Moon Garden Blog Hop Reveal

It's that time again! Another Andrew Thornton Design Challenge reveal. This month's palette was inspired by moonstone and labradorite. The kit contains gorgeous shades of grey, peach, white and flashes of blue. I love these gemstones so naturally I had to participate. Here is a before picture of what we received...as usual Andrew provided a ton of gorgeous beads to inspire!

I take all my pictures on a white background so of course the white beads don't show up as well in this picture but I think you get the idea. As usual, we also received a mystery component...isn't it beautiful?

It really has all the colors of the kit and is very beautiful...this picture didn't quite do it justice. So as many of you know from my last few posts...life is hectic these days. Well...it hasn't really slowed down and now a show right around the corner! So needless to say I had many ideas for this kit but in the end really only accomplished 3 finished designs. But I did try a little something new so that's something! First up the something new...

I've been wanting to try out some new things with wire and this kit had several beads I thought would be perfect for trying out some spiral type pedants. I do like how they turned so I will be playing a bit more with this design.

I'm not sure yet how I want to use these pendants...I'm not a big fan of the ball chain look that many use. I'll likely do something beaded or one of my bead/ribbon styles but for now they just sit as pendants. I also made a bracelet...suitable of course for stacking with other bracelets! I know shocking ;)

Everything is from the bead kit except the antiqued copper wire and the snap clasp. I really love the way this one turned out. definitely looking at making more in this asymmetrical stack style. As has been my trend lately, I used the mystery component from the kit. I really love the size Andrew has been making them. Perfect for a necklace or bracelet design...although I'm favoring bracelets lately.

Well that's it for me this time! Hope you enjoyed your stop here today. Thanks to Andrew for putting together these inspiring kits! Don't forget to visit the links below to see everyone else's creations. ~Kari

Paula Kramer
Carolyn Lawson
Carole Carlson
Alice Peterson
Kari Asbury
Tammy Bowman
Shaiha Williams

On Andrew Thornton's Blog:
Andrew Thornton
Crystal Lombardo Farrell
Geri Colgrove
Laurie Carpenter
Alison Herrington
Naama Eisenstein
Laurel Ross

Earrings, Earrings, Earrings....Midnight Magic Revealed!

It's that time again! Andrew Thornton put together a special Halloween edition design kit called Midnight Magic...on 13 magical kits available and today is the big reveal! Here is a picture of the goodies we received.

and as with every kit...Andrew included a wonderful mystery component.

I had a lot of inspired ideas for this kit but I have several irons in the fire right now so to speak so I didn't get as much completed as I hoped for...but in an unusual turn for me it's all earrings this time! I only used beads and bead caps from the kit. The only additions I made are copper wire, brass wire and Vintaj findings for each pair. This first pair is VERY long at about 4.5 inches.

I love the way the copper in this pairs gives them a fall caramel apple feel...I love caramel apples at Halloween!

and this last pair another warm autumn feel...

So that's it for me this time. Andrew is working on a gallery set up today so it will be later this evening before his post is up with a complete list of participants. Please visit the links below to see what everyone created. Have a safe and happy Halloween! ~Kari


Kari Asbury
Shaiha Williams
Tammy Bowman

On Andrew Thornton's Blog:
Andrew Thornton
Alison Herrington
Laurel Ross
Geri Colgrove

Good Earth Challenge...Reveal Time!

Looking for my Bead Soup Reveal...click here.

While my jewelry design muse has been madly creative lately...my writing muse has completely deserted me! and all I can say to that is WTH! Did she not get the memo that we'd have blogs to write for all these fabulous design challenges I've signed us up for? I mean really I have been so inspired to create lately...uncharacteristically ahead of schedule with my finished pieces and cranking out tons of designs...then I sit down to write and nothing...no whitty quips...just blah, blah, blah! So for now I'll just apologize for not being quite so entertaining and remind myself you've really come to look at the pretties anyway...hopefully I'm dazzling you with that and you don't even notice my sudden lack of writing. But enough about that!

