Monday Musings

Perspective, or point of view, is crucial for any artist.  It's what keeps your designs focused and uncluttered.  It makes your work unique and different from anyone else.

 

When started my business, I was painting on glass.  There were classes in the "Donna Dewberry" way and while I think she's a fantastic artist, I DID NOT want my work to be a duplicate of hers.

 

In fact, at my first craft show, a fellow glass painter (who had been in the business for years) made a point to come over to my table and chat with me about my technique.  When I told him I taught myself and that I wanted my work to stand out because it was different from what everyone else was offering, he came behind my table to shake my hand.

 

It confirmed what I had suspected...the way to be noticed in a sea of talented people was to create something that was unique.

 

  

I've carried this same idea over into my jewelry designs.   There are lots of jewelry shops on the internet, but mine is different from anything else.  I collect all the sea glass for my designs (except for a few pieces that came from Scotland and some colors that are more common on the New England coasts but not where I live).   

  

  

Be confident in your point of view!  You see the world from a different perspective than anyone else...share that through your designs. 

 



 

Bead Soup Blog Party - Take One!

It's here!  Today is the first of three reveal dates for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party, created and hosted by Lori Anderson (sending you a BIG thank you and hugs through cyberspace for all the hard work you do!)  The other dates are 4/6 and 4/13 and are sure to be amazing!

  

In a nutshell, over 500 amazingly talented artists from all over the world are a part of this event.  The amount of work Lori puts into this is just incredible and I wanted to say thanks for everything she's done to pull this together. 

 

My partner is Deana Hager so please be sure to head over to her blog and check out what she's created with my bead soup!

 

Deana sent me a fun bead soup of earth-tones to work with...something I don't personally gravitate to, which made this a great challenge! 

 

  

  This is my bead soup (minus the focal piece and toggle clasp...the picture I had of the whole soup is somewhere in cyberspace).  

  

 

I took three of the tortoise shell teardrop beads and paired them up with some black onyx beads I had in my stash.  I created this pendant by wire wrapping them on one piece of wire and paired it with a gunmetal chain.  It made a dramatic yet simple necklace that I can't wait to wear!

  

  

Deana sent me this fun orange stone as my focal piece.  Neither of us are sure exactly what it is, but it's a great color!  This piece was too heavy for a necklace but it made a perfect key chain holder.  I wrapped it with some antique bronze wire I had and attached it to the key chain ring with a left-over section of a large antique bronze chain from another project. 

 

Now for my favorite piece...Deana sent me an amazing toggle clasp and I needed to create an amazing necklace to live up to it.

 

 

The curves in the clasp reminded me of the waves on the ocean (OK, you knew I had to bring a sea theme in somewhere!) so that provided the inspiration for this amazing necklace. 

 

I started with the pendant, and used a sand dollar cookie.  (It's like a traditional sand dollar but about 1/4 inch thick instead of flat.)  I created the bezel and loop using peyote stitch with the most amazing shade of green Delica 11/0 beads and fun metallic gold/green 15/0 beads.  I used some clear quartz round beads I had left-over from another project for the embellishment around the bezel. 

 

 

Considering this was my third attempt at beading a bezel, I was thrilled with how it turned out! 

 

So I had this amazing pendant and clasp, but no necklace...and it stayed this way for weeks.  I tried four or five different beaded necklace patterns, but they just didn't fit with what I had already created.

 

So I started looking through my old magazines when I found this amazing pattern in Bead and Button, Right Angle Weave special edition (2008).  Designed by Julie Glasser, this variation of the RAW stitch was perfect for my necklace. 

 

So that's my story for this Bead Soup Blog Party!   It was fun to be challenged with the earth-toned beads in my soup and I taught myself a couple of new stitches looking for the right necklace, so it's been a productive time for me.  

  

Be sure to check out the other talented artists and see how their bead soups inspired them to get creative!     

  

Click here to check out all the talented people from the first reveal!

Sand and Sea

Growing up, we lived a bike ride away from East Point Lighthouse.  It's located on a little inlet off the Deleware Bay in Heislerville, NJ and is an amazing place to visit.

 

  

 The ocean has always been a special place for me to go...the smell of the salt in the air, the sound of the waves crashing along the beach...I love everything about it!

   

This blog hop has been put together by Lisa Lodge and there are about 20 of us participating.  Lisa sent each of us a beautiful selection of beads, either "Sand" (tans, creams, oranges and browns) or "Sea" (blues, greens and purples).

   

  As you can see, my selection of beads was inspired by the sea.  Isn't this an amazing selection to work with?!?

  

   

(I have to admit, there are a few beads I didn't use in this challenge because they just didn't work in the designs I created, but I have some ideas I've been doodling that will showcase them perfectly!)

  

 

I love long earrings! (I have long hair and small, delicate earrings tend to get lost in it all.)  I like creating earrings with a bit of sparkle and movement. 

 

This wasn't the original design, however.  I planned to make these earrings dangle with lots of these amazing triangle beads and some of the round blue and green beads.  But when I put these on to start the design, I was struck by their simple beauty.  So I left the design alone instead of trying to make it fit the image in my head.

