That Old Familiar Feeling!

It's that time of year again. The time when everything shimmers and turns to gold and red. Autumn is my favorite season. It makes me melancholy even before it starts. I love the bitter sweet feelings Fall arouses in my soul.

It's the cool nights and gloriously blue skied sunny days. It's the papery crinkle of fallen leaves. The rich scents of baking in the kitchen. Smiling pumpkins, sweaters, boots, long walks, apples...the list is endless. If I could live in a place that feels like Fall all year round, I'd be a very happy camper.

I've been busy creating lots of Fall jewelry in the last few weeks. Gearing up for craft shows and church bazaars. I am so thankful to God that He allows me to do something I love and has given me a little talent and a lot of passion to be creative!

The Autumn Bouquet bracelet features lampwork beads by Carolyn Conley. 

It can be found in our Etsy shop here...

The Elephant Walk necklace and earrings set is another one of my new creations. It features one of my hand sawn pendants. This started as a sketch in my sketch book and was created entirely from scratch. He can be found in the Etsy shop as well.

I have recently joined a metal working group on Facebook and I'm learning so very much. I am trying to keep my eyes and ears open and gleaning information without opening my mouth and letting my ignorance show. I am so used to just asking a question of my beading friends, but these metal smiths are hard core. :-).

Recently, one of the group members asked folks to post some of there work that was created just for fun. I am here to tell you that some of the pieces are AMAZING! So much so that I had to share one of the artists work.

Carrie Nunes is a Graduate Gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America and studied her jewelry and metal working arts at The Appalachian Center for Arts and Crafts. Be SURE to check out her website and Etsy store.

What I wanted to share was her series of cake rings. These are BEYOND adorable and what I refer to as a "Happy Maker." The attention to detail and the shear awesomeness of these little works of art blow me away. They are definitely on my wish list of things I'd like to own. I can't decide which one I like the most. If you need a gift suggestion for me, one of these would definitely work. :-).

Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal!

It's time, it's hear! It's time for us to show off our creations for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party!

I am really excited! I was partnered up with Patty Miller of Cabaribeads! She sent me a BEAUTIFUL soup loaded with my favorite turquoises and aquas! I was so excited when my soup finally arrived! She made the gorgeous lampwork focal bead and the lovely etched copper heart link.

I was out shopping the day that my soup came and took advantage of a sale and scooped up some larger coordinating beads to go with my soup.  I chose the turquoise howlite rectangles and the dyed ocean jasper.  Both of these colors really played beautifully with that awesome focal bead!

What I finally ended up with when I finished editing out the extra beads form both Patty and my shopping spree, was the howlite, the jasper, the little purple jade beads from Patty, the turquoise glass beads from patty, some copper and purple jade beads from my stash, the focals and the toggle from Patty. I wanted to try an asymmetrical design so I used the heart on one side. I think it came out beautifully!

I want to thank Lori Anderson of the Pretty Things Blog for putting this Blog Hop together! There are almost 500 participants, world wide, in this blog hop! Be sure to check out the other participants reveals! There are going to be some really gorgeous designs! BLOG HOP BLOG ROLL!

Be sure to check out Patty's blog on the second reveal date next Saturday to see what she does with the soup I sent her!

New Look!

One of my favorite lampwork bead artists, Heather Davis, (Blissful Garden Beads) recently launched a new line of ceramic components. I have been collecting them and I have to admit to hording them. LOL. (yeah, what else is new?)

Heather asked me to do a guest post on her blog in exchange for a few components to try out. Needless to say I jumped at the chance. :-). Below are the components that Heather generously supplied to me. I have to admit, I was overwhelmed, there was such a variety and they are all lovely!

I knew that I wanted to try pairing her lampwork beads with some of the ceramic pieces so I bought a few pairs of lampwork and waited patiently for them to arrive. When they got here, I was tickled! I knew what I would do with them right away. Below you'll see the results of my first two sets using Heather's components.

True Blue pairs up a lovely trio of links in a gorgeous true blue color and a pair of Heather's beads with light blue flowers and deep pink roses. True Blue is available here in my Etsy shop.

Pink Lady is a FUN set! I love the big hole pendant and it allowed me to pair it up with a silk string. The two links are complimented with a pair of Heather's 'cut glass' style rose beads. Pink Lady is available here in the Etsy shop.

