Jewelry Making Classes Online at Beaducation: The Blog: GIVEAWAY with Beaducation Academy!

Jewelry Making Classes Online at Beaducation: The Blog: GIVEAWAY with Beaducation Academy!: We are really excited about Beaducation Academy . And the feedback we have gotten lets us know that you are too! We want to give everyone a ...

Lorelei's Blog: 7 Days of Giveaways Day 7 and Final Day

Lorelei's Blog: 7 Days of Giveaways Day 7 and Final Day: ATTENTION:  RENEE C ! Contact me, you won yesterday! Welcome to the final day of the week of giveaways! What a fun we've had eh?? Prett...

Focus on Life 2013 Week 3 Take Time and week 4 Create Art

I missed week three of  Sally's Focus on Life 2013.  Week three we were supposed to take some time just for ourselves.  Well that week the entire family was SICK with the flu.  It was just miserable.  When I first received her prompt I thought oh what a wonderful excuse to get a pedicure, but no that did not happen. We finally started feeling better by Friday/Saturday.   On Sunday my Husband and I were invited to go to the Atlanta Falcons Championship game in Atlanta.  Having two small boys it is not too often that we get to go out and do fun things with other adults, life just has a way of getting in the way.  I am sure many of you can relate.  Well we went, had a good time and that is my piece of time for myself. 

Week four: Create Art
My creation of art involves Jewelry making and I feel like I do not get to do it often enough, so this goes hand in hand with taking time.  This week I set up my enameling station and torched some beads.  I also did some bead weaving and am in the process of making a bracelet. 

Some blues that I sent a new friend.

 

The above shows parts of the bracelet.

 This is going to be the clasp, I believe.  I am actually making it up as I go.

 Snowflake, that I may use form something upcoming....stay tuned!

Part of a heart, still have to do the back side. 
As you can tell I have a difficult time just starting one project, getting it done and moving on, I often do a few at a time.

Please visit The Studio Sublime and see how the others spent their week.  Be sure to come back next Saturday!

BSBP and making friends

It is time once again to sign up for Lori Anderson's BSBP  and I have already signed up again.  This will be my third time.  I am participating again for several reasons. 
1.  I love the challenge, receiving something unexpected, perhaps something I would not buy for myself.

Like this really cool bead by Lisa Boucher, which inspired me to create something very out of my element.

Receiving things made by my partner, like this beautiful bead by Michelle Escano-Cabellero  of http://cabbycraft.blogspot.com/ .

With this bead I created a necklace that my Mom LOVES!

 

 

I received this pretty bead from Sara Oehler of http://softflexgirl.blogspot.com/  When I first saw it I would never have imagined that I would create this really cool necklace.

So you can see that I really do love the challenge and excitement of getting cool things from my partner.

2.  I love seeing all the wonderful things others create.  I would love to add some pictures of some of my favorite pieces from the past hops but I would not be able to give the artists their due credit.

3. Making new friends.  Sometimes it feels as if some of the people I have met through this blog hop and FB group seem like instant friends and kindred spirits.  One of those people is the extremely talented Michelle Escano-Cabellero of http://cabbycraft.blogspot.com/.  If you visit her blog you can see some of the amazing things she had made.  She does some stunning things with polymer clay and makes the coolest cards.  This week I received this amazing ornament that I commented on in her blog.  She is so sweet and generous.  I love it and will cherish it.  I can't wait till it can hang from my tree at Christmas!

  Michelle, Thanks so much for this amazing ornament!  I truly LOVE it!


So if you too would like to join in on the fun just visit Lori's blog and sign up.  Sign ups are open until Sunday the 27th. 

Lorelei's Blog: 7 Days of Giveaways: DAY THREE

Lorelei's Blog: 7 Days of Giveaways: DAY THREE: Welcome back! It's day three!! I am excited to share these new giveaways with you today!! If you are new to the scene, I am giving away bea...

Head to Head Challenge Reveal!!

Well the big day has finally come.....the day to show you what I created in my Head to Head Challenge with my friend Sweet Freedom.  When I sign up for challenges, etc. I usually go ahead and do a blog post that has the title of the blog and set it on a schedule to post on the morning of the reveal.  Last night while in bed with my fever and achy body it dawned on me that my post was going to show up in blog world at 6am with only a title.  I jumped on the kindle and moved the post till 6pm, thinking I would do it first thing in the morning.  Well being sick I did not get out of bed until close to 2pm today.  My sweet Husband, who is sick too, stayed home and took care of our sick 2 year old.  I got up and took Jacob to school and got back in the bed. I could not believe how late it was when I actually got back up.  We then went and picked Jacob up from school and Mommy duties stepped in.  As a parent your job never ends, sick or not.  I am praying that Jacob will continue to evade this nastiness that is going around in our house.  Well with our further ado here is my reveal....



The challenge was to create a piece using this triangle and some free-form peyote bead weaving.

