The Ocean Blog Hop --- 2nd Reveal!

To kick off the summer, I joined in the Ocean Blog Hop. Lisa Lodge of A Grateful Artist is our wonderful Hostess! Thank you Lisa for hosting!

Here's the beads I received. 

This hop was fun because I love walking on the beach & collecting shells & sea glass, swimming & scuba diving in the ocean.
I've seen so many beautiful beaded items lately that other creative artists have done, I was inspired.

Playing with the beads 

Sewing the "islands" together

Ocean Blog Hop June 14^th Reveal:

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Ev Shelby, Raindrop Creations

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends (Posting Later)

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Catherine Yvonne King, Catherine's Musings

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes (Posting Sunday)

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware (Posting Sunday)

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Jill Bradley, Chat 2 Jill
Rebecca Ednie, Eclectic Endeavours 

Waxed Linen Jewelry Blog Hop

"What comes around, goes around!" Or is it "What goes around, comes back around!"

Wax Linen was very popular back in the 60's & 70's.

&&&&

It is making a come back! :))))

Thank you  Diana Ptasnyski of Suburban Girl Studio  for putting on this wonderful blog hop! It has been a walk down memory lane for me. I haven't used waxed linen since the early 70's when I took a jewelry making class as a freshman in high school. I even found some of my old waxed linen, clay beads, & jewelry from then!

For this project, though, I used new linen in 4 colors & paper beads from Africa in a macrame bracelet. Added in are a few silver beads left over from several remade projects for my sister-in-law & niece.

I'm off to Blog Hop --- Care to join me!

Diana Ptaszynski - Our Hostess!
Kelsy Vincent
Susan Kennedy
Linda Landig
Kashmira Patel
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Vanessa Gilkes
Sandy Huntress
Kay Thomerson
Sarajo Wentling
Kari Asbury
Rebecca Anderson
Melissa Trudinger
Ann Schroeder
Shai Williams
Blanca Medina
Cheryl Brown
Johana Nunez Rivera
Lori Bowring Michaud
Kelly Morgan
Barbara Bechtel
Kristen Stevens
Heather Boardman
Janet Bocciardi
Kathy Lindemer
Lesley Watt
Susan Kolovson
Jayne Capps
Michelle McCarthy
Cynthia Deis Enter to win a kit from Ornamentea!
Karla Morgan -  You are here!
Erin Siegel
Becky Pancake
Kelly Hosford Patterson
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson
Inge von Roos
Carolyn Lawson
Linda Younkman
Sandi Volpe
Toltec Jewels
Michelle Mach
Jen Cameron
Dorothy Winchell
Darlene Mansue

Yeehaw! Wahoo!

I'm jumping for joy! 

Google put my blogs I follow back! 

Probably they were never totally gone but they weren't there for several days.

But now they are back!!!!!

OH NUTS!!!

Have you ever gone to read your blogs you follow &&&&&& google decides to "update" & deletes all of them!

The only good thing about this is ... I'm blog hopping for the BSPB & so maybe I will be able to find them all again or at least some of them.

What a mess!!! 

WOOHOO!!! BEAD SOUP PARTY BLOG REVEAL !!!!

Many thanks to Lori Anderson of Pretty Things for putting on this fantastic blog hop! 

Kathy Lindemer of Bay Moon Designs is my wonderful partner. She sent me a fabulous montage of beads including jasper, hand dyed silk from Marsha Neal Studio, sead beads, crystals, and two wonderful focals - a Vintaj brass disc she stamped & inked and another called an ancient pathways ceramic from Pajego Art House.

Yay, SUCCESS !!!  Have you ever felt like kissing your computer!!!!  It has only taken me three days to figure out how to get these pictures from Picasa to this blog!!! 

I added a few items from my stash ------

And then the creating began ------ Of course, I like SETS!

 

 Then idea number two popped into my head ------   SET #2

 

Lastly for the moment -------     The beginning of   SET #3 -----

 I've completed the necklace but am still working on completing the bracelet & a pair of earrings.

