Superstition Blog Hop

Paisley Lizard's Tammy Adams is sponsoring her first blog hop and I couldn't wait to participate. 

Tammy was offering a black cat pendant at a special price to be used as the source of our inspiration.  This was a pendant that Tammy made herself.  I like the background of black, gray, and silver,

I had a hard time trying to decide which other beads to use. 

Black faceted beads and silver seed beads were a possibility

Another choice was gray pearls with black ebeads and the black faceted beads from the first choice.  I almost think those black beads are too large.  All I am seeing are the big beads and nothing else.

The last choice was the large black beads again with a matte silver seed bead.

The end result was something completely different from most of the suggestions.  I almost wonder why I take pictures of the wannabes.  I never end up taking a progress shot of what I actually end of making.

I actually ended up using two different sizes of gray pearls, black seed beads and some gray tube beads that I either got in a destash or one of Andrew Thornton's challenge kits, I can't remember which.

I found a cat and fish toggle clasp in silver to use.

I made earrings to go with the set.  I always try to make earrings whether I end up selling them with the necklace or not, I want to give the customer an option.

Please stop by the other participants of the blog hop and say hi:

Tammy Adams (Hostess)	http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog/
Renee Hong	http://www.fineanddandyjewelry.blogspot.com
Betony Maiden	http://beadwenches.blogspot.com/
Coral Law	http://abcoraldesign.blogspot.com/
Lee Koopman	http://stregajewellry.wordpress.com
Jeanette Belmont	http://www.onecanvasatatime.com
Shai Williams	http://www.ShaihasRamblings.com
Beth McCord	http://ebbeadandmetalworks.blogspot.com/
Robin Lynne Showstack	http://heartsdesiresjewelryforyou.blogspot.com/
Lori Blanchard	https://alainnjewelry.wordpress.com/
Deb Fortin	http://www.mhotistudio.blogspot.ca
Michelle McCarthy	http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com
Maria Rosa Sharrow	http://willowstreetshops.blogspot.com
Kim Dworak	http://cianciblue.blogspot.com/
Divya N	http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com
Karin Grosset Grange	http://ginkgoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr
Mowse Doyle	http://mowsemadethis.blogspot.com/
Rebecca White	http://morganafeycreations.121hub.com/#sec-blog
Shawneen Fagnani	http://blondespotpinkshoe.blogspot.com/
Catherine King	http://Catherines-musings.blogspot.com
Brook Bock	http://artisticendeavor101.blogspot.com/
Kari Asbury	http://hippiechickjewelrydesign.com/blog
Nan Smith	http://wirednan.blogspot.ca
Carolyn Lawson	http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com  You are here!
Linda Anderson	http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com
Ann Schroeder	http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com
Melissa Trudinger	https://beadrecipes.wordpress.com/
Kathy Lindemer	http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com/

Thank you for stopping by.  Be sure to come back next Thursday, November 19, to see what I have made for the reveal of Andrew Thornton's Gold Dust Special Challenge and Last Harvest Challenge.

Comments are always welcome.

Carolyn

Gentle Hues Challenge

Today is the reveal for Lisa Lodge's Pine Ridge Treasures Gentle Hues Challenge on Facebook.  I purchased a kit from Lisa and received a variety of pastel colored pearls and some pink and purple tiles.

 

I had some tough decisions to make - what to make.  I found a couple pendants that I had gotten from Lori Anderson and thought that they might work.  Then the decision was which beads to use with the pendants.

Will it be pink pearls with this pendant?  Not sure who made this pendant.

Will it be lavender pearls with this pendant by Gaea?  If so, the rounds or the egg-shaped ones?

Or will it be the tiles with this pendant by Gaea?

The pink pearls win out to be used with the pink pendant.  I used copper seed beads as spacers along with a copper toggle clasp.

Close up of the pendant.  If anyone recognizes it and can let me know who made it, I would love to give them credit for it.

Here is the copper toggle clasp I used.

The harder decision was what to use with Gaea's pendant, the pearls or the tiles.  I went with the egg-shaped pearls.

I used a S-shaped clasp at the front of the necklace as the clasp.  I need to find some more of the pearls as I got so engrossed in making the necklace I forgot to set aside a couple to be used for earrings.  I think I also want one for a dangle.

Here is a close-up of the pendant.

Thank you for stopping by.  I have another blog challenge next Friday, November 13 - Tammy Adams' Superstition Blog Hop.  To be followed by two of Andrew Thornton's challenges, Last Harvest and Gold Dust the following Thursday, November 19, 2015.

