Reveal!

I know some people know of the struggle we have had this past month or two, and I appreciate all the prayers for our family. It has been difficult but we are through the worst of it I hope and pray!
Wouldn't you know it, after signing up for projects that family crisis after family crisis happen. I haven't had much time for working on jewelry, but I did manage to finish a couple of projects while we have been back and forth to hospital.
My bead partner for the Bead Peeps Swap 'n' Hop, Alicia from All The Pretty Things sent me such wonderful items to work with. She sent me the perfect amount of goodies!! I love, love, love the brass etched pendant and earrings that she sent.
She did the etching and cutting (I am so envious, mine don't come out as beautiful!!) and they are so beautiful that I am at a loss what to do with them. I have ten or twenty ideas, but I hate to use them since I know I'll think of something else to do with them!!
Then there was the polymer clay items... in purple... not just a purple but a pretty, bright, nearly hot pink purple... WOW! I love them!! They are some leaves and a starfish, tails and flowers and some beads made by Tina Holden @ Bead Comber... I knew what I wanted to do with the leaves and flowers!  I knew that I wanted to make some polymer flowers to use with them and make a pretty bib necklace... Spring is in the air...
Then there are the Czech beads that are the prettiest color of purple, not light, but the nice amethyst color that goes with just about every other color... AND happens to be my birthstone color...I love to use this color, I don't usually buy it... I don't know why, but I am so in love with it, and the cut of the larger beads is beautiful!
There is a beautiful leaf in ceramic that is so pretty, I have some ceramic pieces in the house that are the same color and I love it!! This is the color that you can use with blue or yellow, orange, red, pink, anything!!!!  The ceramic is made by Marla Mud

Wow... I'm just getting started... there is a glass cabochon by an artist at Therese's Treasures  in clear, turquoise and purple glass that is shaped like a loaf, which was so
much fun to work with! And how on earth did Alicia know that I love turquoise and that I would have beads to add with it?
Then there is the beautiful, smooth and totally natural shell from Myrtle Beach! I love working with shells! I love the beach and the feel of wonderfully worn shells. There is something so comforting when you hold or wear a shell.
Is this some primordial connection?
 I think Alicia and I are somehow very similar in taste and in the things that we like to do! The items we sent to each other are so very alike...
We sent things that were so similar to each other, yet sooo different!! What a treat! Like I said before, I love purple but never buy it for myself, yet I bought some and sent to her! LOL.
Some of the items I sent were polymer, resin, brass and Czech glass!
I wanted to send along something from our area so I sent some candy made near us and from Mexico, since we are so close and have such a diverse population here, I thought it would be fun... but I wanted something that was "Texas"... so I found a keychain that is the shape of Texas and has some "Texas" stuff on it... and... turned it over... it was made in Canada!! I had to send it to Alicia!
Our sons exchanged some stuff, they are nearly the same age and I hope maybe they can be penpals... do kids still do that?

So... I really had fun with what I had to work with. The items were so pretty and I had tons of ideas of what I wanted to do, got busy really quickly after I received the box of goodies... We got quite the shock to find that the Post Office listed the box that I sent to Alicia as  undeliverable because of the wrong address... BUT, turns out that it was just at the post office in her town. I don't know why they didn't deliver it... but she stopped in and was able to retrieve the package.  I felt bad since it gave her less time to work with her goodies.

Sadly, I only finished two items. I so wanted to finish 6... but they are all in different stages and only the two will be here.... unless I stay up tonight and finish the brass pieces.  I have really wanted to do just that.

Here are the two items that I was able to finish...

