Challenge of Color Blog Hop

A few weeks ago Erin Prais-Hintz from Treasures Found Challenged us with color.  I am so glad I signed up for this challenge.  I want to first welcome you to my blog. I hope you have enjoyed this challenge as much as I have.  I have even been dreaming about it.  I dreamt the beads I wanted to make but could not sit long enough to make, I dreamt of the beads that I had already made and could also use for this challenge and I also dreamt about the design.

First, I want you to take a look at my gorgeous color palette.

I was determined to make an art bead using all the colors.  I dreamt of polymer clay beads embellished with degrading bull’s-eye canes.  I dreamt of using vanilla colored clay for the color degradation technique.  Instead I used handmade polymer clay beads that used a floral pattern cane.  The bead is made of the blue and vanilla colors you see in the palette as well as a chocolate brown.

I used fire polished glass beads weaved and connected with copper wire.  I had the darker blue and the mauve color in these types of beads.  I am telling you, all this came to me in a dream without looking through my stash.  My mind knew what I had and it was very easy to make.  Sometimes the hardest thing is the idea of what to do and how to combine materials and colors.  I had the colors... the dream gave me the rest.

I took this other photo and fixed the colors so you could appreciate the mauve and blue colors of the fire polished beads.  Days here have been gloomy to say the least, and I have not been able to enjoy good light for a picture.  The rain makes it harder to go out and take pics too.

My design is called "I dreamt a simple sky" since the focal piece is made of sky blue (as in my color palette) and the design reflects simplicity all throughout.

We were challenged on many levels and I think I met them all:

• Create something and share it: You are looking at my creation!


• Use all the colors in your palette. My fire polished glass beads are Mauve and Skandi blue, my art beads use the Canvas Sky and the Phyllo (vanilla) color.

• Name your piece from the palette. - or some use of the color names: "I dreamt a simple sky"

• Participate in the blog hop and/or upload to the Flickr site for December 3rd: See the blog hop list at the end of this post

• Use of an ART BEAD (art bead is defined as a bead or component created by yourself or another artisan), be sure to point that out in your description. But it is NOT a requirement: Mine was made by me.

• Encourage others to play along : I blogged about it as soon as I entered the challenge

A thank you note to Erin. I have been having fun since the day I read her post (http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/2010/11/inspired-bythe-challenge-of-color.html) and signed up. I loved her creativity by making the palette into a postcard. I love the palette you sent me and the love and dedication you have put into this challenge. Thanks!!!

Dreaming of Helping a Friend:  I am auctioning this piece to help my Beading friend Billy with his pain management treatment.  I will leave the starting bid open, please bid with your hearts and knowing it's for a good cause.  To bid, just email by CLICKING HERE.  I will open a separate post to inform of the bidding.

If you are all for helping a good cause, please stop by Dragon Fly Jewelry Designs and read their bio. You can help a dear beader and friend with his pain management treatment by shopping either jewelry or beads from their Art Fire Store. CLICK HERE to go there.



BLOG HOP LIST (All the wonderful people that have participated in this challenge)
 
Amy Freeland

Beth McCord

Brandi Hussey

Cary Scholes

Catherine Pruitt

Cindy Wimmer

Claire Maunsell

Courtney Breul

Cristi Clothier

Cynthia Riggs

Emanda Johnson

Erin Prais-Hintz (Challenge Hostess)

Holly Westfall

Janea McDonald

Jeannie Dukic

Jennifer Cameron

Karyn White

Keirsten Giles

Kelly Morgan

Kristie Roeder

Kristin Stevens

Lisa Godfrey

Lisa Tracy

Lori Anderson

Mallory Hoffman

Marie Voyer-Cramp

Mary McGraw

Nicole Keller

Nicole Valentine

Paige Maxim

Patty Gasparino

Rebecca Anderson

Renate Stark-Krammer

Sandy Richardson

Shannon Chomanczuk

Sheila Summers

Stefanie Teufel

Yelisa Rojas (You are Here!!!)

My Dollar Store Challenge Supplies

(This post has been on draft since Oct 27th)  I apologize for the delay in posting.  I seem to be very busy and it feels like any little thing I need to do is too much.

