Bead Peeps Swap N Hop - Info for my partner and other ramblings

I am so excited!

I got my partner this week - Catherine (Cat) La Vite of Dry Gulch Beads! She works with her family at their bead store - they have an  Etsy Store and a fantastic Blog! Please check them out!

And here are my answers for the Partner Intro

1. Why or how did you get started making Jewelry? - I got started as a youngster (11 or 12ish) as a means to get me to keep still for long periods of time while going through medical procedures. It started with putting seed beads on strings. Now its a pretty much full time obsession. I also love hoarding things so - match made in heaven!

2. What style(s) of jewelry do you like to make? I like incorporating nature as much as I can into my beadwork. My style varies though depending on my mood. I like to make things that go with something I am going to be wearing or things for special events (Holiday parties, the Renaissance Faire, etc.) I love just about everything vintage (Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Victorian, Edwardian) and historical (especially Ancient Egypt and Rome and the Renaissance.)

Here are a few examples (these are my favorite pieces to date)

The Porcelain Snowy owl is by Artist Laura Mears. This was a struggle for me since it is only shades of black, white and gray. No "colors" at all.


I made this bracelet last year for the Endless Sky Challenge, it is the one I wear the most
The owl clasp is from Green Girl Studios.



I made these earrings last year for the Festival Lights Challenge, I even helped a friend make a similar pair (in her favorite colors, not pictured)


And I really am enjoying the necklace I am making with the Cloud Bridge Challenge beads...its not done yet, however, I will post them when it is :)

3. What materials do you prefer to use (and which ones do you avoid)? I love using vintage beads and findings, gemstones and natural beads, czech glass, swarovski crystals, Vintaj Brass, Copper, Arte Metal and Pewter, silk ribbons, leather, and patina paints. I don't like plastic unless it is vintage lucite. I prefer smaller beads (10mm or less), I have a hard time figuring out chunky beads.

4. What techniques do you prefer (and are there any you don't like)? I like stringing, wirework, and bead embroidery. I can't weave beads or figure out kumihimo to save my life - I will leave those to the experts out there!

5. What colors do you use most and which do you run screaming from? I love earth and jewel tones (brown, emerald, blue, aqua, purple, burgundy), not a fan of brights or pastels (warming up to pastels...still a little afraid of them) and I run screaming from Red, Orange, and Yellow (learning to love them in very small tiny itty bitty increments.)

And other random things...
I love to read. I am a birder, I love hiking, fishing, and camping. I live in the Pacific Northwest and I am inspired by the awesome natural areas here. We have 2 major mountain ranges (Cascades and Olympics), the Sound, the Ocean and Eastern Wa which is desert.

A few of my favorite places here in Washington:

Coal Creek Falls, Issaquah WA


Yakima River Valley, Yakima WA


Rock formations, Umptanum trail. Yakima WA


Fort Casey Lighthouse, Whidbey Island, WA


Doe and Fawn, Whidbey Island, WA


I am super new to using Facebook but it has become a fun place to meet fellow beaders. I am super happy I came across the Swap N Hop! Thank you Linda Anderson for allowing me to join your group :)

Happy 2016!

Boy have I been busy!

I purchased a Design Challenge kit from  Allegory Gallery (I borrowed the photo below, I am waiting for the kit to arrive :)

I am so excited! The colors are so delicate and pretty - just what I need. It has been grey and cold here in the Pacific Northwest...Winter is the hardest season for me to get through.



I got a smartphone for Christmas and I have also been dragged kicking and screaming over to Facebook (fun so far, still have no idea what I am doing, lol)

I am in the middle of a massive reorganization/destash of my bead hoard. I also started a bead embroidery project, however, the going is slow as my tendinitis has been acting up.

Hopefully, I will have new creations to share soon!

Happy 2016 everyone :)

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 :)