Memories and Thanks Blog Hop Reveal

As a "silent" follower of Lori Anderson's blog, Pretty Things, I lurked in the shadows for ages...personally blogless and deeply impressed by all the amazing pieces of jewelry created by Lori's friends and followers for the annual Bead Soup Blog Parties.  I wanted to be part of this group...oh, I wanted it so badly!  But the mechanics of creating a blog were, I thought, beyond me.

With some encouragement from friends, and some HANDS ON (!) help from Lori herself, I finally created a blog, strictly so I could join the bead soup parties and be part of this community of beaders and stringers and knotters.  And I have done just this...poorly, for the most part, as the mechanics still mostly elude me.  Photography and technology in general are not where I excel.  But one of my resolutions for the coming year is to embrace the process, read the manual that came with the camera, and get with the program. 

This particular blog hop really spoke to me.  Memories and thanks...what a terrific idea!  I'm contributing to this blog hop in memory of my Grandma Ellen, who meant the world to me.  I loved her so much!  And you know what?  You would have loved her, too.

My grandma was the oldest of several children in a poor family in Indiana...she was born in 1898 (I know this, because when I was 10 she gave me a real silver dollar from that year so I'd never forget when she was born).  She worked in a bank until she married my grandfather at the advanced age of 28 (he was a young lad of only 22...quite a scandal!)  When her two children were mostly raised, the family moved to Sebastopol, California, where she began working as a bookkeeper in an apple cannery.  In fact, she worked as the cannery's bookkeeper full time until she was 76 years old, long after my grandpa died.  Every morning she would hook herself into the most amazing corset (swearing all the while...hating her large breasts and wishing they belonged to anyone but her), attach her support hose to the garters hanging from that corset, and put on her slip, blouse, and suit.  Then she would spray herself with Avon cologne, put on her makeup and do her hair, and finally she would visit her jewelry box and choose a brooch to wear, and matching clip-on earrings. Then she'd light a cigarette, drink a cup of percolated black coffee, and off she'd go.  In my mind, my grandma was the most exotic woman in the world.  She worked; she had a housekeeper; she bought cases of Coca Cola (in glass bottles) from the guy who stocked the vending machine at work, and kept cold Coke in her rounded vintage refrigerator just for her grandchildren!

Ah, those brooches!  My grandma was a short, stout woman...but she was drawn to Sarah Coventry brooches like a bee is drawn to nectar.  BIG brooches.  Big and glittery and showy.  I never knew what became of all the treasures in my grandma's jewelry box after she died; she lived a long time (until she was 96), and spent at least five years in a nursing home before she died.  When my father died two years ago, my sister found two of the brooches in Dad's handkerchief drawer.  She gave them both to me, thinking that I could use them in one of my creations. 

You know, I never really found a use for them...until I read Lori's post about the "Memories and Thanks" blog hop.  I tried everything I could think of to make this particular brooch into something that was "mine"...I tried inserting beads and pearls into the chain.  I tried using a beautiful antiqued brass bail.  Ultimately, every single thing I added actually detracted from the finished piece.  And that's not the point of making jewelry, is it?  It's not supposed to be so busy that it hurts the eyes to look at it!  And believe me, this focal is busy enough...bright and shiny enough...just by itself.  So although I feel like I'm cheating by simply attaching a chain...it stands alone much better than with anything else hanging from it or attached to it. 

Here we go:

 

Can you see the absolute glitziness of the center focal?  It's like GLITTER CONFETTI!  Here's a picture of more of the whole piece, which in reality is just a chain attached to the brooch:

 

Oh, this makes me miss my grandma more than ever!  She was the most understanding person in my world.  When I visited, I slept in Grandma's double bed with her.  She would wrap her hair in toilet paper and pin it in place, put on a hairnet, and TAKE OUT HER TEETH!  But then morning would come, and she would transform herself into an elegant (in my eyes, anyway) career lady...an amazing thing to behold.

