2016 Bead Peeps Blog Hop Reveal

 Let me start by saying, "I made the entire piece from the beads I was given and my stash." 

That is a huge accomplishment for me all on it's own. 

PLUS my partner, Susanne Stelljes, magically had two silver focal pieces my friend Connie had just mentioned she was looking for. So sometimes it is who you know. I was definitely in the right place at the right time to help Connie. Thanks again for that Susanne. 

Okay so to recap. Here is what I sent:

And here is what I received:

To read more about this check out this post.

Now what did I do with them. Well my Bead Society had just done a class on tubular peyote so I pulled out this pattern I'd been wanting to try for years. I wont tell you which one as I discovered it is very poorly written. So I ended up with this:

Not liking the look anyway, I defaulted to my favorite beaded 

component. The pattern for which was given to me by my first bead swap partner ever.

(Sorry I'm too lazy to dig years back into her blog to find a direct link for you.)

Yeah, I didn't really like it either, but when this is where you are 24 hours 

before the deadline panic can be a great motivator to adapt and overcome. 

Honestly I like there the piece went. 

Here's what I had to use:

 I knew from the beginning I was making a necklace for myself.

Honestly I'm not a fan of toggles on necklaces because they get caught in my hair and pull. 

I think I may have come up with a solution this time. A bit more field testing is required before I can attest to it's effectiveness and not dismantling an updo.

Now, here's the entire piece. I am quite proud of it mismatched bead cap pairs and all.

Ready to see more great creations? Visit the other participants to continue the inspiration.

Linda Anderson - Hostess - http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com/...

 

Linda Anderson http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com  

Natalie Davidson http://www.northshoredays.com/

 

Marcy Lamberson http://www.studiomarcy.blogspot.com 

Kathy Lindemer http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com/

 

Dita Basu Http://www.alankarshilpa.blogspot.com 

Andrea Glick http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/

 

Kristina Peck http://tealeavesandtinyhats.blogspot.com/ 

Shai Williams http://www.shaihasramblings.com/

 

Catherine La Vite http://www.drygulchbeadsandjewelry.blogspot.com/ 

Christina Hickman http://vintagetreasuresjewelry.blogspot.com/

 

Gloria Allen http://wingsandbeads.blogspot.com 

Teresa Schurter http://treezstreazurs.com/

 

Maria Rosa Sharrow http://willowstreetshops.blogspot.com 

Susan Kelly http://mimismilesdesigns.blogspot.com

 

Jenny Kyrlach http://anafiassa.blogspot.com/ 

Michelle McCarthy http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com

 

Terry Jeanette Carter http://tappingflamingo.blogspot.com 

Lee Koopman http://stregajewellry.wordpress.com

 

Laurie Vyselaar https://lefthandjewelry.wordpress.com 

Marianne Baxter http://simplyseablimejewelry.blogspot.com

 

Divya N http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com 

Kelly Hosford Patterson http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com/

 

Johana Nunez http://www.artincendi.com 

Kari Asbury http://hippiechickjewelrydesign.com/blog

 

Robing Reed http://www.willowdragon.blogspot.com 

Kristina Hahn Eleniak http://www.peacockandlime.wordpress.com

 

Robin Lynne Showstack http://heartsdesiresjewelryforyou.blogspot.com/ 

Rosantia Petkova http://bairozan.blogspot.com/

 

Claire Fabian http://saraccino.blogspot.de/ 

Inge von Roos https://ingetraud.wordpress.com

 

Rachel Mallis http://mintmonarch.com 

Sam Waghron http://palemooncreation.blogspot.co.uk

 

Lori Schneider http://beadaddicted.blogspot.com 

Fay Wolfenden http://torchfairy.blogspot.com

 

SEEDERS

Suse Stelljes http://pearlify.blogspot.de 

Ginger Bishop http://www.lilmummylikes.blogspot.com

 

Nelly May http://www.smellynelly.blogspot.com 

Rebecca White http://morganafeycreations.121hub.com/

 

Sheila Prosterman http://catswithbeads.blogspot.com 

Catherine King http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com

 

Palak (aka Pallavi Asher)http://kalaabhushan.blogspot.in/ 

Krafty Max http://kraftymax.net

 

