Memories and Thanks Blog Hop

This blog hop came about because of the death of a friend of Lori Anderson and Lori's desire to honor her memory. 

 

 I have to admit...this was a tough challenge for me to undertake.  We've just been through the holidays;  my emotions and memories are scraped raw and now I'm going to try to write about a person who I still miss on a daily basis.

 

And then to narrow down my inspiration to only one aspect of a complex person and then translate that concept into jewelery...I had my work cut out for me.

 

The person who inspired this piece is my father.  He has been in Heaven for almost two years now and while I'm moving on with the grieving process it's been a tough road to walk.  My faith and my family have been crucial in getting me to this point.

 

 

My dad was a complex individual and enjoyed keeping people on their toes.  He didn't let many people see the gentle and sensitive side of himself...probably because he had been hurt so badly so often throughout his life.

 

But as I thought about our relationship, I realized that there is one important thing that I inherited from him and that is the ability to recognize black and white (right and wrong) in a world filled with shades of grey. 

 

 

My dad was a man of uncompromising principles.  He and I worked for the same company for many years and I saw the struggles he endured to stay true to his word even as those around him broke theirs.  But he was always the go-to person when people had problems because they knew he could be trusted.

  

I decided to take that idea of "black and white" and use it as the inspiration for my memory piece. 

 

  

I wanted something dramatic yet simple.  I decided to start with a black and white lucite flower and build from there.  I added dark grey and white pearls with small crystal AB rounds and bright silver daisy spacers to create the flower.  Then I added Tibetan silver bead caps and a matching AB crystal round to finish the look.

 

I chose to use gunmetal for the chain and used the antique silver clasp as a focal piece just above the drop pendant.   

 

 

When I was painting on glassware and Christmas ornaments, Dad was my biggest supporter and the person I would rely on to help me with my new designs.  It seems fitting that my first new design for 2013 would be a necklace to honor him. 

 

Be sure to travel around and see how people have inspired others on this blog hop!  Just click on the blog title (in pink) to visit each blog.

 

Hostess, Lori Anderson       Pretty Things

Adlinah Kamsir     Dream Struck Designs

Alicia Marinache        All the Pretty Things

Andra Marasteanu      Handmade by Indra Marasteanu
Andrea Trank             Heaven Lane Creations
April Grinaway         Brooklyn Bead Goddess

  

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

Charlie Jacka            Clay Space

Christine Stonefield   Sweet Girl Design

Chrizette Bayman     Bead Soup Mix

Cindy Wilson           It's My Sea of Dreams

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
Diane Hawkey           diane hawkey

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

 

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

Lena Adams (Mari's daughter) --  Lena's Beady Blog
TBALiddy 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

Priya Krish     Hellopalz

Rebecca Anderson     Song Beads

Rebecca Sirevaag     Becca's Place

Robin Kae Reed     Artistry HCBD

Rochelle Brisson     a creative chelle

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 U   nicorns Jewels

Skylar Bre'z     Brising Beads

Stephanie Haussler     Pixybug Designs

Tania Spivey     Moobie Grace Designs

Terri G.     Blooming Ideas

Terry Carter T   apping 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

The Christmas Countdown

My hubby and I are about as different as two people can be...and that's part of what has made life interesting.  But when it comes to the holidays, well, it's hard to reconcile the differences.

 

The first year we were married, he offered to help me decorate for Christmas.  Which was really sweet.  He came back to me in less than 30 minutes and asked if I wanted to take a look.

 

I was more than a little shocked.  After all, I've been watching my grandmother decorate her house since I was a little girl and there wasn't a spare space in her home that didn't have a scrap of holly or some kind of Christmas decoration on it.  And that was just the inside of the house!

 

Now, I will admit that our house was a lot smaller than Granny and Poppop's house, but 30 minutes to get out and put up ALL the decorations?

 

My husband was standing proudly by his Christmas tree...still decorated from last year.  (He started the craze of just putting a bag over the tree -lights and decorations and all- and storing it for the next year.)

 

A good wife would have smiled and made it work.   

 

My husband tells the story that he asked "Do you like it?" to which I responded with "Get that THING out of my house!"  (Not exactly how I remember it, but he's a good sport and laughs each time he tells someone the story so we'll go with his version.) 

 

And so for the past 17 years, we've gone each year to pick out a "real" Christmas tree.  I love the smell of the pine in the house and since neither he nor my daughter are into decorating, I get to put the whole tree together myself!

 

And that's part of what this season is all about...making memories.  So be sure to take time each day as you count down to Christmas Day to do something memorable.  Bake cookies, read a favorite book, watch the Christmas specials on TV with all the commercials (like we did when we were kids), make a favorite meal, decorate the table each night for dinner, make a special breakfast...simplicity makes for memorable moments.