Love Winter Weather?

Calling all winter weather lovers!!!

I have been so caught up in wishing for and enjoying a break in the winter weather, I so "coldly" assumed that everyone felt the same as I do.

Well, our sweet beading friend that you might know from "Kokopelli Design" posted a reminder on yesterday's smiling sunshiny bracelet post.

SO, I'm challenging all of you who do LOVE the winter to send me or leave a link in the comments to a piece of winter inspired jewelry that I can share here.

:) Can't wait!

Sweet Smiling Sunshine

I know there's a storm a brewin out there, but I am daring to dream about more happy, smiling sun shiny days!

I made this bracelet over the summer by candlelight when we had storms and lost power.

I guess I was dreaming about sun-shiny daylight at that time too!

So, I'll head into my happy little bubble where bracelets smile and the days are 60+ degrees in January! Want to come? :)

Sunny Earrings

Just in case wishful thinking can help give us another great day tomorrow, let's all think about the sweet goodness of happy sunshine! :)

These are earrings I made out of some little paper die cuts.

Yes, I do have a few cool paper punches that I love using for jewelry making purposes.

So, 1...2....3...happy sunshiny day tomorrow!

Having a Heat Wave!

Seriously! I just looked up at the outdoor reading and it is 49 degrees!

Believe me, that is a heat wave.

I just let my little one outside and we were both shocked that it was so balmy!

Yay, I'll take it.

I hope you are experiencing mild weather today as well!

If we can just get the sun to shine tomorrow, all will be well! :)

In hopes of seeing the sweet, warm and beautiful sunshine, here's some inspiration to the universe!

Sparkly Sea Horse

The Floridian theme continues with this adorable sparkly sea horse!! How cute is that?

From what I have just read you can find the pygmy seahorse off the coast of Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico. They live mostly in tropical waters.

Of course, they aren't going to be quite so sparkly as this one. :)

I've created a bracelet around this one that I will share in the near future, but for now, thought it would be fun to see and appreciate this sweet and sparkly little sea horse.

Have a great week!

Weekend Creativity...

I am going to describe a scene to you...please use your imagination to picture this because I just can't bring myself to take a photo.

Sectional sofa, chaise lounge section...COMPLETELY covered in beads, spools of hemp cord, craft containers, tools, ribbon, tape, clip-on ott light...I had to move to another section after I got up and it all seemed to merge into one big conglomeration of creativity gone a little haywire.

Wow, I love making creative messes, it's the cleaning up afterwards that I find challenging. :)

SO, how is your weekend going?

Here's some less messy creative inspiration for you starting with Andrew's fun peyote stitch bracelets pictured above...enjoy!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew shares three class samples he made using Premium Seed Bead Mixes and peyote stitch.

About.com Jewelry Making
Get hammered and make some pretty Valentine's Day jewelry. 

Art Bead Scene
Brandi gives us a thorough run down on how to select which metal to work with when designing: think of metal as colour. 

Beading Arts
Cyndi has been gathering up some of the best business advice that she came across this past year. 

Resin Crafts!
Now that Carmi has a new resin clay to work with, options are endless for mold making! 

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! 
The Memories and Thanks Blog Hop which was orchestrated by the wonderful Lori Anderson was very moving to participate in. Jean thanks a young friend of her son Robert for her devotion and for everything she has done for Jean's family! 

Featured Designer: Dawn Doucette

Yay, I thought this would be a great way to get an early start on some weekend inspiration!

Many of you are probably familiar with Dawn of Designs by Dawn Marie. Her enthusiasm and joyful spirit are reflected in her work.

Pictured here are a couple of my favorite designs by Dawn along with her descriptions.

"This cuff speaks to an elegant woman, someone who loves fine pieces and wears them well.  The filigree band just speaks to me, with is delicate cut outs and flower designs, it's almost like wearing lace on your wrist!

The focal is loaded with sparkle!  Using Swarovski Crystal as the centerpiece and surrounding it with even more Swarovski crystals, this OOAK piece of wearable art brings out rich tones of eggplant, peridot, turquoise and topaz in a myriad of iridescent rainbow finishes."

See what I mean? Just looking at the photo and reading the description takes me to a happy place. 

