Fun with Snaps.

Chunky Snap Bracelet .

Bead Soup Blog Party!

Yeah it's Bead Soup Party Day!
With 21 countries and 362 participant.
It is going to be a party that I will be savoring all week!
And will take me at least that long to visit every one.
So whether it be painting, mix media, card making,...you name it.
Do I have a style?

Now that I've been dabbling in the bead world
for the past couple of years.

More so now because of meeting Lori and 

all the wonderfully talented  ladies I have met through the 

Bead Soup Blog Party's.

I find myself asking the same question.

Regardless if I do or not,
what seems to stay the same for me is when
the "canvas speaks" to you.
Telling you what it wants and doesn't want.
Isn't it interesting how they speak to us all a little differently.
Which adds to the rich variety we see in the Art world.

This Beads Soup mix was no exception.
I wanted to do something abstract or asymmetrical.
The beads said, "No".

The focal is a delicate gold leaf.
A stand alone type of piece.

The golden toggle, simple.

Both pieces are light in weight.

It was saying keep it light, keep it simple and clean. 

Enhance the glimmer of the focal leaf.

Beads I added to Deana's to accomplish this were:

3mm round gold spacer beads, various gold tone spacer caps, 

Czech glass metallic light purple wavy leaves, 

(I find these type of beads with holes drilled at the top a challenge to use)

6mm amethyst bumpy lamp-work beads, 

gold tone chain, a few accent seed beads and 

Czech purple flowers.
And out came a Necklace and Earrings to match
with all it's glimmery-ness.

With so much soupy goodness... I made a few more pieces.

Here I used up the pearl heischi beads, faceted metallic beads and 

the set of Antique gold metal tear drop beads

 from the soup mix to make these bracelets and earrings.

 Here I used some memory wire for a bracelet. Went in a south west direction
with the coconut shell beads adding

some turquoise colored seed beads and pewter feather charms.
It's as light as a feather, hardly feels like you have anything on your wrist.

This is as far as I got with this one. It's still in the ole think tank.
I'm looking for a metal gold tone dragon fly I saw with a slight curve to it's body.
I'd like to add it to the front of the pendant.
I just can't remember where I saw it.

And I still have lots of left overs to use in the future!

Thank You Deana.
You've truly been a delightful swap partner.
Click here to see what I sent Deana

Thank You So Much  Lori 

for hosting the biggest Bead Soup Blog Party to date.
I have had a great time each and every time I have participated.
For more eye candy...

Please click on Lori's link to take you to the list of other participants
and their Bead Soup swap partners.

The Hostess, Lori Anderson and her partner, Manuela Wutschke

My Party Progress.
Started at the bottom working & slowly my way to the top...
I wish I wasn't sick with a head cold or I could visit you all faster...
181-171 with partners  9/17/2011
170 -161 with partners  9/18/2011
160 -151 with partners &  150 -141 with partners 9/19/2011
140 -131 with partners, 130 - 121 with partners 9/20/2011
120 - 111 with partners 9/21/2011
110 - 101 with partners 9/22/2011
100 - 91 with partners,  90- 81 with partners 9/23/2011
Only 160 more to visit...
I can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
80-71 with partners 9/24/2011
70 - 61 with partners, 60-51 with partners, 50-41 with partners  9/25/2011
Migraine 9/26/2011 no comments today.
40-31 with partners 9/27/2011
Another sick day 9/28/2011
30 - 21 with partners, 20-11 with partners , 10 -1 with partners 9/29/2011
Yeah I finally have now visited each and every one!
Now that was some Party!!

Fun with Flowers

Made this for a 

 Pin swap over at Creating a Crafty Life.

I chose to make this simple lace flower

to display a set of stick pins in.

Added a rhinestone center and metal flower.

This leaves it alterable for the ladies when they receive it

to change the color of the lace flower
to any that they wish.

 This ribbon flower 

was created for a flower swap over at LSH.

Theme Summer. Since it is now late summer 

I went with these colors.

Tips to make these can be found on You Tube.

Simple, simple, simple.

Strangely Beautiful

Last night when the sun was setting the suns rays hit the trees

in such a way it made them look like they had 

changed colors prematurely. 

 Within minutes it went back to just green.

What a phenomenon!

Talk about Trompe L'Oeil

(fooling the eye)

What's New

She is! 

Well She's new to me.

After years of admiring Deb's dress form(s) 

in her Art room.

Yes, I said forms..she has 4 now.

Two with cages at the bottom.

Super Cool!

 Deb called me up last Sunday to ask me if I 

wanted her (the dress form) sight unseen.

It was a serendipitous moment.

She said she was fantastic and had the original stand 

with wheels and the finial at the top.

 Sounded good to me and a fair price. So I said Yes!

Deb and her husband Steve fixed her up a bit.

I'm not that handy so I am very appreciative for that.

She is well used, has neat brass arm hole plates 

and has ink marks and spots.

The Artist in me says leave her as is...
the Monk-ish (one of my favorite TV show)
part of me says, "fix the spots".
Which put's me in the thinking stages
of wanting to alter her.

Perhaps all black? Or half black?
Or decoupage her? 

For now I will adorn her with some jewelry that I am making. 

Made this necklace yesterday.

Any suggestions on name for her?

I'm leaning toward Jewelee.

Thank You a thousand times over Deb for 

calling me and telling me about the dress form.

She looks great in the office!

And this is New too!

Just a little project I got done today. 

I re-purposed this old wooden frame

to display earrings for future home shows.

That is if I follow through with that.

Kept the glass in it for the reflective quality.

Spay painted the wood frame to a flat black.

Added some of my Crescent Marbled paper.

Normally used for French matting.

Attached some framing wire I had with

upholstery tacks to hold it in place on the side.

And I'm fairly pleased as to how it turned out.

Now I got to get busy and fill it up.