Znetshows Summer Day and Night Challenge!

I am bringing up the rear on this reveal...I was supposed to have my post ready and set to be published by this morning!  And since I'm so late, due to "technical issues" (unable to upload pictures in the usual way) I'm going to cut to the chase and show you all sorts of pretties, made with Znetshows cultured sea glass beads.
 

Each participant was asked to select two colors from a list...colors that inspired summery thoughts.  We were not able to choose specific beads, those were a surprise.  And we knew we'd be receiving beads in different colors as well as our chosen colors.  Our mission was to complete at least two sets (two or more pieces) of jewelry...one set appropriate for daytime, and one for evening wear. 

The colors I chose were "periwinkle changes" and a beautiful spring green, "peridot".  What I received...well, you can see here:

 

Okay.  I have to admit that at first glance, I wasn't entranced with the matte purple barrel beads.  However, as I started playing...well, one thing led to another.  I had some beautiful matte white beads from a previous challenge; I believe they are "marquis spindles".  Long, elegant beauties that are tapered on both ends.  I also discovered a strand of tiny teardrop beads from a long-ago bead store purchase; they are a color mix called "sea glass", and the beads are a combination of shiny and matte glass.  I made a combination of strands for a bracelet, using the matte purple barrel beads, the white marquis spindle beads, little clusters of the sea glass teardrops, and a few tiny (4mm) round clear Swarovski crystals.  I twisted the strands, added a pretty dangle, and made some coordinating earrings.  Here is my offering for an evening set:

Oh no...look at the SIZE of these pictures!  Why can't I upload from my Dropbox folder?  I had to copy/paste from my Flickr page, and it is not successful in this format.  I'm unable to resize the photos, I'm so sorry! 

I love the way the different shades of purple work together, and I was thrilled to be able to use two of the pretty pastel lampwork beads from my Bead Soup partner, Dyanne Cantrell! The picture below is of the same bracelet (slightly different angle)...with the two additional sets of earrings.  For the evening challenge, I made one bracelet and three sets of earrings. 

And now for the daytime set...I used the Znetshows rings in "turquoise bay", and joined them together with large silver jump rings.  Front and center is a focal piece made from a big chunk of recycled glass...oh, how I love those rough, chunky beads!  I added a few tiny matte aqua teardrop beads and a dangle of brass and turquoise Czech beads...a bracelet just isn't finished for me until there's a dangle or two!  The earrings are simple aqua nuggets with small dangles made with more of the matte aqua teardrops. The earrings are on the larger side, to complement the bold bracelet.

What a pleasure it was to work with these beautiful beads.  I didn't touch the beautiful peridot barrel beads...but I'm playing with them now!  Here's a link to the fantastic Znetshows e-magazine that Hope Smitherman labored over with such a great result...please check it out, and see the beautiful creations from my fellow designers!  You can find the Znetshows blog here: znetshows.blogspot.com, and the individual designer's blogs here:

Amy Severino

Andrea Trank

BeckyPancake

BobbieRafferty

BR Kuhlman

CharlieJacka

ChristieMurrow

ChristinaMiles

ChristineStonefield

CynthiaMachata

CynthiaRiggs

DonettaFarrington (You are here!)

HopeSmitherman

KashmiraPatel

KathyLindemer

Kay Thomerson

KellyPatterson

KlaudeteKoon

Lee Koopman

Lisa Lodge

RenethaStanziano

SandraWashington

Shaiha Williams

SherylStephens

StephanieHaussler

TammieEverly

Thank you so much for stopping by to view all the gorgeous pieces made from Znetshows cultured sea glass beads! 

 

 

 

 

8th Annual Bead Soup Blog Party

Today's the day for the 8th Annual BSBP reveal!  There are many (many, many!) bloggers participating in the Soup...over 500!  Because I know you've been traveling quite a bit before you got here, and will be traveling more after you leave, I'll cut right to the chase.

