Echo Creative Club November Reveal

I once again have the privilege of having a guest spot in Jeannie's Echo Creative Club.  Jeannie makes such beautiful and amazing creations using polymer clay and you can find them her in her  shop.  In her Echo Creative Club she sends you a piece and you then use it to design something.  I received this beautiful pink Gin Blossom.  I LOVE it!

 

 

I wanted to keep the design fairly simple so as not to take too much away from the focal piece.  I decided to do a Russian spiral weave.  I also stitched the toggle clasp and added a bit of fringe. 

 

I ADORE this necklace and know that I will wear it often.  Thanks to Jeannie for allowing me to showcase one of her wonderful creations.  Please visit Jeannie and all the other participants.

Alicia Marinache http://www.allprettythings.ca

Charlie Jacka http://clay-space.com

Cindy Cima Edwards http://www.cindycima.com

Dagi http://kokopellidesign.blogspot.com

Donna Martin Bradley http://strandedbeads.blogspot.com

Jeannie K Dukic http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog

Jessica Klaaren http://www.cellardoorjewelry.blogspot.com

Karen Williams http://baublicious.blogspot.com

Kashmira Patel http://sadafulee.blogspot.com

Kristen Stevens http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Michelle Buettner http://www.MiShelDesigns.blogspot.com

Shannon Chomanczuk http://www.formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com

Sonya Ingersoll-Stille http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com

Head to Head Challenge November Update

Remember from this post I am doing a Head to Head Challenge with my good friend Sweet Freedom.  We decided that we would do a monthly update until the reveal date.  Well..... I have gone so far as select some beads that go with my triangle bead.


Please come back next month to see what progress I have made.  And be sure to see how far Sweet Freedom has gotten with her head to head challenge piece.

Ears to You blog hop

I first must apologize that this post is late.  When I join a blog hop I always make sure that my post is ready and I schedule it to post at 12:30 am the day it is due.  Well.....life got in the way!  Thursday and Friday I had a sick and cranky 2 year old and then yesterday with his fever it was a REALLY CRANKY day and with Mom not feeling so hot herself it was not a good day!  So anyway her is my post....better late than never I say.

Amy of http://copperdiem.blogspot.com/ is our wonderful hostess and found this awesome organization Ears to You .  They provide free earrings to women undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.  She decided that since this was such a giving and easy way to brighten a woman's day why not ask some of her like minded friends to help out and make some earrings.   Her rule was for us to make 3-5 pairs or more of earrings to send to the organization and share with each other what we made. 

Here are my earrings.

If you would like to donate just go to http://www.earstoyou.org/ and you too and make a woman's day!

Please visit the other wonderful participants to see what they created for this amazing cause.




Copper Diem
My Addictions
Beads, Tea and Sweets
Juls Beads
Fabric of my Life
Blogging Business Artisans
Jeannie's Blog
Lorelei's Blog
One Kiss Creations
Backstory Beads
According to Katie
Cherish Designs
Beads: Rolling Downhill
Falling Into The Sky
Garden Path Beads
Antiquity Travelers
Sissy and Jacks
Erin Siegel Jewelry/Art Bead Scene
Northwood Creative Studio
SilverRose Designs
Dreamin of Beads/SAS Jewelry Design  *** you are here
Cabe Woman
Summers Studio
Honey from the Bee
Shaiha's Ramblings
Mama's Got to Doodle
Beads for Busy Gals
Tanya McGuire
Creative Atelier

October Fest Blog Hop

Tolec Jewels is hosting a October Fest blog hop. 

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Tolec Jewels wanted to celebrate Autumn in all its splendor and glory.  She asked that participants create just about anything (did not have to be just jewelry) to celebrate Autumn!   I love the change of seasons and I did celebrate Autumn.  

I made a fall inspired leaf necklace. The center part is cubic right angle weave and then I added the leaves and Czech beads.  I used some beautiful jasper roundel beads, two beads I enameled and copper chain.  I really like the way this necklace turned out.

I did some chocolate candy molds.  I do these for just about all of the holidays. 

 Chocolate covered Oreos!  Oh so delicious!  Even though some of my chocolate went into the outer cavities.

 

My Sister and I carved pumpkins with my 5 year old Jacob. 

This was the first time I let Jacob carve alone, he was soooo excited!

We roasted the pumpkin seeds.  This was a first for me and they were good, taste like popcorn.

My boys at Crooked Pines Farm.

Jacob

 Noah

 My big boy in the pumpkin patch!

 Some of my Fall decorations.

Please visit the other participants and see the way they celebrate Autumn.

And last but certainly not least.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR HOSTESS!

