Challenge of Literature - Hosted by Erin Prais-Hintz

Hello Y'all and welcome to my second blog post for today. (If you are looking for the Tiny Tin Challenge click here)

When Erin announced that she was hosting another challenge and this one would be based on literature, I said what the heck I will give it a try.  I knew exactly what series of books I was going to base my pieces on.

I chose Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels.  I love this series of books I have read all but 17 and 18 and I have those downloaded onto my kindle waiting to be read.  I love these books!  These books have made me laugh out loud and bite my finger nails in suspense of what will happen next, and even cry at times.

The antics Stephanie Plum and the other characters, such as Lula an ex-prostitute, who happens to be my favorite character next to Stephanie of course, get into are gut busting hilarious.  The on again off again love affair between Stephanie and Joe Morelli, a handsome Italian Homicide Detective with Trenton, NJ Police Dept., has been going on between the two since they were in high school.  To throw a little spice into the mix Stephanie has a serious crush on a tall handsome Cuban Carlos Monoso aka Ranger, who is the number one bounty hunter for Stephanie's Cousin Vinnie.

This series starts out with Stephanie looking for a job.  Her Grandma Mazur, a very colorful character, recommend that she go see Cousin Vinnie that owned a Bail Bonds business.  Stephanie was to late for the filing clerk job so Connie, Vinnie's secretary, gave her the job of bounty hunter and Stephanie's life would never be the same.  If you have not read any of these books, I recommend that you get one and read it, but be careful once you read the first one you will want to read the next and so on.  Here is a list of the Stephanie Plum novels-

Stephanie Plum Series (in order written)

• One for the Money
• Two for the Dough
• Three to Get Deadly
• Four to Score
• High Five
• Hot Six
• Seven Up
• Hard Eight
• Visions of Sugar Plums (between-the-numbers holiday novella)
• To the Nines
• Ten Big Ones
• Eleven on Top
• Twelve Sharp
• Plum Lovin’ (between-the-numbers holiday novella)
• Lean Mean Thirteen
• Plum Lucky (between-the-numbers holiday novella)
• Fearless Fourteen
• Plum Spooky (between-the-numbers novel)
• Finger Lickin’ Fifteen
• Sizzling Sixteen
• Smokin’ Seventeen
• Explosive Eighteen

I based my challenge pieces on Stephanie, Lula, and Connie.  I based my pieces on what I knew of these characters from Janet's descriptions of these three women.  Here is what I created.

First up Stephanie...

Stephanie is not a very flashy character she mainly wears tank tops, t-shirts, and jeans. This necklace is light weight and will go with just about any thing. It would look good on Stephanie whether she was dressing down or up.  Stephanie is a natural type of female, but not your average type of female that is why I chose to use potato and dagger fresh water pearls in red and bronze.  Between the pearls are gunmetal color metal 4mm beads and gold colored 3mm bi-cone beads. I connected the two strands of pearls to a gun metal colored chain, then I added a silver tone heart shaped toggle clasp.

Next is Lula...

Lula is the complete opposite of Stephanie.  Lula is large and in charge! Lula is very flamboyant Black woman and loves to show it in her outfits.  I picture Lula with big and chunky jewelry.  I created this necklace using these large green stones that measure 21/2 inches long by 11/2 inches wide.  I also used 12mm Aventurine and 15mm silver tone filigree beads I added some 4mm green crystal bi-cones, bead caps, spacers, and a big funky toggle clasp.  I had two of the large green beads left so I made a pair of earrings to go with this necklace.

I did not have headpins long enough for these large beads so I took some 22 gauge silver tone wire and made a spiral on one end and the 4mm crystal bi-cones and 12mm Aventurine beads then wire wrapped the earring wires onto the earrings.  They are heavy, but that would not matter to Lula as long as they looked good.

Last but not least Connie...