My BSBP partner is Dyanne Cantrell of  Dee-liteful Jewelry Creations.  Dyanne was a wonderful partner from the very beginning, and was quick to contact me to chat about our interests, styles, and so forth.  Here's what we sent to each other (starting with what I sent to Dyanne).  I can't wait to see what she made from the different things I sent!

 

Now for what Dyanne sent to me:

 

 

 

Pretty!  I started with the focal bead, a beautiful ceramic tube bead.  I used one of my own little decoupage wooden tiles (a recycled Scrabble tile, actually), and wire-wrapped it to the tube bead, adding some bead caps and a little crystal.  I made a long (39 1/2 inches) rosary-style chain, using some of the iridescent shell beads from Dyanne and some gray glass pearls left over from the Znetshows winter challenge; it's attached to the focal via a large jump ring made of twisted wire.

 

I used the pretty antiqued silver grape leaf clasp to make a bracelet...borrowing generously from my stash of Znetshows cultured sea glass beads, and adding some tiny matte glass teardrop beads and little creamy white glass pearls.  Since we're moving into summer (although here in Washington we seem to have reverted to November weather...*sob*), I used one of my summertime favorites, a beautiful pale aqua.  

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed my cup of Bead Soup, and take the time to visit all the other cooks to comment on their creations.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  See the list of participants at Lori's blog, Pretty Things.

 

 

 

 

 

Znetshows Winter Pearl Challenge (and Glossi!)

My favorite bead company has done it again!  They sponsored a "Winter Pearl Challenge", and asked their designers to pick a generous stash of pearls and crystals...and to put our fingers into gear and create some pretty pieces from all the gorgeous beads we received.  Emphasis on winter...this challenge was to be featured in Znetshows' Glossi (an e-magazine), winter edition. 

I chose a colorway called "Steel Rose", which I thought was perfect for winter: icy crystal, a sparkly barely-there gray crystal, a darker metallic gray crystal, and (be still my beating heart) a crystal with a rosy blush.  Then I chose tiny 3 mm white pearls (the most versatile "ingredient" in this mix, hands down),  6 mm pale gray pearls, and 10 mm darker gray pearls.  Opening the box was like opening a treasure chest:

 

See what I mean?  Oh, those little (4mm) cube crystals!  And the teardrops! 

 

My first project was a pair of earrings.  I made loops of the tiny white pearls, using beading wire and a crimp, which I covered with a silver crimp cover.  I added the loops to a simple arrangement of a large dark gray pearl topped with another tiny white pearl for a classically elegant earring, perfect for winter (or for any season...pearls are seasonless).  Can you imagine my excitement when I opened the Glossi link to discover MY EARRINGS on the cover!

 

 

I mean...wow!  Such an honor!  My second project was a necklace.  I started with a silver connector, one with space for a center dangle, with room also for a couple of smaller dangles on each side.  For the focal piece, I used a Znetshows crystal from one of the previous challenges...the key chain challenge.  The crystals are large and gorgeous, and have a finish that creates a different color on each side.  The name of this "color" is Sahara Green.  If I had my way, it would be called Alexandrite.  It's green(ish) on one side, but on the other side it has the most beautiful purple "flash"...spectacular.  I used a silver paddle headpin and an ornate silver bead cap for this dangle.  The other dangles are made using the teardrop and cube crystals from this challenge.  The necklace itself is a continuous rope of my favorite 3 mm white pearls, and attach to the silver connector with crystal teardrop and pearl connectors made with silver eye pins.



 

Now for the bracelets.  I made two.  The first is made from five loops of memory wire, and has a different arrangement of pearls and crystals on each loop.  I struggle with symmetry...I prefer symmetry over asymmetry, although when using memory wire, I usually end up with exactly the same arrangements on each loop of wire, which isn't visually pleasing.  I worked HARD to create a bracelet in which each loop of wire had a different arrangement...what do you think? 