Comments are always welcome.

 

Carolyn

Pine Ridge Treasures' Ceramic Bead Challenge reveal

Today was the day for the reveal of Pine Ridge Treasures' Ceramic Challenge reveal.  I received a kit with six ceramic disks made by UK artist Natalie McKenna (Grubbi).

Here is a close-up of the beads.  The two on the left were a matching set of brown with gold/brass highlights.

Here is the set of earrings that I was able to make.

I still have the other beads to play with and I have ideas about how to use them.

Please be sure to visit Pine Ridge Treasures' Facebook page to see what the other participants were able to make.

Thank you for visiting.  Be sure to come back on Thursday for the reveal of Andrew Thornton's Brave Angel 2 Special Challenge.

Carolyn

Artisan Component Marketplace September Designer Kit reveal

I was one of the fortunate ones that won a set of components from the members of Artisan Component Marketplace for their September Designer Challenge.  

 

I received a set of ceramic beads from Okawa African Beads.

 

 A gorgeous wooden gingko leaf shaped wooden pendant from Dobzie Wood by Burl Girl.

 

I also received 12 inches of antique copper rolo chain

 

and some hand-dyed sari ribbon.

 

 

I knew right away that I wanted to link the chain and ribbon together.  I cut the ribbon in half and put the ends through the last link on each side of the chain.  Then I had to figure out a clasp.  I thought about that for a couple of days and ended up using a wooden bead as a sliding clasp (not sure that I am calling it the right thing) and put the ends of the ribbon through the bead going in opposite directions.

 

I then wore it a couple of days as is because I was having trouble thinking about how to use the beads.

I thought and thought about those beads.

Aren't they pretty!  Not my usual colors but I need to use them and I finally thought about using two on each side of the chain to kind of draw your eye.  These beads have large holes so I had to use bead caps on the ends so that the head pin didn't fall thru.

So here is the result.

How did I do?  Are the pictures the right size?  Too big?  Too small?  How was my design?  Any comments are welcome.

Thanks for visiting.  Be sure to come back on Saturday as I will have another challenge to reveal.

Carolyn

 

AJE Component of the Month

Hi, everyone.  Today is the reveal for the Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month.  Linda Landig made these fabulous clay leaf pendants in the most gorgeous fall colors.  The one I received is the pale green one with the yellow-gold leaf on the right side of the picture.




Is the picture just gorgeous?  All those leaves just falling all over the place.

I did some thinking and pondering over what I wanted to do.  I received my monthly goody box from Blueberry Cove Beads and it had the perfect beads for me to use.  I used the yellow shell chips, the mottled orange round beads and the brown mottled round beads.  I added gold daisy spacers and green rondells.  I used an asymmetrical beading pattern and away I went.

 

Isn't that pendant just gorgeous!

 

I used a spring ring clasp and attached it to one of the wires on the pendant.

 

I love how it turned out and will be adding a bracelet and earrings to the set.

 

Please let me know what you think and be sure to visit the other bloggers.

 

GuestsCarolyn Lawson
Alice Peterson
Diana Ptaszynski

AJE Team

Susan Kennedy
Niky Sayers
Caroline Dewison
Jenny Davies Reazor
Linda Landig
Lindsay Starr
Kristen Stevens

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Carolyn

 

2015 Pine Ridge Treasures' Beach Blog Hop!

Hopefully this post is going to work.  Never had so much trouble signing into blogger.

But this is supposed to be about a bead challenge and not my computer problems.

Lisa Lodge from A Grateful Artist blog sponsored another bead challenge this week.

I purchased a kit with lots of lovely beads and was able to make two necklaces and two earring sets.  But first off is the set of beads that I received from Lisa.

Cultured seaglass in aqua, cobalt blue, medium blue and a lovely lavender that reminds me of Alexandrite without the color changes.

The first set that I made was using the lavender with some purplish crystals that were included in the kit along with the silver rectangular spacers also included.

 

The other set that I made used the cobalt blue, the aqua nuggets, and more of the silver spacers.

 

Some how I only managed to get a shot of the blue earrings by themselves so here they are.

I still have some lovely beads left and will try to get another set done.

Please stop by and visit the other bloggers that are participating in the challenge.

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

Susan Anderson, La Main Tresor

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Margaret Pelech, Margaret Pelech's Blog

Lisa Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs

Carol Briody, A Beads Life

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings

Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs

Rosee Floss Hanemaayer, Silver Penny Artisans

Saundra Farren, Something by Saundra

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool Jewelry

MaryAnne Kelly Hobbs-Fernie - TBD

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Kelly Fletcher – TBD

Linda Anderson, From the Bead Board

Diana Chavis - TBD

Thanks for stopping by.

