Pretty Palettes ~ March Reveal

I just adore this color palette.

I was inspired by Erin's words,

"...that it reminds me of the renewal that happens

every year when the snow melts and 

the green starts reappearing."

This year it can't come fast enough for me.

 Here are the beads I purchased for two challenges;

this one and Everyday Earrings.

Aqua table cut - #99438

Sapphire Australian Jasper 4mm - #59567

Blue Howlite 3mm - #93150

Turquoise Czech mix lentil - #91574

In the store the red faceted crystals looked browner 

so I did not end up using them.

They kept throwing off my groove.

Added these items from my stash.

New jade, Peridot shell, Czech faceted rondelles,

Turquoise flower bead frame 

and blue line agate beads. 

Star frames,Tierra cast button, "live life " link,

heart toggle and misc. silver plated beads.

Thanks for looking and to see what 

some others created 

Click here

Dry Gultch - March Challenge

This image was the inspiration for this months
Dry Gultch
Design Color Challenge.

 I decided to make a decorative box

from scratch...

using matte board, designer papers and 

various embellishments.

 And it just didn't  seem right to have a box and 

not put something in it.

So I made this fresh green bracelet.

Yeah! Spring is finally on it's way!

Click on the Dry Gultch 

to see the other entries.

Operation tackle that bead stash ~ March Challenge

Picking one of the stories from the many, 

 Grimm's fairy tales

was our challenge for this month.
And creating something....
it can be anything as long as you use some beads. 

I went with Hans the Hedgehog.

Written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
 in 1812.
Written in a different Era for sure.
The story deals with things like
Rejection, Acceptance, Deceit, and Honor
The tale takes a detour ( to me )
at the part when Hans drives his now very large
 herd of pigs into the village and that anyone one who
 wants to can take part in the slaughter, could.
Why would they write this?
 ...I wish I could ask them.
Perhaps to show his father who had written him off,
that he could do something of value for others.

Illustrations By Sian Song

When he tells his father he is leaving ...again...
this makes the Father happy...again.

 But don't under estimate Hans.

Illustration By Sian Song

In the end it is all tied up in a pretty neat bow.
I love happy endings.
Happy Hans, Happy wife, Happy Father.

So this is what I came up with to represent the story.

Green girl studio hedgehog, a woodland toggle, 

and other miscellaneous glass metal beads.

These bumpy handmade Lampwork beads are
the handy work of Patricia Z. Venaleck.
Which add to the whimsical feel I was going for.

Thanks for looking if you would like to see what
the others who participated in this challenge did
just click here.
( at the end of the month )

Earrings Everyday ~ March Challenge

The Amazing Macro photos by  Martin Amm

served as this months inspiration

 for the Earrings Everyday challenge.

Focusing on the dragonfly's body, I put two of them

 together to form these hoop earrings.

But I really wanted to make a pair that 

had some of that iridescence.

These Dichroic Grace lampwork 

beads did the trick for me.

The twisted bugle beads catch the light in a 

similar way that the dew does.

I also wanted to do something to represent all

 that dew on the dragonfly's eyes.

 I went with these hammered links and bead caps that

I've been hoarding...

... along with these  bumpy lampwork beads

 by Patricia Venaleck.

Thanks Erin for another fantastic Challenge.

Feel free to check out what the other

 participants were inspired to make.

Just click here.

New Winnings

Yeah! I was one of the

 random winners for the 

month of February,

over at Art Bead Scene.

I won these pre-selected items

by

Melanie Brooks 

of

Earthenwood Studios!

I'm thrilled beyond words!

I can hardly wait to see what I'll be creating!

More than likely I will be hoarding them 

to use in up coming ABS Challenges.

Feel free to Check out her 

Etsy Shop.

So Thank You ABS 

and 

Thank You Melanie!

How to Train your Dragon Marathon

 I just adore this series. 

So glad to hear there is another movie in the works.

I decided to have few young ladies over for a

 How to Train Your Dragon Marathon.

Complete with Popcorn of course, Trivia questions

Split them into two teams like in the second movie...

Hic-Legs and the Snot-Nuts.

And instead of Simon says we played Stoic Says.

Last girl standing wins.

Well, actually everybody won a prize... 

made by me.

Here's the thing...I wasn't sure how they were going to 

go over with them...Cool? ...not cool.?

Oh they were all polite and immediately put them on.

 Okay, that's good for the day and then

 into the bottom of the jewelry box when they get home.

Right?

I had resigned myself to be okay with that.

Not the case.

Much to my surprise it was the opposite.

I saw one of the girls wearing hers a few days later

when a bunch of friends met for a project we had to do..

Awe...so sweet.

Then I say this picture on Facebook 

of Taylor and her mom, Carrie, eating out somewhere

about a week later.

 Yep that's Taylor wearing the necklace.

Hard to put into words..it just makes my heart happy!

Wonderfully Blessed

A couple of months ago I found

 this fantastic bracelet on line. 

I'm not sure who the originator is

So If some one knows please let me know 

so I may give them credit.

Showed it to my Mom,

 who likes to do bead weaving. 

She has enough experience and talent

 to figure things out.

 She likes a good puzzle.

This is what she made with the beads I sent.

We went with the silver beads since I had the clasp. 

and black o rings and bugle beads

 since I had those too.

Looks great on and I love how it turned out.

Another great collaboration.

I also received a medium size USPS box full of

craft and bead goodies from her.

Then about a week later my Mom's friend Kay s

sent me some more bead goodness.

Thank You Both So Much!

I really do feel blessed!