First....
This is the pretty glass cabochon. I love that it is striped. This is something that I would never buy for myself... something that is pretty and will go with either casual or dress and such pretty Summer colors! I challenged myself to do a Spiral Cellini necklace to attach the cabochon to. I was back and forth to the hospital so much that I honestly didn't have time to buy new beads to use so I dug deep into my stash to find colors to use to make the spiral. I love the blue and purple in the glass, but didn't have the exact colors to match, so I used some that I thought would go well with them. Since I am visually challenged, it is harder to switch from large to small beads, but I really wanted the spiral effect to show so I used a 15/0 deep turquoise iridescent round, 15/0 peach seed, 10/0 amethyst color glass seed, and a larger tube in iridescent amethyst and a 6/0 turquoise. Now, the larger beads aren't really great beads.. remember, I haven't been able to really put in time for shopping... so, they aren't well made beads... but I think the cellini came out pretty well. I read somewhere that when you do this, it does pay to have beads that are a bit off, since the odd shapes will fill in spaces? Well, I kind of like the effect.  The cabochon was a challenge. I haven't ever made a beaded bezel for a piece of glass in this shape. The glass is curved on top, like a loaf, and it is not perfectly straight, so it was crucial to get it captured on top first, then to do the flat back... I think maybe it would have been better to use all of one type of bead, but I used purple iridescent tubes and the 15/0 round that were pretty. I guess it came out ok, but I might take it apart and do that part again. I love the purple and turquoise!
The second piece that I made (actually the first one that I made) was inspired by the polymer pieces that Alicia sent. There were the sea inspired, but then there were a couple of flowers and some leaves, That was all that was needed to inspire this Springy bib style necklace! There are extra polymer flowers and leaves made by me, along with resin and glass flowers. The necklace part is kind of odd... I love the clasp so I wanted it to be seen, I was going for a side clasp, and it is on the side, but not as visible as I would have preferred, but I like it. I made the bird out of polymer and the nest is the top of a silkworm cocoon that I bought from Anne Betenson, which I absolutely love! They have been tucked away ready to use, you know... one of those things you keep until just the right project comes along! This necklace was so much fun to make! The bead embroidery goes so fast, but it is something that I couldn't take along to the hospital... well... I say that, but I did try. It is not worth trying to bead when you are jumping up and sitting down every few minutes, just not very practical.
 Well...
I was terribly disappointed that I wasn't able to do more, but I will post as I work on the other projects. Especially the brass!!!!

A huge, HUGE thanks to Alicia!!! I loved meeting her and hope that we will be able to stay in touch after this. She is such a fun person and a joy to have as a bead partner!
I so very much appreciate the thought that she put into the items that she sent, they were absolutely perfect!! and such a wonderful mixture!

Please go by and visit Alicia's page All the Pretty Things and also go by and visit the other blogs listed below. There are a bunch, but they are going to knock your socks off! Some of the designers are so very brilliant! I can't wait to visit my partner's page! I know her work is great and will be among those that are brilliant!

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Please use the link below to go to the page listing all the blogs involved with this Swap 'n' Hop! Please visit as many as you can, there are really some wonderful designers that you will see!!
Please click this link to see the list of blogs

Package received!

My bead partner, Alicia Marinache  received her package after having to go to the Post to retrieve it! It got there safe and sound... with just a slight detour! well....
I think she liked what I sent!
I know I loved what she sent to me!!

When I received her package... I was giggling because we sent similar items!! I sent her an assortment of items to work with... and colors... I knew she liked blue, but thought I'd send some other stuff as well, like the purple colored thing... and she did the same!!! nearly the same color of purple... and she sent me beach stuff... I sent her beach stuff!!
I knew she liked Lapis Lazuli so I sent a piece... I only had one teardrop piece in my stash, but I sent some dark blue glass beads for her as well.
I also sent a polymer pendant that I made in mokume gane and a few things to go along with it, and then shell beads to go with the resin 'shells' that I made.
I also sent her some brass, a leaf set that I cut out and pounded into shape... and an etched tree of life that I have been making for a while now. I love the design and hope she will as well.

I added a couple of ceramic beada and some more resin pendant shapes for her to play with... and threw in a couple of spools of wire, since she really does a wonderful job with wire wrapping!   I also threw in a few clasps, one handmade copper and a purple one that I bought, it isn't fancy or anything, but it goes with the purple stuff I sent to her!

metal leaves, resin 'shells' and mokume gane pendant I made

resin components I made

I hope she will have fun playing with the stuff I sent!

Bead Peeps Swap 'n' Hop

Ahhhh, well, you know me... always busy, always behind... I have once again vowed to not let my blog fall silent... and once again... it had for a while been silent.
Life in all it's glory seems to be in the way.

My Bead Peeps Swap n Hop partner, Alicia Marinache, sent me a beautiful assortment of beads to work with, such pretty items. A couple of the colors are not what I would ever buy for myself, but they are so beautiful!  She sent a set of metal components that she etched herself...
 I am so in love with these earring and pendant components!!! They are so beautiful!!! I love the deep etching, and I love the pattern she cut out! I can't wait to make something with them!! I have several different things in mind, I don't know if I can decide! Whatever I make it can't help but be beautiful because of the metal!!!

 The glass pendant is very nice, I love the colors in it, and that the Czech glass beads will compliment it, just the right colors... and how did she know I would have tons of turquoise beads to go with it?!!?

