Monthly Archives: November 2012

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3rd Annual Challenge of Color Reveal!!!

I was torn between the two palettes selected for me, so I decided to use both!  I should note that I challenged myself a bit more by committing to only use beads that I already had on hand.  So I dug through boxes, jars, and bowls of bead soup to find the combinations I wanted.

To represent the Namib Desert palette I created a statement necklace using leopard print beads, silver pearls, and various other types of beads in shades of brown. For the Meighen Island palette, I used watery blue lamp work and other glass beads combined with vibrant green pearls in a 5-strand bracelet with a slide clasp. Both items are for sale in my Etsy shop StrandedInTheCity. You can see a full list of the participants with links to their blogs below. Enjoy!

Click the image above to visit Erin’s blog for the main post!

Erin Prais-Hintz http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/2012/11/3rd-annual-challenge-of-color-reveal.html
Rebecca Anderson http://songbeads.blogspot.com
Kris Auderer https://strandedinthecity.wordpress.com
Chrizette Bayman http://beadsoupmix.blogspot.com
Lori Bowring Michaud http://artfullyornamental.blogspot.com
Courtney Breul http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com/
Lynsey Brooks http://yellowunicorncreations.blogspot.co.uk
Stephanie Buss http://maxandlucie.blogspot.com
Iveth Caruso http://www.creativeatelier.net/
Shannon Chomanczuk http://www.formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com
Lisa Cone http://inspiredadornments.blogspot.com/
Cece Cormier http://thebeadingyogini.com
Lori Dorrington http://lorisglassworks.blogspot.com
Dawn Doucette http://designsbydawnmarie.blogspot.com
Jeannie Dukic http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog/
Kim Dworak http://cianciblue.blogspot.com/
Beth Emery http://storiesbyindigoheart.blogspot.com
Janice Everett http://JLynnJewels.blogspot.com
Pam Farren http://www.re-maker.blogspot.com
Donetta Farrington http://simplygorgeous-donetta.blogspot.com
Gloria Ferrer http://judetaama.blogspot.com.es/
Cherrie Fick http://designsinthelight.co
Therese Frank http://www.theresestreasures59.blogspot.com
Patty Gasparino http://www.mylifeunderthebus.typepad.com
Tanya Goodwin http://pixiloo.blogspot.com/2012/11/3rd-annual-challenge-of-color.html
Ambra Gostoli http://chicandfrog.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/3rd-challenge-of-color
Jess Green http://tabbiekoshka.blogspot.co.uk/
Denielle Hagerman http://somebeadsandotherthings.com
Mary Harding www.maryhardingjewelrybeadblog.blogspot.com
Karla Hartzog http://www.karlakrafts.com
Kim Hora http://www.kimmykats.com
Brandi Hussey http://brandigirlblog.com
Emanda Johnson http://ArtemisiaStudio.blogspot.com
Jennifer Justman http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/
Sue Kennedy http://suebeads.blogspot.com
Ema Kilroy http://emakaye.blogspot.com
Lee Koopman http://Stregajewellry.wordpress.com
Linda Landig http://www.LindasBeadBlog.com
Kirsi Luostarinen http://kirsiluokorut.blogspot.com
Cynthia Machata http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com/
Alicia Marinache http://www.allprettythings.ca
Beth McCord http://www.ebbeadandmetalworks.blogspot.com
Mary K McGraw http://mkaymac.blogspot.com/
Karen Mitchell http://www.overthemoon-design.com
Cheri Mitchell-Reed http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/
Aimee Moisa http://threecatsdancing.blogspot.com
Karla Morgan http://www.texaspepperjams.blogspot.com
Penny Neville http://copperpennydesigns.blogspot.com
Becky Pancake http://beckypancakebeaddesigns.blogspot.com
Kashmira Patel http://sadafulee.blogspot.com
Alice Peterson http://alice-dreaming.blogspot.com
Kayla Potega http://www.teejewelry.blogspot.com
Debbie Price http://greenshoot.blogspot.co.uk
Bobbie Rafferty http://beadsong.blogspot.com
Caron Reid http://caronmichelle.blogspot.com.au/
Nicole Rennell http://nicolerennell.com/blog
Cynthia Riggs http://cynthsblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/3rd-annual-challenge-of-color.html
Andrea Ross http://silvermapledesigns.blogspot.com/
Sally Russick http://thestudiosublime.com
Annie Scherz http://www.studioluma.ca
Pam Sears http://crazycreativecorner.blogspot.com/
Renetha Stanziano http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com
Sandra Stein http://sannipanni.wordpress.com
Kristen Stevens http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com
Tracy Stillman http://www.tracystillmandesigns.com
Sherri Stokey http://www.knotjustmacrame.com/2012/11/challenge-of-color-reveal.html
Lola Survillo http://www.beadlolabead.blogspot.com
Kay Thomerson http://KayzKreationz.blogspot.com
Jo Tinley http://daisychaindesignsjewellery.blogspot.com
Emma Todd http://www.apolymerpenchant.com
Cory Tompkins http://www.tealwaterdesigns.blogspot.com
Pam Traub http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com
Melissa Trudinger http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Michelle Tucker http://michellescreativemusings.blogspot.com/
Shelley Graham Turner http://www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com
Monique Urquhart http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com/
Rachel Van-Walsk http://balancedcrafts.com/blog
Patti Vanderbloemen http://www.myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com
Lesley Watt http://thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com
Lynn White http://lynnwhitejewelry.com/Lynn_White_Jewelry/Lynns_Jewelry_Blog/Lynns_Jewelry_Blog.html
Joan Williams http://www.lilrubyjewelry.com

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Looking Skinny

As I stood in the Marshall’s fitting room yesterday, trying to decide on a dress for my company’s Fire and Ice Holiday Ball, I was slightly irritated by some children in the fitting room next to mine. I could hear a man in the distance asking “Girls, are you alright?” so I knew they must be fairly young.

