The 8th Annual Bead Soup PARTY!

Well, it's party time.
First a big thank you to Lori Anderson and her family for getting this wonderful party together. I can only imagine what it took to get to this day. Thank you Lori, you and your family will always be very, very special to all of us. Wishing you all strength, health and happy days.

And now I present....

Remember the spectacular Copper Rose hand made by my partner Janice,  it was a challenge finding the right beads to complement this head turner of a focal bead. In the end I used some beautiful Rose Quartz rondelles separated by copper spacers to make a simple necklace that did not detract from the rose! Simply glorious, I hope you like it!

Next the carved pill box Turquoise beads; I wanted to keep it simple yet make it pop, so this is what I made... with mighty slabs of multi-colored Fancy Jasper.

As you can see... keeping it simple... was the name of the game!

Next on the list are the sky blue barrell beads of Magnesite and the granulated Copper spacers that were part of the bounty I received from Janice, and here is what I made... a memory wire bracelet with red Carnelian and Sardonyx.

 

Some hammered Copper Hearts paired with little pills of red Coral and we have these pretties!

And now I must confess that I could not do justice to the wonderful clasp that Janice had sent me. I know it is part of the rules that I use the clasp. And what a clasp it was, and nothing I could think of or design was to my satisfaction... so sadly I must save it for another time.  The same shoud be said of the many Copper leaves Janice sent me... my mojo failed me. I think it was a combination of tax time fatigue and waiting till the last minute syndrome.

Thank you Janice for these wonderful soup ingrediants, I hope I have not disappointed you. Please hop over to the Jewelry Room to see what Janice made with the Bead Soup I sent her. She has had some challenging times getting ready for this Bead Soup Party and I can't wait to see what she has made.

Please visit the other 8th annual bead soup participants to see their wonderful creations by clicking here.

Have a wonderful weekend!
A very Happy Mother's Day to all beader Mothers and Mothers of beaders!

Hot Summers and Fish Beads and a Giveaway!

Mortira of Inspirational Beading has posted today about her wish list for fish beads. Check out her blog post for a variety of fun fish beads for your summer beading. Reading her post reminded me of a fish bead necklace that I strung together not too long ago.

I purchased a necklace made by Tibetan artisans from Nepal. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of the original design. I decided to take it apart and re-string it... and here is my design. I used only the beads that were part of the original necklace, stabilized turquoise beads, red coral discs, tiny brass spacer beads and a brass hook and eye clasp.

Don't you love the vivid detail on the reversible fish bead, It is made of brass, and has a turquoise cabochon for eyes (on both sides). I call this 'Hot Summers in Florida!' The heat, the beach and the fishing...

The original necklace had two such fish beads, but as you can see I only used one of them. So I will gladly give away the other fish bead (Note: only the fish bead) to one randomly chosen commenter, so that you can design your own fun summer necklace. The fish bead I am giving away looks quite like the one pictured above. To be entered in my giveaway, please leave a comment, telling me what you would like to make with such a fish bead. Spreading the word about this giveway would be appreciated too. I will pick a winner on June 30.

Have a fun summer!

Challenge of Color - Blog Hop!

This 2nd Annual Challenge of Color Blog Hop, hosted by Erin of Treasures Found-Inspiration is Everywhere,  brings together 54 of us beader bloggers. Each one of us chose a color and then were given a color palette built around our main color choice. Erin took on a massive undertaking and worked with 12 of these color palettes, you have got to check out her gorgeous results. 

This is my color palette, a challenging Frosted Berry! 

The unique color palettes used in this challenge are created by Jessica Colaluca of Design Seeds. 

Check out her blog for some great color inspiration.

And this is what I created... literally... cool, icy, beautiful frosted berries.

This challenge was meant for us to use the color palette and take inspiration from the color combinations, but I could not get beyond the image of frosted berries.

So there you have it 'Frosted Berries'!

We were allowed to use any kind of beads we wanted to and as I am partial to natural stones, that is what I used.  The bracelet is made with round red Coral berries, melon shaped Ocean Jasper beads, carved clear Crystal Quartz and sterling silver links and clasp.

Here is a list of the rest of the beaders, who took part in the challenge, please stop by to check out their creations!

