Sunday, April 6, 2014

The Color of Dreams Blog Hop - Reveal!

It's time for another reveal!

This time, it's for the Color of Dreams blog hop--a blog hop hosted by the lovely Toltec Jewels, and featuring the beads of the talented Patricia Handschuh (owner of the Color of Dreams Etsy shop).

The idea was that each of the participants would receive one of Patricia's beads, and then use it in a creation to represent one of our dreams.

This was my bead:



And, truth be told, I was rather stymied at first. 


It is a truly lovely bead--just like all of Patricia's work. It is also a lovely magenta pink. And, well, I was having a hard time imagining which of my dreams could be portrayed through lovely magenta pink.

However, I also noticed that it looks like a rose.


...And that made me think. 


That was when the answer hit me like a ton of bricks--and as soon as I started creating, everything started to flow together.


This is what I made:



My Dream

One of my biggest dreams right now is to have a house--a house that I actually own. A beautiful house with enough room for our family to grow. A house with a place for my craftings and a place for my husband's electronics. 

A house with a beautiful garden. 

...This necklace, with the lovely magenta pink rose bead paired with spring-leaf greens, represents that garden.


Some Background

My husband and I have lived in apartments ever since we got married... And the one time that we did live in a house, it was with his parents. (Disclaimer: his parents are absolutely awesome--his mother and I were friends before I even knew him, and we're still all really close. Thankfully, in my case, saying "living with his parents" could also mean "living with good friends.") 

Still, while I have always been fortunate and had a place to live, it has never truly been mine.

And I've certainly never had room for my own garden.



About the Garden (and the House)

So, what do I dream my garden to look like?

I would love to have a bench nestled under trees, where I could sit and read during Spring. I would love for it to be surrounded by different colors--not picky as to the type of flowers, really, I just want things that are bright and cheery. I do like roses--but I also like daffodils and azaleas and bluebells and whatever might work in that particular environment.

And a birdfeeder. I would love for there to be a birdfeeder.



As for the house itself, I honestly don't have that many specifics planned out--brick cottage or Victorian mansion or something in a modern cul-de-sac. Spending times in apartments has given me the appreciation that anything can have the potential to be beautiful...

I am just excited, one day, to have the chance to transform a house into a home.


...And I am excited that, one day, I will have a garden.


When I do, I'll wear this necklace set and smile. 

Until then, I'll wear these items and happily dream, and work to make my dream a reality. 

---

Thank you so, so much for stopping by and letting me share my dream with you!

And, because this is a blog hop, here is a list of all of the other lovely participants involved! Feel free to stop by their blogs to learn more about their dreams!

Honorary Artist:        Patricia Handschuh
Patricia's blog:            The Color of Dreams        
Patricias Etsy:             The Color of Dreams
Hostess: TJ                Jewel School Friends
Kay Thomerson           KayzKreationz
Audrey Belanger          Toki No Hourousha