 

I was not sure what I was going to do and my first thought was to make a necklace.  Part way in and I changed my mind to making a bracelet.  I learned how to bezel around the triangle bead.  It took me about 6 or maybe even 8 times, but I DID IT!!! I am so proud of myself and have the bug to bezel around more and more things.

It was after doing this part on the right that I realized that my piece was not going in the direction of a necklace.

 

This is a close up of center of the bracelet.

 
Finished piece on my wrist.  I really like the way it turned out.  For my second time, not bad.  So much better than my first attempt at free-form.

The bracelet lying flat.  It does not look like it would wear well, but it actually does.

I just adore beaded toggle clasps!

 

 

 

 

Please head over to Sweet Freedom's blog and see what she created, I KNOW you will not be disappointed.   I have not seen it yet, but know it is STUNNING!  She does such amazing work.  I have said it before, she is my Jedi Master!

 

Focus on Life: week 2 Your word!

I am participating in The Studiosublime's focusing-on-life-one-photo-a-week project.  This week our prompt was our word or resolution for 2013.  I thought and thought about what my word should be and tossed around several words that sort of fit into the word I finally choose.....SIMPLIFY!

This past year there were many times that I felt very stressed and that I just was too overwhelmed so I think Simplify is perfect.  When I think about what I can do to make things more simple or what I do already on a daily basis that is simple the first thing that comes to mind is loving my family.  .After God they are my primary focus anyway and I do LOVE them with all that I am.  So I thought I would share some pictures of them with you.
 

  My boys simply sleeping...they are such sweet angels.

 

 

 Being silly!  I SIMPLY love my family.  This year I will simplify and just focus on the simple things.

Focus on Life Week One-Self Portrait

I am jumping in with both feet, even though I am a week late in joining The Studiosublime's focus on life- 52 weeks.  You can read about this here.  The photo prompt for week one is a Self Portrait.  For those that know me would think that having to take a picture of myself would have me running for the woods, face covered.  I really do not like to have a picture taken, but I know there are so many of you out there that feel the same way.  I am sure many of the other people that are participating in this photo journey also do not want to take their pictures.  If they can do it, so can I!  Sally told us in her prompt that we should not worry about taking our pictures and focus on the beauty within us all.  I agree with her.  I always look for the beauty in people.  There are so many people that do not think they are attractive or have an issue with something about themselves, but really they are beautiful!  Of course I don't feel this way about myself......but here goes.

 My very first thought was I will get a picture of me from the rear that way they do not have to see my face and I do like my hair.  I then decided that was just not totally right.  I am still including this picture because this does show a great deal about me.  The majority of the time I wear my hair in a pony tail.

There you go!  Of course I do not like this picture but hey it was the best I could

 do.  I look a lot like my Mother.  I often tell people that if they saw my Mom on the street they would know she was mine because I look just like her.   I really see my Mom in this picture. 

 

Week one down!  Come back on Friday January 11th for week two.

2013

Well we are a week into 2013 and I am finally getting around to my first post of the year.  Last year was an extremely stressful year.  I am not saying that it was bad, it just made me feel tired.   We had several changes in our family, some good and then some not so good.  We moved out to the country full time.  This is one of the really positive things that took place during 2012.  I love the small school my son, Jacob attends.  I love that my boys will grow up learning about wildlife and working on the land. 

  The biggest negative to living in the country is the skunks.....yuck, and the snakes.  The above picture was taken from my car.

2012 was a good year for my Jewelry making.  I participated in many more blog hops and challenges.  I really enjoyed this, although there were a few times that I did feel a bit overwhelmed and thought to myself I need to stop for awhile.  I even thought that my only blog hop for 2013 would be the BSBP.  It is now 2013 and there is no way this will be my only hop/challenge.

I have one that will be revealed on the 14th of January,  my Head to Head Challenge with my great friend Sweet Freedom.

I am also participating in the Art Jewelry Elements earring challenge, and the The Studio Sublime's focusing-on-life-2013.

The Art Jewelry Elements earring challenge involves making a pair of earrings a week using art beads or elements.  These can be items from another artist or yourself.  You just need to list who made the are beads or elements.  This challenge is for the entire year, but it is broken down into quarterly sections so you can do 13 weeks or more.  We will reveal on Sunday's every two weeks.  This means you get to see 2 pairs of earrings from me.  The first reveal date is January 20th.  I choose to participate in this because I often struggle making earrings and want to grow.

The The Studio Sublime's focusing-on-life-2013.  I have joined this a week late, but will catch up.  Sally from The Studio Sublime will email all the participants a photo prompt.  We then have a week to capture our picture and it will be posted on Saturday.  This will last the entire year.  You will be able to see moments of our lives for 52 weeks.  I am really excited about doing this. 

Well this is a great way to welcome in 2013 and say goodbye to 2012!