Some fun things!

I have really fallen off of the bead bandwagon lately

Aren't these luscious???

They are from Flaming Eck on Etsy.

Her work is wonderful! I promptly

had to make earrings.

So summery and fun.

I also got these amazing tangerine disc's from 

Rachel Art Glass on etsy

And these wonderful lamp work beads from 

Bubby and McGurk

And these amazing polymer buttons from 

Lynda Moseley of Diva Designs

I am not sure what exactly I am going to do

with these lovelies, but I am thinking of simply putting

a bail on the back and creating a pendant or using them

as a clasp. Love these.

At some point I really need to sell things or my 

bead table is going to explode from the weight of

all this goodness.

Here's to bead goodness!

I.Heart.Macro

I.Heart.Macro

I love these opalescent peanut beads

(more about them in a later post)

I love how the end captured the texture of the fabric.

Please hop over to Lori's blog for more wonderful goodness.

Absence

Not all bad.

I apologize, life has been crazy!

Hubby's job

My daughter is a senior in high school and we

are dealing with the whole college thing.

My son is filled with 13 year old testosterone and 

teenage angst.

We almost lost our older dog to a spider bite,

my work is, well, work. 

Not that these are excuses,

but seem to get in the way.

We had a wonderful Easter!

I have created some fun pieces!

this is my version of Marsha Neal Studio's 

Swinging Trapeze from the latest Wire Jewelry issue.

Love the pink in these!

But the most amazing thing that I got to do was tag along

with my daughter when she went to the Holi Celebration

at UMD this past Saturday.

My baby!

Look at the joy in these kids! So pure and real.

I loved this! LOVED!

Her allowing me to come along and photograph,

her friends being so open to the same.

I am coming to the realization that this is what I want to do.

Scares the hell out of me.

I love jewelry, but I make, photograph, and list

and nothing really sells. I love making, love the

creating, but am stuck.

But am more than open to suggestions! :)

So, pardon the absence. It has been crazy. 

I am working on backing up my photos as my computer

is old and groaning under the weight.

I was kinda surprised that it took the 1250 photos

from Saturday!

So, in a nutshell, I am stuck!

Trying to find my way.

A fun new piece

I was in our favorite thrift store when I came across 

a fun chain belt with gothic type crosses in it. I immediately

thought that it would make fun pieces. 

I created a few and my family immediately nixed them, 

love them but hate them. :)

I did end with this and have to say that I am very happy with it. Kinda goth,

kinda fun.  

Dark chain, clear-ish chinese crystals, 

metallic green chinese crystals and a forest

green quartz crystal from norah62

(love her stuff)

For those of you who watch CSI, hubby says it is something 

Lady Heather would wear! Becoming

a part of my wardrobe!

Happy Tuesday.

Novica Winner

And we have a winner!

I used my trusty assistant

and he choose number 7

LoriF, come on down!

Please contact me so I can send you the

gift code!!!

Congratulations LoriF.

Colors of Spring Design Challenge

(Novica giveaway announced tomorrow)


Margarita, Cabaret, Sweet Lilac, Drift Wood,

Solar Power, Bell Flower, Starfish,

Cockatoo, Tangerine Tango

What do all of these beautiful colors have in common?

Sally Russick of the Studio Sublime,

that's what.

Sally invited a group of us to play along. 

 We each got to choose what color we wanted and 

she created, enameled and sent them off.

I got my fav, tangerine tango!

And some beautiful turquoise enameled beads also. 

(forgot to take a before picture, so picture something wonderful

in your  mind)

I had to laugh about my color choice because when I look

at my jewelry a huge chunk of it is tangerine and turquoise, or

thereabouts. :) 

Ok, ok, I am rambling. Moving on.

I strung and unstrung, match and unmatched several

times before I hit upon what I wanted to make. 

Here it is.

Antiqued copper chain, yellow czech flowers, Sally's beautiful beads,

one of MissFickleMedia's circle's (love her work) and turquoise czech

flower beads. Throw in a few seed beads and there you have it.

Luscious!

I used the Sally's turquoise cylinder beads and some tangerine

czech flowers for earrings. 

Thank you Sally! This was a blast.

Please visit these other amazing artists to see what they created

for the Colors of Spring Design Challenge.

Host: Sally RussickMargarita
Therese Frank
Kim BenderCabaret
JLynn Jewels
Christine AltmillerSweet Lilac
Cherrie Fick
Jenny VidbergDriftwood
Sabine Dittrich
Hope SmithermanSolar Power
Nicole Rennell
Erin Fickert-Rowland Bell Flower
Patti Vanderbloemen
Kristi BowmanStarfish
Shannon Chomanczuk
Elisabeth AuldCockatoo
Alice Peterson
Donna BradleySodalite Blue
Kristi Harrison
Cilla WatkinsTangerine Tango
Lesley Watt
Maryanne Gross
Susan Kennedy
Courtney White Breul

A wonderful giveaway!

Happy Monday and what better way to start your

Monday than with a giveaway!

The generous folks at NOVICA have given me a gift certificate to

give to one of you.

Please go to www.NOVICA.com and take a look

at the wonderful items that are there. 

This is a National Geographic site and is so amazing.

I am having a really hard time deciding what to get,

thinking of this though!!!!

So summery and fun!

I will draw a name on Saturday, so please

leave a comment to be entered!

Good Luck

Echo Creative Club

Can you believe it is the third month of this

wonderfulness?

Jeannie of jkdjewelry started this in January

and I was lucky enough to be able to play.

So, this month I got one of her wonderful 

polymer sand dollars.

(I have been drooling over these for a loooong while now)

Love this. 

I knew that I wanted to create something simple and peaceful

while  doing justice to Jeannie's wonderful piece.

I had a good idea of what I wanted, it was just coming up with the

materials needed.  Nothing a quick trip to my LBS wouldn't cure.

Once I had everything, it all came together really 

quickly and I am loving this piece.

Antiqued brass chain, hand wrapped amazonite, czech crystals, green and turq. glass pearls 

along with Jeannie's wonderful polymer sand dollar. It has a simple lobster claw clasp.

Thank you Jeannie, for allowing me to play.

Please visit the below blogs to see 

what amazing pieces the others have created.

Beth Emery http://storiesbyindigoheart.blogspot.com

Birgitta Lejonklou http://lejonklou.blogspot.com

Cindy Cima Edwards http://www.cindycima.com

Courtney Breul http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com - you are here! :)

Erin Prais-Hintz http://treasures-found.blogspot.com

Kristen Stevens http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Molly Alexander http://www.beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com

Shannon Chomanczuk http://www.formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com

And of course Jeannie

I.Heart.Macro

Flame.

I apologize it has been a full week since I have posted.

Life has gotten in the way.

Please hop over to Lori's blog

to see more macro goodness.

I.Heart.Macro

Please hop on over to Lori's blog

to see more macro goodness.

Remember to set your clocks this morning.

Happy Sunday.