 

My final piece is a three-strand bracelet, using a combination of the pearls and crystals in a different way...different for me, that is!  Strand #1 is actually the last of the beautifully wire-wrapped white pearls from Jeannie Dukic's last Do-Over Challenge.  I had just enough for this bracelet.  The second  piece is a super-simple strand of randomly-chosen (oh, so hard for me to do random!) 4 mm crystal cubes.  I paid no attention to the colors I randomly chose, and I was thrilled with the outcome.  The final strand is comprised of a mix of the three pearls chosen for this challenge, with some crystal rondelles tossed in for some sparkle.  The bracelet is finished with two dangles...one using a decorative silver headpin and crystal beads; the other using a silver paddle headpin and pearls. 

 

And there you have it!  I LOVED this challenge!  It was a joy to receive another package of gorgeousness from Znetshows, and a joy to create pretty pieces of jewelry with them.  All my gratitude and thanks to Bill and to Hope for this amazing opportunity.

 

But guess what?  There's a super Znetshows give-away for our friends and fans!  Details are here, on the Znetshows blog!  Go there now, and enter to win!  And while you're there, take a look at the creations from the other Znetshows designers...they are spectacular!

 

7,000 Bracelets of Hope

Hope from Znetshows sent out a little challenge to the designers, asking if we'd consider using some fabulous Znetshows beads to make bracelets for the Global Genes/ RARE project, which is an advocacy organization for individuals with rare and genetic diseases. (Their symbol is a denim ribbon, a play on the word genes.)  Every year, jewelry designers and artists from all over create and donate a bracelet (maybe several bracelets!) for the "7,000 Bracelets of Hope" project, showing support for families affected by (you guessed it) rare and genetic diseases. 

There are a few guidelines...but 0not many; the idea is to create something unique to showcase each designer's aesthetic or "style".  It's a good idea to make something that could fit almost anyone; we have no idea who will end up with our bracelet, and it would diminish the pleasure for the recipient if the bracelet was unwearable.  Also, of course, the main color should be blue.  The designers are encouraged to write a note to the recipient...just a little something from the heart, possibly explaining how we were inspired to make this particular bracelet, and certainly expressing our empathy and support. 

Each of the Znetshows designers was allowed to choose two items, from the sea glass, glass pearl,  and/or crystal lines.  We were supposed to take pictures of our beads before taking them apart to use in our bracelets, and naturally I forgot this step and immediately parted out the strands of beads (in my case, a strand of double-hole sea glass beads in light sapphire blue, and a few strands of mixed blue and clear crystal rondelles).  After my piece was complete, I realized my mistake, and tried to rectify by taking this picture:

 

There were several other colors of blue crystals (aqua, turquoise, and a super-sparkly almost green color), but upon inspection, I didn't feel that they would set off the gorgeous sapphire blue of the cultured sea glass beads.  And I assure you, this is a picture of just a few of the "leftovers"...my selection of beads was very generous!

 

I played around a bit, experimented with some antiqued brass beads from my own stash, and liked the combination.  I used two equal lengths of memory wire, and started stringing...oh, the first few inches was torture!  Memory wire is essentially a spring (think of your childhood Slinky toy), and with two separate pieces, the snapping and slapping is doubled.  Painful...seriously.  Anyway.  I added and subtracted, changed things around many times, and finally ended up with a bracelet I loved.  To finish off the ends, I used two pieces of beige silk ribbon from the incredible Marsha Neal, and tied a few little charms to the ends.  Here's what I sent to the Global Genes Project:

 



And maybe another view...

 

 

As the mother of an adult son with autism and severe mental retardation, I have a special place in my heart for families who struggle with diseases and disorders of all types.  My family is one of those families.  For several reasons, I have been convinced for almost 40 years that autism is a genetic disorder...and I believe that medical science is finally coming to that conclusion as well.  When my son was a child, a psychiatrist at Stanford University Hospital told me that I was fooling myself if I believed that Michael recognized me, or had any sort of bond with me other than, say, a stray cat who came around to be fed. That man broke my heart...but even then, I knew he was wrong. 