1 Norma Turvey ~ Teal ~ Color Crave

2 Jeannie Dukic ~ Green ~ Mineral Tones

3 Mary McGraw ~ Teal ~ Embellished Hues

4 Jo Tinley ~ Red ~ Decadent Tones

5 Rebecca Anderson ~ Pink ~ Tulip Tones

6 Kristi Jaro ~ Red ~ Temple Entrance

7 Stephani Gorman ~ Green ~ Dew Tones

8 Melissa Meman ~ Green ~ Fruit Star

9 Kathleen Lange Klik ~ Teal ~ Silk Hues

10 Cynthia Riggs ~ Red ~ Autumn Comfort

11 Heidi Post ~ Teal ~ Flora Bright

12 Cece Cormier ~ Teal ~ Merino Teal

13 Amy Freeland ~ Gray ~ Cultured Tones

14 Alice Peterson ~ Blue ~ Island Play

15 Rose Noble ~ Gray ~ Autumn Stacked

16 Kristina Johansson ~ Yellow ~ Sunny Flower

17 Kirsi Luostarinen ~ Teal ~ Dragon Hues

18 Tari Kahrs ~ Orange ~ Citrus Tones

19 Mallory Hoffman ~ Purple ~ Petaled Dark

20 Molly Alexander ~ Brown ~ Peppered Tones

21 Regina Santerre ~ Red ~ Frosted Berry

22 Emanda Johnson ~ Teal ~ Color Purl

23 Amy Severino ~ Orange ~ Winged Tones

24 Bobbie Rafferty ~ Teal ~ Lime Hues

25 Tanya Goodwin ~ Gray ~ Pecked Tones

26 Lisa Lodge ~ Blue ~ Nocturnal Tones

27 Hope Smitherman ~ Blue ~ Bloom Tones

28 Linda Landig ~ Green ~ Cacti Dark

29 Ambra Gostoli ~ Teal ~ Perched Autumn

30 Lori Bowring-Michaud ~ Blue ~ Sharpened Blue

31 Pippa Chandler ~ Teal ~ Hungarian Hues

32 Keirsten Giles ~ Purple ~ Mineral Brights

33 Jennifer Justman ~ Blue ~ Autumn Rays

34 Sandy Richardson ~ Purple ~ Moroccan Brights

35 CJ Bauschka ~ Teal ~ Teal Air

36 Shaiha Williams ~ Teal ~ Sushi Hues

37 Kay Thomerson ~ Purple ~ Autumn Spectrum

38 Sally Russick ~ Purple ~ Golden Gate Tones

39 Cilla Watkins ~ Purple ~ Autumn Infused

40 Shirley Moore ~ Purple ~ Frozen Heather

41 Jenni Connolly ~ Gray ~ Paw Tones

42 Tamara Soper ~ Green ~ Field Tones

43 Sharyl McMillian-Nelson ~ Blue ~ Nested Blues

44 Jen Velasquez ~ Pink ~ Sweetened Tints

45 Maria Grimes ~ Red ~ Bright Bloom

46 Elisabeth Auld ~ Gray ~ Petaled Tints

47 Susan Kennedy ~ Pink ~ Zinnia Tones

48 Shannon Chomanczuk ~ Gray ~ Autumn Leaf

49 Holly Westfall ~ Yellow ~ Sprinkled Tones

50 Patty Gasparino ~ Red ~ Color Carton

51 Angela Little ~ Pink ~ Singapore Brights

52 Lizzie Zawinski ~ Green ~ Budding Hues

53 Kristen Stevens ~ Pink ~ Scooped Tones

54 Dawn Doucette ~ Brown ~ Jarred Tones

Thank you for visiting and have a great day!

Happy 235th Birthday America!

Have a Safe and Happy Celebration!

Be(ad) My Valentine! - My Entry

Not too long ago I posted about the Be My Valentine contest being sponsored by Happy Mango Beads.

Today I would like to show you the piece I entered...

I call it a dozen red roses for my sweetheart!

What do you think? 

What do you get for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day? 

Serenity Bracelets

Serenity is defined as a sense of calmness, peace, tranquility, or a similar restful state of mind. Something that we all strive to achieve, inspite of the hectic lives we lead.

I try to find time for yoga sessions once a week and the best part of the session is always the breathing exercises that helps me relax, focus and hopefully strengthen me mentally.

Serenity Bracelet with Coral, Turquoise and Moss Agate

The relaxing breath exercise, called the 4-7-8 method is simple, let me show you how...

• Get the tip of your tongue on the roof of the mouth behind the two front teeth and keep it there.
• Exhale completely through the mouth with a 'whoosh' sound.
• Inhale through the nose, for the count of 4, lower chest first, then upper chest should expand.
• Hold your breath for the count of 7.
• Exhale through mouth with a 'whoosh' sound for a count of 8.
• Repeat, at least three times... feel yourself reaching an inner peace!

