Hello, everyone!
After the craziness that was last month, I really need a break this month... And as much as I don't want to, that includes taking a break from my Monthly Challenge. It may not always look it, but orchestrating the challenge takes a lot of time and energy--and I love doing it, but that's time and energy I just don't have right now.
Still, I hope to be back next month--for the Challenge's 4th year anniversary. Woo! In the meantime, thanks so much for understanding... I appreciate you all so much. :)
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Hello, February!
...and hello, color!
Outside, it's incredibly cloudy and dreary. (Yep, it's February in Ohio. Woo.) So, to combat the wintry doldrums, my worktable is currently ensconced in color.
Namely, this color:
That's a calendar I bought while in Maryland last month. I actually bought two of them... one to use for its intended purpose, and the other to turn into paper beads.
I'm sure I'll be working on those for quite some time. There are 12 wonderful pages to play with, after all! I'm honestly not sure what all I'll be making with all of those paper beads, either... but it's certainly fun to think about!
Thanks so much for stopping by today to see what I'm up to... Happy February, everyone!
Outside, it's incredibly cloudy and dreary. (Yep, it's February in Ohio. Woo.) So, to combat the wintry doldrums, my worktable is currently ensconced in color.
Namely, this color:
That's a calendar I bought while in Maryland last month. I actually bought two of them... one to use for its intended purpose, and the other to turn into paper beads.
I'm sure I'll be working on those for quite some time. There are 12 wonderful pages to play with, after all! I'm honestly not sure what all I'll be making with all of those paper beads, either... but it's certainly fun to think about!
Thanks so much for stopping by today to see what I'm up to... Happy February, everyone!
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Pretty Palettes - January 2018 Reveal
If you're here looking for my Bead Swap Introductory post, go here! It's an older post, but it's still accurate. Thanks so much! :)
---
Here it is--the first Pretty Palettes of the year! How exciting! :)
I actually wasn't sure if I was going to be able to join along this month... It's just been so crazy around here. (Sorry if you're getting tired of me saying that. I'm really trying my best not to complain, but golly it's been rough.)
I had actually decided that I was going to sit this month out... But then, around this time last week, I realized how important it was for me to participate. Creating is therapeutic for me, and I realized I was going to be very disappointed if I didn't at least try.
And so, at the last minute, I dragged my husband to the store (with a gift card in tow!). Here are the beads that I picked out:
Now, there was another added challenge this month. When I finally decided that I was going to participate this month, my hand was already out of commission.... meaning, no wire-wrapping.
(Sidenote: I'm happy to report that my hand is doing much better today! I have no idea how I managed it, but somehow I had bruised my palm. Huh. That's why it hurt when I tried to hold the pliers. Oh well. In any case, I will happily resume my wire-wrapping ways soon! Yay!)
Anyway, due to my hand mishap, that meant that I could only make something using stringing methods.
...And I am very, very happy with the results!
...Yep, I went all out! It is a six-strand strung necklace, dripping with pearls, Czech glass, crystal, and glass--all paired with gunmetal and brass.
I really loved the way that the original palette shifted from black to white, and I wanted to echo that movement. Construction-wise, each side of the necklace is a mirror of the other--just using the different color combinations.
It's also rather long. I was having some issues getting the whole thing photographed in my current photo set up. So! I was finally able to set up one of my Christmas presents from my parents--a brand new (larger) lightbox!
I'm still figuring things out with it, so I realize the next few pictures aren't the best. Still, they give you an idea of the size and flow of the entire piece... Since the inspiration itself was opulent--champagne and caviar--I figured something extravagant was in order!
...Not sure if you noticed, but the gold-and-cream side has a brass end cap, and the black-and-silver one has a matching one in gunmetal. I was having fun in the details. :)
So, there you go! Apparently when I can't do wire-wrapped bead chains, I go all out and make giant strung necklaces. Hah! As I said, I really am happy with how this turned out... Thank you to Molly Schaller and the Halcraft blog for hosting this challenge, and thank you so much, readers, for stopping by to see it!
Have a wonderful day, everyone! Here's to hoping that February is much calmer than this January has been! :)
---
Here it is--the first Pretty Palettes of the year! How exciting! :)
I actually wasn't sure if I was going to be able to join along this month... It's just been so crazy around here. (Sorry if you're getting tired of me saying that. I'm really trying my best not to complain, but golly it's been rough.)
