Gemstone & Metal Blog Hop

Today's the day for the Pine Ridge Treasures Gemstone & Metal Blog Hop! All participants were send a kit containing a semi-precious gemstone in different shapes and sizes and a variety of plated metal.

                                                           My kit contained Green Line Jasper and brass                              
                                                                            

I was having a hard time deciding what to make - tried a few designs ...... nothing that I liked. So I woke up this morning and started working again - this is what I came up with ......

I used a green line jasper coin bead, a couple of brass barrels and the toggle from my kit, then added some small beads and crystals from my stash.

Please check out all of the fabulous designers jewelry in this fun hop! Thank you Lisa Lodge for putting this together!!

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Karen Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Katrina Taylor, I Wanna Go Out

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog

Margaret Pelech, Big Margaret

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware (May be delayed a few days)

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design.......You are here!

Robin Reed, Artistry HCBD

Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry

Cassi Renee Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill

Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons

Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things (May be delayed a few days)

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Judy Campbell, Macmillanmarie Jewellery Design

Nan Smith, Handmade Jewelry Nanmade

Marde Lowe, FanciMarDesigns

Linda Anderson, From the Bead Board

Leithleach Alainn Seodra, Alainn Jewelry

Lisa E. Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs
Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

Roz Savage

“I have learned to accept that, in the present moment at least, things are exactly as they are meant to be, and although I cannot control the future any more than I could control the wind and the weather, I can manage it and influence it in a positive way.”

Creative Spark Magazine ~ Summer 2014

There was another call out to ZnetShows Design Team members for a Summer Challenge - to make one daytime (casual) and one nighttime (dressy) set for the latest edition of Creative Spark magazine.

                                            I picked the colors, blue and yellow, and ZnetShows picked the beads.

                My pieces could be worn for Summer Days or Summer Nights - they are casual-blingy enough for either.

For my first set, I used the Sea Glass teardrop, opaque blue (S77-B46), and turquoise and orange crystals from my own stash for the earrings. The bracelet has a Sea Glass fancy ring, desert gold (PMX7-B16), Sea Glass freeform curved pendant (P16-B46) and the same turquoise and orange crystals.

For my second set, I wire wrapped Sea Glass teardrops, amber (S77-B17) and added blue crystals for a little bling. The necklace is longer and has a Sea Glass fancy ring, royal blue (PMX7-B33), Sea Glass sand dollar, desert gold (P49-B16S), Sea Glass conch shell, turquoise bay (S29-B28S) and a Sea Glass fish pendant (P51-B84)

Please check out ZnetShows blog, the Creative Spark magazine and all of the  amazing designers in this challenge.

Amy Severino

Andrea Trank

BeckyPancake

BobbieRafferty

BR Kuhlman

CharlieJacka

ChristieMurrow

ChristinaMiles

ChristineStonefield

CynthiaMachata

CynthiaRiggs

DonettaFarrington

HopeSmitherman

KashmiraPatel

KathyLindemer

Kay Thomerson

KellyPatterson

KlaudeteKoon

Lee Koopman

Lisa Lodge

RenethaStanziano

SandraWashington

Shaiha Williams

SherylStephens

StephanieHaussler

TammieEverly

8th Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal

The 8th Bead Soup Blog Party is on! A great big Thank You to Lori Anderson of Pretty Things for all of the hard work she puts into her pride and joy, the Bead Soup Blog Party!!

My ever-so-talented partner, Christina Miles of Wings and Scales, made me two - yes 2!! - or her amazing pendants!! They are little pieces of artwork - I feel so lucky that she sent me two!! She made the clasp and connectors, too!! It's too bad she doesn't live a couple states closer because I'd definitely take a roadtrip to visit her so I could learn how to make them!

I started with the lovely sun pendant and wire wrapped some of the beads that Chris sent me - they go perfectly with the pendant! I wanted to highlight the amazing pendant, so I only added a few beads on each side, used the handmade clasp and some of the sari silk she sent.

Another close up of the pendant, copper clasp and connectors that Chris made

          I made a pair of earrings to go with the necklace - I chose silver because I like to mix metals when I wear them.