Connie is Cousin Vinnie's out spoken secretary.  Connie is your typical Jersey Girl that likes to dress in Jersey Girl fashion.  I created this necklace with Connie in mind.  This necklace is just enough to make a statement and not be all in your face.  I used 22mm round pink stone beads and paired them with fancy cut rectangle wood beads, between the big beads are 6mm round brown shell beads. and silver tone spacers. I used a grape leaf shaped toggle. 

I hope that you like what I have created for this challenge and that you will pick up one of these books and read about these wonderful and colorful characters.

Here is the list of the other participants, please go by and see what wonderful creations they have created.

Erin Prais-Hintz

Rebecca Anderson

Rose Binoya

Lori Bowring Michaud

Shannon Chomanszuk

Marlene Cupo

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Kim Dworak

Beth Emery

Therese Frank

Amy Freeland

K Hutchinson

Jennifer Justman

Susan Kennedy

Linda Landig

Lisa Lodge

Lisa Lowe

Kirsi Luostarinen

Beth McCord

Melissa Meman

Sharon Misuraco

Tracey Nanstad

Melinda Orr

Kashmira Patel

Alice Peterson

Sally Russick

Niky Sayers

Pam Sears

Amy Severino

Tracy Stillman

Emma Todd

Melissa Trudinger

Lesley Watt

Shai Williams

Thank you Erin for hosting another great challenge.

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

Tiny Tins Challenge - Hosted by Michelle Mach

Hello Y'all,

This challenge is the first of two challenges I will be posting today.  Back on April 27th Michelle put out the call for participants in her Tiny Tin Challenge.  The object of this challenge was simple, for a small fee you purchased two little tins and all you have to do is decorate one of the tins did not matter which one and you could decorate it any way you wanted.  

Okay the rules sounded easy enough, uh yeah well, before the tins came I was thinking of all kinds of things I could do to decorate the tins, but when they arrived I went blank.  So I set them aside and told myself I have plenty of time to decorate the tins.  I will just work on other projects and think about this one for a while.  

At one point I thought that I would glue a gemstone to the top and bead a bezel around the stone and lid, but I could not find a stone that fit the lids.  I had ordered some seed beads and a shell inlaid pendant.  When the package arrived I thought yeah this pendant will look good on the lid of the large tin, but then I thought what was I going to put with it, I can't just glue it to the lid and be on my way. What kind of a challenge is that?

I remembered that I had polymer clay.  I looked in the bag of clay and found navy blue. Well really I thought that it was black until I took the wrapper off and saw it was navy blue instead.  I rolled out the clay and cut a piece to put onto the lid and pressed the pendant down into the clay to make an indention, so after baking I would just glue the pendant onto the lid.  Okay that took care of the lid now what about the rest of the tin.  I covered the bottom portion of the tin with the clay and put both lid and bottom in the oven and baked the clay per the instructions on the clay wrapper. Oh I know what y'all are thinking about me using the oven to bake the clay, but it is all right I covered the tin so the fumes from the clay would not contaminate the oven.

OK the tin is baked and cool and I glued the pendant to the lid.  Still it was just not good enough yet. What to do, what to do? I walked away from it for a day to think and work on other projects.  It hit me the tin needed some bling!  I had some clear AB flat backed 4mm crystals.  I glued those around the rim of the lid and then I had some beaded ribbon I glued that around the lip of the lid added some Mod Podge for some shine.  

While I was playing with the large tin I kept looking at the Mother's day card I got from my Mom.  It had a light blue back ground and embossed flowers on it.  I picked out a few of the flowers and drew circles around them and cut them out.  I chose one of the flowers and glued it the the lid of the small tin. After a couple of hours I came back and I covered the flower with some Mod Podge. I let that dry then I added some resin.  The next day I glued some light blue ribbon around the lip of the lid and the bottom of the tin.

I hope you like my tiny tins.  Please go and see what the other participants did with their tiny tins.

