Evening Elegance Blog Hop reveal

Today is the day for the reveal of the Evening Elegance Blog Hop sponsored by Lisa Lodge of A Grateful Artist.  I purchased a bead kit from Lisa and I was to use the kit and any additional beads from my stash to make different pieces of jewelry.

Lisa is always very generous with her kits and I was able to make two pieces with earrings with beads left over.  I hope to be making at least two additional necklaces and earrings.

Here is a picture of some of the beads that I received.  For some reason I didn't get a picture of the black beads that I received and those are the ones that I didn't finish making things from.  Will have to include a picture with the new post.

Lots of crystals

I was able to use most of the beads in the above picture.  Starting with the beads at the bottom of the picture, I used pink oval shaped pressed glass beads along with two shades of pink crystals to make a necklace and earrings.

Going with the Evening Elegance theme I went with a shorter necklace than what I usually make.

The next necklace and earrings are from the violet crystals and larger beads of a similar color that were included in the kit.  I added silver bead caps and crystal cut seed beads as spacers.  This necklace is also shorter than what I usually make.

I made two sets of earrings as I couldn't decide which I liked better and I had enough beads to make both.

Hoop earrings

 

Dangle earrings

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my jewelry.  Please feel free to leave a comment.

Be sure to stop my the other participants and view what they made.


Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool Jewelry

Therese Frank, Therese's Treasures

Jacqui Kipfer, Seven Oaks Jewellery

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Marde Lowe, Fancimardesigns

Thank you for stopping by and be sure to stop by again. 

I have another challenge reveal on February 18, 2016, for Andrew Thornton's Cloud Bridge Challenge. 

I am also working on a challenge for Firefly Design Studio Designer Challenge.  There will be a public voting on the pieces from February 20 to February 29.  I will be sure to let you know the Facebook address so that you can vote on the pieces.

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

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

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

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.

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

Pine Ridge Treasures Clay and Metal blog Hop reveal

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.

 

 

Please be sure to come back tonight to see what my finished pieces look like.  Also, be sure to visit the other designers that worked with Sharyl's beautiful pieces. 

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

Toltec Jewels, 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