Art Bead Scene Monthly Challenge

The bead maker Karen Hruza, calls these beads moonstone petals and they are gorgeous. They were difficult to photograph, changing colors with the color and type of daylight that surrounds them from yellow, golden, green to iridescent blue. When Art Bead Scene announced its monthly designer challenge for July using the colors inspired by Pablo Picasso's "Portrait of Olga in the Armchair" I knew I would have to submit an entry using these beads I had purchased a while ago. In an attempt to keep things simple I decided to make a knotted hemp bracelet. It's been many years since I have knotted anything, and have been thinking about macrame. I hope you like it.

My Little Picasso Knotted Hemp Bracelet:

Soft Yellow



 

Yellow, Golden Green and Iridescent Blue

 

 

 

Additional beads used for closure clasp and charm came from Helen Chalmers and Karen Totten.

 

Inspiration Photo, courtesy of Art Bead Scene Blog.
 



Portrait of Olga in the Armchair, 1917

My New Supersized 4 x 4 Tool Box

Well, it's not actually "4 x 4" but I think you get the idea. Having suddenly received this windfall of beading supplies courtesy of Cousin, I was seriously pressed for new storage space. And luckily I was "gifted" with a brand spanking new tool box (my hubby hadn't used it yet) that fits the beads and findings perfectly... with a little room to spare ;) Thank you darling!!!

I still have to dress up the inside drawers with some pretty contact paper and small storage organizers and it will be good to go. The top is perfect to store my work in process and the three sliding drawers actually lock in place when the top is closed. How efficient is that? These tool boxes are certainly well thought out. Much better, I suppose, than a fishing tackle box. Now I am ready for some super sized, heavy duty put- a-petal-to-the-metal bead work. Hey and it's portable too.

Looking at the top left  should give you a hint of the colors I am working on for my first project... 

 

What are you organizing today?



The Liebster Award

Cool Monsoon Rain

 

Liebster Award

Lynn from http://oudoire-mortensen.blogspot.com/ has nominated my blog as one of her Liebster award choices.

Thank you Lynn!!

 



The Rules are as follows:

   1. You must thank the person who nominated you for the award.
   2. You must write 11 facts/things about yourself.
   3. You must answer 11 questions from your nominator.
   4. You must nominate 11 others bloggers who have 200 (or so) or less followers 
       and tag them in your acceptance post.
   5. You must create 11 new questions for your nominees to answer in their 
       acceptance post.
   6. You must notify your 11 nominees on their blog, so they can accept their 
       award and hopefully carry on the process.
   7. You must not nominate the person who nominated you.
   8. After this is all done you may add the Liebster Award button to your  blog.    

My 11 random facts about myself are:

1. I like going to the gym in the morning... but lately I have been sleeping in. hmm.
2. I care for two aging pets. The dog is too fat and the cat is too thin. I worry for them. No the dog is not getting into the cat food...
3. I enjoy calling friends and going to see a "chick-flick" once in a while.
4. I love reading books. All kinds. My summer read was Inferno by Dan Brown.         (Very Good)
5. I have not been to Italy but I would like to visit sometime.
6. I used to enjoy running, now I ride a bike.
7. I wear contact lenses. Hard lenses, gas permeable.
8. I spend lots of time on the computer reading other people's blogs. -Interesting stuff out there. Some of it is kind of crappy but most of it is really good.
9. I shop for bargains but I am not one of those coupon/rebate fanatics.
10. I am tired of all the junk on television. Movies are o.k.
11. I was a tomboy once.

Questions from Lynn are:

    1. Did you follow a favorite sport as an adolescent?   

    2. Do you sing in a Choir or the shower?

    3. Is it easier to remember important facts or trivial?

    4. Do you dance the Tango?

    5. Have you realized a life long dream, if so which one?

    6. Do you own a bicycle with an attachment for children or pets?

    7. Have you been up to the top of the Statue of Liberty?

    8. Who taught you to drive?

    9. Do you listen for the sounds of the sea in a seashell? 

    10. Do you keep a journal?

    11. Do you still build sandcastles? 


Answers for Lynn are:

1. Do you consider horseback trail riding a sport?
2. I have not sung in choir since the 4th grade. I was not very good at it.
3. Mostly facts but it depends on the subject. Don't get me started on beads.
4. Never danced the Tango. Monkey, bow-and-arrow, western line dance and an occasional bump.
5. I have not completely realized my lifelong dream. But I am getting closer.
6. I used to have a third wheel with stationary handlebar and pedals. Sort of like a poor man's tandem. But they have gotten too big for that.
7. Never been to the statue of liberty. I need to add that to my bucket list.
8. My Dad taught me to hold the wheel with both hands.
9. There was a giant conch shell by the fireplace in the house which I grew up. I always enjoyed listening to the sea and dreaming about going on vacation. Sometimes I whispered into it.
10. I keep a bead stitching journal for my jewelry designs.
11. Desert sand just does not hold up. -for sandcastles.

My 11 Nominees from blogs that I follow are:

1. Elettra's Handmade Jewelry http://elettrarossa.blogspot.com/
2. A Half-Baked Notion  http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com/
3. Kathy in Ozarks  http://kathyinozarks.blogspot.com/
4. Barn Girl  http://hitherecupcake.blogspot.com/
5. Lea's Menagerie  http://leasmenagerie.blogspot.com/
6. A Gathering of Days...   http://thatsthewaythecornbreadcrumbles.blogspot.com/
7. Moments in Maple Glenn   http://momentsinmapleglen.blogspot.com/
8. Amazing Wonders  http://amazingwondersinmylife.blogspot.com/
9. One Kiss Creations  http://onekisscreations.blogspot.com/
10. Out My Front Door  http://eat-drink-andbemary.blogspot.com/
11. A Colorful World  http://daughterm.blogspot.com/

I Nominated these blog authors because I enjoy keeping up with what they are doing on their blogs. They also stop by here once in a while to say hello.


My 11 Questions for my nominees are:

1. What do you enjoy doing for exercise?
2. Do you have any pets? If so, do you treat them like people?
3. What do you enjoy doing with friends?
4. Have you read a good book lately? What is the title? If not a book how about a song?
5. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? And who would you take?
6. Name something you are not doing anymore.
7. Do you have a secret you would like to share with us?
8. Have you ever lost track of time? What were you doing?
9. Do you like to shop?
10. Do you have a pet peeve?
11. Tell us something you remember doing as a kid...

C'mon it will be fun. -And I'd really like to know...

 

Bead Hoarders' Blog Hop

Welcome to Lori McDaniel Anderson's Bead Hoarders Blog Hop. Here for you to see are a few of my favorite "pretties" that have been stashed away far too long...and finally strung together in a beach themed starfish necklace.

The necklace features an enameled starfish focal from Gardanne Beads purchased just one year ago. Also, a colorful and unusual glass lamp work tube bead from Redside Designs. The silver Hill Tribe fish bead has been a part of my collection since the beginning of time. - I've just been holding onto it for good luck.

Lots of freshwater pearls, sterling silver separator beads and handmade clasp make this a fun and unusual piece to wear. The detail in the enameling on that starfish is truly gorgeous.

Next be sure to click below and visit more "pretties" brought out for your review and enjoyment!

 

 

 

 

 

Wonderful News!

Hey all! I am one of 5 new Ambassadors selected for Cousin Creative Circle in 2013. Wooh Hooh!!!! We will be joining the original five jewelry artists who started this program with the Cousin Corporation in 2012. You can learn more about this talented group of individuals by clicking the icon below:

To start - earlier this week, I received a HUGE selection of Cousin beads and components.

Here is a quick shot of some items:

To see more Cousin products you can also click here.

I can't wait to get started on my first project and will have more to share soon.

 

 

 

 

IT'S FRIDAY.

 

ARE YOU READY FOR A FUN SUMMER WEEKEND??

Orange Dreamsicle Flower Earrings...

I really like the color of these orange ceramic clay flowers by ValsCeramicGarden. They are the
 perfect size for a pair of earrings. Adding the freshwater pearls turned out to be the "fun" part since the bead holes were a tad small for the 22 gauge sterling silver wire I was using on this part of the project.

Luckily I had a pearl bead reamer on hand to enlarge the holes. The sawing blade of a pearl reamer is quite flexible compared to a standard glass bead reamer. It's important to use steady even pressure while enlarging the bead hole in order to avoid chipping too much of the pearl's nacre away from the edges of the hole.

 

What did you make today?

 

The Arboretum at Flagstaff

Functional Art

 

I really like these unique guardrails set up in the parking lot of the Flagstaff Arboretum designed to protect the fence and trees from wayward drivers. The guardrail frames are all metalwork including a pine tree design with locally found stones inside. Lets see a car or truck try running over that!

 

Linking up with:



Heading North

Took a drive north yesterday to visit Northern Arizona University (NAU). It was quiet. We just walked around campus for a while.  And it was good to get up into higher elevations, see the mountains and enjoy cooler temperatures.

Stopped by the Student Union, not sure what all the yellow bikes are for. I thought possibly they were available for anyone to take and ride through campus... unfortunately they were locked.

We saw this building after getting into the car to leave and I asked to stop the car so I could get out and take a picture.

It is called First Amendment Plaza.