Metal and Clay Blog Hop...FINALLY! It's reveal time!

I stumbled across Lisa Lodge's facebook group Pine Ridge Treasures just in time to get in on this wonderful blog hop featuring components from Sharyl McMillian-Nelson of Metapolies. It was a great opportunity to get some of Sharyl's components and be surprised...I love beady surprises! Lisa offers lots of blog and creative challenge kits so come join us for some beady fun. You can visit Sharyl's shop by clicking above or connect with her on facebook here to catch the latest news, sales and new offerings available! Now lets get on with the reveal!

First up...a look at what I received. 2 gorgeous metal charms by Sharyl. They are hand embossed copper with a gorgeous icy blue patina. Lisa also included a strand of white glass pearls and pumpkin shaped copper beads to complete my kit. I know kits were sent at random but seriously ...it's like they both knew exactly what I would love and made it happen! There were plenty of materials and the charms were large enough I could have split them up and done necklace designs but they really spoke to me for earrings...

I added waxed linen in rust, a small sterling daisy spacer...I love mixing metals, especially silver and copper...a bit of copper chain and a pair of my handmade copper ear wires. I love the finished look...they are a bit bold, with a bit of movement and the feel of sitting near a warm fire on an icy, cold winter evening!

Aren't they just delish! I do have plans to use the rest of the pearls and copper beads in one of my stack style bracelets but that will be another day. Thanks for stopping by today and sharing again in my creative process. I hope you will visit the other participants listed below and spread the blog love! ~Kari

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Shaiha Williams,   Shaiha's Ramblings

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Karen Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Lisa Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs

Carol Briody, A Beads Life

Miranda Ackerley, MirandAck

Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

Susan Anderson, La Main Tresor

LeAnne Loftus, First Impression Design

Leithleach Seodra, Alainn Jewelry

Autumn Night Sky Challenge Reveal...

I love this image Lisa of Pine Ridge Treasures has been sharing as we approach the reveal date for the Autumn Night Sky bead challenge. This is my first reveal with one of Lisa's kits ...I have at least 1 each month with her from now through December. So stay tuned for lots of fun stuff! But first...it's time to see the Autumn Night Sky...

I always to snap a picture when I receive any design kits but in this case I somehow missed doing that so this picture is after I made my pieces but shows all the types of beads I received...the kit was actually very generous with 2 strands of the pearls and 2 strands of the crystals!

I have to be honest I don't work with a lot of glass pearls ...but I knew going into these challenges that many of them will contain glass pearls...so comes the challenge for me! I have been very into stack and wrap bracelets the last several months. The style just works for me...simple or extravagant or any where in between depending on how you feel that day.

I used crystals and pearls from the kit and added plum Irish waxed linen and a silver snap clasp for this triple wrap bracelet. I love it! It also goes really nicely with several bracelets I made from my Dark Bloom challenge kit from Andrew Thornton...so kudos for coordinating pieces! It's also long enough to wear as a necklace...so the options are really endless.

I also made a pair of coordinating earrings. I don't wear a lot of earrings but I always tend to make them to coordinate with my designs, especially bracelets. All beads are from the kit and I've again used the plum Irish waxed linen. I also added a pair of my twisted copper jump rings and copper ear wires. I really love these deep rich colors and everything has just the right touch of sparkle!

I have really enjoyed my first design kit from Lisa and look forward to the coming months sharing my other kits and designs with you...most of them are done at this point...so now just waiting for time to share...the anticipation is killing me! Not all of these challenges are blog hops...several are just sharing your designs in the facebook albums on the Pine Ridge Treasure page, which you can find here. I will be blogging on each challenge as well as sharing in the albums...part of my efforts to get in the habit of blogging more regularly :)

So I hope you'll check out the Facebook album to see what everyone else created...my next reveal is Royal Feather (Andrew Thornton) on October 16...hope to see you then! ~Kari