  

  

Charm bracelets are a favorite of mine to create and I really love the sparkle of this one!  I originally started with a silver chain, but the clasp Lisa sent looked so much better with the gunmetal chain.  I used a combination of black head pins and dull silver head pins just because I didn't want it to become too dark.  

  

The smallest beads on the bracelet are my favorite of the whole bunch.  They are small triangle-shaped glass beads that have blue and green and yellow hues.  They are so small and I wanted to create a piece where they were an important part of the design, not just an accent to the larger beads.

   

 

  This necklace was actually the first piece I created.  I wanted to make a longer length necklace than I usually do (it ended up being 30 inches!)  

 

I love the milky round beads that were part of my "Sea."  They compliment the bright blues and greens of the other beads. 

  

  

This is my favorite creation of this challenge!  I wire wrapped alternating clear and blue beads for the main part of the necklace.  I added a silver toggle clasp that reminded me of the life preservers on boats and kept with the nautical theme. 

 

I love the front section of the necklace!  I took the long beads, the rest of those little triangle beads, some blue beads, two rondelles and a bunch of daisy spacers and strung them together.  I tried wrapping them into sections but just didn't like the look.   

  

 

Here is the list of the other people who are a part of this blog hop...I hope you are able to check out the amazing jewelry they created with their kits! 

     

Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life

Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs

Tanya Goodwin, A Work in Progress

Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, Sharyl's Jewelry

Marla Gibson, Spice Box Designs

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Dot Lewallen, Speedie Beadie

Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

Kim Booth, The Pink Martini Boutique

 

Jami Shipp, Celebrating Life

Leah Tees, My Beady Littleeyes

Christie Murrow, www.charisdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

Monique Urquhart, A Half Baked Notion

Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs

Cindy Anderson Wilson, It's My Sea of Dreams

Suzi Campbell, Suzi Campbell Creations

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Annette Rivers, MamaOwl's Mess



Sand and Sea Preview

 

I'm really looking forward to being a part of two jewelry-creating blog hops...they are challenging and a great way to see how other people's vision and talents can inspire your own. 

 

This is the first blog hop for me in March (the second will be Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Hop on March 30). 

 

The challenge here is that Lisa Lodge, artist and mastermind, sent us a bead soup that either was based on sand (browns and beige) or sea (blues and greens) and we have to create something using those beads and a few of our own if we wanted. 

 

 

This is my bead soup...lots of pretty blues and greens (and even a few fish thrown in there!)

 

 

I was so excited to see these little triangle beads in my soup!  They change colors from purple to blue to green to light beige, depending on how the light hits them.  You can see the 5 mm silver daisy spacers next to them to give you an idea of how small they are.  I really want to find a way to have these steal the spotlight!

 

 

These beads have a hole drilled near one end so they will add some fun to how the design looks.

 

 

I love these green glass beads...they remind me of the waves on an overcast day. 

 

 

I'm not sure what these beads are made from, and the shapes are really different from what I usually work with so that will be a challenge.

 

 

I love these Pandora-style beads and the colors are just yummy!  I came across an artist who used these type of beads as connector beads instead of just stringing them into the design...another idea that may or may not work.

 

 

I love this clasp that Lisa sent!  I'm hoping to be able to use it as part of the design and not have it hidden away in the back. 

 

I'll be posting as I work on this piece, but you'll have to wait until March 9 to see the final design!

  

 

On the 14th day of Christmas

My true love gave to me...

A fun pair of brown sea glass earrings!

 

When you think of the sights and smells of Christmas, what do you think of?  Wood burning in the fireplace...cookies baking in the stove...crisp winter mornings...the woodsy smell of pine...

   

Probably not ice cream.

 

Orange Creamsicle Sea Glass Earrings 

 

But it was summertime when I created these earrings and I needed a name for them and the colors reminded me of creamsicle ice cream. 

 

These earrings aren't just for summertime, though.  They are a perfect colorful accent all year round! 

 

 Sparkly Sea Glass Earrings

 

The presents are wrapped (most of them) and I'm going to try to bake cookies today.  My daughter has asked for my special oatmeal cookies and I found sugar-free chocolate morsels for my diabetic husband so I'll be in the kitchen for most of the day. 

 

What are your favorite cookies at the holidays?  I have to admit...mine are my Granny's molasses cookies.  Maybe I'll make a batch of those this week as well!

On the 13th Day of Christmas

 On the 13th day of Christmas

My true love gave to me...

A green sea glass pendant on a white beaded necklace

 

 

Summertime Beauty Sea Glass Necklace

 

Sometimes you just have to break the rules, and that's what I did with the necklace!  The color and shape of this piece of sea glass drew me in as I was walking the beach...and I didn't even care that it wasn't 100% jewelry grade. 

 



 Green Sea Glass Necklace

 

As you can see in the photo above, there are some places along the edge that are still a bit shiny and not frosted.  But I think that adds to the beauty of this piece.  I added a beaded necklace created with glass beads that reminded me of shells to create this one of a kind look.

 

 

And as I promised...here's a picture of our Christmas tree decked out with all the lights and decorations.  It makes the house seem more like Christmas now that this is done!

 

Do you have a special decoration or ornament that you always have to put out at Christmas?