Alicia Marinache          All the Pretty Things
Terry Carter                TappingFlamingo
Lori Schneider             Bead Addict
Jenny Kyrlach             Wonder and Whimsy -- you are here!
Asri Wahyuingsih         Asri's Beadwork
Dini Bruinsma              Angaza by Changes
Karla Morgan              Texas Pepper Jams
Debbie Rasmussen        A Little of This, A Little of That
Veralynne Malone          Designed by Vera
Kathy Stemke               Vintage Memories Jewelry Design
Mowse Doyle               Mowse Made This
Heather Richter             Desert Jewelry Designs
Lori Poppe                   Adventures in Creativity with LorilliJean
Jayne Capps                Mama's Got To Doodle
Andrea Glick                Zenith Jade Creations
Kathleen Breeding         99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall
Becky Pancake             Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Karin Martinez              Fairies Market
Miranda Ackerley          Mirandack
Penny Houghton           Smelly Nelly
Carolyn Lawson           Carolyn's Creations
Chris Eisenberg            Wanderware
Christie Murrow          Charis Designs Jewelry
Monique Urquhart        A Half-Baked Notion
Eve Shelby                  Raindrop Creations Jewelry by Evelyn
Cryss Thain                 Here Bead Dragons
Jasvanti Patel               Jewelry By Jasvanti
Nan Smith                   NanMade Handmade Jewelry
Sue Kennedy               SueBeads
Jean Yates                   Snap Out of It, Jean! There's Beading to be Done!
Debbie Rogers             Debbies Treasures
Marybeth Rich             A Few Words From Within the Pines
Shirley Moore              Beads and Bread
Shaia Williams             Shaiha's Ramblings
Kathy Lindemer           Bay Moon Design
Linda Anderson           From the Bead Board
Judy Turner               Silver Rains
Gloria Allen                Gloria Allen Designs
Regina Wood              Ginas-Design
Robin Reed                Artistry HCBD
Mary Goovars            MLH Jewelry Designs
Marlene Cupo             Amazing Designs
CJ Bauschka              4 His Glory Creations
Robin Showstack        The Crazy Bead Hoarder
Cynthia O'Toole          Sparkles and Sweets
Jael Thorp                 Jael's Art Jewels
Renetha Stanziano      Lamplight Crafts


...Thank you again for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy dreaming!

68 comments:

  1. Love, love, love this.

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like it! :D

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  2. Very elegant! I would wear this necklace!

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  3. I had the same dream door a long while so I can appreciate your feelings. When you do get your house you will really appreciate it. I know you will,have a lovely garden with several bird feeders. Your necklace is really pretty and so special.

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    1. Thank you! I had a great deal of fun making this necklace, and dreaming about the house-and-garden to be. Even more incentive to make it a reality! :D

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  4. Thank you so much for sharing your dream. I just love how you turned the one bead into a rose garden.

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    1. Thank you so much! I really appreciate your comment--I'm really glad that you like it. :)

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  5. How beautiful! I love those colors and I think all of us are thinking spring, flowers, gardening and just being outside. I too am looking for new home of my own with more space....Great piece and great work. Thanks for posting.

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    1. Thanks so much for commenting! I really appreciate it... and best of luck in your search for a new home! May it be everything you want it to be. :)

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  6. Jenny I love the bead that you got. All that wonderful pink is luscious. Your design showcased it very well. Your dream of having a house of your own with a garden is great.

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    1. Thank you so much--for your kind words, and for taking the time to comment. I'm glad you like it! :)

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  7. looks like a pretty garden to me I love how you incorporated the bead like the flower on the rose bush

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm really glad that you like it. :)

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  8. That is a wonderful dream. I dream the same thing... :) A BIG garden!!! With lots of butterfly and hummingbird attracting flowers. LOL!

    I adore your necklace & earring set. It's just perfect. Thank you for sharing!

    <3,
    Andrea

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    1. ...and thank you for commenting! I'm so, so glad that you like my set! Wishing you a wonderfully big garden, with lots of beautiful flowers! :)

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  9. I really hope you get your dream soon!!! Love your necklace. It is really pretty!!! Have a Blessed Day!

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    1. Thank you so, so much! I hope you have a blessed day, as well! :)

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  10. oooo this is pretty. very nice design.

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  11. Glad I returned as this is nothing short of divine!!! xox jean

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    1. Oh, hurray! Thank you so much for returning... I'm really glad you like what I made!

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  12. I love the way you made the bead the focal. It is a pretty bead, I love pink and the green looks very nice with it. My son just got married this past September, and pink and green were their colors...nice combo! Good luck on hour house...too bad you can't come down to KY and buy mine, lol I do believe, though that all things happen for a reason.

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    1. Good luck selling your house! I saw the pictures on your blog, and it's beautiful... Whoever buys it is going to be lucky lucky lucky!

