Create Everyday Challenge: Day 6

It's been a busy day... but, hurray, it's now time for Day 6's reveal!

From my Bag of Goodies, this is what I pulled out:

Fun little planet charms!

I bought these awhile ago. I was inspired to do so by my little nephew, who has been absolutely obsessed with space. At age 2 and a half, he could tell you the names of the planets, in order.

And, since I'm always looking to be the Cool Aunt, I thought it would be fun to make some planet-inspired jewelry. 

So, today, I did just that!

...that's a hairstick and some earrings, in case you can't tell. :)

I look forward to wearing these next time I see him. 

Thanks for stopping by today. As I said, I've been pretty busy today, but I'm still glad I get to share some fun jewelry. 

See you tomorrow for Day 7!

Create Everyday Challenge: Day 5

It's Day 5!

Yesterday's challenge entry was a little sparse, I admit. But don't you worry, I made up for it today!

For today, from my Bag of Goodies, I drew out this lovely collection:

Those are strands of acrylic beads that I bought on vacation.

They are bright and whimsical, and there is absolutely nothing delicate about them:

See? Aren't they colorful and fun?

Now, I realize that sometimes acrylic beads get a bad rap... especially when they look cheap, or have visible seams. I personally am very picky about my acrylic beads, although I definitely use them. (Their lightweight nature helps when making tassels!)

These particular beads have no visible seams, and are actually pretty substantial and well made. Besides, they're just so fun that I couldn't pass them by.

...I also got a lot of them. 

So! That means that I made a lot of items for today. 

Overall, I made a necklace and seven (yes, seven!) pairs of earrings.

All of the beads are from the strands that I pulled out of the Bag of Goodies, except for the white glass pearls that I used to finish off the necklace. I went with white, because all of the marbled beads have some amount of white peeking out, and it seemed to be a good unifying color.

I also challenged myself to make something using stringing--because I always make chains out of wire-wrapped links, and I need to remember that stringing is also a viable construction method.

As far as the earrings go, I made lots of them--because they are fun and bright and, again, lightweight. I think it's fun to wear big chunky earrings that don't weigh a ton!

My overall goal with making this set was to make jewelry that was whimsical and lighthearted, but did not look cheap or chintzy. 

Honestly, I'm pretty happy with how everything turned out!

So, ta-da! That's what I have made today. There's a lot going on in my neck of the woods (today is Election Day here in the U.S.), and I'm glad to add a little brightness to the world.

I look forward to tomorrow, and seeing what Day 6 holds!

Create Everyday Challenge: Day 4

I have simple project today for Day 4.

Here is what I pulled out from my Bag of Goodies:

...Okay, you can't really tell what that is. 

That's a bag that has two different types of chainmaille dragon scales I had left over from last year. I had some small gold ones, and some medium sized silver ones.

I used them together to make this pair of earrings:

Nope, not complicated. But I will absolutely wear them all the time. The combination of gold and silver means that they will match practically everything I own... and I still have more scales leftover! Maybe I'll make something else with them... Hmm.

Thanks for stopping by today! I'm excited to see what I pull out of the bag tomorrow! 

Create Everyday Challenge: Day 3

It's already Day 3! This challenge is coming along quite nicely.

Today, I had the fun of pulling this little mix out of my bag of goodies:

It's a collection of glass and goldtone beads from one of the past Magical Mystery Bead Boxes, a monthly subscription box put out by Jesse James Beads. I have an entire pile of these kinds of mixes, and it was fun getting a chance to play with one of them today.

Overall, I made two pairs of earrings and one necklace from this mix... Oh, and I have a pair of hairsticks planned, I just need to get the right kind of glue to make them. (I suppose pictures of those will come later.)

In the meantime, though, here are the earrings and necklace!

I am very fond of that little cluster pendant. It lays very well when worn, and is delightfully understated. 

As someone who makes so many larger, more complicated designs, it was fun challenging myself to make something using only primarily what came in the little mix. While both pairs of earrings feature additional beads (the little 6mm white rounds and the little black cubes), the necklace only features beads from the mix. Not too shabby!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Come by tomorrow for Day 4!

Create Everyday Challenge: Day 2

It's Day 2!

For today's challenge, I pulled these out of the bag:

Charms! ...Or pendants, I suppose. Whichever you prefer.

These pieces are a combination of resin and wood. In this particular collection, most of the colors came in matching pairs, which automatically made me think earrings. And while they're on the larger side, they are also very lightweight. Again--good for earrings.

And so I got to work!

Overall, I made 5 pairs. 

For two of the pairs, I combined them with some pretty matching beads:

And for the other three, I had fun adding additional charms:

These were a lot of fun to make. They were also quite the opposite of the dainty set that I made yesterday... they are big and bold, and definitely statement pieces. While perhaps not for everyday, I think they are delightful.

So, ta-da! That's what I made for Day 2 of my challenge. Stop by tomorrow for Day 3!

Until then, have a lovely day, everyone!

Create Everyday Challenge: Day 1

Today, from the bag, I pulled out:

These!

In case you can’t quite tell, that is a strand of little funky-shaped faceted glass beads. They’re sort of like little trapezoids, but not quite. I bought them because they made me think of little ice crystals—perfect for wintery designs.

Here's a slightly better picture of them, out of the bag:

So, what did I make with them?

This set!

…The beads themselves feel pretty delicate, so I thought I’d make designs that echo that. The earrings are little icy cascades, and the necklace is very understated. I realize that not everyone goes for big-and-bold designs, and I thought these beads lent themselves very well to something a bit more dainty.

