Holiday Sparkle

Hi everyone!
Happy 'almost' December.
Tomorrow is Holiday Sparkle Challenge reveal over at Lisa Lodge's Pine Ridge Studios on facebook.  My holiday-themed set is posted there.

However, Lisa sent so many beautiful beads, I couldn't stop with only a few pieces!

Here are all the others..I went totally sparkle-crazy!:

This piece is a re-do of an old tired necklace my manager asked me to breathe new life into.  I took a few of the original necklace beads (those lovely foiled discs and ceramic lozenge beads) and added a few of Lisa's dazzling sparkles...like wow, new life!:

I added a few flat-back Swarovski Crystals to this lovely Angel charm for even more sparkle:

Classic pearls, with a little twist:

Lots of bling:

I think this one is mu favorite:

One of my first attempts at making my own ear-wires!:

...and..there are still a few beads left-over from the Challenge kit to play with!

Please do hop-over to Pine Ridge Studios on Facebook to see my Holiday Sparkle set and all of the lovely creations from everyone else participating in the Challenge!
Carol

Clay & Metal Blog Hop

Oh wow!!!...Hi everyone!...you've heard from me Three Times this week!  Can you believe it?

It's time to reveal my 'makes' from A Grateful Artist/Lisa Lodge (Pine Ridge Studios) and Sharyl's Jewelry/Metapolies collaboration - The Clay and Metal Blog Hop. (actually, I'm a little early...the official reveal is Saturday, Nov 15th.)

Here are the pieces I received:

This frosty pendant focal was right up my alley!  Total, instant love!  I had a strand of vintage, softly-faceted, hot pink round beads in my stash just waiting to be paired-up with a bold, vibrant component.  The focal has a shimmery gold-flash and Lisa's crystals very nicely complemented the frosting!  Lastly, I wanted to use a slightly different technique to create a unique necklace.  Using vintage textured gold chain and Irish Waxed Linen in the same shade of hot hot pink, each bead was tied into an open link using a simple macrame knot (there wasn't a lot of room in each link, so each knot needed to be simple and sturdy). The opposite side of the necklace is composed of simple stringing using the waxed linen and a few more knots to secure the connections. Then, Sharyl's focal was secured with several trim wraps of waxed linen and a sweet bow.

What do you think?
Flash of gold = check;  whoo hoo! pink = check;  pretty icing and frosting = check check!

Next, the sad news...omg, I went on to totally ruin Sharyl's lovely little disc set (near the right side of her business card above).  Oh dear..my idea to make something very unique ended in a terrible disaster.  There was no rescuing these wonderful little discs once I committed to the endeavor.

I felt so badly, especially since I had already made my 'feature piece' using the other fabulous components.  The very next day, I contacted Lisa and Sharyl about my blunder. Sharyl was so very kind and gracious.  She made another set of discs and sent those right out to me.

Sharyl's first discs were awesome..however, THESE ARE GORGEOUS!!!  Ruffled, shimmery.  Here is my earring set.  I hand-formed the earring wires, used just 2 of those flashy vintage chain links from which I suspended Sharyl's 'dewdrops' with the same hot pink waxed linen. These are so yummy and light-weight, thanks to Sharyl's beads:

Thank you so much, Lisa and Sharyl!  These were so much fun to work with.

Please Hop-On-Over to see everyone's lovely designs:

Our Hostess: Lisa Lodge - A Grateful Artist: gratefulartist.blogspot.com
Melissa Trudinger - Bead Recipes: beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Jo-Ann Woolverton - It's a Beadiful Creation: itsabeadifulcreation.blogspot.com
Carolyn Lawson - Carolyn's Creations: carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com
Shaiha Williams - Shiaha's Ramblings: shaihasramblings.com
Toltec Jewels - JewelSchoolFriends: jewelschoolfriends.com
Heather Richter - Desert Jewelry Designs: desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com
Marybeth Rich - A Few Words from within the Pines: forestofjewels.blogspot.com
Karen Grosset Grange - Ginko et Coquelicot: ginkoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr
Ann Schroeder - Bead Love: beadlove.wordpress.com
Lisa Prewitt Knappenberger - LiRaysa Designs: liraysadesigns.blogspot.com
Carol Briody (me/you are here!) - ABeadsLife: cbriody.blogspot.com
Miranda Ackerley - MirandAck at Artfire.com
Kari Asbury - Hippie Chick Design: hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com
Susan Anderson - La Main Tresor: lamaintresor.blogspot.com
LeAnne Loftus - First Impression Design: firstimpressiondesign.blogspot.com
Leithleach Seodra - Alainn Jewelry: alainnjewelry.wordpress.com

My very first Holiday Fair, this weekend!