      Thanks, too, for your nice comments on my necklace... I'm really glad you like it. :)

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  13. I can imagine how your garden would be looks like, It would be pretty like your necklace

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    1. Oh, thank you for your kind words! I really appreciate it. :)

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  14. That which is longed for will be truly loved, Jenny! I am sure you will achieve this dream some day soon :) I love the thoughtful planning which went into your beautiful necklace and earrings, and feel sure they will become a touchstone for you until you realize that dream :)

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement! This set has made me really excited about my future house and garden... Definitely something to look forward to! :)

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  15. Oh, WOW! We are two peas in a pod. My husband had electronics (computers) in which he rebuilds and sells at a fraction of what the big box stores like Best Buy. Then there's you & I. We strive to design jewelry to our hearts desire. Your bead just pops out of your garden designed necklace along with a pair of earrings. One of my favorite dreams so far.

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    1. Oh, thank you! I'm really glad that you like the set!

      And I can certainly relate to having an electronic-inclined husband... Mine works more with software than hardware (he's teaching himself functional programming for fun), but there are all sorts of wires and gadgets lying around! He's just lucky I haven't nabbed any of them to incorporate into my jewelry designs. ;)

      Thanks again for your kind comment... I hope you have a wonderful day!

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  16. What a beautiful necklace, your vision for this piece was right on. I love roses, We need to see some blooming here in Michigan. No more snow. lol Hope your dreams come true!!!

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    1. Thank you so much! Wishing you plenty of beautiful roses instead of snow in the near future! (It's wet and rainy here in southern Ohio, but hopefully that just means there will be lots of beautiful flowers soon, too.)

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  17. That is a powerful dream to have! and the bead is perfect for it, indeed: wishing you a rose garden as brilliant as your dream.
    The necklace is beautiful, a luscious garden, indeed!

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    1. Thank you so much for your nice words... They are very much appreciated! :)

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  18. I love your necklace! It would feel like wearing a beautiful garden. The colour combination is genius. Thank you for sharing your dream of owning a house with a garden. May you realize it very soon.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm really, really glad that you like my necklace--it's certainly made me excited about my future garden! :)

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  19. SO SO Beautiful! What a GREAT place to jump! You'll get there.... keep going.... every penny is a penny closer!

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    1. Thank you so much for your comment! Indeed, every little bit counts... And this necklace has certainly given me extra motivation to keep reaching for it. :)

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  20. OMG that is a gorgeous necklace. I so hope your dream comes true..you need that flower garden.

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    1. Thank you so, so much for your comment! I'm really glad that you like the necklace--and I'm certainly excited about making my dream a reality. :)

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  21. What a beautiful set - I love the magenta against the green. Hope your dream becomes real very soon.
    ~cryssT

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm really glad that you like it. :)

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  22. Oh I am drooling, your set is so pretty.

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you like it!

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  23. A beautiful dream, and a really lovely jewelry set to wear until it comes true, and afterwards, too!

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    1. Thank you so much! It has definitely inspired me to keep working towards my goal... and when it happens, I'll get to wear this with pride! :)

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  24. I love how you put the necklace together and I hope your dream will come true.

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm glad that you like it! :)

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  25. Here is hoping you will get your home and garden some day! I love how you draw so much attention to your focal and how nicely the other beads compliment the design. It is a beautiful set!

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    1. Thank you so, so much! I am really glad that you like it... I had fun putting it together. :)

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  26. Fabulous necklace & earrings! I love the green leaves & pearls with the rose! Keep dreaming & working toward your dream. You'll get there! In the interim it's wonderful that your keeping the dream alive through your creations! :)

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm really glad that you like the set... And, I'm definitely excited about getting there one of these days! :)

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  27. Your jewelry IS full of wonder and whimsy, Jenny! Gosh, I love this set! I am completely in joy gazing at it -- the leaves, the crystals, the elegance! It's really beautiful, graceful, magical and I know, without a doubt, you will sit in your beautiful garden wearing your amazing handcrafted jewelry ensemble, enjoying your new house!

