Secret Snowflake Challenge Blog Hop - hosted by Michelle Mach

A few months ago I read about a Secret Snowflake Challenge hosted by Michelle Mach, that was using a clay snowflake pendant and two snowflake charms made by Mellisa at Chinook Jewelry, so I jumped and bought a challenge kit.

When the kit arrived I took everything out the the little box it was packaged in and poured all the beads out and looked at them and started visualizing what I wanted to do with all of these goodies I had to play with.

I went to my stash and started pulling out seed beads and crystals that would compliment the pendant.  I set all of my gatherings aside, because I had to finish several Christmas gifts and other projects that I was working on at that time.  

Michelle told everyone that joined in on the challenge that it was okay to make something for the challenge and give it as a Christmas gift as long as you took a picture to be revealed on January 15, 2012.  So knowing this information I took the two little snowflake charms and made a pair of earrings that I sent off to Kinga Nichols in Colorado for my Christmas surprise to her. Kinga is a bead embroider, so I wanted to give her something that she would not necessarily make herself.

I took two head pins and strung a silver daisy spacer and a frosted glass drop on to each and connected them to the bottom of the snowflake charm. I then took a piece of silver wire and make a double loop connector to connect the charm to the sterling silver ear wires.  They are simple earrings, but I wanted the snowflake charms to stand out. 

After the holidays I got the rest of the items for the challenge and sat down and started bringing the design idea I had in my head to life.  When I first saw the pendant I knew that I wanted to bead embroider around it.  So I glued it down to some stiff non woven material and started beading around the pendant.  I used size 11/0 navy blue seed beads and size 15/0 aqua lined seed beads in a peyote stitch around the pendant to anchor it to the material.  I then used some size 8/0 cylinder silver lined white seed beads and then some  3mm swarosky Montana blue crystals and silver 15/0 seed beads to further enhance the pendant.  I used some blue ultra suede for the backing and the aqua lined 15/0 seed beads in a whip stitch to hide where the backing meets the front.  For the chain I used the bead soup that came in the kit along with some beads I received from my Beading Daily web site Secret Santa Marla the beads she sent to me were perfect for this challenge.

This was a fun challenge and I hope to be able to join in on more of Michelle Mach's wonderful challenges in the future.  Please go check out the other's that participated in this Secret Snowflake Challenge hosted by Michelle.

Blog Hop Participants

If there is no blog link listed next to a person's name, check Michelle's Beads & Books. Participants without blogs will be posting their photos on her blog.

• Alice (Alice Dreaming)
• Chris (beadjewelry.net)
• Christa (Adventures of One Beady Woman)
• Crystal (Here Bead Dragons)
• Cynthia (Cynth's Blog)
  
• Dawn (Morning Glory Beading)
• Donetta (Simply Gorgeous)
• Erin A.
• Jennifer (JenniferJW)
• Jennifer (Jewelry, Art and Life)
  
• Kari W.
• Kate (We Can Make That at Home)
• Kay (Palm Coast Art)
• Linda (Lindy's Designs)
• Lisa C. (A Bead a Day)
  
• Lisa (Inspired Adornments)
• Mary (MLH Designs)
• Michelle (Beads & Books) 
• Michelle B.
• Millie (AMM Jewelry)
  
• Norma (Moonlit Fantasies)
• Pam (The Crazier Sister)
• Rebecca J.
• Renetha (Lamplight Crafts)
• Rosemarie (Gem Rose Designs)
  
• Shannon (Falling into the Sky)
• Susan (Bead Inspired)
• Therese (Therese's Treasures)
• Therese (Domestic Goddess Enterprises)

Happy beading Y'all,
Therese

  

And the winner is...

On Sunday I decided to make a game using my I Heart Macro shots, and the prize was these earrings.

All one had to do is answer this question "What is it?" and the first person to get all four questions correct would win the earrings.  So here are the answers to the questions and the name of the winner.

1. Oatmeal, 2. Peanut butter, 3. Pineapple, 4. Counter top.

Lola of BeadLolaBead blog was the first to get all of the answers correct.  Way to go Lola!

Now don't be sad, because I have decide to giveaway a second pair of earrings to one of the others that played along.  Here is the pair that one lucky winner, who will be drawn at random, will win.

These earrings are made using copper etched charms by Cat at BooBeads, blue died Agate beads, copper wire, 4mm clear crystals, and bronze ear wires by ShelsJewelrySupplies.

The winner of these earrings is...     Result: 7    

Lisa S. carefreejewelrybylisa please send me an e-mail to theresestreasures59@gmail.com with your address so I can send you the earrings.  

Thank you to all of you that played along.  This was a fun game and one that I will have again sometime.

Happy beading Y'all

Therese

I Heart Macro - Breakfast

I know it has been a minute since I have posted on I heart macro Sunday, but anyway not going to give excuses, cause there is non, just being lazy!

Can you guess what I had for breakfast this morning?

This is oh so good with brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little bit of butter.  What is this?

This is best when spread on your bread straight out of the toaster.  What is this?

This is a sweet treat found on the Islands.  What is this?

Every kitchen has one. What is this?

For the above shots I am giving away these earrings to the first person that can answer all of the questions correctly.  Also make sure I have a way to contact you for your mailing address.

The earrings are made with lampwork glass beads from EB Bead and Metal works, the copper ovals are from Kristi Bowman Designs, the ear wires are sterling silver from ShelsJewelrySupplies 

One last thing before I go...

