Creating With Cabochons Challenge - Hosted by Sally Russick

Hi Y'all,

Well it is time for Creating with Cabochons Challenge hosted by Sally Russick.  I enjoy participating in Sally's challenges they are always a lot of fun and push you to think about what you are creating.

Here are the rules in Sally's own words borrowed from her blog.

Guidelines:

: create a unique piece of jewelry using any type of cabochon(s)!  

: techniques you can use (but aren't limited too) are metalsmithing, wire wrapping, beadweaving, bead embroidery

: you can tab set it...sink it in a metal bezel... wrap it... smother it in seed beads...  the sky is the limit!!!  Go for it!!!

: post a photo  and a little bit about what you created on the reveal date: May 30th, 2015

: KEEP CALM and HAVE FUN!!!  Don't worry about finishing just start!  We love progress photos and if you have something that just didn't work out, post about it!! Someone else might be in the same boat or better yet you may find someone has an answer that may make it work!! 

So there you have it easy and care free.  I was going to show y'all the process of making a stone cabochon, but fate has a funny way of skewing my well laid plans up and throwing them out the window. So I am left with showing you an already made cabochon, that I made, and the process of what I did with the cabochon.

But first I want to show you a slab of rough stone.

This is a piece of Marble slab, that I will be able to cut out three cabochons. As you can see in the upper left hand corner it is fractured all the way through, so I snapped it loose.

The corner piece is still big enough to make a nice cabochon out of it.

See this will be the back side of the cabochon.  Okay on to the one I actually worked with.

I chose this cabochon because I like the waves that run across the stone.  I was going to bead embroider it, but then an wire wrapping idea came to me, so I went with it.

I got my box of wire out and my tools and started to bring my idea to life. ( I did the wire wrapping on top of the box resting on my lap.)

I used 21 gauge square copper wire for the base wires, 21 gauge silver twisted wire for the decoration. and 21 gauge copper half round wire for wrapping all the wires together.

The result...

It turned out almost like I had envisioned it.  I wanted to mimic the waves with the silver wire going across the stone, without covering the waves.  Not quite what I wanted, but I am satisfied with the results.

Thank you Sally for hosting yet another fun challenge.

Thank you to all of you that have stopped by for a visit. Please go by and visit the other participants in this challenge and see what wonders they have created using a cabochon.

Sally Russick

Niky Sayers

Elizabeth Bergesen 

Therese Frank  (you are here)

Veralynne Malone

Terri Gauthier

Paula Kramer

Karin Grosset Grange

Sandi Volpe

Cynthia Machata

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

The Creative Continuum of Seven Artist May Challenge - Tutti Fruity

Hi Y'all,

Let me give you a brief history of the CC7A.  It was started by Alicia of All Pretty Things blog.  In 2014 she asked seven artist, me being one of the seven, if we would be interested in doing a monthly challenge for 7 months, where each of us would pick a theme and make up a packet of beads and such and send out to each of the participants.  This year Alicia asked us to pick a photo and make a color palette from the photo.

The month of May is my month and I chose the above photo of my Mom's Confetti Lantana plant.  Lantana is in full bloom in May through September in Alabama it is a very hardy plant and one of my favorites.  I love the colors in the Confetti Lantana, this plant makes me smile.

Here is what I created from my color palette.

This bracelet is made using spiral rope section divided by 8 mm fern green Swarovski bicone crystals
and silver daisy spacers.

This is Skinny Super Duo Band designed by Deborah Roberti of http://www.aroundthebeadingtable.com.  I really like the green picasso Czechmate tiles.

This is a Herringbone Stitch done with Super Duos.  I learned this stitch from watching a You Tube video from Potomac Bead Store Super Duo Herringbone Knit stitch.  I was looking through a bag of buttons for a closure to this bracelet and found this orange and white button it was the perfect match to the orange 11/0 seed beads.

Thank you for stopping by I hope you liked what you saw, please leave a comment I love hearing from you.  Thank you again Alicia.

Now please go and visit my fellow CC7A members to see what they created from the Tutti Fruity color palette.

April: Alicia

May: Therese  (you are here)

June: Sally

August: Monique

September: Cynthia

October: Emma

November: Christine

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

2015 Creative Continuum of Seven Artists - Pictures

April is 

"Pastel Spring"

Hi Ya'll

Welcome to the first month of the 2015 Creative Continuum of Seven Artists. Our theme for this year is Pictures.  Alicia is our coordinator, it was her brain child to bring seven artist together to create a piece of wearable art based on a monthly theme.  This year Alicia suggested that we each pick a picture (preferably one of our own to avoid copy right laws) and do a color pallet.  Alicia put our names in a bowl and drew out a name for each month of this challenge.  Alicia got April, she chose a photo of Easter eggs from a past Easter. 