1. Michelle - Beads & Books - Hostess
2. Amy - Amybeads
3. Brenda - B'Sue Boutiques
4. Dawn - Morning Glory Beading
5. Debbie
6. Jeannie - Jeannie's Blog
7. Kay - Palm Coast Art
8. Kim - CianciBlue
9. Mary - MLH Jewelry Designs
10. Mary Shannon - Falling into the Sky
11. Michelle - Firefly Visions
12. Molly - Beautifully Broken Me
13. Pamela - The Crazy Creative Corner
14. Patricia G. - My Life Under the Bus
15. Patricia L.
16. Robyn - A Ponderance of Things
17. Shelley - Fabric of My Life
18. Terry - Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry
19. Therese - Domestic Goddess Enterprises
20. Therese - Therese's Treasures (you are here)

Thank you Michelle for hosting another wonderful challenge.

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

Sharyl's Bead Packet Design Challenge - Hosted by Sharyl McMillian-Nelson

On April 5th, Sharyl put out the call for participants in her first Bead Packet Design challenge.  Five names would be drawn from the ones leaving comments.  On April 7th the names of the participants were revealed and I was one of the lucky one chosen to participate in Sharyl's challenge.  Sharyl sent out our packets a few days after announcing the participants.   Mind you we did not know what the beads looked like only that there were 16 beads of these 16 there were 6 different types of beads.   Here is what was in the packet of beads.

The guidelines of the challenge were simple. They stated that we were to use at least two of the different types of beads in the packet in our design.  We were required to make one design, but we could make more than one if we wished. After the contest the design that we made and any left over beads were ours to do with as we pleased.

When I received my packet I took the beads out and looked at them and wondered how I was going to uses these beads, but nothing came to mind.  I worked on other challenges and projects and would come back to these beads, but still nothing.  I knew I needed to have at least one idea, because I was not sure of our deadline.  I finally thought I could make earrings, but no that was not enough of a challenge.  

Then I thought why don't I make a bracelet, but could not make up my mind what beads I would uses. I thought I could use the drops as the focal and the aqua beads for the spacers. But I really wanted to use more of these pretty beads.

Okay so use the drop beads and the aqua beads for the focal the on the side I could use the two 12mm disk beads and the 6mm rounds.  Then I can use a herringbone stitch rope to connect them together.  Hmm that is going to make the bracelet too big.  Ahh heck I will just make a necklace.

So I started stitching a twisted herringbone rope using size 11 bronze and teal seed beads.  I got two and a half inches done and decided to put the first bead in the design. I chose the 4x8 mm roundel and continued to stitch another two inches. Then I strung the 6 mm round bead, a 4mm bicone crystal from my stash, the 12mm disk bead, a 4mm bicone, and a 6mm round. Stitched one and a half inches of herringbone then strung the aqua beads and the drops and stopped and looked at it.  It just was not right something was missing. So I tore it apart, yes all those little tiny beads.  I started over got the first section with the 4x8mm and stopped again. Nope do not like this, so I tore it apart and went to my local bead store where I found the brass bead caps and spacers.  When I got back home I decided to just bead the herringbone tube fist in sections then string everything together with flexible beading wire.

I used the large disk bead as part of the clasp. I strung crimp beads onto the beading wire then the large disk bead, a 4 mm bicone and a bronze 11 seed bead, strung the beading wire back down the bicone, the disk bead, and the crimp beads and then secured the beading wire with the crimp beads.  I strung all of the components on to the beading wire and when I got to the other end I strung on two crimp beads and 35 bronze seed beads.  I looped the beading wire back down through the crimp beads and the herringbone tube. I made sure every piece was in place and no gapes and secured the beading wire with the crimp beads.

The two herringbone tubs near the drop beads I used 3mm Palace Green Opal Swaroski bicone crystals. In each one inch tube there are 24 crystals.

I hope you like my challenge piece.  I want to thank Sharyl for letting me participate in this challenge and I hope to be able to participate in her future challenges.  This one proved to be quite a challenge for me, but I am loving the end results.

Please take the time to go by and visit the other participants in Sharyl's Bead Packet Design Challenge.

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson   Host

Therese Frank you are here

Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp

Kristi Jaro

Shirley Moore

Kashmira Patel

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

This and That

Hi y'all,

Well I am taking a break from sewing those little beads and thought I would post some pictures of some treasures I have been accumulating lately.  Warning this is a lengthy post.

