Last Harvest / Gold Dust Reveals

Last Harvest Challenge:

Orange, bane of the color wheel! (well, for me) still a challenge for me to make things with it. Nature happened to be pulling out all the stops with the fall leaf color change though, so I was able to get inspiration just by looking out the window.

Gold Dust Challenge:

For me, this was all about the pyrite beads - I have always wanted some to play with but never bought any, I considered them too rich for my designs. I dug into my gemstone stash and messed around with some long forgotten wire working skills. Sadly, the mystery component is still on my bead desk, waiting it's turn:

Please make sure to stop by Andrew's Blog to see the rest of the awesome creations!

New Beads!

I just had to share these, they are the most Awesome Owl Beads by Anne Choi. I saved up and now own these 2.

Brave Angel Challenge Reveal

I loved this kit so much  - but I started feeling run down, then BAM I am stuck with a cold. I have not gotten very much made in recent weeks as I am battling my way back to health.

Here what I have managed to make.

Everything in this necklace was from the kit except for the brass hardware. Finding so many uses for seed beads with each kit I get. :)

A bracelet inspired by my body wash bottle (of all things) and by a pretty design in my Bohemian Inspired beading book by Loreli Eurto

I saw a design for this piece in one of my Jewelry Affaire magazines, however, I don't know what one it was and I don't have the original artist's name on hand...I will update this post when I find it.

And of course I had to make something with birds on it

And a group shot

Please make sure to stop by Andrew Thorton's Blog to see all the other wonderful pieces and Auctions.

Lunar Eclipse Challenge reveal

Sorry for the dark photos folks - I ran out of sunlight today :(

I will try to retake these next week....In the mean time, here are my pieces for this challenge:

Don't forget to check out Andrew Thorton's Blog to see what else was created with this amazing kit!

Warrior Stone Challenge reveal

<crossing fingers>

I never have luck when I set the posts up in advance to post on time. I am going to try this again anyway as this will be a busy week at work and I will forget to post my beads like last time.

Labradorite is one of my 3 top coveted stones (along with Rainbow Moonstone and Kyanite) so I thought I would be in for a treat and also an easy time with designing pieces.

I WAS in for a treat - there was so much Labradorite in my kit that I was beside myself with joy. Designing pieces was a challenge - I did not manage to come up with the right design for the pretty pendant that Andrew made (I ripped apart 3 different necklaces with no luck.)

The fiddly-I-will-never-make-these-again took me 2 days to figure out how to get to hang right earrings:

I really wanted to use leather - I think I did ok with it. Pewter button from Green Girl Studios. The crystal pendant is also from Green Girl Studios/Andrew Thorton.

I loved the little lucite? teardrops - All of the beads in this necklace are from the kit with the exception of the little brass rounds and 2 8mm swarovksi's.


I have been wanting to use this antique locket for some time - I finally got brave enough to take it out of my hoard and make something with it.

I came across the rutliated quartz pendant while searching for something else in my stash - I used the labradorite chips from the kit and added little ruby rounds to break them up a bit. It laid itself out like a heart when I was setting it up.

I made these after seeing a pattern for them in Jewelry Affaire Magazine (July/Aug/Sept 2015), the artist who created the design is Takako Saiin. 

Well, that is all for this kit - I have to get cracking on the Lunar Eclipse Challenge kit. And the Brave Angel kit...and a zillion other things :)

Dreaming Tree Challenge reveal

I am so behind on my beady crafts!

So here is my kit (my boyfriend pointed out how the pendant matched my nails) - The nail color is called Dusty Miller and is from Priti NYC (my fave nail polish brand)

And here are the pretties:

Don't forget to see all of the other lovelies created by:

Alison Herrington http://alisonadorns.blogspot.com/

Tammy Bowman http://innermusejewelry.blogspot.com

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

Michelle McCarthy - Playing with Clay http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com/

Ann Schroeder http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com

Dolores Raml http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com

Shaiha Williams http://www.shaihasramblings.com/

Andrew Thornton, Nancy Noyes-Ward, Laurel Ross, Cheryl Lee Tucker, Dawn Berkebile, and Melissa Wynne http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

Hopefully I can remember the reveal date for the next challenge!

Endless Sky Challenge Reveal

This was supposed to post automatically for me this afternoon but technology was not playing nice with me.

Anyway.....

Endless Sky - Pacific Northwest Style (Middle Fork, Snoqualmie River):

Here are the goodies from the kit before I attacked them:

And after:

Don't forget to stop by an visit the all of the wonderful challenge participants

Dolores Raml

Marybeth Rich

Mona Arnott

Christina Hickman - You are here, thanks for stopping in! :)

Shaiha Williams

Kathy Lindemer

Ann Schroeder

Tammy Bowman

Alison Herrington

Jeanne Steck

Andrew Thornton, Melissa Wynne, and Laurel Ross

Sweet Honey Challenge reveal

Howdy folks!

In between a long vacation and a horrible allergy attack I was able to create these 2 pieces with my kit (much more still in progress on bead desk grrrrr)

I am going to seriously lock myself in my apartment for a whole weekend and have a "what's left from all of my kits" creativity session.

My photos are not the best (we are back to the lovely Pacific Northwest "Grey" for weather.

With Andrew's focal, I created a light, delicate piece. I wanted the attention to go to the focal. I used one of my vintage buttons for the clasp along with some vintage brass filigree beads.

I used the amber chips and citrine nuggets to create this necklace along with a Green Girl Studios fox pedant.

I will come back and post the rest of my goodies once they are done today or tomorrow. I have to say the bees in North Carolina are HUGE. There was this one that kept teasing my friend's dog. The bees seemed friendly enough and curious about us (and about the size of my thumb!)

I am not sure if you can see the bee in this picture, he is on the left just above the rock wall.

Here are a few more pieces I finished today:

A coiled seed bead bangle with leather cord and an antique glass button:

A rosary chain style necklace with a bee connector and matching earrings:

And here is the list of all the lovely people who participated in the challenge:

Carole Carlson

Alison Herrington

Shaiha Williams

Ann Schroeder

Christina Hickman

Dolores Raml

Cheri Reed

Sarajo Wentling

Karin Grosset Grange

Gloria Allen

Andrew Thornton, Kate Enniss-Reid, and Sandi Bass

Frenzied Motion Challenge - Reveal also with finished goodies from the last challenge

Ok so here are my creations for the Frenzied Motion Challenge (a day late, shame on me)

I was all over the place as far as ideas...hot pink is scary!

Thankfully I had this lovely butterfly pendant in my stash

Also while digging through said stash, I found an unopened box "The Coiling Gizmo". Had no idea when or why I got it. OMG Why have I not played with it before now I don't know. The thing is awesome.

I coiled up the seed bead mix, strung the coil on brown greek leather and used a vintage button for a clasp. Easy breezy

I loved this single crystal point, accented it with the swarovski crystals, also from the mix

I made a trio of memory wire bangles (also playing with memory wire for the first time, loving it!

I love how each challenge has me trying different methods!

And here are a few more pieces from the Desert Sands Challenge

Desert Sunset (owl by Laura Mears)

I finished a pair of earrings, started a pendant (ran out of chain for it)

That's all for now folks!

Up next will be the Sweet Honey Challenge

Be sure to visit all of the other great artists that participated in the Challenge!

Beadsophisticate
Michelle McCarthy
Marybeth Rich
Alison Herrington
Ann Schroeder
Tammy Bowman
Christina Porter
Andrew Thornton, Laurel Ross, Joanne Goldberg, Lisa Mendum