I was finally able to go to the dollar store to hunt for goodies and inspiration.  I only bought some stones.  There was nothing that would light up my muse or make me think it worth of being featured in a jewelry piece.

I also found some gromlets in TJ Maxx's clearance section.  I want to incorporate these into Polymer Clay.

The Mary Engelbreit chipboard chapes were bought in Michael's.  They were part of a grab bag.  I hope to be able to experiment with resin and see how it plays.

I still have to do more searching in my stash.  I do have many components that have been bought at great prices and would qualify for the beading on a budget challenge.  Not so much on the creativity of using a strainer to make jewelry out of it.  But I guess I will not be stretching it in this challenge.

Visit Lisa's blog to learn more about the "Dollar Store Challenge".  She has made some wonderful things already!

I got my Color Palette

I blogged before about Erin's fun color challenge.  I got my palette.  These are the colors I will be working with.

I want to make at least one art bead out of Polymer Clay and the mauve color will be a challenge to reproduce in PC.  I am happy to embrace this challenge and see where it takes me.  I love this palette and I am surely inspired by it.

There are a lot of participants in this challenge from the US (ME, PA, CT, MD, NY, TX, CA, KS, OH, MT, MN, FL, AZ, IN, OR, VA) and some more from abroad (Canada, Australia, England, Germany, Korea).  Isn't this fun?

Thanks again to Erin for this great opportunity!

Inspired by... The Challenge of Color by Erin

Jewelry Designer Erin Prais-Hintz is hosting a Color Challenge.  Erin challenges the use of a color palette of your choice.  To find out more CLICK HERE.

I chose a blue, brown, beige and sort of pinkish color for mine.  I am wondering if I should ask Erin to include one surprise color in mine?  I liked Courtney's idea to ask for a surprise palette.

I just can't wait to get my colors and start thinking about what to make.  I also want to include an art bead that represents the palette.  But I never know what I'll make until I sit in front of my table and let the muse roll!

Wearing My Michael's Challenge Necklace

Today I started going back to the pool.  It feels so good to exercise and be in the water again.  I am out of shape though.  I used to swim 30min nonstop, and after a few laps I had to stop and stretch and do some aerobics while I catched my breath.  I so easily lose my training and it takes hard work to gain back my resistance.

When I got there, my pool card was missing.  They were issuing a new one, and there was a problem with the photo.  The good news is that I liked how I looked today, and that the picture was going include my Necklace.

I was so happy with the way my Michael's challenge necklace looked the other day, that I decided to wear it today.

I was not in love with it when I made it, but I certainly am now!  I just love how it looks over the brown top in combination with my white jacket.

I also made a pair of matching earrings using the white chain (yes, the same one that did not inspire me) and some of the green beads and pearls from the kit.

Copy Me Design Challenge by Gaea

Gaea posted a picture of this bracelet and encouraged copying her design either way our muse would take us.

She distributed a kit to 6 participants.  I was not one of them because I signed up after a bunch of people, but my first chore was to put a similar kit together.  So I used ceramic beads, fire polished beads, brass tone chain and wire and a metal focal with holes on each side.

I liked the way she used her ceramic beads right into her focal, this I copied.  I also liked the multiple strands of chain and used them on one side of the necklace.

I saw red or brown glass beads attached to the chain in her original design, so I use fire polished glass and added blue because I just felt like it.  I also attached my clasp to the back, yet kept the asymmetrical design in my creation as well.

You can see that is a different creation from Gaea's, yet the inspiration and similarities are there.  I hope you like it.

Here is a list of other participants:
Lorelei

Michelle

Erin

For My Sweet Daughter

SueBeads

Spirited Earth

Malin de Koning

Imaginative Jewelry - You are here!


Check out Gaea's Post for more participants

Blog Hop Reveal - Lorelei Eurto's Challenge

I barely got into this one as I posted before.  But I am happy that I managed to finish my necklace and it was a challenge to work with the white chain.  I am still thinking how to use the leftover chain in another project.