Memories and Thanks Blog Hop

When Lori Anderson put out a call for folks to sign up for a special blog hop, I knew that I wanted to participate. The Memories and Thanks Blog Hop is based on sharing a creation to commemorate a person in our lives or to honor a person that has a big impact on our lives.  I chose to honor my fiance, Rome.

Rome and I have been together for 16 years. We started dating on January 1, 1997. We had met the previous Summer but we were both involved with other things and didn't get to know each other very well. When Rome came looking for me on New Year's Day, I wasn't looking for a relationship. I was in school and working and I didn't really want complications. I didn't know he'd completely change my ideas about settling down, LOL.

Rome is warm and funny. He has a personal strength of character that I admire greatly. He is loving and kind and he is my rock. He and I have been through some really horrible stuff together and instead of running away, Rome has always opened his arms and supported me and lent me strength to get through the hard times.

My piece for the blog hop is not a new one. It's one of the first pieces of 'guy' jewelry I ever designed so it's about 7 years old. I made this piece for Rome and he loved it. I have to admit to wearing it too, I love the earthy mix of materials, it's a boho chic look that I really love. For the blog hop, I updated the necklace. I restrung it on better beading cable and finished it off with a chain around the back instead of the original Liquid Silver bugle beads I'd used when I first created this one. The piece is titled Madagascar and it's features an elephant skin jasper pendant and chips, brown sardonyx, Czech glass and sterling silver.

Be sure to check out the other participants blogs to see their creations and read their stories! I really enjoyed doing this one. Thanks to Lori for organizing this hop, it's been an honor to get to share my Rome with everyone.

Hostess, Lori Anderson       Pretty Things
Adlinah Kamsir                   Dream Struck Designs

 Aimee Biondolillo               Aimee's Jewelry Treasures

 Alicia Marinache                 All the Pretty Things 
 Andra Marasteanu               Handmade by Indra Marasteanu 
 Andrea Trank                      Heaven Lane Creations
 April Grinaway                   Brooklyn Bead Goddess

Barb Solem                         Vivi Magoo Presents

Becky Pancake                    Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Beth Emery                         Stories by Indigo Heart

Bonnie Coursolle                Jasper's Gems

Cassi Paslick                       Beads: Rolling Downhill

Catherine King                    Catherine's Musings

Cece Cormier                      The Beading Yogini

Chandra Leitz                     Juniper Goods

Charissa Nesler                   FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka                       Clay Space

Christina Hickman              Vintage Treasures Jewelry

Christine Murrow               Charis Designs Jewelry
Christine Stonefield            Sweet Girl Design

Chrizette Bayman               Bead Soup Mix

Cindy Wilson                      It's My Sea of Dreams

CJ Bauschka                       4 His Glory Creations by CJ

Crystal Thain                      Here Bead Dragons

Cyndi Lavin                        Beading Arts

Debbie Rasmussen             A little of this, a little of that

Denielle Hagerman             Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez                  Arte y Poemas

Diane Hawkey                    diane hawkey

Dita Basu                            ankarshilpa

Donetta Farrington             Simply Gorgeous

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell     Deeliteful Jewelry Creations

Emma Todd                        A Polymer Penchant

Erin Kenny                         beadiful therapy

Erin Prais-Hintz                  Treasures Found

Gina Hockett                      Freestyle Elements

Gloria Allen                        Innovative Dreams Jewelry

Heather Marston                 CSW Designs

Inge von Roos                    Inge's Blog

Iveth Caruso                       Creative Atelier

Jacqueline Marchant          Fiddledeedee Jewelry

Jami Shipp                         Celebrating Life!

Jean Yates                          Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!