 The ceramic leaf is so wonderful! I always want to work with ceramics and haven't in years, so I always try to find ceramic pieces that are already done that I like, and this is something I would have picked out for myself!! It is just the perfect color of green that you can use any color with it and it will look wonderful! Just like in nature :)

The shell is from Myrtle Beach, and it is one of those things that I really like, I love the sand and sea and love working with natural shells. I love that it is worn and smooth! We pick up shells anytime we are around water! My son finds the snail shells and fossil shells sometimes here in the yard, which is cool! I love that we live by the water... without the water!!! I nearly forgot to add this photo of the sea stuff! This is where we were so similar in what we sent!!!! Man... I never buy stuff like this for myself, and I don't know why, I love purple, and I love polymer! I was so excited when I opened the package and found such lovelies!!

I am so excited to know Alicia, she and I have boys that are about the same age... not too far apart at least. Her son just turned 12 and my son will turn 13 this Summer, so not too far apart. Her son sent my son a surprise and that was so sweet!!


Sadly... my package to her has not arrived yet. It got through customs but the post office couldn't deliver it due to a "Wrong Address" which isn't the wrong address... I sent her the forms and she confirms that it is the correct address... so... bless her heart, she's going to have to do some hunting... hopefully it won't come back to me :( She said that she will go round to the post office and sort it out!

So, I can't post a picture of what I sent yet... but I can show you what she sent to me!

2015 is just getting started, we are only one month in and already there is promise of new adventures and new friends. This year, there is a new blog hop, it is the

"Bead Peeps Swap N Hop" which will reveal on May2, 2015.  I have been excited about signing up for the event, which was on the 18-19 of January, and kept waiting for the day, so excited  that I nearly forgot the actual date... I was thinking it was in the future and wouldn't get here fast enough! but.... I got in, got my confirmation email, and the partners will be announced on February 19! Wooo hooo!
Once the partners are announced, the fun begins, you get to know the other person, email, you can physically mail them, or call if you are known to do so.. .I 'm not much on the telephone, so I don't call, but I do love to email. I like to friend my partner on Facebook as well, so I get to kind of know what they like...
The last Bead Soup Blog Party, which was the 8th Annual, by the way... was in 2014 sponsored by Lori Anderson, and I was paired with Skylar Bre'z. She was terribly generous with the beads that she sent. I was wowed! by them, and she sent along a skein of yarn that was oh so gorgeous!!
The bounty that Skylar provided was enough to make a number of necklaces, bracelets and earrings. I even made a couple of rings from the leftovers... I actually used some of the beads in this years Year of Jewelry Project. Wow! That's a lot of  beads!
I have to say, that isn't the norm... sometimes it isn't possible to send that many beads... and it is totally not expected! There isn't a monetary limit, but there is the focal and clasp that is a must... and you need to use those items in the project that you make... I used the clasp that I received in the 7th Annual BSBP from Shannon Hicks, but I used it as a focal... it was that beautiful!  Shannon had made the clasp from seeds, delicas and jasper seeds... it was beautiful! So... I used it as one of the focals in my piece and used a clasp that I had. I think that is ok. Just so long as you use the main pieces that are sent... Shannon had sent some lovely beads that I don't have access to in my little part of the world... She sent some jasper, picture jasper, and amber beads. She is predominantly a seed beader and knew just the right things to add into the bunch to make either seed or stringing projects.
I have to say, this year, I am hoping to get so
meone that is willing to make different types of jewelry, alternative jewelry is so much fun!
I like to work in polymer

fork bracelet

, acrylic resins, clay resin, seeds, paper, metal, stringing, embroidery, loomwork, off loomwork... I love to try everything! I don't think that I can pinpoint what I do exactly! I am so happy with everything.. I guess I am easy to please? Who ever I get to be partnered with is going to be great!

Watchband made from metal, polymer, jasper, bone, pearl glass and acrylic

New Blog HopsSpace

There are enough blog hops now that they need their own space... and this is it!  Possibly it will undergo some changes over the next few weeks, while I'm getting ready for the new Swap'n'Hop, but it will stay here, barring all disasters!
If you are not familiar with blog hops, a short explanation is in order.  I participate in several of them, this one will deal with jewelry hopping... A blog of course is what you are reading, now a Hop is something that entails you "hopping" from one blog to another... in this case, it is to see the jewelry and read the stories behind the making of the jewelry.  Mostly it is from a challenge of sorts or better yet, from a swap... The organizer asks for
submissions of interested parties, pairs the participants together, you swap components, you make a piece or pieces of jewelry from those components sent, you write a blog about it, and display your pictures of the jewelry... you then go to your partner's blog, and to other participant blogs. Thus the hopping.

It is a lot of fun, you get to know people that you would never meet otherwise, and you have a chance to see work that you might miss, since there are thousands if not millions of blogs, jewelry kind of get lost in the shuffle. So... here is my dedicated blog for blog hops.. jewelry blog hops that is. I will keep my 31 days and my year of jewelry pages, since they are totally different...

Purple People Eater from 8th Annual BSBP