Andrew Thornton has put together another fantastic design kit and I was lucky enough to grab one up! I love his kits. They are FULL of all kinds of pretties and always a wonderful mystery component...we don't know what it is until we receive our package and it's always something wonderful! I have participated many times and I am always inspired. This time was no exception...now on the the Good Earth Reveal...

I love how this necklace came together. I used one of my new ephemera tiles created from the new boho images by Calico Collage. Similar tiles are available in my supply shop Asbury Avenue Designs. This image was perfect with the large brass feather included in the kit. The gold waxed linen and all beads are also from the kit. Vintaj brass clasp and jump rings complete the design. Next is a close up of the entire necklace.

Next the entire necklace laid out...it's a long style with mismatched beads on each side.

Next up another necklace using one of the mystery components...

I fell in love with this polymer pendant as soon as I saw it! It coordinated perfectly with a strand of the czech beads included in the kit. Everything is brought together with sage waxed linen.
This design has no clasp...another long style, easily slipped over the head.

I wore this necklace layered with the next necklace and another from my own collection a few weeks ago and received several compliments on the grouping.

This one is another no clasp design...for some reason lately I'm loving the long, slip over the head layer lots of them on style. This one has the luster glass beads and square seed beads from the kit. Everything strung on natural, undyed  waxed linen. It's a double strand and the seed beads move freely between their knotted spaces just for fun.

Next up...bracelets and yes...they are perfect for layering!

The glass in this bracelet didn't photograph well for me...it has more yellow than the picture shows and to me looks much prettier in person. Anyhoo...I don't work with gold findings much but the kit included this gold clasp and it was too perfect with this design not to use it. Everything is from the kit except the waxed linen and the gold jump rings, handmade by me, some of my first!

and another bracelet...remember the theme is layered...

I picked through the premium blend for this kit for enough red and metallic coated rondelles to fill out this design...they really complimented the amber colored acrylic chips...luckily I managed to find enough of them! A combination of my large and small handmade jump rings provided the additional length needed. The asymmetry of this bracelet layered with the symmetrical bracelet is a very nice contrast.

and now some earrings...

There were only 2 of these little beads in my kit but I was really drawn to the blue hue on them like streaks on a window. I know weird but they had to be earrings...with blue waxed linen to match the streaks :)

and last but not least...

These were actually the first thing I made when the kit arrived. They are acrylic so very lightweight and there were only these 6 in the kit...so they had to be graduated earrings, right? I am very behind on listing items for sale but I am hoping to have these listed this weekend. So if you are interested in purchasing stop back then and hit the shop tab at the top of my blog. If you would like to purchase something before I get it listed feel free to email me or message me on Facebook so we can work out the details.

I hope you enjoyed your stop here today. I love to read your comments. I also hope you will take some time and visit the other participants. I'm sure there will be lots of pretties you won't want to miss! 

A big THANK YOU to Andrew! I love all the inspiration and beady goodness you manage to pack into these design kits!

Carolyn Lawson http://www.carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Christy Porter http://queenbeedesignsny.com/?page_id=62

Kay Mallery http://kaymreflections.blogspot.com/

Shaiha Williams http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

Tammy Bowman http://innermusejewelry.blogspot.com/

Kari Asbury http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com/

Karin Grosset Grange http://ginkgoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr

Ann Schroeder http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com/

Marybeth Rich http://forestofjewels.blogspot.com/

Christina Hickman http://vintagetreasuresjewelry.blogspot.com/ 

Andrew Thornton, Alison Herrington, Laurel Ross, Kim Griggs, Deb Floros http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/

Deep Waters Challenge...Mystery Component Revealed!

So exciting that Andrew Thornton has decided to do his design challenge kits again! I was a bit sad that I missed the Radiant Orchid Challenge but I have managed to grab a deep waters kit and it is gorgeous!

As always Andrew provided lots of goodies for design inspiration. I've been very busy finalizing my first wholesale order, which I will blog about soon, but I wanted to get this quick post up for the reveal of the mystery component. A gorgeous polymer clay seahorse pendant! I have so many ideas now I just need to get to work designing.

Please join me on April 24 for the design reveal and blog hop to see what everyone else created with their kits!