She Made~She Made...aka: the Brightness in my Dreary January

 This month's edition of She Made ~ She Made seemed almost impossible to work with.  I was the one who picked for this month so I only have myself to blame.  Here is the selection I made:

I adore those vintage brown beads so much and I thought the red blister pearls were perfect for this time of year.  But I struggled.  And then I made this:

And put it down for a day or two and I pondered my next step with it.  In the down time, Therese called me and told me she was beading around the vintage beads and I squealed, "Me Too!" so we promptly exchanged photos of our unfinished work.  It was funny how we both went in the direction of beading around these babies.  It wound up being the only one I beaded around.  Here is the end result (I deeply apologize for all my photos.  Sunshine is a big ol' ZERO in these parts of the woods.  So I had to do it in the dreary weather with a flash.  The first two necklaces I made photographed relatively ok, but the last one...YIKES!):

 

I used lava beads for the chain and a drilled bone piece for the center. I had other intentions for those lava beads but I will be back at the bead show in March and will pick up some more then.   

The red blister pearls seemed like they would be fairly easy to work with when I selected them.  Hahahahahahaha!!!!  I cannot tell you how many way I strung them.  I lost count.  I should have photographed all my pitiful attempts so we all could have a good laugh.  But it all worked out in the end.  Whew!

 I used tila beads and seed beads and the pearls for the front of the necklace and this gorgeous antique button for a side clasp.

 For the back of it, I made this chain out of twin holes and seed beads.  I know that this chain is going to become a regular in my repertoire.  I really love how it looks and feels and how sturdy it is. 

My final piece has the same button clasp as the one above.  I added freshwater pearls and seed beads and twisted two-cuts and this grey jasper to go with the red blister pearls.  Here she is:

( Please excuse the dog hair)

I am really happy with the results of all three necklaces and cannot wait to see what Therese made!

Thanks so much for stopping by ~ Hope you have a great week!

Last Post of Goodies I received ( I think!)

I really do think this is the last of the embarrassment of riches I received in the mail from people spreading their kindness and warmth.  I was just fortunate enough to be in the path of all that generosity. 

First up is a bracelet from my friend Beth.  She learned Herringbone for one of our A Time to Stitch hops but was unable to participate.  She presented this to me at an AHL hockey game.  I love it!  Her first time trying Herringbone, with 3mm bugles and these awesome amethyst cubes we keep coming across.  Love it!  Thank You Beth :-D  Looking forward to Springtime weaving with you in my Little Bead Haven (we really need a name for the place!)

I won these beauties from Jenny Davies-Reazor!  She is a super talented clay and ceramic artist (plus other mediums...go see for yourself).  The polymer snowflakes have a front and back side.  Both are equally beautiful.  I am digging the idea of people seeing me from behind.  They can focus on the pretty backside of the snowflakes instead of my fat ass.  She also sent these lovely ceramic components.  I wonder what they will become?! 



(the front)

 (the back)

(the extras!)




Thanks SO much Jenny!!!














And last, but certainly not the least in the least~~~~~A surprise from Cynthia of Antiquity Travelers!  This link takes you right to her blog post about this piece she sent me.  She was inspired by Native American headdresses, the rock I sent her from Michigan, and the St. Petersburg Stitch.  Her post tells it all so go take a look, then come back!
I can tell by her photos from her blog, that Cynthia made it to be worn with the leaf bail on the front of the necklace, but I keep putting it on with the  bail in the back and just the heart showing.  Looks good either way, really.  What absolute creativity and beauty and a real statement piece!  I was an Anthropology/American Indian Studies Major in college.  So the inspiration behind it, coupled with the heart shaped Michigan rock I thought I would never see again, makes it a very treasured necklace.

 (full heart showing)


Heart Shaped Rocks are said to bring good luck.   Once you start looking for them, they are everywhere! 

(leaf bail showing and it is so pretty this way too!)










Cynthia also sent me beads she got when she was in New Zealand and some sea glass that came from Cuba, Scotland, NJ, and Maine.  We commented to each other that no matter where the sea glass comes from, it all really looks the same :-)

Thank You SO much Cynthia~for EVERYTHING and especially for what is not material...friendship and camaraderie.

