Monday, March 12, 2012

Suddenly Spring

Suddenly Spring Challenge


















Ah, yes...Michelle Mach's "Suddenly Spring" challenge.  We were challenged to take the bracelet you see here, and cut the stretchy cord.  We promised to make one, two, or many pieces of springlike jewelry from these crystal components.  So, with no further ado, here's what I made, with some additions from my own stash of beads and findings, and without very many of the crystal spacers, I confess.  I just couldn't fit them in, you know?  They just didn't work for me.  Moving on.


I made this pair of earrings first.  They're light and bright and swingy and springy.  For each earring, I used three separate ball-tipped antiqued copper headpins, two with tiny aquamarine AB round crystals (with a turquoise seed bead sitting atop each) and one with small antiqued copper daisy spacers on either end of the large aquamarine crystal rondelles, a tiny turquoise seed bead sitting on top, and then the same tiny round crystals perched above.  I cut the headpins to different lengths, so each dangle is a different length.  I attempted to add crimp beads above the dangles, but...no go.  The beads swing free, as you can see.  They're attached to a jump ring, which in turn is attached to antiqued copper ear wires.
























Now, why will this picture not rotate?  Whatever...I've tried and tried, with no success; time to move on.  I used round white shell "windows" that are stuffed (literally!) with the aquamarine crystal rondelles from the original bracelet.  I used frosted opal AB teardrops in between each glittery window. 





Here are the matching (coordinating?) earrings...the same white shell "windows" with the aquamarine rondelles inside; little silver daisy spacers and turquoise seed beads on top, and then a trio of wire-wrapped tiny round aquamarine AB crystal dangles. 


And finally, the necklace.  What is springy-er than a sweet little bird's nest, full of eggs?  I used one of my decoupaged wooden tiles, some silver chain, and added eye pins strung with the aquamarine crystal rondelles and using the crystal spacers, as well!  Check it out:

And that's it!  I made four pieces of jewelry and used a good portion of the "ingredients" from the original bracelet.  My trouble spot was the spacers...I just wasn't feeling them.  Can't wait to see what everyone else has created...you can peek at everything here: 

 Michelle - Beads & Books - http://www.michellemach.com/blog/ [Hostess]

Andrew - The Writing & Art of Andrew Thornton - http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

 Christa - Adventures of One Beady Woman - http://adventuresofwonebeadywoman.blogspot.com/

 Dita - Alankarshilpa - -http://www.alankarshilpa.blogspot.com/

 Erin - Erin Siegel Jewelry - http://erinsiegeljewelry.blogspot.com/

Heather - As I Bead It - http://erinsiegeljewelry.blogspot.com/

Jean - Snap Out of It Jean - There's Beading to Be Done! - http://prettykittydogmoonjewelry.blogspot.com/

 Karen - Over the Moon Design - http://www.overthemoon-design.com/

Kate - We Can Make That At Home - http://katerichbourg.blogspot.com/

Kay - Palm Coast Art - http://palmcoastart.blogspot.com/

 Kim - CianciBlue - http://cianciblue.blogspot.com/

 Kristina - Wild Roses and Blackberries - http://wildrosesandblackberries.blogspot.com/

 Linda - Lindy's Designs - http://www.lindysdesigns.blogspot.com/

Lisa - Pine Ridge Treasures - http://pineridgetreasures.blogspot.com/

Marlene - Amazing Designs by Marlene - http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com/

 Michelle - Reverie & Revival - http://reverieandrevival.blogspot.com/

Pam - The Crazy Creative Corner - http://crazycreativecorner.blogspot.com/

Pamela - Someday Beads - http://somedaybeads.blogspot.com/

 Renetha - Lamplight Crafts - http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/

 Sharyl - Catchenthesun - http://catchenthesun.wordpress.com/

Terry - Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry - http://pinkchapeau.wordpress.com/

 Therese  - Therese's Treasures - http://www.theresestreasures59.blogspot.com/




16 comments:

  1. Donetta, All four of your pieces are gorgeous! I love them all, but my favorite is the necklace with the bird nest pendant.
    Therese

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  2. These all turned out so well. Love those first set of earrings, though. ;-)

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  3. Beautiful job. Especially like the bird nest pendant.

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  4. Beautiful job, I love everything you did!

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  5. Great pieces! I like them all, but those swingy earrings and the nest necklace are my favorites.

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  6. Beautiful! I love the bracelet especially. They work so well in those shell windows!

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  7. I wasn't feeling the spacers either! I like that you got so many ear rings out of the bracelet. I especially like the necklace with the bird's nest. That says spring to me!

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  8. Beautiful pieces. I especially like the bird pendant necklace. The first pair of earrings are very elegant and I like the way you cut them to different lengths.

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  9. Great work! Lots of pieces! And I LOVE the bird pendant.

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  10. Niiiiiiiice! I really like the swing-y earrings (tho' I also like the "windows"... okay, I like it all!) I'm with you about the silver crystal spacers. I never did figure out how to use them... of course, after seeing what *others* did, I have a few ideas, buuuut...
    Beautiful job.

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  11. Donetta - I think that placing the blue beads in those shell windows was brilliant - love it! The pretty pendant really says Spring, and matched perfectly - great pieces!

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  12. Those spacers are trouble, aren't they? I especially love your necklace with that bird pendant. The blue in the pendant looks like a perfect match for the blue beads. Thanks for joining the challenge!

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  13. I love what you did! I would buy it! It is indeed "Simply Georgeous"! jean xox

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  14. All your pieces are pretty, but I really love the beachy feel of the bracelet and earring set. The bird necklace is my second favorite...you and I were on the same wavelength making beaded chain by stringing the crystals. Lovely!

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  15. Love the swingy earrings, I found the spacers tricky to use as well. Thanks for the comments on my post.

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Thank you so much for commenting!