My Son went to Australia and New Zealand in March and these are the beads he brought back to me from New Zealand. 

A tube of Paua shell beads and buttons.

Shell beads, died Mother of Pearl coin beads, and two blue and clear glass beads wrapped in copper wire. My Son said out of all of these beads the two little wire wrapped beads were the most expensive.  He did a good job! I love my shell and glass beads.

I participated in Amy Severino's  Spring Fling Challenge and she had a giveaway to those of us that participated in the challenge.  I was the lucky winner of this beautiful kit of beads.

High Strung Beads is the one and only locally owned brick and mortar bead store in Montgomery, AL and I  enjoy going and shopping there when she has a trunk show.  This month she has a trunk show with gemstones, fresh water pearls, and other beads.  Here is what I got at the show. I do not know the names of some of these so if any of you know please tell me I will appreciate the information.

I know these are died, but not sure if they are Agate or Jasper. 

I have no idea what these are I just know when I saw them I had to have them!

Amethyst, Mookaite,  Fire Agate died aqua, and Fire Agate died olive green.

Jasper donut

On Monday May 7th I went up to visit my Sister in Alabaster, AL.  We went to lunch and then went to a bead store in Birmingham, AL.  This is what I got there, they were also having a gemstone trunk show.

I believe these are Agate but not sure. I love the color and pattern on the beads.

I do not know the name of these but I love the color.

Jasper bead and a Paua shell cabochon.

My Sister has commissioned three necklaces for three different friends of hers they are all from the Caribbean and are Rastafarian.  

She wanted a Lion of Judah on one of them with the red yellow and green colors of the Jamaican flag. She picked out the red Jasper and some Red Creek Jasper at a bead store in Helena, AL that we went to back at the end of March. I found the lion pendent at a store on Etsy.  I did not like the red Jasper and the Red Creek Jasper together so I looked in my stash and found some gold 3mm Czech glass beads and some 4mm Aventurine rounds. I made links with the beads and attached the brass chain that came with the pendant to the ends of my hand made chain. 

When my Sister and I were at the trunk show in Birmingham she picked up these wooden barrel beads and asked if I could make a necklace using these and the Red Creek Jasper. I laughed and said "Why sure I can!" I picked up some brass tone metal 3mm bicone beads at Hobby Lobby and the second necklace was born.

At the same trunk show my Sister got these green and variegated red and yellow glass beads. I added the gunmetal colored metal beads and the wooden spacer beads and the third necklace was born. 

The rest of what I have been up to lately has to do with challenges.  First challenge for May is revealed tomorrow.  Come back tomorrow and see what I created for Sharyl's Bead Packet Challenge hosted by Sharyl McMillian-Nelson.  Then on the 31st I will be revealing two challenges, Michelle Mach's Tiny Tins and Erin Prais-Hintz's Challenge of Literature.  June 12th is the reveal date for mine and Christine's A Time To Stitch challenge and last but not least the Beading Babe's reveal on June 24th.

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

  

  

Just A Reminder

Just a reminder that you have today and tomorrow to sign up for A Time To Stitch Challenge here.

Come and play along with us and learn something new or heighten your skills with peyote and herringbone stitches.

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese 

A Time To Stitch Challenge

"A stitch in time saves nine!"  Ben Franklin

"Keep your fears to yourself and share your inspiration with others!"  Robert Lewis Stevenson

Hi Y'all,

I would like to welcome y'all to my first challenge to celebrate my one year blogiversary.  I have teamed up with Christine of One Kiss Creations to bring this challenge to you.

In the past year that Christine and I have been participating in the blog sphere we have not encountered a challenge to create a piece using a certain bead weaving stitch.  So here is what Christine and I are proposing to the first 30 people that would like to participate in this challenge.  Create a piece or pieces using the Peyote stitch or the Herringbone stitch and if you are truly ambitious make a piece out of each stitch or use each stitch in one piece the possibilities are numerous. 