Anyway, as I tried on dresses, my mind raced with troublesome thoughts such as “Can I lose 10 pounds in the next 3 weeks?”, “Do body wraps really work?”, and “I wonder if a duct-tape-and-Spanx-combo will help?” the children’s constant chatter stopped being annoying for a moment as I heard one girl ask the other “Do you wike this? I wike it. It makes me wook skinny.”

For a moment I stopped worrying about how I was going to fit into this perfect dress I’d found and it pained me to hear a girl so young (maybe six or seven) thinking about “looking skinny”. While my own thoughts were probably unhealthy for a thirty-something year old woman, it didn’t seem fair that such a young girl would even be aware of “looking skinny”. So as we approach the holidays, and we struggle to balance eating, drinking, and being merry with the constant pressure to “look skinny” while doing it all, I urge women everywhere to think twice about being so tough on ourselves and realize the negative impact we may be having on the next generation of young women.

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A Style Altering Moment

Have you ever experienced a moment that changed the way you design?  I had a moment like that in the Spring of 2011 when I discovered Jewelry Affaire magazine.  I hate to really even call it a magazine since it’s much more like a quarterly book.  The photographs overwhelmed me.  The techniques I saw were different from anything I’d ever imagined.  Because of the talented artists featured as well as the efforts of the magazine staff, my mind was opened to a whole new world of jewelry design.

Before picking up this issue (which I’ve probably read dozens of times since) I didn’t realize I was limiting myself by only using new jewelry components.  Once I realized that almost anything could be considered jewelry making media, the possibilities seemed endless.  A large portion of my designs now incorporate vintage jewelry or findings or found objects.  After discovering Jewelry Affaire, I bought both previous back issues (the magazine was new and only published twice a year at that point, but now it’s quarterly) and also bought up the past few years of its sister publication Belle Armoire Jewelry and I’ve bought every issue of both magazine since.

I’m very proud to announce that I will get to join the artists I admire when some of my designs are featured in the next few issues of Jewelry Affaire.  Even if you’ve never made jewelry before, I encourage you to check out the Winter issue on sale January 1st.  Not only will you get to see some of my work, you’re sure to be inspired in your own creative journey.  To see more of my work in the meantime, visit my etsy shop StrandedInTheCity.

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My New Assistant

I signed up for Erin Prais-Hintz’s Challenge of Color and while I can’t reveal my results yet, I wanted to share this photo of my cat, Sprinkles, contemplating which beads should be used.  Since she has gotten brave enough to run past the CatScram upstairs in order to access my jewelry studio, Sprinkles has become quite the little helper.  She loves to trot upstairs to partake in some of her favorite activities:

  1. Stare and meow at me for no apparent reason
  2. Roll around like a wiggle worm
  3. Bat at any loose beads laying around
  4. Lay directly on jewelry projects in progress
  5. Take a bath
  6. Settle in for a nap
  7. Look up at the tiny dormer windows anytime a dog or other animal outside makes a noise
  8. Dart out of the room suddenly (again no apparent reason)
  9. Rub her scent on any and everything to ensure the studio is marked as her territory
  10. Continue to be absolutely adorable

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Bonkers Over B’sue

I just wanted to share some of the jewelry I’ve made using swags, ornate plaques, and necklace bases from B’sue’s Boutiques.  Visit her shop here, like her on Facebook here, and you can even join her creative group on Facebook here!

Some of these pieces have already sold, some are in my personal collection, and some are still for sale in my etsy shop StrandedInTheCity.  Enjoy!

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Toast Of The Town

So I didn’t see it in time to join Erin Prais-Hintz’s Toast of the Town variation blog hop, but I made my own version today anyway!  You can see all the other versions at Erin’s blog “Treasures Found“.  The necklace can be worn SEVERAL different ways: twisted, short, long, clasp on the side, clasp in the back, and more.  I’m selling mine in my etsy shop StrandedInTheCity.  Enjoy!

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Tassel Necklace Project 2

In my previous post Tassel Necklace Project, I explained how I created my own gold-tone version of a Stella & Dot necklace that I love, and already own, in silver-tone. I also worked on a different Stella & Dot inspired collaboration recently with my BFF Nikki.

We are both head over heels for Stella & Dot’s Windsor Tassel necklace so we decided to make our own version. We started by taking a gold colord eye pin and snipped it to the length we wanted, then cut several pieces of goldtone chain in various lengths and “strung” them on the eye pin. After creating a loop in the cut end, we attached one end of long gunmetal chain to each loop. For the next step, it helps to place the necklace on a dressmaker form (clip it in the back if you have to). We draped a few additional pieces of gold chain over the eye pin and then wrapped Industrial Chic rhinestone trim around the chain a few times (below the eye pin) to create a tassel shape. If you are not familiar with Industrial Chic by Susan Lenart Kazmer, you can check it out here and purchase it at Michael’s. The trim can be secured with wire or glue in the back. Very easy and chic, and a great DIY version of an amazing design by Stella & Dot.