The butterfly collage photos and description below tell a great story too. This is about the happiest piece of jewelry I've ever seen! LOVE IT! Here's Dawn's description:

  

"The story goes something like this... a woman that knows I make jewelry was heading to a bead show with her friends.  She said if I pick up some beads, can you make me something with them.  Well Absolutely!!! I love bringing in someones personality into a design.

The beads she picked up were a great mix of turquoise, colored magnasite, red coral and some funky lampwork beads.  The colors were such a perfect mix for her vibrant personality I was instantly excited to make something with them."

Very uplifting! Thank you my friend for allowing me to share your gifts here tonight! :) Have a great weekend! You can catch up with Dawn on her blog or on Facebook. 

Too Cute Toucan?

Not sure if this pendant is a toucan, but that's what I'm calling it. :)

What appeals to me most about this cute toucan is the feeling I get when I look at it. It makes me feel like he's just as content as can be as long as he's sitting in a tree. (does that rhyme? OMG...)

Rather than using this guy in a jewelry project to wear, I think he belongs on a nice dangly strand of palm wood beads or something, hanging in front of a window.

Yep, that would be so cute! Thoughts?

Getting Ready to Jingle

So, what do you think? Charms for ankle or wrist? I can't decide!

Since I am already working on one ankle bracelet, by default, these should probably be incorporated into a bracelet for my wrist!

Fair is fair! Need a little jingle here and a little jingle there. :)

I just picked up a few new beads over the weekend, so I'm in the sorting and designing stages.

What a wonderful place to be! In awe of new things and the endless possibilities that can be made.

Ahh...

Wired up Flower Petals

Just a quick post tonight since I'm still working on pieces for the Florida trip. :)

This is currently under consideration. I just need to wire up these adorable blue flower "petals" and figure out what to use as the center.

The white sparkly bauble that I recently used in new year's jewelry might do the trick...just not sure yet.

Stay warm out there everyone!!

How About a Blue Wash?

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I was going to try a white wash on these beads for a more tropical feel.

Well, when you can't find white paint, move on to something else.

In this case, I moved on to an acrylic craft paint called "sea breeze"! How fun!

It's still drying so I haven't attempted giving it a coat of glossy varnish yet, but thankfully, tomorrow is Friday and that means crafting can commence!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the "blue wash" or the "sea breeze" wash on this bead. :)

White Wash? What do you think?

I was looking around my bead collection for items that coordinate with the new tropical line of beads/components I've been talking about over the last few posts when I came across these beads.

They look like they're metal, but they are acrylic! Huh, how'd they do that? :)

I like the size of the bead and most importantly, the design on the sides is great!  Definitely worthy of some attention.

Since I'm working on travel pieces for a warm weather trip next month, I'm thinking these would be great with a white wash and varnish...hmm OR a really bright color...blue! Ahh, that was fun!

Any thoughts? :)

Random Mix of Sparkle!

Just a quick post to share some sparkle...

Here's a yummy mix of bright sparkly crystals...oh boy, it's so good!

Swarovski, swarovski, what WOULD we do without you?

These would be a great addition to my ankle bracelet from yesterday's post. :)

Ready the Ankle Adornments

Cute, cute, cute! I'd love to hear your thoughts about these adorable dangles.

I'm not typically someone who wears ankle jewelry, but almost every time I've been to Florida I have ended up with an ankle bracelet.

It seems the spirit moves me in that direction, must be the fun in the sun. All of a sudden the universe demands that I wear jewels on my ankle. ???

Who knows...I have learned to follow that little "voice" because it usually knows best.

This time around, I figured I'd get ahead of the game and be prepared with adornments. :) Don't worry, there will be crystals thrown in as well. I mean, you have to sparkle right?!

Featured Designer: Tresa Meyer Clark

It's been a while since we had a featured designer, so I am pleased to bring back this weekly post by introducing you to Tresa Meyer Clark.

Tresa's work can be found in her Etsy shop, Meyer Clark Creative.  You can also catch her updates on Facebook.

Pictured here is my favorite from Tresa's Etsy shop, it's the "Quartz Crystal Necklace with Bird Charm" and it's really got character.

When a piece of jewelry moves me to smile or (forgive me) make an "mmm" sound, it reminds me how powerful creativity can be. To move a complete stranger to happiness...very cool!