My additions are the copper chain, the white wholite stones and my handmade clasp.  I am thinking of putting a clasp on each strand to make it a 6 in 1 necklace, that can be worn separately or using any of the combinations.

I couldn't find the New Jade rounds in Michael's, luckily I had some Green Aventurine in my stash.  I also had big white pearls, so no need to buy those either.  The other component from the kit I provided from my stash were the green pearls. 

From the original kit I bought the carved wood squares, the carved cinnabars brown and white, and the white chain.

It was quite challenging for me to work with the color palette.  I would have never included white in the color combo, but glad I took the challenge.

Here is the Blog List, go Blog-Hopping:

1.  Lorelei's Blog

2.  Mary Harding

3.  Hilary of Fryestyle

4.  For My Sweet Daughter

5.  My Life Under the Bus

6.  Kristie of DreamSomeDesigns

7.  Linda's Bead Blog & Meanderings

8.  Copper Diem

9.  Andrew Thornton

10. TyneBodenNecklaces

11. Raida of HavanaBeads

12. Erin of Treasuresfound

13. Molly of BeautifullyBrokenMe

14. Beading by Malin de Koning

15. AuntieAnnie

16. Gr8Findings

17. Deborah M Purdy

18. Spirited Earth

19. Erin Siegel Jewelry

20. beads by breul

21. Beads for Busy Gals

22. Cynths Blog

23. Nayas Organized Chaos

24. Crafty Hope

25. 2 catch a hummingbird

26. Rosebud For the Love of Beads

27. Jamberry Song

28. Peacock Fairy

29. Elysian Studio Art

30. Designs by Debi

31. sweet girl design

32. Silver Rose Designs

33. Tropic Beads

34. Imaginative Jewelry - You are Here!

35. Magnolia Attic

36. Jeni Smathers

37. Glass Addictions


Big Thanks to Lorelei for hosting this Challenge and Blog Hop.  It has been fun, certainly challenging and I have enjoyed everyone else's creations.

There were other participants without a blog that are listed in Lorelei's Challenge Reveal Post.  There are some great pics there.

To enter my giveaway of a Polymer Clay Pendant and Beads CLICK HERE for instructions.

Lorelei's Michael's Challenge

I have been so busy and "carless" (no c, that I had not been able to go and buy my kit of beads for this challenge.  Today I was able to do so.

For more info on the challenge CLICK HERE to go to Lori's blog post about it.


These beads are from my stash:

This is the whole Kit.

Now to my studio without distractions to create the necklace and be able to make the submission deadline!

To enter my giveaway of a Polymer Clay Pendant and Beads CLICK HERE for instructions.

More from Challenge Swap 5 - My Focal: Wood Marble

I was looking at a book at Barnes&Noble because I wanted to buy one. None of them were worth buying, but they all had one good idea that took me back to my stash and illuminated my creation. I do not like to copy models, but I do like some ideas of a piece of jewelry that take me to my own creation. That is what I call inspiration.


I am still planning on buying a book, because I also like to buy books compulsively, not only beads. But it will be when I get back home. I found a scarce display of jewelry books at this B&N. Nothing that I would kill for.

So, this is necklace is made with materials from the challenge swap and my stash. It has nothing to do with the necklace I saw in the book, aside that the one in the book had a square wood focal and mine has a Wood Marble oval donut style focal.

It is made of beads from my stash: fire polished glass beads, wood marble focal, dyed agate, orange glass bead, metal chain, copper wire and handmade copper clasp.  From the Challenge: dyed agate and blue stone (Dagi thinks it's Turquoise). I Edit: Kokopelli has posted it is dyed howlite

Matching Earrings are made with Dyed Agate from my stash and challenge kit, metal ear hooks from the Kit, glass beads and metal chain from my stash. Ohhh... and copper wire from my stash.

I also edit: You do see that the left one is missing a link, right? Thanks to the picture I corrected this mistake. The link had disappeared from the tray, and I just finished them without even noticing what I was doing. This is the problem of working with poor light. I am glad to be back home soon with all my lamps and my confortable chair.

