Holiday Ornament Exchange

Hey Y'all,

Well it's almost Thanksgiving and my vacation ends today. I go back to work after being off since the first of November. I have enjoyed every day of being off and being able to sleep in later than 4:15 am.

In hindsight I should have waited and taken off from the second week in November and that way I could have been off until the 1st of December, but that is okay I will be back to work on Wednesday, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so some of my co-workers can be off for the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend.

Back around October 21st I received an invitation from Karen Williams to join the Holiday Ornament Exchange Blog Hop, so of course I signed up for the hop.  On November 2nd I received the email with my exchange partner. I was paired up with the wonderfully talented Carrie Johnson. We have exchanged emails with our bios of who we are, our beading styles, and our likes and dislikes. After reading Carrie's bio email I got started with thinking and designing the ornament that I am going to send to her. Y'all it is not your typical Christmas ornament, but I have a feeling that Carrie is going to be very pleased with her ornament. 

So come on back on December 16th and see what I sent to Carrie and what I received from Carrie.

Here is a list of the participates of the Holiday Ornament Exchange:

Margo Lynn and Karen Williams

Carrie Johnson and Therese Frank

Jasvanti Patel and Becky Clay

Jane Knaub and Mandi Bugatti

Sherry Eagle and Amy Severino

Judy J Jacobs and Judy Deshaies

Adrienne Hendricks and Francie Broadie

Cyndi Nason and Karen Williams

Happy Thanksgiving and if you are traveling be safe.

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

Mountain Girl Bracelets

Hi Y'all,

So on Facebook I had seen this gorgeous bracelet that Deborah McDonald had made and I fell in love with the design.  I found out that the design was called Mountain Girl Bracelet by Regina Payne and that I could get the tutorial from her website http://www.nightowlstudiojewels.com. The tutorial can be obtained by giving a donation to the Puerto Rico hurricane relief fund. So I got the tutorial and in February of this year I made my first Mountain Girl Bracelet.

The focal stone is a cabochon that I made Gary Green - Larsonite Jasper.

After finishing the first one I couldn't wait to make another one, but I did not have another narrow oval cab, so I chose a large round oval cab of Orbital Jasper. In April 2018 I had two MGB's made.

Mountain Girl Bracelet # 2

In July 2018 I made my third MGB this one is a gift to my cousin Sarah.  Two years before at a family reunion I asked my Aunt and Uncle and their two daughters to pick out a cabochon each and that I would make them something with the cab they chose. Well I would take those cabs out and play with them, but they just would not speak to me until just before the family reunion in July of this year.

Here is the pieces I made for my relatives:

The first square is a Mexican Crazy Lace cab that my Aunt Betsy chose I did a simple pendant and beaded a Chenille Stitch rope. The second square is a purple Florite cab that my cousin Amy chose I wire wrapped it with silver square wire. the third and forth square is a Bolo Tie and made for my Uncle David he chose a Stony Creek Jasper cab. Last but not least the MGB I made for my cousin Sarah she chose a Red Moss Agate cab.

Mountain Girl Bracelet # 3 

On Regina Payne's Facebook page she sells MGB kits. I tried and tried to get one of her kits, but they sell so fast. Early one morning before I left to go to work I just happened to go on Face book and there was one that she just listed so I was able to purchase the kit. Here is the finished MGB. I made this one in August 2018

Monutain Girl Bracelet # 4 The focal cab is a polymer clay cabochon created by Sherri Kellberg, click on her name for her Etsy shop.  Regina provides everything you need to make a MGB except for the thread and needles.

So as you can tell I'm totally addicted to making these bracelets, on to MGB #5.   I made this one in August also. I made the cabochon especially for this MGB. I cut and cabbed an Amethyst Sage Jasper. This MGB was a birthday gift for my future daughter-in-law Samantha. 

Mountain Girl # 5

This last MGB is a birthday gift for my Birthday Buddy for Life Phyllis. We were both born in November me on the 16th and her on the 18th and we made a pact that no matter where we are in November that we would get together for our birthdays. This MGB is made with another one of Sherri Kellberg's polymer clay cabs. I made this one in October 2018.

Mountain Girl Bracelet # 6 This one is so bright, colorful, and cheerful just like Phyllis.

I'm not done making these MGB's I have five more lined up to make.  There is a Facebook group just for the Mountain Girl Bracelets, it is called Mountain Girl Bracelets and Kits. 

Thank you for stopping by, please leave a comment I love hearing from you.

Happy beading Y'all,

Therese

I'm Still Here!

Hi Y'all,

I can't believe the last time I was on my blog was May 1, 2017. Wow I had no idea it had been that long, well I just want to let y'all know I'm still around.

So let me tell you a little that has been going on in my life since May 1, 2017. I have moved around a couple of times, still in Montgomery, AL though. I have mostly been on Facebook it's easier to connect with people there, but I have missed blogging. I will be retiring from my job with 25 year on July 1, 2019 and I can hardly wait. My plans are to open an on line store to start selling my jewelry, I will now have the time to organize and keep it up to date. I'm also planing on doing the art festival circuit as many as I can get in on. I want to teach and take classes in learning more about silversmithing.

I've been doing a lot of beading it's the one thing that helps release the tension of the day and keeps me sane. Here are some of the items I have been creating.

Dutch spiral necklace made with ivory and olive green AB size 11/O seed beads the focal is bronze colored freshwater pearls and African Brecciated Jasper round beads. 

A Jill Wiseman earring design.

My own earring designs.

Sidonia’s Handmade Jewelry on You Tube

Bead embroidery pendant featuring a Agate cabochon and a Chenille stitched rope. 

Well that's all for this blog post. I hope all is well with all of my blog friends.

Happy beading Y'all

Therese