 

Host Toltec Jewels            http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Heather Otto                        http://www.thecrafthopper.com
Mischelle Fanucchi           http://www.micheladasmusings.blogspot.com
Marlene Cupo                      http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com
Shaiha Williams                   http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com ;
Shelly Graham Turner      http://shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com/ ;
Shelly Joyce                         http://www.aujourlejour-shelly.blogspot.com/
Charlie Jacka                       http://clay-space.com/blog/
Pam Sears                              http://crazycreativecorner.blogspot.com/
Margareta Saari                  http://magsinhelmet.blogspot.com/
Marita Suominen               http://momentofjewelry.blogspot.fi/
Lisa Posthumus                  https://www.facebook.com/lisa.posthumusharper
Jeannie Dukic                      http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog
Cheri Reed                            http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/
Arlene Dean                         http://aglassbash.blogspot.com/
Duffy Blevins                       http://bubbasjewels1.blogspot.com/
Susan Kennedy                   http://suebeads.blogspot.com/
Dita Basu                               http://www.alankarshilpa.blogspot.com/
Sonya Ann Stille                http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com/        ****You are here
Audrey Allen                      https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wrapped-Up-In-Magic/145456948869148
Kashmira Patel                   http://sadafulee.blogspot.com/
Kathy Lindemer                 http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com/
Kris Mattingly                     https://www.facebook.com/kris.h.mattingly
Lennis Carrier                     http://www.windbent.net/
Shannon Hicks                    http://uptwnsh-fallingintothesky.blogspot.com/
Paula Hisel                         http://simplybeadiful.weebly.com/simply-stated.html
Karin Slaton                        http://backstorybeads.blogspot.com/
Shirley Moore                    http://www.beadsandbread.blogspot.com/
Alicia Marinache              http://www.allprettythings.ca/
Valeria G. Rome                http://fancysphynxdesigns.blogspot.com/
Lo                                            http://thecreativeklutz.blogspot.com/
Zoe Marcin                          http://beadsteaandsweets.blogspot.com/
Carolyn Lawson                http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com
Kimberly Booth                 http://thepinkmartiniboutique.blogspot.com/
Sherri Stokey                      http://www.knotjustmacrame.com
Tanya McGuire                  http://www.tanyamcguire.blogspot.com/ ;
Debbie Rasmussen           http://kepirasmussen.blogspot.com/
Christine Stonefield         http://sweetgirldesign.blogspot.com/
Tanty Sri Hartani      http://tjewellicious.blogspot.com/
Sandra McGriff                   http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.com/
Renetha Stanziano           http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/
Evelyn Shelby                    http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/
Colene Waltermire           https://www.facebook.com/groups/426147797447039/?fref=ts
Lee Nova                              https://www.facebook.com/groups/426147797447039/?fref=ts

Facebook Group Posts          

https://www.facebook.com/groups/426147797447039/?fref=ts

A Time to Stitch 2 Hop

It is time for me to reveal another blog hop....this one is hosted by Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller.  This is A Time to Stitch 2 hop and it features Right Angle Weave and St. Petersburg Chain.  The rules are pretty simple:  make something using Right Angle Weave or make something using St. Petersburg Stitch. 

I did a basic right angle weave base and added a layer of fringe that is right angle weave too and added the daggers for more drama. To make this elegant evening necklace I used black Czech firepolish beads, size 11 seed beads and black daggers.  I am going on a cruise in December and think this will be perfect for one of my dresses. 

I also did a lariat that used several stitches.  St. Petersburg stitch and a chevron stitch make up the main parts of the lariat and they are joined together using a ladder stitch, the pieces that make the three inside fringe portions use right angle weave and straight fringe. The beads on the end of my fringe are enamel beads I made.  For the clasp I used circular peyote stitch.  This is a design by Kelley Wiese and she called it Royal Chains Lariat.  It was in Bead Work magazine issue Oct/Nov 2009.   I have wanted to do this necklace since I first saw the pattern way back when but I did  not know how to do St. Petersburg or Chevron stitch.  This was my first time doing the Chevron stitch, really easy and stitches up fast.  I really love the way this piece turned out.  I think I will do it again in lighter colors.

 

Unfortunately I had difficulties and could not get the list of the other participants to copy with links so I am asking you to please go to their blogs by visiting our hostesses  Therese and Christine.  Thanks so much!

Jumped the Gun....

Well I must apologize to Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller....I was so excited that I jumped the gun!  I posted my blog about the  Time to Stitch 2 blog a day early.  As I was sitting in the car line this morning waiting to go on a school field trip with my son, I realized that I did it for the 24th and not the 25th of October! 

Guess you can just call me an eager beaver!

I have removed the post and rescheduled it for the morning.
So please come back tomorrow and see my creations!  Thanks!

Head to Head Challenge

My friend Sweet Freedom and I have decided to do a head to head challenge.  We each start with the same bead and the only hard and fast rule is that it must contain some free form peyote.  This is perfect for me since I just did this stitch for the first time and really want to try it again.  We will do a monthly blog update on the 14th.  Our finished pieces will be revealed on January 14th 2013. 

We are the only participants in this head to had and we worked together to find one or more matching beads that we would both be happy to create a design from.  We had an entire bead mat full of matching beads and eliminated down to the following really cool ceramic triangle bead.  I am really into the fall colors right now and this is just the perfect color, it is a beautiful reddish orange color. 

Both of these pictures were taken from  Sweet Freedom's blog.

Ever since I joined the first BSBP #5 I have been hooked on blog challenges.  They have really made  me grow as a designer and I just LOVE them so this is perfect for me.  We often joke and I call my  friend  a Jedi Master and I am her apprentice. 


I must say that we are both much more attractive than these two....LOL!

Over the years of our friendship I have learned a great deal from her and I am honored that she wants to do this challenge with me.  I am excited to see what we each create. 
So be sure to return on the 14th of November and December to see our updates and January 14th for the final reveal.