 

Please visit the other bloggers participating in this challenge:

 



Adlinah Kamsir Dream Struck Designs

Aimee Biondolillo Aimee's Jewelry Treasures

Alicia Marinache All the Pretty Things
Andra Marasteanu Handmade by Indra Marasteanu
Andrea Trank Heaven Lane Creations
April Grinaway Brooklyn Bead Goddess

Barb Solem Vivi Magoo Presents

Becky Pancake Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Beth Emery Stories by Indigo Heart

Bonnie Coursolle Jasper's Gems

Cassi Paslick Beads: Rolling Downhill

Catherine King Catherine's Musings

Cece Cormier The Beading Yogini

Chandra Leitz Juniper Goods

Charissa Nesler FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka Clay Space

Christina Hickman Vintage Treasures Jewelry
Christine Stonefield Sweet Girl Design

Chrizette Bayman Bead Soup Mix

Cindy Wilson It's My Sea of Dreams

Crystal Thain Here Bead Dragons

Cyndi Lavin Beading Arts

Debbie Rasmussen A little of this, a little of that

Denielle Hagerman Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez Arte y Poemas

Diane Hawkey diane hawkey

Dita Basu ankarshilpa

Donetta Farrington Simply Gorgeous (You are here!)

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell Deeliteful Jewelry Creations

Emma Todd A Polymer Penchant

Erin Kenny beadiful therapy

Erin Prais-Hintz Treasures Found

Gina Hockett Freestyle Elements

Gloria Allen Innovative Dreams Jewelry

Heather Marston CSW Designs

Inge von Roos Inge's Blog

Jacqueline Marchant Fiddledeedee Jewelry

Jami Shipp Celebrating Life!

Jean Yates Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!

Jennifer Reno Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo Peppa's Dream

Jennifer VanBenschoten Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren Cellar Door Jewelry

Jessica Murray Whimsical Monkey

Joan Williams lilruby jewelry

Jo-Ann Woolverton It's a Beadiful Creation

Joanne Browne josjewels1

Jodie Marshall Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art

Johanna Rhodes Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC

JuLee Wolfe The Polymer Penguin

Julie Bean Blue Pig Blog

Karen Mitchell Over the Moon Designs

Karin King The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton Backstory Beads

Kat Douglas Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton Toodles and Binks

Kelly Hosford Patterson The Traveling SideShow

Kim Ballor Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity

Kim Dworak CianciBlue

Kim Houston The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter Kym Hunter Designs

Laren Dee Barton Laren Dee Designs

Lea Avroch LA Jewelry Designs

Leanne Loftus First Impression Design

Lena Adams (Mari's daughter) -- TBA
Liddy McLaughlin Liddy McLaughlin Art

Linda Florian Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations

Linda Inhelder Must-Haves Jewelry

Lisa Hamilton Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver Fancee That

Lori Bowring Michaud Artfully Ornamental

Lori Poppe Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean

LouAnn Elwell Southpass Beads

Mandi Effron Craft-o-licious

Marcia DeCoster MadDesigns

Marcia Dunne The Alternative Foundry

Marie Covert Creating Interest

Marjorie Savill Linthwaite bennubirdrising

Marlene Cupo Amazing Designs by Marlene

Martha Aleo Ornamento

Marti Conrad Marti's Buttons -n- Beads

Mary Ellen Parker BeeTree by m.e.

Mary Govaars MLH Jewelry Designs

Mary Lindell Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry

Maureen Connolly Mrs Beadsley's Workshop

Maybeline Tay The Jewelry Larder

Melissa Elgin The Addicted Beader

Melissa Mesara one-eared pig beads

Menka Gupta Menka's Jewelry

Michaela Pabeschitz la mar de bonita

Mischelle Fanucchi Micheladas Musings

Mona Rae Baroody Who Does She Bead She Is?

Nan Emmett Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth

Nancy Pedersen Something Heartfelt by Nancy

Natalie Davidson NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas Bead It and Weep

Pam Farren re-maker

Pam, the Crazier Sister The Crazy Creative Corner
Priya Krish Hellopalz
Rebecca Anderson Song Beads

Rebecca Sirevaag Becca's Place

Robin Kae Reed Artistry HCBD

Rochelle Brisson a creative chelle

Sabine Dittrich perlendschungel

Sandi Volpe Sandi Volpe

Sandra McGriff Creative Chaos

Sarah Goode Pookledo
Sarah Singer String a Song of Sixpence

Serena Trent All Things Made Jewelry

Shai Williams Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac Sharon's Jewelry Garden

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections

Sheila Davis Stone Designs

Shelley Graham Turner Fabric of My Life

Sherri Stokey Knot Just Macrame

Sherry Baun Unicorns Jewels

Skylar Bre'z Brising Beads

Stephanie Haussler Pixybug Designs

Tania Spivey Moobie Grace Designs

Terri G. Blooming Ideas

Terry Carter Tapping Flamingo

Terry Matuszyk Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry

Toltec Jewels Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse Goldkisses Art

Tracy Martin Nutkitten's Jewelry

Zia Parks Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe

Zoe Marcin Beads, Tea and Sweets