Past blog hops and challenges

Sunday, June 29, 2014

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:

Saturday, June 14, 2014

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 14th Reveal:
Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations  You are here
Ev Shelby, Raindrop Creations
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