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.
Happy beading Y'all,
Therese
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.
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
Ooh, I love how you were able to use the silver ring. Mine's still sitting in my stash, waiting for me to get an idea. Beautifully done. What you used from your own beads really complements what Michelle sent out. I've always admired seed-headers. I just don't have the patience for that.
ReplyDeleteI love the earrings, very nice.
ReplyDeleteBoth of those are gorgeous. I love the bead embroidery and I also love the way you used the silver hoop in the challenge kit. Wonderful work. :)
ReplyDeleteTherese, these are beautiful!!! So wintry. Love the beading around the cab. Your friend is so fortunate to receive those beautiful earrings from you!
ReplyDeleteHi Therese, Therese here. ;o) I find it very interesting that you and I both did bead weaving around the large focal piece! Could we be twins separated at birth? Lovely work, beautiful clasp, nice arrangement of beads in the necklace, and the earrings are lovely. I bet your friend loves them. Very nice work. :o)
ReplyDeleteThose drops look perfect with the earrings. I'm a fan of simple earrings and I think these look just right!
ReplyDeleteI love that you bead embroidered around the pendant. That never would have occurred to me to do, which is why I like these challenges so much! Montana blue is one of my favorite colors. :)
Thanks for joining the challenge!
Very, very pretty...and you definitely inspire me to make bead weaving one of my projects for this year.
ReplyDeleteAwesome work, Therese! Your beadwork is amazing.
ReplyDeleteBead embroidery is perfect for that focal bead. The beads your added compliment it perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThe embroidery around the pendant creates a more intricate snowflake - very pretty!
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat way to showcase the pendant! :)
ReplyDeleteVery lovely! I enjoyed embroidering around the pendant as well and I love how the pendant looks with the rest of the beads you used in the necklace. - Dawn
ReplyDeleteBeautiful designs Therese!!! I LOVE the bead embroidered pendant you created! Bead embroidery (along with perhaps a bajillion other techniques =) are on my list of things to try. You've inspired me to move that one to the top of my list, my friend!
ReplyDeleteI love the bead embroidery and how you used the wavy ring, very, very cool.
ReplyDeletebeautiful! delicate and romantic!
ReplyDeleteTherese, we made similar earrings! I love your bracelet with the seed bead work, which compliments the pendant so nicely. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI love what you did with the kit, Therese! The necklace is beautiful and I love the earrings.
ReplyDeletewonderful job!
ReplyDeleteSo pretty! I loved the bead embroidery around the pendant, very nice :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!! I think bead embroidery is so neat!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work and I am honored that you used some of the beads I sent to create something so lovely. I just love those large blue pearls! Thanks Therese!
ReplyDeleteAhhhhhaaaa! So that's the story behind my gorgeous and now world famous earrings:))) I love them Therese ,and they are all the more special to me know I know their background. And You are totally right, I hardly ever do anything else then bead embroidery, so I especially appreciate the earrings because to me they are very different, and so elegant. I got lots of compliments on them. Thank You so much:))
ReplyDeleteLove the earrings and the embroidery is awesome.
ReplyDelete~cryssT
Beautiful work Therese! I love the embroidery around the pendant! The multi color strand is so pretty.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! I love the bead weaving and the combination of the combined colors and texture. Your earrings may be simple, but they are simply lovely and elegant! Great job!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous work, Therese. Sounds like a fun challenge!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work, Therese! I love the beading around the pendant, GORGEOUS!!!
ReplyDeleteTheresa, your designs are beautiful! I especially like your gorgeous necklace as beadwork really intimidates me and fascinates me at the same time. I'm really in awe of those that can design with them as you can!
ReplyDeleteThose are AWESOME! Very cool hop.
ReplyDelete