However, it didn't stop me from wearing the last piece today at our religious meeting. Not only did we enjoy our event but I got so many complements on the necklace! Thank you Kathy for the fabulous & wonderful variety of beads!

In addition, I still have a small bead soup to work with later & another focal for ????!!!!!! time will tell :)))

Now that this is finished, I'm off to check out other creations!!!! Happy hopping ..........

Thanks again Lori for hosting this exciting world wide blog hop!!!!

Click here for list of participants!

THE COLOR OF DREAMS BLOG HOP

The saying goes: "Time seems to fly by when you're having fun!"  Lately it flies whether I'm having fun or not.  Not so long ago; February to be exact - MY HOW TIME FLIES! -  Rita with Toltec Jewels put out an invitation to join in this "dreamy" blog hop. Kindly she mailed all 50 participants a beautiful "jewel" ; an orphan/ooak bead created by artist Patricia Handschuh of The Color of Dreams Boutique.

MY BEAUTIFUL "JEWEL"!

I have so many dreams; past, present, and hopefully future, fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled! However, this bead made me think of a blend of dreams in the present tense. See how the flowers overlap!

Most of us long for the "time" to spend quality time with our spouse, children, and parents. But we are so busy with "Life", our quality time together seems very limited and we "dream" of more time together! 

Recently I retired after 40+ years! I can now spend quality time with my mother, who is now widowed. I see her in the daisy! Then there is the rose which reminds me of my loving husband. We get to spend every day together either making jams, salts, & salsas for a new growing business venture we started as a hobby several years ago, sharing in a variety of volunteer projects, working on our house or yard, or just "resting" and planning trips together. (I know I said I retired, but there's retired and then there's RETIRED!) Lastly, I see my daughter in the the 1/2 rose. Her life is full with her husband but still connected with us. Truly a blend of  "dreams" now realities!

Many "dreams" are attached!

I enameled the "dreams" in a variety of colors to match my "jewel".  I now have time to create jewelry and explore my artistic dreams!

THE FINISHED PRODUCT OF "DREAMS" NOW HERE!

Some dreams "bling" and others are more concrete. Some are bold & bright while others are faint and presently indistinct! 

Whatever your dreams, Keep dreaming! Our dreams help us forge through life's challenges!

I believe if we dream, we can achieve and succeed!

Thank you Rita for hosting this wonderful blog hop and for sending out those lovely little "jewels"!

Thank you Patricia for creating them!

Now I'm off to blog hop and see what others are dreaming! 

Come on, join me:

Honorary Artist: Patricia Handschuh
Patricia's blog:            The Color of Dreams        
Patricias Etsy:             The Color of Dreams
Hostess: TJ                Jewel School Friends
Kay Thomerson           KayzKreationz
Audrey Belanger          Toki No Hourousha
Alicia Marinache          All the Pretty Things
Terry Carter                TappingFlamingo
Lori Schneider             Bead Addict
Jenny Kyrlach             Wonder and Whimsy
Asri Wahyuingsih         Asri's Beadwork
Dini Bruinsma              Angaza by Changes
Karla Morgan              Texas Pepper Jams
Debbie Rasmussen        A Little of This, A Little of That
Veralynne Malone          Designed by Vera
Kathy Stemke               Vintage Memories Jewelry Design
Mowse Doyle               Mowse Made This
Heather Richter             Desert Jewelry Designs
Lori Poppe                   Adventures in Creativity with LorilliJean
Jayne Capps                Mama's Got To Doodle
Andrea Glick                Zenith Jade Creations
Kathleen Breeding         99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall
Becky Pancake             Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Karin Martinez              Fairies Market
Miranda Ackerley          Mirandack
Penny Houghton           Smelly Nelly
Carolyn Lawson           Carolyn's Creations
Chris Eisenberg            Wanderware
Christie Murrow          Charis Designs Jewelry
Monique Urquhart        A Half-Baked Notion
Eve Shelby                  Raindrop Creations Jewelry by Evelyn
Cryss Thain                 Here Bead Dragons
Jasvanti Patel               Jewelry By Jasvanti
Nan Smith                   NanMade Handmade Jewelry
Sue Kennedy               SueBeads
Jean Yates                   Snap Out of It, Jean! There's Beading to be Done!
Debbie Rogers             Debbies Treasures
Marybeth Rich             A Few Words From Within the Pines
Shirley Moore              Beads and Bread
Shaia Williams             Shaiha's Ramblings
Kathy Lindemer           Bay Moon Design
Linda Anderson           From the Bead Board
Judy Turner               Silver Rains
Gloria Allen                Gloria Allen Designs
Regina Wood              Ginas-Design
Robin Reed                Artistry HCBD
Mary Goovars            MLH Jewelry Designs
Marlene Cupo             Amazing Designs
CJ Bauschka              4 His Glory Creations
Robin Showstack        The Crazy Bead Hoarder
Cynthia O'Toole          Sparkles and Sweets
Jael Thorp                 Jael's Art Jewels
Renetha Stanziano      Lamplight Crafts
 