These numbers 4-7-8 inspired me create a bracelet with 4 Sponge Coral Nuggets, 7 faceted rondelles of Moss Agate, and 8 Turquoise nuggets. This bracelet has an Om (aum) charm hanging from it. Om comes from Sanskrit, and affirms a Divine presence in the Universe and the union of our mind and body and spirit!

My next Serenity Bracelet is made using two of my favorite gemstones, Tiger Eye and Turquoise. I used 4 Tiger Eye coins, 7 Turquoise rondelles and 8 faceted Tiger Eye rounds. This bracelet has Copper beads and a beautiful sun toggle clasp.

Serenity Bracelet with Tiger Eye and Turquoise

So what do you think, will wearing a Serenity Bracelet help someone slow down, remind to breathe calmly, and lead to inner tranquility? 

Christmas in July

The Child Abuse Council of Hillsborough County, FL is holding their fund raising event 'Christmas in July' tomorrow Friday July, 23 from 6 - 9 pm at the Child Abuse Council's Baby Bungalow at 3106 W Azeele St. in Tampa. The event includes a Silent Auction and Taste of Tampa Bay. It is for a worthy cause, I have heard the testimonies from the children they help, it is heart breaking! The organization is a private, non-profit agency that provides programs to prevent, educate and treat children and strengthen families.

This is the second year that I have participated in this event with a donation of a piece of jewelry for their Silent Auction. I wanted to show you the piece I donated this year.

The necklace is made of lime green chalk turquoise smooth nuggets, one larger asymmetrically placed red coral nugget and all the beads are separated by tiny red coral round beads. I finished it with some sterling silver chain and trigger clasp and a pair of matching earrings. I think this necklace is so summery and christmassy at the same time and so Florida! 

I hope they get some good bids and raise lots of money.

You can check the Child Abuse Council out on Facebook if you want to know more about the work they do.

Happy Cinco De Mayo

Happy Fifth of May everyone!
Enjoy the Fiesta!
Watch the Margeritas!

To set the mood for the celebration, I chose my Fiesta Bracelet from my SOLD collection. Would you believe it? This bracelet was bought by a beautiful Brazilian lady at one of my jewelry shows. She was in Tampa on business and loved the bracelet and the colors. No surprise there. I also made her a pair of matching earrings.

Enjoy the night!

Metallite Beads - check it out!

I used a gift certificate I received for Christmas to Artbeads.com to buy nothing but Metallite beads. What is Metallite you ask? It is a new product made in Korea by ZambaPro and offered for sale by Artbeads.com. With silver prices climbing higher every day, I thought this could be worth checking out.

As I shopped for these beads, what struck me most was the wide selection that was available. There were animal beads, floral beads, alphabet beads, spacer beads and beads in a variety of geometric shapes. Each bead was intricately marked and looked very nice. I made my selection and waited patiently for my white bubble envelope with its little purple packet.

I was pleasantly surprised when I received my beads. The beads were well designed and eye-catching. Very lightweight, after all they are made of plastic. Each bead is created by pouring acrylic plastic into a mold, then electroplating the plastic bead with a metal finish. These Metallite beads sold at Artbeads.com are subject to an extra plating process to produce a high quality product with increased durability. Light weight and light on the pocketbook too, you got to love that.

Because of their light weight, they were great for earrings. If you like large chunky earrings, you could use the metallized beads and still feel no weight on your ears. Look at the two pairs I made. I think they turned out beautiful. They are currently for sale in my Ruby Lane shop, Sundancegems.

Kyanite Raindrop Earrings

                                                                      

Lapis Lazuli and Lemon Quartz Sunshine Earrings

The findings used for these earrings are not of Metallite, only the beads. You can read more about the earrings at Sundancegems.

I think they are also great for long necklaces. We all know how metal beads can add tremendous weight to long necklaces. So I tried one, take a look! The gemstones added some weight to the pieces of jewelry made from Metallite to give it a nice substantial feel. Without the gemstones the pieces would have been too light and feel too much like costume jewelry.

Long Sponge Coral Necklace and Earrings

Metallite provided a nice change from the expensive metal bead and Artbeads.com has now introduced a new line of Metallite beads in gold. (Note to self: get some).

If you are looking for inexpensive gold and silver colored metal substitutes for your jewelry designs, also try out their line of gold plated pewter beads and silver/rhodium plated pewter beads. Besides their beauty and variety, these beads are made in the USA and lead-free!

Disclosure: I am not being paid by Artbeads.com for my endorsement of any of the products reviewed in my blog postings.