I had actually decided that I was going to sit this month out... But then, around this time last week, I realized how important it was for me to participate. Creating is therapeutic for me, and I realized I was going to be very disappointed if I didn't at least try.
And so, at the last minute, I dragged my husband to the store (with a gift card in tow!). Here are the beads that I picked out:
Now, there was another added challenge this month. When I finally decided that I was going to participate this month, my hand was already out of commission.... meaning, no wire-wrapping.
(Sidenote: I'm happy to report that my hand is doing much better today! I have no idea how I managed it, but somehow I had bruised my palm. Huh. That's why it hurt when I tried to hold the pliers. Oh well. In any case, I will happily resume my wire-wrapping ways soon! Yay!)
Anyway, due to my hand mishap, that meant that I could only make something using stringing methods.
...And I am very, very happy with the results!
...Yep, I went all out! It is a six-strand strung necklace, dripping with pearls, Czech glass, crystal, and glass--all paired with gunmetal and brass.
I really loved the way that the original palette shifted from black to white, and I wanted to echo that movement. Construction-wise, each side of the necklace is a mirror of the other--just using the different color combinations.
It's also rather long. I was having some issues getting the whole thing photographed in my current photo set up. So! I was finally able to set up one of my Christmas presents from my parents--a brand new (larger) lightbox!
I'm still figuring things out with it, so I realize the next few pictures aren't the best. Still, they give you an idea of the size and flow of the entire piece... Since the inspiration itself was opulent--champagne and caviar--I figured something extravagant was in order!
...Not sure if you noticed, but the gold-and-cream side has a brass end cap, and the black-and-silver one has a matching one in gunmetal. I was having fun in the details. :)
So, there you go! Apparently when I can't do wire-wrapped bead chains, I go all out and make giant strung necklaces. Hah! As I said, I really am happy with how this turned out... Thank you to Molly Schaller and the Halcraft blog for hosting this challenge, and thank you so much, readers, for stopping by to see it!
Have a wonderful day, everyone! Here's to hoping that February is much calmer than this January has been! :)
Friday, January 26, 2018
Wonder and Whimsy Monthly Challenge - January Reveal
When I was deciding on what January's Monthly Challenge was going to be, I knew that I was going to have limited time to devote to beading this month. That's why I decided to focus on finishing up some UFOs (Unfinished Objects).
...What I didn't realize was just how little time I was going to have. Oi.
Still! For all the craziness that this month has thrown at me, I do have one project to show off! And it's purple, which makes me happy. :)
This particular Unfinished Project hasn't been on my desk for too long. I picked up those Imperial Jasper beads last month, and immediately knew I wanted to pair them with brass. After a little playing around, I came up with this:
Now, it may not be the most complicated thing I've ever made (yep, still on a no-wire-wrap rest for the sake of my hand), but that doesn't make it any less lovely. In fact, I really like how the beauty and variance of the stones are showcased... They take front-and-center, and don't get drowned out by anything super dramatic.
Sometimes I think I get so caught up in making things elaborate (I'm looking at you, crazy tassel necklaces) that I forget the beauty of simplicity. Heh--and things don't always have to be wire-wrapped to be lovely. ;)
Thank you so much for stopping by today to see what I made for this month's challenge! It's always a pleasure to share my creations with you--a little bit of loveliness, even though the world can be crazy. :)
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
...What I didn't realize was just how little time I was going to have. Oi.
Still! For all the craziness that this month has thrown at me, I do have one project to show off! And it's purple, which makes me happy. :)
This particular Unfinished Project hasn't been on my desk for too long. I picked up those Imperial Jasper beads last month, and immediately knew I wanted to pair them with brass. After a little playing around, I came up with this:
Now, it may not be the most complicated thing I've ever made (yep, still on a no-wire-wrap rest for the sake of my hand), but that doesn't make it any less lovely. In fact, I really like how the beauty and variance of the stones are showcased... They take front-and-center, and don't get drowned out by anything super dramatic.