 

I plan to participate in this project every year...it is very dear to my heart.  Thank you Hope, and thank you Znetshows, for giving me the nudge and the beads so that I can show my support to another family like mine!

 



 

Oh dear...

Yeah...that previous post didn't work out very well.  I am in a weakened state!  At this moment, trying to delete that post is beyond me, so I'll just try to move forward.  As I was saying, here's a picture of just a small piece of Jeannie's pearls:

 

Oh, dear.  I can't find the photo of JUST the pearls.  (This picture shows the detail of the necklace strands.)  However, you can see here the precision that marks Jeannie's work.  I am in awe.  I wanted to use as many of the pearl links as I could, without just presenting you with Jeannie's work.  That wouldn't be the spirit of the challenge, would it? 

 

 

I started with a bracelet; a strand of the pearls and a strand of some Czech fire-polished Picasso beads in a variety of golden honey colors.  In fact, as I was working on my pieces, I kept thinking "milk and honey"...so that's what I'm calling this set.  Here's the bracelet I made:

 

 

 

Next up came a necklace.  Again, I used as many of the pearls as I could, and added strands of the Picasso beads mixed with faceted bronze-y metal beads; I created a focal piece using a massive silver flower bead cap and a super-pretty lampwork glass bead in just the right colors.  

 

So there you have it.  Jeannie, I hope I did justice to your beautiful pearls...I kept as many of the links intact as I could, while changing the feel of the pieces.  Thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you again...it is always such a pleasure!  Please don't forget to stop by and see what the other "do over" participants have created:

 

Jeannie K Dukic 
Penny Houghton
Susan Delaney
Becky Pancake
Therese Frank
Donetta Farrington  (Yep, that's me!)
Molly Alexander
Mowse Doyle
Renetha Stanziano
Ginger Davis Allman
Kathy Richardson
Christie Murrow
Veralynne Malone
Shai Williams
Beti Horvath
Linda Britt
Miranda Ackerley
Mischelle Andrade
Tracy Stillman
Charlene Bausinger
Deana Hager

 



 



 

 



 

Jeannie Dukic's 6th Do-Over Challenge!

I do believe that this is the first time I've participated in a blog hop reveal that I haven't had my post ready and set to publish at 0100 the day of the reveal...and I apologize to Jeannie for the lapse.  Nothing to do with the beautiful wire-wrapped rosary strands of small, sweet white pearls that I received...everything to do with the horrific migraine headache I've been struggling with for the past five days.  Yes.  FIVE DAYS.  I guess I got cocky because I hadn't had a really terrible migraine for a few years, and...well, there's also the fact that I don't currently have prescription coverage...but it got out of hand, and forced me to finally visit my doctor and have a shot of something painful, which is supposed to be a super-powerful muscle relaxer and is also supposed to work on migraines, but which honestly didn't do much for me.  After I woke up (the one benefit being that it put me to sleep), the pain was still there.  Calling it a headache is doing it a disservice.  Imagine having a sadistic torturer put your head in a vise and tighten it...then tighten it some more...you get the idea. 

Enough of that.  Here's a close-up of one of the jewelry pieces sent to me by the awesome Jeannie.  There was a double-strand necklace, a bracelet, and a pair of earrings.  Jeannie, your wire-wrapping skills leave me astounded.  Each wrap is exactly like the last, and each is...well, perfect. 

Znetshows Keychain Lightning Round!

Oh, I love these challenges...the chance to shop and choose from the vast array of Znetshows cultured sea glass, super-sparkly crystal, and metal beads and chains is irresistible!  This challenge is called a "lightning round", meaning fast turnaround.  We were sent three silvertone keychains (let's be adventurous...they could be zipper pulls, or cell phone charms, and probably many other things, too), and had the opportunity to browse and choose a couple of crystal items. 