More from Challenge Swap 5 - Informal

All these are made from the swap kit.  They use: hemp, coconut beads, wood beads and metal, silver plated and gold plated findings.

More from Challenge Swap 5 - Formal

This set is made combining beads from the swap and from my stash.

Necklace: unakite rounds from the swap, from my stash: fire polished glass beads, unakite squares, gold tone chain, gold plated rounds, wire, terminals and clasp and goldtone message washer

Bracelet: unakite rounds from the swap, from my stash: fire polished glass beads, unakite squares, gold tone chain, gold plated rounds, wire and terminals and goldtone message toggle clasp.

Earrings: all from my stash: fire polished glass beads, unakite squares, gold tone hooks, gold plated rounds,  and gold plated wire.

 

More from Challenge Swap 5 - Carnival Over Black & White

Yesterday morning I started this project, but ran out of silver plated wire. 

It is made from MOP and lava beads from the swap.  The big black stone, the small black stones and the beads and metal charm that form the cluster are from my stash.

I had lots of fun making this bracelet and earring set.  But I did have to play around a little bit with the earrings.

If you want to see what other participants have created CLICK HERE

My First Things from Challenge Swap 5

The theme was natural materials, earth tones.  I got a wonderful stash of beads.  This challenge has been inspiring for most of us.  Lots of people have already been posting as they've been making.  Here is what I have so far:

All the materials are from the kit: hemp cord, mother of pearl and shell chips.  Below are the matching earrigs.  This was the first thing I made.  As I opened the kit I started makig it.  Today I just finished the clasp and earrings.

I wish I could make earrings that would go into your ear with just hemp...

Here I used gold plated rounds, mother of pearl diamonds, stringing wire, terminals and feather from my stash.  The rest of the materials, are from the kit.

These are the matching earrings.

If you want to see what the other participants have been making, just CLICK HERE and be sure to check frequently since we are uploading as we make 'em.

Blue, Green and Brown Color Challenge

This is what I submitted for this challenge.  At first, the color combination did not appeal to me.  But I started seeing the submissions and looked through my stash and found the perfect green, blue and brown pearls to be inspired.

Wanna see more entries?  Go to the challenge creator's picasa album:  http://picasaweb.google.com/110061288080178212152/ColourChallengeCreations#

Beading Daily - Spring Challenge Swap Reveal

Do you remember the kit I showed you some months ago?  http://imaginativejewelry.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-goodies-for-challenge-swap-4-spring.html


We all had the same kit, and this is what people came up with:  http://www.artfire.com/users/jsmaz/blog

Here are pictures of what I made.  I still have some things designed that I have not been able to put together.

Inspiration Challenge

This is what I made for the inspiration challenge organized by Tamara at beadingdaily.


We were supposed to find something that would inspire us in our own home, and make a piece of jewelry.

This is what Inspired me, and this is what I made.

My Goodies for the Challenge Swap #4 : Spring

Jeni was kind enough to organize the swap. She chose yellow and purple as the colors. They reminded her of marigolds and daffodils.


This is what I got. I have a bunch of goodies, and I have to start making jewelry for the reveal.

 

Picture of my Night and Day Challenge Necklace

I wrote the other day about submitting a necklace for the Night and Day Challenge of Stringing Magazine.


Here is the picture.  I was not sure if I could have the picture also in my blog.  But I have not found anything of the sort in the guidelines.

My idea of "Night and Day" for this piece is the combination of blue tones that are all together in the "Sky" in 24 hours, and of course black cord to represent "The Night" and the silver tones represent "the Moon and the Stars".
http://www.stringingmagazine.com/gallery/Night-and-Day/

My submission is # 48. Vote for it if you like it! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q35SVP5

Night and Day Challenge

I have submitted a necklace for the Night and Day Challenge of Stringing Magazine. 

My submission is # 48.  Vote for it if you like it!  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q35SVP5

My idea of "Night and Day" for this piece is the combination of blue tones that are all together in the "Sky" in 24 hours, and of course black cord to represent "The Night" and the silver tones represent the "Moon and Stars".

http://www.stringingmagazine.com/gallery/Night-and-Day/