Here's a little bit about Tresa! Thanks so much for allowing me to share!

"Since I was very young and growing up in Michigan, I’ve collected gemstones, shells and beads. I also collected stamps, which I believe had an impact on my professional career path as a Graphic Artist. As my academic training as an artist and my professional career merge—passion to make beaded jewelry is most important—because I have total control of my creative ideas.

My artistic process starts with colors combinations or textures I like. For example, the amazing watercolor blues-greens and yellows in a nautical chart. My Nautical Anchor pieces reflect some of the journey we’ve taken on boating trips with my family on the Great Lakes. Also, Native American beadwork has influenced many ideas for color combinations. As I design a piece, I combine elements, colors and sometimes sketch out an idea. Later, a photograph of the first design concept will help me decide if I’m finished, or need to make adjustments.

The best part of using beautiful materials like crystal quartz and turquoise is finishing a project and feeling productive and relevant. I am always interested in what the trends are, but more importantly, to create original ideas that are timeless. I strive to impart exciting jewelry pieces that are fresh, and fun. Functionality, attention to detail, beauty and meaning are the important elements in my designs."

Happy Warm Weekend!

Yay, looks like we are going to be blessed with a 60 degree Saturday!!

I have a feeling we'll see people coming out of the woodwork tomorrow walking dogs, taking down holiday decorations, etc. It will be a nice break...well deserved! :)

I hope you all have something crafty planned too. I'll be working on my Florida jewelry...perfect weather here to get inspired.

So, let's get the weekend rolling with some inspiration from our bead blogger friends. We're starting things out with Cyndi's sweet seed bead bracelet...enjoy!

Beading Arts
Cyndi shares a design for a really easy seed bead and wire bracelet! 

About.com Jewelry Making
This month's designer interview includes a talk with Eileen Bergen aka The Artful Crafter. She discusses her love of jewelry and all things crafting related.

Art Bead Scene
Erin shares some beautiful beady finds to inspire you in this month's Peacock-themed Challenge Treasury.

Carmi's Art/Life World 

The more Carmi experiments with t-shirt yarn, the better her projects get!

Resin Crafts!
After launching a brand new clay, Resin Crafts blog has thier first tutorial featuring it.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's Beading to be done!
Jean reviews the elegant and beautiful book, Crystal Jewelry Inspiration, compiled by Karin Van Voorhees.

Silvery Bright

Okay guys, how much do you love these VERY bright silvery sand dollars?

They are packaged as charms and seem kind of fancy. Maybe not fancy, but because of their brightness, they are crisp and sophisticated.

These are the kind of charms that remind me of those silver bracelets with the one big dangly charm worn back in the kitschy 50's.

I'm definitely thinking earrings with these, so stay tuned. :)

Beachy Beads

These peachy chips are so great, they really shout BEACH to me. Ahh, beach...how long has it been since I've been on one?

Since I have a trip to the beach coming up soon, I will need to be properly attired in beachy jewelry. Yeah, I'm one of those people.

I like to make jewelry for special events or occasions. The main reason is because it is FUN to make in advance since it keeps the excitement going.

Another reason is, once you wear a piece for a special event or occasion, every time you wear it after that, the memory surfaces. What a great benefit!

So, these are definitely in the running!

A Pendant as a Pendant!

We're still checking out the tropical bead collection, ahhh, so warm and sunny here in the land of tropical beads!

The first time I saw this pendant, I actually thought it would be fun to use as a pendant!

Usually when I see pendants I think about using them in other ways than the one intended. This is such a great pendant that feels so tropical.

For me, it's the little dangles that make it! In fact, I might add a couple more.

I haven't figured out the best bead or technique for making the necklace, so, drawing board...here I come!

Throw your ideas out there if you got 'em! :)

Feel the Sunshine?

I think we might actually feel the sunshine in Ohio by the end of the week, yay!

We should at least be feeling warmer temps and that is a good thing!

Just looking at these great tropical beads is giving me a warm feeling.

It could also be coming from the laptop on my lap or my hooded sweatshirt...but I'd like to believe it's the beads. :)

I'm working my way through all the great beads and components received from Cousin over the weekend in preparation for a trip to palm tree heaven a.k.a. Florida.

For now, I'm just enjoying the warmth of these great sunrise/sunset beads. Let me know if you feel the warmth.

