Do Over Challenge

Hi All!

Jeannie Dukic started a blog hop in April, where she sent us one piece of jewelry she had made a long time ago, and asked us to change it up into something new. I loved the idea, and so I asked for her to send me one of her pieces. It was great fun to take her necklace set and put my mark on it - thanks so much for the challenge, Jeannie!

This is what she sent me:

And this is what I did with it:

I used most of the beads, but the wire work didn't work for me, or the chain, so I decided to do a cubic right angle weave rope to hold everything together. I also added beads to the metal filigree beads to incorporate them a little more seamlessly - they were really sticking out without the beading added to them. I hope Jeannie likes what I came up with - my MIL sure does, she was thrilled with this set on Mother's Day!! I feel badly that my picture isn't a better one, but I had to take it myself, Sherwood wasn't available, lol.

Make sure you check out the other links below, to see what other beaders have done!!

1. Sally of Wire Worked
2. Dagmar of Kokopelli Design
3. Donna
4. Lisa of Lucid Moon Studio
5. Christine of One Kiss Creations
6. Erin of Treasures Found
7. Leslie of Mad Maggie Designs
8. Shannon of For My Sweet Daughter
9. Niky of Silver Nik Nats
10. Diane Hawkey
11. Barbe Saint John
12. Elisabeth of Beads for Busy Gals
13. Lori of Pretty Things
14. Linda of Linda’s Bead Blog and Meanderings
15. Jamie
16. Pam of Ferrari Originals
17. Patty of My Life Under the Bus
18. Nancy of Ned Beads
19. Kim of Kimmy Kats
20. Marci of Moose Petals
21. Jeannie http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog/

Thoughts On Many Things

I am feeling so blessed today, and so grateful.

Things have been going better than I have any right to hope for. For me, this is an amazing feeling - and anyone who reads this who also suffers from depression will know just what I mean. This morning I went out and snipped a bloom off of my lilac bush, and deposited it in a little tiny candle holder by my beading space so that I can smell it and see it while I blog and bead.

Lilacs were my Mother's favorite flower and they always make me think of her... today that doesn't make me grieve or feel sad. It's more like a tiny hug from Mom. I've been reading a lot lately, and that is also a legacy from her; she was an English teacher (sorry about any grammar mistakes - they're definitely NOT inherited) and introduced me to a life long love of reading.

I am at work on a new necklace, and am hoping that one of the ideas I have come up with is a new one... I haven't seen it before (I think?), so I am crossing my fingers. Even if it has, I really like how it looks. (I'm a tease - no pictures yet, lol.)

I've been a busy little bee, I've made three sets of earrings - unheard of for me, as I rarely make earrings - and made a tutorial for one set, finished a looooong awaited UFO, have made a few sales, and have been raking my yard like crazy. Autumn in NE leaves some BIG piles of leaves behind, and if you don't get them in the fall, you'll be working like mad in the spring. Guess who didn't rake this fall?? And it's been very hard to grab the seconds of sunshine in order to rake them, as well - today is the eighth day in a row with rain. But when I have had the chance to be out there, it's been wonderful, and just cool enough so that the work doesn't seem so much like work. And Spring is doing it's job, despite the rain; my friends on FB seem to all be perking up, sounding more like themselves, and excited over their work and play. My dogs are also waking up from the sleepy winter, and have been playing and chasing each other, and having a lovely time (LOL) in their baths. I am not so much looking forward to spring cleaning, but I know it's coming on.

Untitled Earrings

Draconia (UFO finished!!!!)

My husband has picked up his former career (on the side of his regular job) and is photographing again, and I am sooooo happy for him. He loves photography more than most anything (but genealogy), and his excitement and happiness to be doing what he loves again is another thing to be thankful for. He's had a very rough couple of years with incredibly intense and debilitating headaches, and this year they have eased a little, allowing him to enjoy things again.

The Bead Mavens have been on hiatus - but still busy, and still blogging every week with a free tutorial. The rest seems to have done us all good, and given us more energy and creativity than we had before, and the ideas are brewing for what we'll be doing next. Almost everyone has come up with new tutorials and patterns for their shops (even me!!!!), and I thought I would share a few of my favorites, in case you all have missed one or two. Linda has been creating the most awe inspiring art, and I have to share a little of that, too. Onward, to links and pictures!!

Mikki has come up with beautiful beaded snap closures for beadwork, and made a tutorial of them. I think these are the coolest and cleverest snaps. If you'd like to make them, you can find them here.

Christina's new bracelet pattern is one I really love, too, it's called Bridging the Gaps, and it's new on her website.

Cynthia's Fairy Ladder Bangle was created for the Vernal Visions challenge, and she has a tutorial for it on her Artfire shop. What a wonderful thing to share the making of such a beauty.

Heather's Mad Rings 3 in 1 Tutorial is selling like mad - and I know why, they're magnificent.

Callie has a new tutorial as well, for a delicate and lacy bracelet called Lotus Flower.

Linda's new work just blows my mind as always. I'll let it speak for itself.

And my new tutorial is for my Lila Earrings, and if you'd like to make a pair, you can find the pattern here.

Things that have new homes:

Sophisticate Necklace

ColorPlay Version #2

I hope that everyone has some time today where they can feel some of the beauty in the world around them. Thanks for stopping by, and reading my ramblings!

April's Bead Journal Project Piece- Late!

OOooo!! I hate being late!! However, it is better than never in many cases. I finished my quilt square on May first, but we didn't get to photos until today. Here 'tis. I've been having some fun lately including filigree bits in with my embroidery. I really hadn't done it much at all before, as I tend to like precious metals much much more than base metal... but I am becoming quite fond of brass and copper, both. So I bet you'll be seeing some more! If you haven't yet, you should come and check out all the other gorgeous beadwork being done in the Bead Journal Project.

I am also taking part in a new blog hop, the Do Over Challenge hosted by Jeannie Dukic. She's sending us a piece of jewelry that she made in the past, and challenging us to make something new and 'better' with it. I thought this sounded like a ton of fun, and joined up right away. Sign ups are now closed, but there will be a blog hop on May 25th to reveal what everyone has done with their pieces. Stop by Jeannie's blog, it's a cooooool place to hang out and right now she has a fabulous post up on color!

Have a great night, all!