We're All Ears April Challenge...

I've just discovered that each month the Earrings Everyday blog does a little inspiration challenge...I really need to pay attention sometimes! Anyway, I happen to catch the post for April's inspiration when I was catching up on the recent posts and decided (at the last minute) it would be fun to whip up some cute earrings and play along.

Seeing the picture I actually had an immediate idea...just had to find the beads in my current disorganization/reorganization...hopefully I'll have a post on that later. You can click here to see the original post including the inspiration for April's design.

Apologies for the somewhat crummy picture...I was experimenting...since my photo cube is unavailable during the re-organziation. Lampwork beads from Pinocean. Enamel leaves from Sue Beads. Ceramic birds from Gaea. They don't have a name yet...I'm not so great at naming my jewelry...so if you have any ideas feel free to help a girl out and post suggestions in comments! :)

7th Bead Soup Blog Hop...Soup's Arrived!

 

So the fun begins! I borrowed Lori's header to start off my post since it included the reveal dates for the hop...also here's a link to Lori's blog showing all the participants...500 I believe was the final number! Thanks so much Lori for all your hard work on this so far!

 

My partner, Inge, was schedule to leave on a trip just as partners were being revealed but she sent my soup on her way out of country. I hope she is having a wonderful trip! I held her soup and will priority mail it a few days before she is due back...I knew it wouldn't arrive before she left and didn't want it 'misplaced' by the post office while she was away. Now on to her amazing generosity!

 

 

The focal...so many to choose from...I love all the flowers and dots, so hippie! The red and white one on the right reminds me of peppermint candies so I'm stashing that one for a christmas project! lol

 

 



Here is the clasp and an assorment of glass beads...everything coordinates great with all the focals!

 

 

and...yes there's more!

 

 

 

 

So much delicious beady goodness! Other then the strands of glass, crystal and a few rose quartz nuggets, all the beads I received are beautiful lampwork made by my partner, Inge. You can visit her blog here to find out more about her and her wonderful beads.

 

This is what I'll be sending to Inge...you'll have to wait until she shares to see all the details! I hope she enjoys her soup as much as I am enjoying mine! :) Stay tuned there's lots more fun coming soon!

 

 



Free Bead Challenge Reveal...

At the beginning of November Lesley Watt of Thea Too posted a giveaway for a free bead. She also included the opportunity for additional participants to pay shipping only and receive a free bead. It could be any of the beads pictured above or one of several others. Of course I am unable to pass up any opportunities to challenge myself these days so I of course signed up and was delighted to be selected to participate. I sent my payment for shipping and waited for my bead to arrive.

My wonderful bead arrived...while I was sick, preparing for a show and trying to finish my 7000 bracelets donation. Completely out of character for me, I set the bead aside and told myself to wait...there's plenty of creating time, don't push. My show ended December 2...the next day I realized I had just over a week and nothing created...not even a hint of design idea!

At that point I began rummaging my stash. As you can see the bead I received is very colorful which was perfect for me...it is a bit larger than I usually work with but I decided it would be great with just a few beads in just the right coordinating colors. After looking at silver, copper and brass I decided on brass since it gave the orange a warm tone.

A couple of bead dangles along the chain and a tassel under the bead gives the necklace movement while keeping the design simple. I am really pleased with the way it all came together.

Thanks so much to Lesley for offering this bead challenge. Be sure to visit the other participants below and check out all their great creations too!

Lesley Watt - www.thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com
Cory Tompkins - http://tealwaterdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/
Rebecca Anderson - http://songbeads.blogspot.co.uk/
Marie Cramp - http://skyejewels.blogspot.co.uk/
Claire Braunbarth - http://smittenbeads.blogspot.co.uk/
Heidi Post - http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.co.uk/
Tiffany Smith - http://southerngalsdesign.blogspot.co.uk/
Sharyl Macmillan-Nelson - http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.co.uk/
Ailsa Cordner - http://www.bramalfiebeadsetc.co.uk/
Linda Landig - http://lindalandig.wordpress.com/
Caroline Dewison - http://blueberribeads.co.uk/
Renetha - http://www.lamplightcrafts.blogspot.co.uk
Kari Asbury - http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.co.uk/

Niky Sayers - http://silverniknats.blogspot.com
Purple Cobwebs - http://www.purplecobwebs.blogspot.co.uk/
Cilla Watkins - http://www.tellyourgirlfriends.com/
Therese Frank - www.theresestreasures.blogspot.com
Claire Ennis - http://clairescrystalclassics.blogspot.co.uk/
Emma - http://apolymerpenchant.blogspot.co.uk/
Kathy Lindemer - http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.co.uk/
Alicia - http://www.allprettythings.ca/
Sandy Sewin - http://keepsakecrafts.net/blog/
Lori Bowring Michaud - http://artfullyornamental.blogspot.co.uk/
Amy - http://copperdiem.blogspot.co.uk/

Katherine Gale - http://terrabeadworks.blogspot.co.uk/

7000 Bracelets of Hope...Reveal Time!

A picture of the first bracelet I donated...I missed the blog hop last time but so moved by the sentiment I created and sent a bracelet on my own. This time I was so excited when I saw Sue's post that I just knew I had to participate!