Yep that's right I do!   I drink coffee from this cute mug.

To see more I Heart Macro click on the I Heart Macro button in my side bar.

Happy beading Y'all

Therese

My word for 2012

While reading the wonderful blogs that I follow I have discovered many of you choose a word to inspire you through out the year.  I thought this was a good idea, so I gave it some thought and came up with the word...

"Awake"  

 awake - mentally perceptive and responsive;"an alert mind"; "alert to the problems"; "alive to what is going on"; "awake to the dangers of her situation"; "was now awake to the reality of her predicament...

Completely conscious; not in a state of sleep.

Vigilant; watchful...

I chose this word because of some of the events that happened in my life in 2011.  If I had been more awake the out come would have been different.  Let me just leave it as lesson learned and I am moving forward with my eyes wide open and I will ask more questions to further understand or get a true grasp of the situation. 

Being awake will also lead me in new and exciting paths in my creativity as well as my everyday life.  Which leads me back to the word I chose for myself when I started this blog back in May of 2011.  The word was "Adventure" , and it has been just that, an adventure.  I have discovered and learned so much since starting this blog from all of those that I follow.  I want to thank each of you that have left comments and also those that have decided to follow me.  I still get a rush when I log in and see that I have a new follower.  I invite all of y'all to come along on the my adventure and be awake to what life brings our way!

The best to all of y'all in 2012!

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

Season Greetings

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa!  
All the best to you in the New Year!

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father
Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me

This has been the best year as far as blogging goes.  I started this blog in March and since then I have made so many new friends and even have been privileged to meet a couple of you in person.  My goal for 2012 is to keep up what I started in 2011, to improve on my skills and try to learn something new in this wonderful world of jewelry making.  I also want to participate in more challenges.  The challenges I was part of in 2011 have helped me advance in my skills and made me step out of my comfort zone. 

Thank you to all of you that have visited, read, commented, and followed my blog I appreciate all of you. 

Happy beading Y'all,
Therese



Stuff

Wow I can not believe it has been two weeks since I last posted a blog post.  Where has the time gone?
I have been reading and commenting on different blogs, but I just have been lazy about posting one of my own.
Is everyone just about ready for Christmas?   I'm almost finished with everything, just have to do about five more pieces and I will be done.

Here are a few of the pieces I have done these past few of weeks.

I purchased these Dots flower earring components from Kristi Bowman's Etsy  shop, I paired them with lampwork spacers from Susan Kennedy's Etsy shop suesbeads and hung them from handcrafted sterling silver ear wires made by Michelle at  ShelsJewelrySupplies.

More of Kristi's copper earring components these are her Ammonite long ovals and I paired them with Kuiper belt lampwork beads from EBBeadandMetalWorks and hung them from another pair of sterling silver ear wires from ShelsJewelrySupplies.

These earrings are made with copper disks from Cat at BooBeads.  I coiled some 20g copper wire and strung blue died jasper roundel bead on to the wire.  The ear wires are antique bronze from ShelsJewelrySupplies.

I made this bracelet and earring set from lampwork beads and spacers from suesbeads.

This bracelet I made from lampwork beads I purchased from GlassBeadArt.

I got this beautiful jasper donut form Eclectica Beads when I was in Wisconsin.  I tied a silk ribbon around it and strung the Kuiper Belt lampwork beads from EB Beads and Metal Work on to the silk ribbon with  hematite spacers in between the lampwork beads.

This is what I made with the gorgeous Amethyst beads that I got at the Gem and Mineral show.  It is a Seven Sorrows Rosary.  My cousin asked if I could make the rosary for her sister's Christmas gift. 

I purchased this large Rhyolite bead at the Glass Onion Bead Co. in Appleton, WI when I was there this past October.  I beaded a bezel around it and hung it from a necklace strung with wood ribbed beads, Rhyolite puff beads, 4mm copper beads, and 3mm olive bicone crystals.  The clasp is handcrafted hammered copper from Melinda Orr Designs.

The bracelet and earrings to match the above necklace.

Most of the items used to make the above pieces were purchased during the Virtual Craft Fair held by Lori Anderson of Pretty Things, that was a great week.

I want to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and all of the best for the coming New Year.

Happy beading Y'all

Therese

Gem and Mineral Show

This past weekend the Gem and Mineral Show was in Montgomery.  I have been missing it every year, but this time I heard it advertised on the radio the day before it opened and made a mental note to go this year.
So when I got off from work on Saturday I went and I ended up spending more than the allotted amount I set for myself, but come on it's beads!  Do you want to see what I got?  You do, okay here it is...

Grade A Amethyst, that I got for a unbelievable price, trust me it was a steal, and the crystals  will be a part of a commissioned piece for my cousin.  I can't tell you what it is, because it is for her sister and she may see this post.

Red roundels in 8, 6, 4, and 3 mm sizes

Black roundels 4mm and 3mm

I do not know what the rectangle stone bead is I just liked it and it is going to be for a challenge and the two cabs are Black Gold Stone for the same challenge. If anyone knows what the rectangle bead is do tell.  I think it might be Obsidian, but I'm not sure. I did not think to ask when I bought it. 

Petrified Palm Wood Cab

Red River Jasper Pendant, 8mm and 4mm beads

To quote Porky Pig "That's All Folks"

Happy beading Y'all

Therese