I wanted to make a bracelet with some of the beads Chris sent me, so I found the bird focal in my stash and started adding beads to it. I used flower beads and a small Humblebeads pendant that were in my stash.

I was having a hard time deciding how to make the sweet bird pendant shine - I finally got inspired yesterday. I used beads and connectors from the soup that Chris sent and added blue beads from a rosary that was my Mom's which I feel is fitting since this is Mother's Day weekend. I knotted a bit of sari silk to the pendant and added some copper chain from my stash.

I really love the pendants Chris sent me and hope I did them justice! I'll definitely cherish them!! I can't wait to see the beautiful jewelry she made with her soup!!

Thank you for stopping by!! Please check out all of the participants in the party - here's the link to the party - all wonderfully talented designers!

Rumi

Meet My BSBP Partner, Christina Miles !

I want to introduce you to a fabulous artist, my new friend, Christina Miles of Wings and Scales! Chris started out painting beautiful paintings and, now, makes sweet fairy and mermaid dolls, designs jewelry, is a ZnetShows design team member and has recently started painting lovely little cabachons - I'm the lucky recipient of two of her creations!! She is also the mother of 2 wonderful young men, lives in Northern California, likes the beach and to travel whenever she can.

This is what I received from Chris - her handmade pendants are gorgeous and the copper clasp and connectors that she made are perfect!! The wood beads, orange beads, bead strands and recycled sari silk will go great with the pendants!

               Chris, also, sent me a bag full of vintage pendants and teardrops - so many little pretties to play with !!

You can find more of Chris' amazing creations on her Etsy shop and more of her beautiful artwork and jewelry can be found on her Flickr page.

Creative Spark Magazine ~ Spring 2014

I was chosen as one of the "lucky 13" ZnetShows design team members whose designs would be in the spring edition of Creative Spark magazine!! I always love working with the beads I receive from them!!

Here is the 2014 spring edition of Creative Spark magazine!!

Click to view Creative Spark - Spring 2014 on GLOSSI.COM

I went to work on the earrings first. I made a beachy pair of earrings using the concave coin pendant, turquoise bay (P31-B28S) along with my own coin puffed beads, peridot (S15-B23SFIV) and shell charm.

I wanted to make a beachy bracelet, so I started with the sea glass oval ring, peridot (S62-B23S) and added to it. I used some of the thrifted chain and spacers I received from the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party and added some of the sea glass pebbles, aquamarine (BDS1926-03) and my own sea glass rondelles, light green ceramic rounds and a starfish charm.

I made a swingy, springy pair of earrings with the Chinese crystal cubes, tangerine (RT250-83A) , rondelle beads, lemon (RS126-84AB), and rondelles, clear (RS127-01) along with my own fuschia Swarovski crystal bicones.

I love the colors in these Chinese crystal elongated oval beads, sahara green (RS249-122L) and matching diagonal drilled glass cube, sahara green (RS271-120).

I used the lovely Chinese crystal glass axe beads, sunglow (RS106-10), glass axe beads, grayish champagne (RS115-69L) and diagonal drilled glass cube, crystal AB (RS271-01AB).

I wanted to make a simple, long, blingy necklace that can be worn with a T-shirt and jeans or a night on the town. I used a Chinese crystal nugget faceted bead, tan (RS267-69) along with a gold faceted coin bead, square glass nugget bead, light yellow (RS202-68) and clear teardrop.

The last piece is completely blingy and fun! For the first row, I used the Chinese crystal glass oval beads, jet black (RS228-02S) with some of my glass cube beads, jet black (RT255-02). The second row is the diagonal drilled glass cubes, crystal AB (RS271-01AB) and my glass rondelle beads, crystal clear (RS152-01). For the third row, I used glass bicone beads, crystal AB (RS270-01AB) and my jet black faceted teardrops.

To be able to work with ZnetShows and all of the amazing designers is always such an honor! Everyone involved is so wonderful and helpful that it makes it a fun venture every time I'm asked!

Please check out the new spring issue of Creative Spark!!