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!

Sally Russik - Make a Statement Challenge!

Four times a year Sally will be hosting a 

Creative Jewelry Challenge.

The first being the 

"Statement Necklace"

Statement necklaces could be seen on many 

of the Starlets 

 at this years Oscars.

Hello Red Carpet !

Now to get he perfect dress and shoes.

This Butterfly Bubbly necklace was my back up plan

 to the one I had started.

I was going for a more causal

 statement necklace.

Started off with a porcelain dragon fly pendant.

The image below is what it was going to be... 

with  the pendant in the middle.

It's okay..I guess... a bit typical
Don't get me wrong sometimes typical is all I want.
Hmmmm.

Could I make it asymmetrical?

I'd need to drill a hole. I've never done that before.

Went online for some how to tips, purchase some diamond drill bits,

then I  jumped right in. It was going well until SNAP!

I broke the pendant....Rrrrr!

So I repaired it as best as I could. 

Other than the fact I know this pendant is now 

less than perfect...

I have to say I like the asymmetrical layout

 much better.

Looking forward to wearing it this this Spring/Summer.

Want to see more statement necklace creations 

Click on these links

Sally Russick  

Kim Dworak 

Terri Gauthier

Elizabeth Bergesen

Karin Grosset Grange

Paula Kramer 

Patti Vanderbloemen 

Therese Frank 

Beth McCord

Niky Sayers 

Pretty Pallets ~ February

This Sky Portal in New Zealand 

served as the inspiration for this months 

Pretty Pallets Challenge.

How I want to go there and see it for myself!

So Beautiful!

Since I can't right now...it was off to Michael's 

I went.

I found the last two of these green glass faceted rondels.

A plan was forming in my head to use them

for the little bits of sparkle in my piece.

(MSKU  - 10321944)

Knowing that I have a stash of greenish beads

 at home...

I paired them up with theses yellow turquoise beads

to surround...

... this lone Czech pink/purple barrel bead...

A perfect time to use it. 

As well some other misc. gemstones and glass beads. 

Including that Dragon Blood Jasper pendant.

A gift from my Mom's friend Kay.

Almost missed the reveal

click on this link to see what others were inspired to create.

Dry Gulch - February challenge.

Stumbled on to this color challenge by

  Dry Gultch from
  Alice Dreaming.

And I'm so glad I did!

With the gray days of winter and it being bitterly cold out.

This color palate just brightens the day!

I'm also thrilled to use up more items from my stash.  

These Fuchsia gem stones and glass beads
were gifted to me.

 The striations remind me of the ice cream/sorbet in the picture
Let's call this piece Organic Frozen Sorbet.

You can check out what others created

 by clicking on this link. 

Earrings Everyday ~ February

 This months Earrings Everyday Challenge

 comes from

Limzy

Lim Zhi Wei is a Malaysian artist and photographer.

She has a passion for taking everyday objects

 and turning them into things of beauty.

Blanca Rose

 Ballerinas 

(My Mom is getting these)

Lily-like

Violet Starlet

Flamenco Red

Want to see what the other Participants came up with

 Click on this link

February ~ ABS Challenge

This stunning Watercolor 

served as this months inspiration.

Amapolas 1913

Illustration published in

News of Spring and other Nature Studies 

by Edward Julius Detmold

Thanks to the amazing lampwork by 

Kerry of

Celtic Craft Designs

I was able to play along.

I used 3 of her beads the ones with he rusty

dots on the creamy beads.

The rest are from my stash.

More details about this and other monthly 

challenges can be found here at 

Art Bead Scene.

Operation Tackle that Bead Stash

Inspired by a Song 

will be this months

Tackle That Bead Stash 

challenge theme.

It can be any song. Any genre or decade.

Not necessarily the title..but what inspires you.

Any craft technique but it must include beads.

This is what I did.

So for added fun... 

I'll be giving those who stop by my 

blog a chance to win

A Surprise Prize

 from me. 

Simply leave a comment along 

with your guess. 

The first correct answer will win!

If no one correctly answers by the end of the month,

 then all names

 will go in a hat for a random drawing.

The correct answer is... 

Dog and Butterfly by Heart.

Clearly you all could see the butterfly.

But what may not have been so clear was the 

 toggle...it  is a dog collar with a bone... 

and I added a little heart charm too.

We have a winner

Katherine Thompson!

Congratulations!!!

Hope you'll enjoy your Surprise!

Pretty Pallets ~ January

 This months Marsala inspired Palate

I took this image with me as I went shopping and

 the other image of Erin's selections.

Our Michael's had next to nothing....

 none of the pearl stands or the resin druzy's

That Erin had selected.

None of those cool metal twisty things ither.

But I did find these beads at my local Michael's. 

I added some pearls, crystals and findings from my stash.

Hand knotted the Marsala section and 

simple looped the other section.

Marsala Druzy Dreams Necklace.

Details about this challenge can be found on the Halcraft site

to see what the

  other participants did click on this link.

Art Bead Scene ~ January

 Ha

Almost forgot to put up a post about this months challenge 

over at

Art Bead Scene.

Details about the artist and the challenge can be read by

 clicking this link.

I chose to go with the brighter version of the palate.

My art beads are the beautiful handy work of Kerry

of Celtic Designs.

I added some Lampworks beads from my stash.

A few orange Czech faceted beads.

 As well as

silver plated twisted jumprings, brushed  square puffed beads.

 And a hammered toggle.

Marsala Rose

This lovely soldered piece of China 

was won some years ago from 

 Cassi of Cassi's Creations.

a.k.a. Retro Art Cafe

I have a friend who is better at soldering 

than I am and I asked her add a link to it. 

 I then revamped the necklace

into a bracelet.

Who knew back then that this Marsala colored rose 

would end up being the Pantone 2015 

color of the year.

"Everything that is Old is New Again."

That idiom seems to fit.

Earrings Everyday ~ January Challenge

Earrings Everyday

For this months challenge we could select from the

 Pantone 2015 Color forecast.

First I selected

Custard and Aqua Marine 

Next I selected
Lucite Green and Marsala

And lastly, I selected

Strawberry Ice

I enjoyed digging into what I had to see what
 I would put together for this challenge.
I actually made 8 pairs of earrings
but these are my favorites.

Thank You Erin for another Fun Challenge!
Why not check out and see what the other
 participants
came up with.