Sometimes I think I get so caught up in making things elaborate (I'm looking at you, crazy tassel necklaces) that I forget the beauty of simplicity. Heh--and things don't always have to be wire-wrapped to be lovely. ;)
Thank you so much for stopping by today to see what I made for this month's challenge! It's always a pleasure to share my creations with you--a little bit of loveliness, even though the world can be crazy. :)
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Thursday's Worktable
...or, an alternate title: My Recent Adventures with Labradorite.
I really love labradorite. It's probably tied with amethyst as my favorite gemstone. (Although, honestly, I'm rather hard pressed to think of a gemstone that I don't like. Heh.)
Imagine my delight, then, when this month's Bargain Bead Box came full of labradorite--mixed with copper, even! I love the juxtaposition of the warm brown of the copper and the cool greenish grey of the stone... And it's that juxtaposition that I decided to play around with this week.
Overall, I've made two sets with the components from the box.
The first one was made with the awesome tree pendant that came in the box (no, sadly, I can't take credit for that beautiful wire-wrapping on the pendant!):
...and the second set focuses on the larger 10mm labradorite rounds:
So much fun!
...And, sadly, also the last wire-wrapping I'm going to be able to do for awhile. Apparently I have done something to upset my left hand--tweaked a nerve, maybe? Regardless of what exactly I've done, I've learned that when I upset my hands, I need to rest them. And that means no holding pliers in my left hand until things calm down... Bah humbug! I suppose I'll just have to find something else to keep my creative side busy. :)
Thanks so much for stopping by today to see what I've been up to... Oh, and if you're here for my Swap N' Hop introduction, go here! It's the one that I wrote a few years ago--and, honestly, it's still quite accurate! (If I'm able to write an updated one, I will... but, if not, that one is still pretty spot-on! *grin*)
Have a lovely Thursday, everyone!
I really love labradorite. It's probably tied with amethyst as my favorite gemstone. (Although, honestly, I'm rather hard pressed to think of a gemstone that I don't like. Heh.)
Imagine my delight, then, when this month's Bargain Bead Box came full of labradorite--mixed with copper, even! I love the juxtaposition of the warm brown of the copper and the cool greenish grey of the stone... And it's that juxtaposition that I decided to play around with this week.
Overall, I've made two sets with the components from the box.
The first one was made with the awesome tree pendant that came in the box (no, sadly, I can't take credit for that beautiful wire-wrapping on the pendant!):
...and the second set focuses on the larger 10mm labradorite rounds:
So much fun!
...And, sadly, also the last wire-wrapping I'm going to be able to do for awhile. Apparently I have done something to upset my left hand--tweaked a nerve, maybe? Regardless of what exactly I've done, I've learned that when I upset my hands, I need to rest them. And that means no holding pliers in my left hand until things calm down... Bah humbug! I suppose I'll just have to find something else to keep my creative side busy. :)
Thanks so much for stopping by today to see what I've been up to... Oh, and if you're here for my Swap N' Hop introduction, go here! It's the one that I wrote a few years ago--and, honestly, it's still quite accurate! (If I'm able to write an updated one, I will... but, if not, that one is still pretty spot-on! *grin*)
Have a lovely Thursday, everyone!
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Wednesday's Worktable
I do actually have a few things to show off this week!
...Just not today, sadly.
Today has been full of running around and doing things--not the least of which was going with my husband to the doctor, because he has the flu.
Oi. This month really is doing its best to be a pain in the rear.
But, hopefully, tomorrow I'll get a chance to take some nice pictures and share my recent labradorite adventures. Heh. Hopefully nothing else crazy happens between now and then!
Thanks so much for stopping by today... Have a lovely night, everyone!
...Just not today, sadly.
Today has been full of running around and doing things--not the least of which was going with my husband to the doctor, because he has the flu.
Oi. This month really is doing its best to be a pain in the rear.
But, hopefully, tomorrow I'll get a chance to take some nice pictures and share my recent labradorite adventures. Heh. Hopefully nothing else crazy happens between now and then!
Thanks so much for stopping by today... Have a lovely night, everyone!
Friday, January 19, 2018
We're All Ears - January Reveal
It's time for the first challenge reveal of the year! Woo!
The challenge in question is this month's We're All Ears Challenge. The inspiration? The recently announced Pantone 2018 Color of the Year:
In a word: Purple!
I had so many ideas for this challenge--it's probably not a secret that purple is one of my favorite colors--but, sadly, I could only get to one of them. Considering how this month has been going, though, I'm happy that I was able to do that much!