    What a lovely dream. And the outpouring of appreciation and love that comes from your post is not only inspiring but promising -- you have the keys in your hand here! Your gratitude will indeed manifest all you dream! I'm so impressed and enchanted. Thank you for giving, for sharing so generously and beautifully with us. Your post and art and you are all treasures!
    Happy Hopping,
    Rita

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    1. Thank you so, so much Rita--both for your kind words, and for giving me the chance to be a part of this wonderful blog hop!

      I'll admit that I've read and re-read your comment several times... You are so lovely and so encouraging, and I'm so so glad that my work and my words were about to convey some of the joy this dream brings to me. I certainly look forward to posting pictures of my garden when it finally comes to be... Thank you for giving me a chance to express my dreams! :)

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  28. Your necklace and earring set is gorgeous! I can see you wearing it with a pretty white dress blowing in a gentle wind. You're sitting on that sweet bench under the trees surrounded by fragrant flowers and singing birds.

    GO for your DREAM as soon as possible. Now is a wonderful time to buy. Don't waist another minute! I had the same yearning as you, but I was single. I took the plunge, struggled a bit, but it all worked out.

    Where do you sell your lovely jewelry? do you have an Etsy shop? I'd love to help you get started. There are some tricks to making it work.

    Hugs,
    kathy

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    1. Kathy...

      You are so sweet! Thanks so much for your words and your encouragement! I do sell jewelry on Etsy--my main store is anafiassa.etsy.com, and I sell nailpolish pendants at shiningsilmarils.etsy.com (links are also in the sidebar of my blog). I'm currently making a bunch of new inventory (mostly necklaces), and slowly slowly getting them listed. :)

      And! I am happy to report that we're not sitting idle. My husband and I have sat down and created a plan... We're currently saving a bit each month for a good-sized down payment (aiming high--between 15% and 20% so that we can get a good interest rate on our loan), and should have enough within the year.

      We're also paying down our other debt (mostly student loans), so that when we do have a mortgage, we'll have more money to go towards maintenance/upgrading. I'm also weeding through our belongings, trying to decide what to keep and what to give/sell/throw away... There's nothing like moving to show you how much you really own!

      In any case, that might be too much information--sorry! That was just all the nitty-gritty stuff that didn't quite fit the flow of the blog entry... And I thought it would be fun to share. :)

      Again, thank you so so much for your encouragement and support--and that lovely image of me under the trees! I'm so glad that everything worked out for you getting a house--I am excited to report the same for me when it happens!

      Take care, and thanks again...
      Jenny

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  29. What a pretty necklace. Love the colors, the leaves and the feminine look/feel to the necklace. Hope your dream comes true soon about a house of your own.

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    1. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment... I'm so, so glad you like the necklace! :)

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  30. What a lovely creation. I sincerely hope your dream becomes in a reality in the near, vs far, future. The rose bead is gorgeous and you did beautiful justice to it :) Christie

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    1. Thank you so much! I appreciate you taking the time to leave me such a nice comment. :)

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  31. Beautiful set in my favorite color tones, pink and green, pink and purple, pink and Magenta! Lol, I can't wait to see your house. I'm a single mom and didn't think I would ever own a home. 14 years ago I purchased my house.You are going to have yours. hope you sell a lot this summer, fantastick Artistry.

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you like my necklace--and thank you for your kind wishes regarding my house! I can't wait to post pictures of it, when it becomes a reality! :)

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  32. Wow, I've seen a tulip in one bead, and now I see a rose... I love the design and the colour combination! Such a ♥sweet set! I hope your dream will come true soon, to get a house of your OWN :-) Wishing you all the best and greetings from The Netherlands!

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    1. Thank you so, so much for your sweet comment. I'm so glad you like my set... and thank you for your kind wishes! :)

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    1. Thank you! I keep thinking of the beautiful lilac bush that was outside of the window when we lived with you guys... So pretty--it definitely makes me smile!

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  34. That bead does look like a rose ! I love how you did the tassel, too. I hope you get that house, that garden, and that birdfeeder one day. <3 Sorry this comment took so long, this week has been a little heretic.

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  35. That is the most beautiful necklace I have ever seen! I can see you in your garden.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! :)