Ready for Sunshine!

I mentioned in a recent post I'll be heading to sunny Florida in February as part of the Cousin Ambassador program. So, I bet you can't guess what that means...

Yep, I need new Floridian jewelry to wear!

As luck would have it, the ultra-generous Cousin sent us all sand pails full of tropical beads and components...yay!

I'll be sharing my progress with you here and as always, feel free to throw in your two cents!

This is the first piece I selected from the sand pail... Of course, it's meant to be a pendant, but I've gotta have that big flower as a bracelet focal piece. :)

I don't know why my brain does that, but hey, why fight it.

On the Road with the Traveling Jewelry Project

Here's installment 4 of the traveling jewelry project, NICE!




This is a great design by Cousin Ambassador, Shelly Owen.

I've never done a right angle weave using this technique, it's so cool!

I love how the center beads sit on top of the others and you can see the weaving.

It makes me want to see if I can duplicate this design...hmm...Shellllyyyy, I think I need instructions!! :)









These beads are from the Cousin Peach/Pink pearl jewelry class in a box.

I can't wait to see what Patty is making...stay tuned!

Weekend Shout-out

Instead of the next installment of the traveling jewelry project, it seemed like a good time to kick off the weekend with some bead blogger inspiration.

It's always fun to see what's happening in other bead worlds.

Carmi's tshirt necklace shown here is so cheerful and fun.

Enjoy!

About.com Jewelry Making
This was a woot of a trend in jewelry as well as home decor items during 2012.

Art Bead Scene
Beautiful colors and textures inspired by lovely peacocks form the theme of inspiration for this month's Art Bead Scene challenge.

Beading Arts
Cyndi is looking for bead artists to feature in 2013. Have some work you'd like to share? Come see how!

Carmi's Art/Life World
A fun t-shirt yarn necklace is blue!

Resin Crafts!
Fun imagery and resin can result in fabulous pendants that will make you smile.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Exploring peyote stitch, Andrew shares how he transformed inspiration into a pattern. 

Traveling Jewelry Project...Part 3!

Sharing these pieces with you is so much fun! This is day 3 of the traveling jewelry project story. The next installment to the Cousin pearly collection was created by Ambassador Gail Devoid.

I love everything, but must say I'm always partial to lots of dangles!

How fun! Now I wish all of these pieces were going to be mine in the end. It will be a feat of major math skills to figure out how many combinations we'll be able to create once all the connecting pieces are completed.

We have two more Cousin Corp Ambassadors who are also making pieces for the collection, so stay tuned.

What a great way to get ideas for using one of these kits...share the creative process with others!

The Adventure Continues..Traveling Jewelry Project

The saga continues...! As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I've been working with the other Cousin ambassadors on a traveling jewelry project.

We are each using the same beads from the "peach/pink pearl" jewelry class in a box.

These are the three pieces I contributed. A bracelet and two connectors that can be used with yesterday's beautifully dangly neck piece and/or with this bracelet or the other pieces yet to come.

We wanted everything to be interchangeable so there will be lots of possible combinations.

I really wish I had taken the time to set up my new photo light box before shipping off these pieces, but it just didn't happen.

Stay tuned for tomorrow for more! :)

Story of the Traveling Jewelry Project

I'm finally making good on my promise to share the adventures of the traveling jewelry project!

There are a total of five jewelry making ambassadors appointed by the Cousin Corporation last August. We will actually have an opportunity to meet face to face in February down in sunny Florida...yes, seriously!

Considering it's below freezing here in Ohio and the snow is getting a little depressing, it's an exciting thought!

Okay, this is not a post about Florida...sorry, got side tracked!

SO, the ambassadors got together on skype and email to come up with a way to collaborate on a project. We decided to use the same beads from one of the Cousin jewelry making classes in a box to create a collection. 

Similar to the Cousin "make the connection" jewelry pieces, we all agreed to make a piece that will be interchangeable with all the others.

Suzette was the first one out of the gate. She made this glorious project shown here and when I received it in the mail I swear I heard a choir sing, it's pretty glorious. :)

We are each using beads from the pink/peach pearl class. So pretty! Stay tuned for my contribution tomorrow. Have a great rest of the first week of the new year! Back to work we go...