Here are the beads that I used:
...And here is what I made!
The larger, focal beads are custom-made glass by retiring lampwork artist Juli Cannon, and the rest are amethyst teardrops that I bought while in Maryland. They certainly do seem to match the inspiration color--and the quote that went along with it:
So, there you go! That is what I was able to make for this challenge--although I'm sure I'll be using this color a lot in the days to come. :)
Thank you so much for stopping by today! Sorry for the shorter entry--I'm still catching up from being gone last week, both sorting through emotions and resuming regular life things. (You know, like do all the laundry. Heh.)
Have a lovely day, everyone!
The challenge in question is this month's We're All Ears Challenge. The inspiration? The recently announced Pantone 2018 Color of the Year:
In a word: Purple!
I had so many ideas for this challenge--it's probably not a secret that purple is one of my favorite colors--but, sadly, I could only get to one of them. Considering how this month has been going, though, I'm happy that I was able to do that much!
Here are the beads that I used:
...And here is what I made!
The larger, focal beads are custom-made glass by retiring lampwork artist Juli Cannon, and the rest are amethyst teardrops that I bought while in Maryland. They certainly do seem to match the inspiration color--and the quote that went along with it:
 |
| Not my photo! From the original inspiration post. |
So, there you go! That is what I was able to make for this challenge--although I'm sure I'll be using this color a lot in the days to come. :)
Thank you so much for stopping by today! Sorry for the shorter entry--I'm still catching up from being gone last week, both sorting through emotions and resuming regular life things. (You know, like do all the laundry. Heh.)
Have a lovely day, everyone!
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Wednesday's Worktable
...I'm honestly in a bit of a daze today.
You may have noticed that I didn't blog last week. Instead, I was in Maryland with my best friend. It was a hard trip, a spur of the moment trip--my best friend had gotten the call that their father was not doing well (diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer), and he was not given very long to live. He ended up passing away the day after we got there.
I went as emotional support--no one should have to be alone on a trip like that, to say goodbye--and because I've been an unofficial member of the family for almost 15 years. It felt right to go. We were there for just over a week, and returned back home to Ohio on Sunday night.
As you might imagine, with everything being so crazy, I haven't really gotten a chance to do anything creative. It's been a lot of going and doing (and dealing with one of the worst episodes of food poisoning I have ever had, in the midst of it all).
I'm only now starting to sort through emotions and settle back into normalcy.
...Now, I realize this is a rather somber entry. I'm feeling very contemplative and drained today. Not upset, really... just quiet and thoughtful, and fiercely grateful for the people I love.
And grateful for sunsets, too. Each of these pictures was taken during the trip--the sky was utterly gorgeous every night I was gone. It was beautiful, and even comforting. After all, everything was being crazy and hard--but the sky itself burst into glory, to remind me that there was still beauty, even then.
Well, thank you for stopping by today and listening to me ramble. I'm sure I'll be posting pretty pictures of beads again soon... Until then, though, know that I truly appreciate you.
May your days also be filled with beauty.
You may have noticed that I didn't blog last week. Instead, I was in Maryland with my best friend. It was a hard trip, a spur of the moment trip--my best friend had gotten the call that their father was not doing well (diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer), and he was not given very long to live. He ended up passing away the day after we got there.
I went as emotional support--no one should have to be alone on a trip like that, to say goodbye--and because I've been an unofficial member of the family for almost 15 years. It felt right to go. We were there for just over a week, and returned back home to Ohio on Sunday night.
As you might imagine, with everything being so crazy, I haven't really gotten a chance to do anything creative. It's been a lot of going and doing (and dealing with one of the worst episodes of food poisoning I have ever had, in the midst of it all).
I'm only now starting to sort through emotions and settle back into normalcy.
...Now, I realize this is a rather somber entry. I'm feeling very contemplative and drained today. Not upset, really... just quiet and thoughtful, and fiercely grateful for the people I love.
And grateful for sunsets, too. Each of these pictures was taken during the trip--the sky was utterly gorgeous every night I was gone. It was beautiful, and even comforting. After all, everything was being crazy and hard--but the sky itself burst into glory, to remind me that there was still beauty, even then.
May your days also be filled with beauty.
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