Because I'm such a creature of habit (aka: "set in my ways"), I usually choose the same type of crystals...usually rondelles, and usually in a variety of traditional-ish colors.  So this time, considering that the entire challenge is kind of out of the box for me, I went with BIG crystals, in a gorgeous pear shape and a super-sleek rectangle shape, and I chose the coolest color I could find: Sahara green.  Now, you may think there's not much green in the Sahara, and you may even think that green is green.  I beg to differ.  If I were choosing a name for this color, I would call it "Alexandrite".  It flashes from green to purple, and there's a brilliant bit of totally clear flash when the light hits the crystals.  It is gorgeous.  In fact, I would say that it's...Simply Gorgeous!

Before I show you what I made, it's time for a confession.  I've never used this type of keychain, zipper pull, or whatever.  Never.  I know that it has a retractable clip thingy on one end; I can see that very clearly.  It's the other end that concerns me.  It's a loop thing that appears to be attached to the clip with...is it a screw?  I thought maybe the loop thing came off, so I spent 10 minutes trying to remove the screw-like thing.  I tried a little screwdriver, but that didn't work at all.  Maybe the screw is too tight for my little screwdriver...hmmm.  What might work?  I tried loosening the "screw" with a pair of flat-nose pliers; still no luck.  Then I found the most interesting thing, in the back of my tool drawer.  Tiny.  Looks like wee scissors on one end, and tweezers on the other end.  Maybe the tweezer end?  Yeah...not exactly.  After puncturing my left thumb with the scissor end (lethally sharp), I gave up.  I don't think it's a screw at all.  I think it's a little metal plug-thing, meant to permanently keep the loop attached to the clip thing.  So I went with Plan B, which was to attach my crystal charms to a jump ring, and attach the jump ring to the loop.  It worked.

 

 

Here is the first keychain I made.  I used silver headpins with paddle ends.  And because I know from personal experience that the edges of the paddle headpins are sharp and will eventually cut the crystal (!!!), I used a teensy little silver spacer as a barrier between the sharp edge of the headpin and the rectangular crystal.  The headpin used with the pear-shaped crystal has a leaf on the end.  I added a length of silver chain as the third "charm", and attached leaf charms and a lock and key charm to the chain.  I like this one.  I'm going to use this one myself.  Where do I put the keys, though?  Do they go on the jump ring with the charms, or do I stick them onto the clip thing, which opens?  Why am I such a dummy about this?

 

 

I like this one, too.  I attached the crystals in the same way as the first one...only this time, I added one to the jump ring, and the other two to lengths of silver chain.  Each crystal hangs at a different length, going symmetrically from short to medium to long(er). 

 

 

 

Now to keychain #3.  I've had a pair of lampworked glass leaf headpins in my stash for ages.  They are beautiful, and I don't believe this picture shows how pretty they really are.  The veins of the leaves are gold...I think lampwork artists call it frit?  Gold frit.  Again, I wanted different lengths, so I added the rectangle crystal charm to a length of silver chain.  And yes, another silver leaf headpin for the pear-shaped crystal.  Guess what?  I like this one, too. 

 

Forgive me, everyone...here's a note to one person: Rebecca Ednie, I know you're reading this, and I can HEAR you (all the way from Oregon to Ontario!) exclaiming about the photography, the shadows, and so forth.  I have misplaced the instructions for my light box setup, and I spent TWO HOURS yesterday searching for the special folder in which I'd placed your step-by-step email instructions, with no success.  I believe I have an organizational problem.  One of my many problems, may, in fact, be that I am not well organized, regardless of what my Pinterest boards lead you to believe.  The light box is sitting on my dining room table, but unfortunately the shadows were worse when I tried to use it.  Much worse.  And I do not hold the light box responsible; I'm positive it's a personal problem.