 

A brief background note in case you are not familiar with the campaign...This was the blog post from Sue asking us to join in this round for donations...

Are you familiar with the 7,000 Bracelets for Hope campaign? Many of us bead makers and jewelry designers are. It's a bracelet program for people or families who suffer rare genetic diseases. Here's a bit of information directly from their donation page:


"Cause bracelets have been available for breast cancer and heart disease but there has never been a unifying symbol, color or bracelet that represents the rare and genetic disease community. That’s why we started the 7,000 Bracelets for Hope™ campaign.
Since launching the campaign in 2010, Global Genes has received thousands of unique blue themed bracelet designs made from everything from cut strips of recycled denim to vintage blue glass to turquoise stones. The creativity from our volunteers is truly inspiring!
The number 7,000 represents the 7,000 different rare diseases that impact 1 in 10 people, 30 million Americans and 350 million globally. Each individual blue bracelet design we receive represents the uniqueness of one of the 7,000 rare diseases and many of our volunteers send in multiple copies of a single design.
Our goal is to continue to collect unique bracelets made by jewelry designers, artists, crafters, church groups, girl scout troops and other volunteers and distribute them to our families fighting rare and genetic diseases. Adults receive handcrafted bracelets made by our jewelry designers while children receive love friendship bracelets filled with hope."

I was just contacted by Lisa James (Manager of Community Development for Global Genes/Rare) and asked if I would host a blog hop, as they are in need of at least 40 bracelets right now! I said YES! While I'd love to get more than 40 participants, or 40 bracelets, let's just do our best to get close to that number!

40 bracelets...wouldn't it be wonderful if we could meet their current needs and a few extra... I began to look through my bead stashes, art beads...I discovered in my hoarding I actually had LOTS of blue artisan charms, links and beads. I decided from this stash I could easily create 20 bracelets so I set my time accordingly...with Thanksgiving and a show coming and my full time day job it would really just be about good time management. I can do that...then I got sick...

Really??? Sick now...I don't have time for this! So I found myself slowly moving ahead as I could but still feeling like this was so important and wanting to create as much as I could. Also, medicine head does nothing for the creative flow! So many beads were groped in this process while trying to formulate unique designs through a medicinal haze...BLAH!

I always try for this project to make adjustable bracelets...since we don't get measurements on our recipients...but I did discover one or two beautiful blue bracelets in my already made stock so I decided to include them even though they are not adjustable.

This blue fairy image from Calico Collage is one of my very favorites and I love the way this bracelet turned out. In the end I was very please with the selection of bracelets I sent and I hope the recipients are as delighted to wear and enjoy them as I was to create and share them.

When I got 6 bracelets done, considering all that was happening, I felt pretty sucessful. Granted this was not the 20 I was aiming for but sick, a show and holidays coming...and all the bracelets were very different in style so I was ready to call it well done and get my bracelets shipped. But wait...a little second wind, a break in medicine head to relieve my creative blahs...and that package of new Menagerie Studio charms in denim blue...maybe just a couple more creations before I seal the box!

TEN bracelets was the final count when the box closed and shipped on November 13! I was very happy with the results and hope that each recipient knows they were made with love, care and support for them and their families!

and now a bunch of THANK YOU'S, including the artist beads or components used to create my designs:
Sue Kennedy, our hostess
Global Genes Project
Gaea Cannaday
BoHulley Beads
BeadFreaky
Pink Beach
Sea Shore Glass
Havana Beads
Menagerie Studio
Asbury Avenue Designs (my supply shop for the ephemera wood charms)

I appologize for not having a list of the other blogs participating in this hop...I had to pre-schedule my post because I will be at America's Largest Christmas Bazaar in Portland, Oregon today and when I pre-scheduled the list wasn't available yet.

If you visit Sue's blog by clicking the link above I am certain she will have a list of all participants. Also, I will not be able to hop today but I will get around to everyone in the next few days and get a look at what I'm sure will be wonderful bracelets since you are all such very talented ladies! Thanks so much for stopping by...I love to read all your comments.

Surprise! My Pay It Forward Gift Arrived!

You may remember at the beginning of September I had a Pay It Forward post. The idea was after I was one of 3 people to comment on Patti Vanderbloemen's post to receive a surprise, I would 'Pay It Forward' by offering the same  opportunity on my blog. The only set rule was you have to mail out your surprises sometime in the next 365 days...fortunately Patti did not make me wait!

I gave a little information about myself...a few colors I like, wrist size, but otherwise I tried to leave it open to her creativity. I can't begin to tell you how great she did! Sizing is fantastic, colors...yum and beads from several of my favorite artists! As I work on my surprises to send I hope my recipents are as pleased as I am with their surprises!

So I'll just quit babbling and say here it is...

Lampwork beads from Sue Kennedy, Glass Bead Art and Sheila Davis. Here's a link to Patti's shop so you can pay her a visit and a get a piece of her beautiful jewelry for yourself!

Have a great evening!
~Kari