin Grosset Grange of Ginkgo et Coquelicot
Ann Schroeder
Tammy Bowman of Inner Muse Jewelry
Alison Herrington
Kari Asbury of Hippie Chick Jewelry Design
Alice Peterson
On Andrew Thornton's blog:
Andrew Thornton, Cheryl Tucker, Mia Nutick, Joanne Goldberg, Lisa Mendum


Please be sure to stop back by on January 24, 2015, for the True Blue Challenge put on by Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures and then again on January 29, 2015, for the Desert Sand Challenge put on by Andrew.

Thank you for stopping by.

Star Frost Special Challenge reveal

Today is the day for Andrew Thornton's Winter Frost Special Challenge reveal. 

I was working on my post last night and the computer was not cooperating.  Then I found out I was the first on blog hop list.  accckkkk!!!!

Here is the necklace and earrings that I made.

I will be back tonight to fix my post.

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