Renetha Stanziano http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/ 

Becky Pancake http://beckypancakebeaddesigns.blogspot.com

 

Katy Heider http://onthepondcreations.blogspot.com/ 

Deborah Apodaca http://deborahapodacadesigns.blogspot.com/

 

Heather Richter http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/ 

Tami Norris https://tamisdesigns.wordpress.com

 

Brandy Scozzari http://bhjewelry.wordpress.com 

Catherine King http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com

 

Kathleen Breeding https://www.facebook.com/99BOBOTW/ 

Veralynne Malone http://veradesigns.blogspot.com

 

Bobbie Rafferty http://beadsong.blogspot.com 

Lori Blanchard http://alainnjewelry.wordpress.com

Bead Peeps-What we Swapped

Wow guys sorry to leave you in the dark so long. 

Lots of great beading going on around here,

plus a river flood & the end to 

my husband's back surgeries.

So lots of things to celebrate now that we're safely on the other side of things.

First though I am happy to share that both Suzanne and I have received out Bead Peeps swap packages. 

Above you will see what Suzanne sent me from Germany.

These are the ones I must use for the challenge.

This pin Suzanne sent is my favorite thing from the packet. 

It reminds me of the pearl and bead spiders I have on my Christmas tree, but this one has a mohawk!

(Yes, there was a story that came with the Christmas spider kit, but I don't remember what it was.)

I just love that something usually scary is recreated in a way that makes it beautiful.

Okay moving right along.

This is what Suzanne received from the good 'ole USA.

Oh but the handmade focal of a hand and heart is actually from the UK. 

It's by Caroline Dewison of Blueberri Beads.

Of course a little surprise is always fun.

I have about one inch of beadwork done for my reveal and a simple stringing project complete. Come back May 15th to find out what I did with my blue beads and enjoy with me the creations of Suzanne's imagination as well. 

Now to the fun bit. Here's a peek at the things I've finished since my last post.

 The Bead Society taught Russian Leaves one month. 

I made 3 pair and decided that was plenty.

 This is 3 bracelets with snap clasps. 

The pattern is so lovely I wanted you to see the detail.

 This is yet another of my prized Shelly Nybakke patterns. 

This is the 3rd pattern of hers I've completed.

This next one is going to be a doozy.

 Yes I can do more than bead.

 Even played with a bit of wire too.

I finished another bracelet this weekend, but it's not as photogenic as it is beautiful on the skin. 

You'll just have to trust me on that as I shall not share my skin with you at the moment. 

My gardens are lovely, but it has done quite the opposite to my skin. 

Take Care and Happy Spring!

Flyin'

Seriously!?! Where have the first two months of this year gone? 

I'm absolutely flabbergasted at how quick this year is flyin' by.

So around here we had Mardi Gras.

 Complete with poop hats. (far left)

Yeah, you see all sorts of odd things on the parade route.

and I was asked to be our bead society's Bead It Forward Chair.

We submitted 56 squares. Sixteen of which I added to a little quilt I whipped up.

Yesterday I finished my quarterly ombudsman newsletter which shouldn't be as stressful as it is, but I truly don't know what to talk about. How to you condense months of training into a couple pages, and make it something dozen of different styles of families are willing to spend their time on? 

Best of all I received info on my Bead Peeps partner, Susanne Stelljes. 

Susanne is in Germany. Please take a bit to check out here beautiful blog and fb beading page.

I'm almost done prepping her package. In the mean time I thought 

I'd follow the advice of our host and tell you & Susanne a bit about me.

1. I LOVED the beadweaving with Swarovski crystals that was so popular maybe 10 years ago. As a stay at home mom I just couldn't give that much of our family budget to those pieces so I taught myself to beadweave.

2.I love almost anything beadwoven. Peyote pieces are my favorite, but thanks to a class with Shelley Nybakke I'm learning to love RAW (right angle weave). I still string a bit and drill sea glass for jewelry. I haven't done much recently but I like making resin and polymer clay pendants and components too.