If anyone in the vicinity of northern Delaware/southeast Pennsylvania is looking for something really fun to do this weekend...please check-out this excellent venue on Sunday, November 16 from 9:30-4pm!

Holiday Craft Show, Congregation Beth Israel of Media:

Beth Israel of Media, Pa  
542 S. New Middletown Road
Media, Pennsylvania  19063
Host: Jennifer Waterston






There will be music, arts & crafts with over 30 vendors, wonderful food, a silent auction..fabulous!

I was asked to host a table for my jewelry creations (ABeadsLife)!  I'm soooo excited, have '1st time butterflies' fluttering around in my tummy and head...

This is sure to be a great event and wonderful opportunity to meet people!  I would love to say 'hello' to you in-person!  Do come join us!

Carol

Octoberfest...in November?

Octoberfest..oh dear..I am so sooooo late.  Can we please have 'November-fest'!????

We've been beyond busy at work, much of everything has gone by-the-wayside.  Many days have escaped without me hugging one of these as well (That's my girl, Cherry. She loves hugs):

However, I am determined to keep my promise to Rita of jewelschoolfriends.com regarding her Octoberfest Blog Hop!

A few months ago, I received brilliant orange beads from Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Studios as part of a set from her upcoming Sparkle Challenge.  Remember this set from one of my prior posts?:

Orange is a great happy sunny color, which I've typically shied-away from in jewelry, clothing, home furnishings..or beads.  My husband is 'the great lover' of orange.  He is totally utterly nuts about orange, Halloween is his favorite holiday.  So, I must admit, when I opened this package, there was a moment of 'surprised panic'.  Orange beads!?..what am I going to do with these?!  Gorgeous, sparkling, but Orange!?  uhh oh...I'm in trouble for sure.

Fast-forward to an unplanned stop at the nearest Michaels store one night after work.  You know those wonderfully-guilty opportunities...running about 40 minutes ahead of schedule (unheard-of, right?), you're nearing the turn-off lane for the shopping center (should I?  No! I shouldn't!...Oh what the heck)....and in you go, despite having tons of supplies and stuff at home!  YAY..'me' time!

Strolling around the store, I wandered into the bead aisle.  A few moments later, a strand of super-sparkly beads caught my eye.  Totally 'uber-super' sparkly, come-hither beads. Guess what?..these were orange-based, too.  Just like that, it all came together.

They call these 'Challenges' for a reason.  Try a new color, a new style, a new technique.  I pulled out bronze wire, a bit of vintage bronze chain, a cute bronze clasp (ok, not october-ish, but I love this one!), and suddenly developed a new fondness for wire-wrapping.  Wire-wrapping never existed in my repertoire before.  I always seemed to struggle with wire, of any sort.  However, thanks to an excellent tutorial from Melissa Meman of Melismatic and ArtJewelryElements, something 'clicked' and I 'totally-get wire-wrapping' now (thank you, Melissa!).  Please, check-out all of the fantastic tutorials at ArtJewelryElements (AJE) if you are struggling..they cover many topics, the directions are clear/concise/well-written and are beautifully photographed.  Lots of fun, too!

To 'wrap-this-up':
1.  I am totally desperately late for Octoberfest;
2.  I am early for Sparkle Challenge (don't worry, I have many more pieces created from this excellent bead set in preparation for the December Challenge reveal date);
3.  I am completely in love with this new necklace and with wire!!!

Thank you all for bearing with me, for stopping by (again), and many thanks to Rita, Lisa, Melissa!
Carol

Agate Challenge

It always seems like time is galloping-by in leaps and bounds...

Here are the lovely items I created with the Lisa Lodge's Pine Ridge Studio's Agate Challenge kit.

The challenge I created for myself??? - use as many of the kit beads as possible, use a different metal color for each piece, and create create create at least three pieces.
(I cannot tell a lie..I still have a few agate beads left over... perhaps earrings are yet to come!)

These were the first beads I literally snapped-up from the kit first!  These are sooo darn cute..chubby!   Paired with a sweet ceramic peachy-pink birdie, several silver flower-drops and a bit of silver...and there it was.

This one came next..challenge = antique brass!..a first for me.   I hammered those bead caps so they would gently cap the super-plump agate beads.  Several strands of chain seemed to fit the scale of these beads best.  I added a vintage star dangle to make this stellar. (sorry ;)

Up next...copper!  Oh, this one was super-easy.  I chose a few vintage Lucite flower beads in a sweet frosty coppery color to pair-up with these elegant agate ovals.  Those are copper jump-rings used as spacers.  Finally, since I had the 'chain-thing' happening, I added multiple strands of bright copper links to the piece.  It's really a beauty in-person, very shimmery and shiny..just like a new copper penny.