 

Book Review! - Stylish Jewelry Your Way

Compiled by Karin Van Voorhees

Published by Kalmbach Books

Fabulous, Simply fabulous book!  Kalmbach has done it again! This book is a compilation of projects, styles, techniques, and designs to wet the imagination and inspire one to "get busy creating"!

Put It In Reverse with Polymer Clay by Sheryl Yanagi

All of the 32 projects of stringing, stitching, wirework, metalwork, polymer clay, metal clay, and resin have been formerly published by Kalmbach in Beautiful Jewelry Make It Wear It, Bead&Button, or Bead Style magazines. The most wonderful addition in this book is the Bonus DVD featuring 28 techniques.

If you love to create, experiment with new techniques and materials, or simply want to stimulate your creative muse for a new design, this book will do that. I just love it! The step-by-step directions are easy to follow. Pages 89-94 give Basic instruction in stringing, stitching, wirework, metalwork, clays and resin. The DVD also explains basic skills with close-up demonstrations of 28 techniques. I personally enjoyed several of these. I have tried for quite some time to get my tubular peyote stitch to look right. Seeing it close-up on the DVD was very helpful. I also enjoyed the metal clay demonstration. The DVD run time is 77 minutes; however, it is designed to watch for assistance, to refine a skill, or as a confidence builder as you work on a particular project.

Newfangled Bangle, pages 82& 83, by Sherri Haab.

The book is divided into 5 categories: Romantic Allure (7 projects), Tailored Classic (6 projects), Urban Edge (8 projects), Bohemian Beauty (6 projects), and Modern Art (5 projects). Each project also offers a Budget option to make it more affordable or a Design option for more creativity. In addition, each project lists the materials, tools and supplies, techniques, and DVD review locations. Some projects even list a location from which to purchase particular materials.

Bracelets in Bloom, page 14, by designer Naomi Fujimoto

This project is found under Romantic Allure. It has a Design Option for a ring strung on memory wire with a showcase of Lucite flowers. 

Wrap and Weave, pages 31-33, is a Tailored Classic project by Kris Silva. It has a Design Option turning the bracelet into a choker!

These Lovely Latch-backs found on pages 52 & 53 by designer Leanne Elliott Soden use metalwork and wirework techniques. Learn how to cut your own disks on the DVD!

Last but not least, a project I made!

This is the bracelet I made from the project by Kim St. Jean under Tantalizing Triangles, pages 56-58 in conjunction with the Patina Compass Blog Hop by Kathy Lindemer of Bay Moon Designs. I have already worn it & received so many complements!

This book definitely is worth adding to your collection! It instills confidence to try new techniques or just to "dabble in something different"! Try it, I think you'll like it! :)