Carolyn

Summer Waters Blog Hop/Challenge

Sorry for the delay in posting. 

Today is the reveal date for Lisa Lodge's latest blog hop/Facebook challenge Summer Waters.  I purchased a kit from Lisa and created several different items.  But to start off, here is a picture of the kit that I received from Lisa:

Lovely white pearls, a silver clasp, multiple cultured sea glass pieces, light aqua barrel shaped beads, dark blue square spacers, a pair of dark blue wings, aqua star fish, aqua rondells, and spacers.

Here is the first piece that I made using the aqua cultured sea glass, 4mm white pearls, and large hole silver spacers that slide slightly over the pearls.

The next item that I made used the dark blue wings.  The wings have little indentation on the curved edges so they look like feathers.

Next up was a necklace using the dark blue square spacers, 6mm white pearls from my stash and some red matte seed beads from another kit of Lisa's.

Next were earrings to go with the red, white, and blue necklace.  In fact, I think I went a little overboard.  I made four pairs using all the left over blue spacers. 

Sorry about the pictures.  I am not able to access the pictures I took with my phone.  I was playing around with my camera and these are not the greatest.

 



Fortunately I took some individual pictures so here are some close-ups.

Last but not intended to be the least of what I tried to make.  I need some help here.  What is the best way to make these starfish into earrings?  Premade jump rings don't seem to work.  I am open to suggestions.

Thanks for stopping by.  Please be sure to visit the other participants listed below.

 

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations  You are here.
Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Susan Anderson, La Main Tresor
Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue
Saundra Farren, Something by Saundra
Gloria Allen, Wings and Beads
Shaiha Williams, Shaihas Ramblings
Rosee Chara Hanemaayer,  Silver Penny Artisans

Artisan Component Marketplace Blog Hop

Artisan Component Marketplace is a fairly new component marketplace where you can buy handmade components from approximately 25 vendors.  They recently called for people that would be interested in participating in a blog hop using some of the vendors' components.  I was one of the fortunate ones that was chosen to participate.

 

I received a copper component from Kristi Bowman Design:

 

 

 

A ceramic component from Marla's Mud:

 

 

 

A wood toggle clasp from Asbury Avenue Designs:

 

 

 

The first piece that I made went together fairly quickly.  I had some crystals leftover from another blog hop on my bead mat waiting for me to make something.  They went together perfectly with Asbury Avenue Designs toggle clasp.  I used the sari silk that came with the components to make a necklace.  I don't do mixed media very often but I think it turned out nicely. 

 

 

 

Below is a close-up of the toggle clasp and the crystals.

 

 

Below is a better look at the sari silk and how the colors go with the toggle clasp.

 

 

 

Marla's component went really well with some pearls I had laying on my beading table.  I took an eye pin and bent it around the component and wrapped it to make the bail.

 

 

 

The component had touches of pink and gold over a darker rose color.  I used dark rose pearls along with pink rice pearls and gold seed beads,

 

 

 

The final component I need to use is the pretty diamond-shaped copper bracelet bar from Kristi Bowman Designs.  I wasn't able to complete the bracelet that I plan to make.  Here is the idea that I have for it:

 

 

A three strand bracelet with turquoise heishi beads.  I plan to use the copper round beads you see on the top strand and some red seed beads for another strand and the final strand will probably have bright copper seed beads.  I thought to use a lobster claw clasp on one side of the bracelet bar.

 

This should be finished on Sunday and I will post the finished bracelet then.

 

Please be sure to visit the Artisan Component Marketplace blog to see what Kari has made and the links below to see what the other participants made.

 

Brandy Haag http://bhjewelry.wordpress.com/

Carolyn http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com/   You are here

Jenny Kyrlach http://anafiassa.blogspot.com/

Kelly Hosford Patterson http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com/

Lori Poppe http://lorillijeanscreativecorner.blogspot.com/

Rachel Mallis http://mintmonarch.com/blog

Robin Kae Reed http://artistryhcbd.indiemade.com/blog

Terri Arcas http://driftnbleu.blogspot.com/

Gloria Allen http://wingsandbeads.blogspot.com/

 

Thanks for stopping by.  I participated in another blog hop today, so be sure to visit it /pepitas-butterfly-birthday-blog-hop-and-giveaway 

 

Carolyn