Jennifer Reno                     Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo                   Peppa's Dream

Jennifer VanBenschoten    Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren                  Cellar Door Jewelry

Jessica Murray                   Whimsical Monkey

Joan Williams                     lilruby jewelry

Jo-Ann Woolverton            It's a Beadiful Creation

Joanne Browne                   josjewels1

Jodie Marshall                    Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art

Johanna Rhodes                 Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen                 Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC

JuLee Wolfe                       The Polymer Penguin

Julie Bean                           Blue Pig Blog

Karen Mitchell                   Over the Moon Designs

Karin King                         The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton                       Backstory Beads

Kat Douglas                       Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton                        Toodles and Binks

Kelly Hosford Patterson     The Traveling SideShow

Kim Ballor                          Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity

Kim Dworak                       CianciBlue

Kim Houston                       The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter                         Kym Hunter Designs

Laren Dee Barton                Laren Dee Designs

Lea Avroch                          LA Jewelry Designs

Leanne Loftus                      First Impression Design

Liddy McLaughlin               Liddy McLaughlin Art

Linda Florian                       Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations

Linda Inhelder                     Must-Haves Jewelry

Lisa Hamilton                      Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver                            Fancee That

Lori Bowring Michaud        Artfully Ornamental

Lori Poppe                           Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean

LouAnn Elwell                    Southpass Beads

Mandi Effron                       Craft-o-licious

Marcia DeCoster                 MadDesigns

Marcia Dunne                     The Alternative Foundry

Marie Covert                      Creating Interest

Marjorie Savill Linthwaite     bennubirdrising

Marlene Cupo                        Amazing Designs by Marlene

Martha Aleo                           Ornamento

Marti Conrad                          Marti's Buttons -n- Beads

Mary Ellen Parker                  BeeTree by m.e.

Mary Govaars                        MLH Jewelry Designs

Mary Lindell                          Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry

Maureen Connolly                 Mrs Beadsley's Workshop

Maybeline Tay                       The Jewelry Larder

Melissa Elgin                         The Addicted Beader

Melissa Mesara                      one-eared pig beads

Menka Gupta                         Menka's Jewelry

Michaela Pabeschitz              la mar de bonita

Mischelle Fanucchi               Micheladas Musings

Mona Rae Baroody               Who Does She Bead She Is?

Nan Emmett                          Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth

Nancy Pedersen                    Something Heartfelt by Nancy

Natalie Davidson                  NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas                      Bead It and Weep

Pam Farren                           re-maker

Pam, the Crazier Sister        The Crazy Creative Corner

Pam Traub                            Klassy Joolz
Priya Krish                           Hellopalz 
Rebecca Anderson               Song Beads

Rebecca Sirevaag                 Becca's Place

Robin Kae Reed                   Artistry HCBD

Rochelle Brisson                  a creative chelle

Rosa Maria Cuevas              Helena de Troya

Sabine Dittrich                     perlendschungel

Sandi Volpe                          Sandi Volpe

Sandra McGriff                    Creative Chaos

Sarah Goode                         Pookledo
Sarah Singer                         String a Song of Sixpence

Serena Trent                         All Things Made Jewelry

Shai Williams                       Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac                        Sharon's Jewelry Garden

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson    Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections

Sheila Davis                         Stone Designs

Shelley Graham Turner        Fabric of My Life

Sherri Stokey                       Knot Just Macrame

Sherry Baun                         Unicorns Jewels

Skylar Bre'z                         Brising Beads

Stephanie Haussler              Pixybug Designs

Tania Spivey                        Moobie Grace Designs

Terri G.                                Blooming Ideas

Terry Carter                         Tapping Flamingo

Terry Matuszyk                    Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry

Toltec Jewels                       Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse                         Goldkisses Art

Tracy Martin                        Nutkitten's Jewelry

Zia Parks                              Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe

Zoe Marcin                          Beads, Tea and Sweets

Show Off Your Hooters?

The girls over at the ning site, Artisan Whimsy have been showing off their hooters! Owls that is, LOL. They put together a challenge showcasing owls. The challenge was to create either an owl component or a finished piece that featured an owl.

I'm not really crazy about owls, so I had to think really hard about what to create. I went for something fallish and embossed the owl onto sheet copper and then stamped the feathers in with my V stamp. Next came hole punching and then the dangles were added.

For my dangles I used a Russ Powers boro bead accented with Citrine rondelles. A brown glass pearl and crystal were accented with some gorgeous goldenrod yellow Aragonite rondelles. I suspended my plaque from some pretty solid copper rolo chain and finished it off with a hand forged copper S clasp I made.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with how my little owl came out. If you like him too, please go to the Artisan Whimsy site and give me a vote!

What sort of owl creations do you make?