Last but not least..more copper, antiqued this time.  This piece started with those same lovely oval agates, but just kept going on for a necklace.  Those spacers are Czech Glass coppery rondelles and the chain has been in my stash for some time (can't remember where I got it?!).  I grabbed that gorgeous flower pendant at Spring BeadFest Phila and for the life of me cannot remember the Artist's name (if anyone does recognize this beauty, please let me know!?).  A sweet peach waxed Irish Linen bow and detailed copper clasp made me smile!

Hope you like these pieces as much as I enjoyed creating!

Carol

Autumn Nights Challenge

Hi everyone!
It's time to share the fabulous pieces I created with the lovely beads sent to me by Lisa Lodge at Pine Ridge Studios Beads and More for her Autumn Nights Challenge.
(I'm a few hours early. I've got to be at work early tomorrow and just couldn't wait any longer to post!)

First, here is the official Pine Ridge artwork for the event:

There were just oodles and oodles of beads in this Challenge kit.  The kit I received was a mixture of amethyst, matte and shiny black, and silvery pearl beads.  I dug right in, totally forgetting to take a picture of the beads first!  This will give you the gist of things when I realized the 'before' picture is very important:

My first bracelet 'flew' together with this lovely feather clasp Lisa sent along in the kit.  I pulled out some silver wire and a pair of sterling silver cones from my stash and wah lah:

Next..obviously on a 'bracelet theme'...  I wanted to make a comfy, easy-to-wear stretch bracelet trio that combined several of the bead types.  They needed to keep a strong association to each other for a set.  The silver bead caps with the fluted design worked very well in the amethyst and basic black bracelets.  Years ago, I purchased these star-burst flat disc beads and thought they would be perfect for a Challenge theme that featured nighttime and stars?  These discs are super-sparkly in real life, almost too bright for the camera lens.  A few of those beautiful pearl beads softened the over-all look.  These could be worn in any combination..wear one, two, or all three.  Plus, that basic black bracelet would go with any outfit!..my 'go-to' wardrobe-maker.  Oh, and I love love those matte black barrels:

I was determined to use all the beads in this kit.
These pieces came next:

Lisa included 2 unusual, flat, softly matte glass rectangles in the kit.  What to make?..earrings?..no, wasn't in an 'earring mood' (I get like this..been wearing the same pair of 'basic' earrings to work now for a few weeks now..boring Carol).  A pendant?..maybe..but it needed 'sparkle' to go with those sparkling amethyst rondelle beads.  Out came the Swarovski flat-backed hot-fix crystals in a purple mix.  Using only gentle heat from a common heat gun adhered these hot-fix crystals perfectly..the glass was a perfect conductor.  I was amazed!  Sterling silver jump rings and a slightly oxidized sterling flower toggle clasp (also from my stash) made this necklace.  And, I still had beads remaining to use!  My last piece was a toggle bracelet that used the last funky, chunky matte black barrels (did I mention how much I love those??) and the last few sparkly amethyst rondelle beads with this sterling toggle clasp.  The very last barrel bead became a perfectly fun dangle with a sterling head pin wrapped-up around it.

I think there are about 3 & 1/2 beads remaining from this great kit (which may become my new pair of work earrings?  :)

Please head over to Pine Ridge Studios during October and November to see what everyone created from their own unique Autumn Nights kit.  I can't wait to see them all.  Mine will be posted there shortly, too!
Carol

Klik Component Reveal at Resin Crafts

Hi everyone,

I've been On-Call for work this week, and it's been pretty busy...  

Beading has been on my mind, tho!  I squeezed a few hours of creative time in today...

Today, I finished the piece I've been working on for the Pine Ridge Studios Clay & Metal Blog Hop. This is one of those pieces that started 'one way', then I pulled it all apart and went a 'different way', then a '3rd way'...before finally deciding on a 4th totally different design in the long-run.  I was thrilled with the final result today..until I stumbled upon a design element featured at Fusionbeads while checking-out their new line-up of Swarovski beads.  I'm going to challenge myself a little further by trying my hand at this little element tomorrow and then add it my piece.  

So there we go...push just a little further to meet the challenge..that's my motto!

In the meantime, Carmi at Resin Crafts has been revealing the 50 Klik Collaborative submissions over the last 2 weeks.  WOW..you must take a peek at Resin Crafts.  The Artists have created an outstanding array of Klik art.  Now that mine has been revealed, I'd like to share it with you!

Ingredients include: A small Klik bezel, a teeny-tiny wire-crocheted pumpkin by Saffron Johns of otherworlds (Etsy), EasyCast Epoxy Resin, mica powders in antiqued sterling, mossy green and copper fleck, three sparkly Swarovski Crystal flatbacks and a jelly headpin.  

See you soon!
Carol