Another thing to add: recently, I haven’t really been making designs that showcase only one type/color of bead. It was fun challenging myself to use these beads--and only these beads. I still have most of the strand left, so who knows? Maybe they’ll feature in future designs, too… maybe even a tassel, knowing me.  

So, ta-da! That's what I made for today. Come back tomorrow to see what beads I pull out from the bag—and what I make with them!

Wonder and Whimsy November Challenge: Create Everyday

It's almost a new month--and that means it's time for a new challenge! Hurray!

In the past, November has been my "Earrings Everyday" month. Much as the name suggests, that means that, in Novembers past, I've attempted to make (and post!) a pair of earrings everyday--either here on my blog, or over on my Instagram.

This year, I decided to spice it up a bit. To that end, there will be three major changes to this challenge.

1. Instead of making a pair of earrings everyday, I'm doing to create something every day--not necessarily earrings. Although I'm sure the majority will be earrings, I didn't want to limit myself this time. Who knows? Maybe I'll even make some hairsticks.

2. Last year I posted almost exclusively on Instagram. This year, in my attempt to revitalize this blog, I'm planning on cross-posting here, too.

3. I'm adding an extra element of challenge by using this:

My Project Bag!

In this bag, I have put approximately 30... things. Most of them are baggies with one type of bead, but there are also collections of matching beads in there, too. I also put in two or three bead strands as well, just to keep things interesting.

(I say approximately 30, because I think the actual number is 33. I decided to just leave it, and not re-count!)

Each day, I'm going to reach into the bag, pull out a baggie, and make something with the beads it contains.

My goal with this change is to: 

1. Use up some of the lovely beads that have been hanging out on my desk for too long.

2. Help me not get stumped halfway through the month by trying to make more and more fancy/elaborate things.

3. Add an extra element of challenge--I have to use the beads that I pull out. No put-backs!

Be sure to stop by throughout the month to see what I make! I'm pretty excited!

And, full disclosure: I'm having surgery at the end of November. I'm still hoping to still have something made and posted on that day, and on the following days of recovery--I'll probably queue them up ahead of time. I don't view that as cheating, just planning ahead. I figured I'd just tell everyone, in case recovery ends up being more complicated than anticipated. :)

So, there you go! Thanks so much for reading my blog. I do hope you're having a lovely day. 

Happy Creating Challenge, everyone!

Wonder and Whimsy Challenge Reveal: Falling Leaves

It’s the last Friday of the month, which can only mean… well, I'm sure it could actually mean a lot of things. But! In particular, I’m referring to the fact that today is the reveal for this month’s challenge. Hurray!

As a refresher, this month I decided to make Autumn-tree-inspired jewelry.

I was pretty excited about this challenge. I was not surprised, then, when I actually made a plethora of items... overall, I made 5 necklaces and a pair of earrings. I even had more ideas that I just didn't have the time to make. Don't be surprised, then, to see more leaves and trees on this blog in the future. Hee.

So, now for the reveal. 

First up are two necklaces that were inspired by this beautiful combination of green and orange:

Necklace #1

Tassel time!

This necklace was actually the last piece that I made. I had originally not planned to do a tassel at all... but one of you lovely readers (thank you, Divya!!) planted the idea in my head, and I couldn't help it. You inspired me! And I'm glad you did... I really like the way this turned out. 

The main materials in this necklace are glass and agate, with some gold plated metal thrown in for a little bit of bright contrast. The focal donut itself is agate--and I love how it has both yellow and orange in it. It helps to perfectly capture the balance of bright Autumn orange and the last touches of Summer green.

Necklace #2

While the previous necklace was the last one that I made, this one was actually my first. 

It was inspired by my growing collection of Czech glass leaves, which I really wanted to use to make a piece for this challenge. I really like how these beads offer a combination of different colors and finishes, all while still being the same shape and size.

Since the beads are so similar, I thought I would add visual interest by making the necklace structurally symmetrical but color-asymmetrical. I love the overall effect: it t makes it look like a tree that has half-turned for Autumn, the different shades mixed together.

Necklace #3

While the previous two necklaces feature the beautiful array of green and oranges together, these next pieces highlight some of the more subdued colors of Autumn: coppers and browns and gold.

This particular necklace was built around that stunning focal: a copper piece, made by the talented Patricia Healey. It's been paired with Czech glass and shell pearls. I kept the design fairly simple, just to highlight how gorgeous that focal really is. I love how it turned out.

Necklace #4

Like the previous necklace, this one was built around a beautiful focal. This one was created by the talented Amy Mealey of XAZ beads, and I paired it with different shades of glass (mostly Czech glass, with some Chinese faceted glass as accents).

While the first necklaces were fairly bright and bold, I wanted to make this one subtly lovely--a tribute to the leaves that eventually turn brown, but still maintain a certain appeal. And really, it's hard to go wrong with such a lovely pendant!

Necklace #5

Perhaps the simplest of all the necklaces, this one was a tribute to Autumn acorns. These particular acorns are Czech glass, and what can I say... they make me happy! :)

...bonus earrings!

And, last but not least, here are some earrings I made. I made them to match an outfit, actually, and decided I would include them in here for fun. After all, they go with the theme! Apparently, I've had Autumn on my mind.

As you can probably tell, I had a lot of fun with this challenge. It was absolutely delightful getting a chance to explore this theme—and having an excuse to use some of the Autumn goodies that I’ve been collecting. This exercise also highlighted just how many supplies I really have… I didn’t even scratch the surface of what I own, but that just means I’ll get to revisit this challenge at some later time.

Thank you so, so much for stopping by to see this reveal. I appreciate each and every one of you. I hope you have a fantastic rest of your October, and I'll see you in November.

Have a lovely day, everyone!