Goodies from Friends (with another post to come beause I got even MORE! How lucky can one girl be?!? )

It seems like I keep getting little packages in the mail :-)  Here are a few things with a few more to come in another post.  One I knew was coming, one was a purchase, and one was a complete surprise.

 Penny of Copper Penny sent me this beauty!  And I mean Beauty!  The stones have soothing colors of blue skies and green leaves, the piece has a good weight to it, and I just love the Gorgeous ceramic button! And this style that seems to come so easily to Penny...I wish I had that magic touch that she has to make a piece like this.  But since I don't, my Birthday Buddy (October 29th...both of us!) and I traded necklaces!  She was much more prompt with hers.  Mine goes in the mail tomorrow (really!  Tomorrow!  I promise!).  Thank You Penny!  This is already well loved and will be worn very very often :-) 

Next up is a  little stash of beads I bought from Erin at Elysian Studios.  I purchased them from her etsy shop, Elysian Art A La Carte.  In the first picture are her Gypsy Trade Beads.  These are so funky and fun and come in nice, bright colors.  I adored these from the moment I saw them.  I am so happy to have them in my hot little hands!  Hope I can do them justice! 
Erin also makes really lovely cabs.  I worked with two in the past and wanted more so now I have them :-)

 And then there is the surprise!  From my bead partner and friend, Therese of Therese's Treasures.  She sent this to me for my birthday.  Aside from this post, I do not usually announce my birthday.  I do expect my family to make a big deal out of me that day, but no one else so I keep a low profile :-)  I turned 44 the day Hurricane Sandy wreaked her havoc.  So there wasn't much celebrating going on.  But Therese acknowledged it with her ever present thoughtfulness, love, and grace.  And sent me this Sparkly Stunner!  The first picture is the front side.  The second picture is the backside...because I think it is just as pretty as the front.  Thanks Therese~love you dearly!!!

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I am sneaking in a picture of earrings I made for a show on monday.  They will be in the esty shop in about 15 minutes!

In the center is a freshwater pearl,  On the outside circle are carnelians. 


Also, I hope to be back with Thursday's Thing next week!  I miss it! 

Snow Flakes and She~She Beads

Happy 2013!  Hope you all are sliding into the new year with ease.  I am still and forever will be on the September - August calendar, but have learned to embrace the January new year as a second attempt at a new start since I rarely get it right in September.  Anyway...really, it is always another day, no matter what dates we are writing.  Some days have significant meaning and some are forgotten due to same old same old. 

So much to say and I have so many pictures of people's generosity to post over the next week or two.  Today, I am starting with these Snowflakes.  'Tis the Season!  (unfortunately)  If my yard were covered with THESE babies, I would not mind.  But it is covered with 6" of the real stuff.  Or maybe 8".  Or maybe more.  Whatever it is, it has crippled me and I am ready to hibernate. 

These little Beauties were made possible by Karen Williams of Baublicious and Skunk Hill Studio Fame.  She had a giveaway of these snowflake kits and I won!  Yay!!!  They can be found in her Etsy Shop.  Go get a kit!  Send a kit to a friend!  The price is right, the instructions are perfectly clear.  They are super easy to follow.  I even sipped on Port while following them.  The rhythm of making the snowflakes is really soothing.  And...it is still snowflake season for another 3-6 months.  I gifted these to The Bug and Sunshine Girl as their Ornament of the Year.  They were really excited, assured me they would NOT be packed away with the rest of the ornaments, and asked to learn how to make them.  Sounds like a good winter activity to me~cocoa, cookies, and beaded snowflakes...ahhhhhh.......
Thank You Karen! 

So many other goodies to show, but those will have to wait until Monday.  For now, my pick for the She Made~She Made.

Come back January 30th and see what Therese and I made with these beauties!  Therese gave me the Red Blister Pearls.  I gave her these vintage beads I picked up at Nawbin Beads in Traverse City, Michigan this past summer.  There was no further description other than "vintage beads".  The design was too lovely to pass up. 

In the week(s) to come, I will be showing some really beautiful and generous gifts I received from some friends some of you may know.  And something else I won too. 

Thanks so much for stopping in.  Hope it is warmer and less snowy by you!