3. I still love working with 3mm & 4mm Swarovski bicones, but I adore seed beads now. At first they were simply to fill in the gaps in the crystals, but now I love them on their own. I've recently falling in love honeycomb beads. I avoid pink and gold tones. I'm a cool colors person who has oddly accepted coral and orange thanks to my passion for all things beachy.

4. See #2 Apparently I can't stay focused on the question as I unintentionally answered this above.

5. See #3 Oops, I did it again. ;)

TRIVIA:  Did you know that I love to make jewelry and even sell military sterling jewelry for a company, but I rarely wear it every day?

I'm also a dig in the dirt girl who literally gets sick to my stomach when I have to dress up in a ball gown. Yep, I have half a closet full of princess dresses and they scare me to death.

Um, well that's enough sharing for today. I hope you are well and happy.

Love where you are, and love yourself.

 

Slow & Steady

So this is where I left you. ☺ To clarify I didn't buy enough Mardi Gras colors to make this bracelet and the style I really wanted. So the bracelet above was sacrificed to make this.

I LOVED IT!!! The best part is this way I had enough to make a second one. So here's where I was this afternoon.

I LOVE THIS ONE EVEN MORE!!! So the one on the right is in the Slidell Chamber of Commerce Marketplace, and the one on the left is MINE.

Now that I finished these. I'm back to my peyote for Valentine's day. It's supposed to be a bracelet, but it's too thick for me. It may become a wall hanging or something. Do you have any ideas?

I'm thrilled to be half way though this pattern. I miss my bead it forward squares. This is insane to someone who's never done anything bigger than a 1.5 inch square before. I will finish it! Hopefully before the bead society meeting in February.

Wish me luck.

Hello Honey

My sweetheart told me to have a great day out with the girls yesterday. Where did we go?

Yep, we went to a bead show! I was so good, and stayed within my budget. Which is why I am posting today.  -I didn't buy enough gold honeycomb beads.- The bracelet at the top, yeah the Mardi Gras colors, will never be worn.

I challenged myself to try this pattern, and it was done in under 30 minutes. Thanks to the beadaholique video I mentioned in my last post it was so easy. BUT! I was in love with the first row so I'm tearing the bracelet out and making it my way.

Oh and believe it or not I used seed beads from my stash and had an astonishing one seed bead left when it was complete. Can you believe it?

Finally Finished Something!

While I wait for my pearls to arrive and I wait for the Bead Soup Blog Party sign up...
I actually started and finished a project with my first honeycomb beads in a single afternoon.

You can find a free pattern from Beads Smith by searching "honeycomb bead pattern" with Google. The original pattern is 3 rows, but I prefer a thinner bracelet.

Hope you enjoy the new honeycomb beads as much as I do. When I get more I'll try the bracelet Beadaholique posted on youtube. Maybe I'll try it in Mardi Gras colors. What do plan to do with honeycomb beads?

Almost

I've spent days on this piece. I even jumped up yesterday and drove out of state to buy more metal seed beads and 14lb fireline. Now I wait for 14 3mm Swarovski pearls. I hate waiting.

I won this Shelley Nybakke kit when I attended her class. I now love metal seed beads and right angle weave. I am, however, no more fond of a short needle than I was before. Check out Shelley's kits and patterns on etsy. Search for her shop Sturdy Girl Designs. If you choose a pattern instead of a kit Bead Parlor Beads on Etsy has the metal seed beads and English cuts you need to complete your own "Don't Ruffle my Feathers" necklace.

Now I am off to give CRAW a try. Wonder if this is another stitch I already know, but didn't have a name for when working it.

What are you working on?

Bead It Forward 2016 Patterns

Thanks to my faster paced life since our last move 

most of my creative sharing is done on Instagram.

I would like to share these with as many people as possible 

because I love the Bead It Forward project. 

So here are some Bead It Forward 2016 patterns for the theme: 

SPACE:  Out There Somewhere, There's a Cure.

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Since there is no reason to reinvent the wheel the next two were found, not created, by me.

Jupiter

Find Jupiter on the Bead It Forward pattern page.

Saturn

This one, Saturn, came from Pinterest.

Uranus

Neptune

I'm working on what will be a four part sun.

Anybody know how they create those 4 part patterns?

Until then...

I've shared my peyote solar system with you...

enjoy!