Here are Alicia's own words for choosing this photo:

Since April will bring Easter for all of us (our Easter will arrive a week later than yours, but it will still be April), I chose a picture to symbolize that :) Our own basket of (mostly) naturally colored eggs. The palette is all over the place, as the colors are scattered (and I used one of the pastel baskets, I have one hat will go very well with a gypsy theme - really all over the spectrum!) For April the theme will be 'Pastel Spring' 

I went to my stash of beads and I found a polymer clay cross that my bestie Crystie gave to me.  I then went to my seed bead stash and pulled out 15/0 seeds in orange, blue, pink, green, and black. I decided to do a Chenille stitch rope for the cross.  Here is my version of Pastel Spring...

Oops I just noticed that the jump ring is not closed well, I need to fix that.  

 Doing a Chenille stitched rope in 15/0 seed beads can be a little daunting, so when I got 10 inches stitched I decided to do the rest with leather.  I just so happened to have a dark olive green in my stash.  I beaded loops on the ends of the Chenille rope and wire wrapped the leather to the beaded rope and then wire wrapped a toggle clasp to the other ends of the leather and called it done. 

Thank you for stopping by and thank you to Alicia for bringing us all together again in 2015 to continue the Creative Continuum of Seven Artist, speaking of which, please go and visit their blogs and see what they created for "Pastel Spring".

April: Alicia

May: Therese  (you are here)

June: Sally

August: Monique

September: Cynthia

October: Emma

November: Christine

Next month is mine, so I hope that you will come back on May 26th to see what we all have created with my pallet "Tutti Fruity" 

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

Butterfly Birthday Blog Hop and Giveaway Hosted by Alenka (Pepita)

Hi Y'all,

Back on February 28, 2015 Alenka of Pepeita Homemade blog announced a Birthday Blog Hop and Giveaway. The rules in her words:

BLOG HOP RULES:

Every participant has to:

- create something on the theme of butterflies - it can be a piece of jewelry, an ornament or something else;

- write a blog post about the final creation and publish it on the blog hop date with the link to my blog and the list of all the participants. 

Well fortunately for me, because I missed the first sign up date, Alenka, changed the blog hop date from March 28th to April 11th and extended the sign up date to March 21st. Yay!!!

I have been seeing a lot of bead embroidered bugs and butterflies lately on Pinterest they are all so beautiful, so yeah you guessed it I had to do one for this blog hop challenge.

Okay I am not that great of a drawer, so I was a little intimidated about getting started, also I just could not decide on what I wanted to used as the focal element on the butterfly. I was looking at my precious (my stone cabochons tee-hee) and reluctantly chose to use the Mushroom Rhyolite and the Rose Quartz cabs. Then I started pulling other items from my stash to use to fill in around the cabs.

Here is the results:

Pink and Gray Butterfly front:

Back:

My first choice was to make this into a pin, but then when I was finished with the embroidering I decided to make it where the wearer could wear it as a pin or a pendant.

Happy Birthday and Thank you Alenka, for thinking up such a great challenge, to not only to celebrate your birthday, but the awakening of Spring.

Thank you for stopping by please leave a comment I love hearing from Y'all.  Now please go and visit the other participants in this Butterfly Birthday Blog Hop - Giveaway.  Oh yeah I forgot, you too can have a chance in the giveaway.  Here are the rules in Alenka's words:

 GIVEAWAY:

On 13th of April I will randomly chose:

a) between all the participants at the blog hop  

5 persons 

that will receive one of beads or cabochons made by me from polymer clay;

b) between all that will comment on my reveal blog post  

1 person 

that will receive a pair of earrings made by me.

Now for the list of participants:

1. Alenka (Pepita) --> me, the hostess

2. Monique (A Half-Baked Notion)

3. Beti Horvath

4. Kathy Lindemer

5. Kepi

6. Christine Altmiller

7. Amy S.

8. Dini Bruinsma

9. Cynthia (Antiquity Travelers)

10. Alicia

11. sheilaposter

12. Therese Frank (you are here)

13. Rebecca White

14. Rachel Mallis

15. Liz E

16. Ana (ACBeads)

17. Jasvanti Patel

18. Carolyn

19. Nan Smith

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

Jasper Intrigue Blog Hop and Challenge - Hosted by Lisa Lodge

Jasper Intrigue 

April 4, 2015

Hi Y'all,

Sometime last year Lisa Lodge put out the call for those that would be interested in participating in Jasper Intrigue Blog Hop and Challenge.  I was intrigued about this challenge since Jasper is one my favorite gemstones so I signed up and paid my fee and a month or so later I got my package of beautiful Jasper of honey and lemon color tones along with some glass pearls, 4 mm bicones, toggle clasps and a few other findings. I forgot to take a picture of my package before I started creating, but I can tell you that Lisa was more then generous with the goodies she sent.

Here is what I created with the yummy Jasper and other tidbits in the package.  

First up a necklace and bracelet set.

I wanted to stay true to my bead weaving, but these beads were just not having it no matter what pattern or stitch I used, they just wanted to be in a simple strung necklace and bracelet.

Second a bracelet.