This challenge is open to those with no experience in bead weaving to the advanced bead weaver.  I thought of this challenge, because of you that have commented on my blog about always wanting to try bead weaving but thought that you could not work with the tiny little beads.  Well now Christine and I are putting the challenge out to you to come play. Who knows you might find that you enjoy working with the tiny little beads.  You will never know until you try, right!  So for those with no experience, and we do hope that some of you play along, we suggest that you start out with something simple like a bracelet, or just a practice square, we would be cool with that, at least you tried and you will know whether you like it or not.  To the rest of you with different degrees of experience try a pattern that you have been wanting to do, or create your own the sky the limit.

To help the inexperienced beader Christine has found some video tutorials on the peyote and herringbone stitches.  You can also find examples of how to sew the stitches in the back of beading magazines such as Bead and Button and Beadwork just to name two.  You tube is also a great place to look for tutorials.  There are many free patterns on the Internet too.  Google for free peyote or free herringbone beading patterns.

Herringbone tutorial on Youtube

Even Peyote Stitch for Beginners

The following site is an great site for Herringbone I have made a few of Ruby's designs (the black and pink bracelet in the below picture is my take on one of her designs) and the instructions are easy to follow.  If you choose to visit this site be sure to click on the home button for more interesting items.

Ruby's Beadwork

The following site is a tutorial on Even and Odd Count Peyote this site explains how to do both stitches with good illustrations of the stitches.

Even and Odd Count Peyote Tutorial

Here are some pictures of some pieces Christine and I have done in both Peyote and Herringbone.

I did my first peyote stitched bracelet back in 2005 it is the third one from the left. I saw this one in a magazine (unfortunately when I searched for the magazine I could not find it, so I am unable to give credit to the person that created the design) and fell in love I just had to find out how to make this bracelet.  I ordered everything I was going to need for the bracelet from Fire Mountain Gems and I practiced the stitch while I waited for my supplies to arrive. I am so proud of this bracelet and it is still one of my favorites.  The fourth bracelet from the left is another early peyote I came across this pattern in Sept/Oct 2005 Step By Step magazine it is called Square Dance and it's a two drop peyote the pattern was designed by Rea Ann Wojehn.  The first one on the left I made in 2008 the pattern for this one in in the Jan/Feb 2008 Step By Step magazine this bracelet's name is Crystal Steps and was designed by Denise Peck the black one is just like the pattern in the magazine, the pink one is my swing on the pattern. The sixth bracelet is my first herringbone bracelet and it is also in the Jan/Feb 2008 Step by Step mag.  The name of this bracelet is Harvest Time designed by Dottie Hoeschen. In the magazine the clasp is a loop and button and I used a slide clasp.  Last but not least is the herringbone bracelet I mentioned above that I got the pattern from Ruby's Web site.

This is a peyote design by my co-host Christine it is so pretty I love how she embellished it.

Those that follow my Therese's Treasures Face book page will recognized this two drop peyote I made this one in June 2011.

This is Victoria a Cellini Spiral I did in the October 2011. The boor glass beads I won in a giveaway on Kinga Nichols' blog Crimson Frog Designs

Tubular Herringbone I created this bracelet for Michelle Mach's Suddenly Spring Hop

This Herringbone bracelet was created by Christine. This one is worked going up and down sideways.

This Herringbone bracelet was also created by Christine. Using bugle beads make the stitching go faster.  Christine used bugles and hex beads in this design.

Christine and I hope that you will sign up to play "A Time To Stitch". Sign ups will go until May 12.  The blog hop will be on June 12.

If you have any questions you can send an email to me at theresestreasures59@gmail.com or Christine at onekisscreations@comcast.net 

You can copy and paste this button to your side bar to remind you of the hop there is not a hyper link attached because I could not figure out how to make one LOL.

Feel free to spread the word about this challenge on your blog. 

 If you want to join in on this challenge leave a comment.  If your email address is not turned on please leave your email address in your comment or email either Christine or I with your email address, thank you.

Happy beading Y'all

Therese