These rice glass pearls did not mind being in a bead weave I used RAW to make this simple bracelet.  The bracelet is embellished with 4 mm bicone crystals and Jasper squares.  I could not find a button to fit through the circle of beads so I made a toggle from a piece of copper wire.

The third and last a pair of earrings.

In the baggie of finding there were angle wings and with the Jasper a small string of drops perfect to make angel earrings.

Thank you Lisa for hosting this wonderful Blog Hop and Challenge.

Thank you for stopping by now please go by and visit the other blogs in this hop.

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Susan Anderson, La Main Tresor

Karin Grosset Grange (France), Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings

Sheila Prose, Cheap Charms

Terri Wlaschin, Baking Beads in the Keys

You are here Therese Frank, Therese's Treasures

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

Winter Blues Blue Gold Stone Blog Hop - Hosted by LizE

If you are looking for the Circles of Love Challenge click here

Hi Y'all,

Liz E decided that she wanted to do a blog hop here is what she said...

I've got the winter blues.  I also have an excess of blue goldstone donuts.  Blue goldstone is a synthetic stone made of glass and tiny crystals of copper, dark midnight blue in color with a deep-space mysterious sparkle.  To break-up the cold gray days of winter, and spread the joy I feel gazing into their twinkling expanse, I thought I'd have a little blog hop. I want people to use these man-made beauties to summon creativity and rise up against winter's oppression.  For those interested, please leave a comment below (with a way for me to reach you).  You will be sent some blue goldstone donuts, completely free!  Your mission is to make something (anything) using at least one of the beads you are sent.  Post your creation on your blog March 28, 2015.



  
I missed the original sign up, but I got a note from LizE asking if I wanted to participate and of course I said yes.  I did not take a photo of the beads before I started my piece but along with the larger blue gold stone doughnut there were 12 tiny doughnut beads and 12 6 mm gold stone round beads.

Here is what I made with my blue gold stone beads.

 The pendant I used the larger blue gold stone doughnut and strung iris blue size 11/0 seed beads through a iris gold twin bead to make the bail and the dangle I also used two 3 mm bicones at the top and four 3 mm bicones on the dangles along with gold size 15/0 seed beads.

The neck lace is made using iris gold twin beads, iris blue 11/0 seed beads, and gold 15/0 seed beads accented with the tiny doughnuts beads with the rose 3 mm bicones in the center, and the 6 mm blue gold stone round beads.  I made a pair of matching earrings too. 

I used every piece that LizE sent to me. I am very please with how these pieces turned out.  March 23rd was my sister's birthday and I gifted this set to her, she loves it.

Thank you LizE for inviting me to play along in your blog hop I enjoyed creating with the blue gold stone.
Thank you for stopping by and visiting my blog.  Please go and visit the others participants in this blog hop.

Liz (host):  Bead Contagion
Christine:  One Kiss Creations Beaded Jewelry 

Jasvanti:  Jewelry by Jasvant 

Cynthia:  Antiquity Travelers    

JoJo:  Tahoma Beadworks & Photography

Bobbie:  Beadsong Jewelry

Therese:  Therese’s Treasures (you are here)

Amy:  Amybeads

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

Circles of Love Challenge - Hosted by Alicia Marinache CC7A

If you are looking for the Winter Blues Blog Hop click here

Hi Y'all,

Alicia wanted to continue the Creative Continuum of Seven Artist for 2015 so she is starting it off with a special challenge of Circles of Love.  While she was writing her Christmas cards she decided that it would be fun to have a challenge with the above gemstone doughnuts.  So she placed one doughnut into a card each for Christine, Cynthia, Sally, Monique, Emma, and myself.  Well unfortunately for those of us in the United State the doughnuts did not make it through customs. All was not at a loss, because Christine, Cynthia, Sally, and me agreed to use a doughnut that we had in our own stash or purchased one.

I had a Leopard Skin Jasper doughnut in my stash, so all I had to do is think of how I wanted to decorate it.  I am a big fan of Lisa Lynn Barth and I had just purchased her new wire wrapping book for a birthday present to myself, so I knew I wanted to do a wire wrap on the doughnut.

Well in Lisa's book there are two tutorials on wire wrapping a doughnut.  I tried one of the ideas, but I was not pleased with how it turned out so I set the doughnut down and thought about if for a while.

I did a couple of the other projects in the book and I decided that I really like how the snake weave comes out using beads in between the weaves and the light bulb came on as to what I wanted to do with the doughnut.

I did a snake weave using 4 mm red bicones on silver 20 gauge  Artisan Wire. Then I wrapped 26 gauge silver Artisan Wire to hold the snake weave to the outside rim of the doughnut.

Side view.

I am very pleased with how it turned out. It is hanging from a 30 inch silver base metal chain.

Thank you Alicia for inviting us to play along with the Circles of Love.

Thank you for stopping by please go by and visit my fellow CC7A members and see what they did with their Circles of Love doughnuts.

Alicia

Christine

Cynthia

Sally  

Monique

Emma

Be looking for the fist of the CC7A Challenges on April 26th

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese