Saturday, July 6, 2013

Seasons Blog Hop

Several months ago, I signed up for Lisa Lodge's Season's Blog Hop. The guidelines were to use the beads we were sent to create jewelry that either represented one of the four seasons, or that represented a season in our life. She also asked us NOT to buy anything extra, but to use beads and findings from our stash. The beads and charms that I received are pictured below:
 Being that I love Christmas and Christmas earrings, the snowflake charms were the inspiration I used for holiday jewelry.


 While the amethyst iridescent beads don't scream Christmas, I thought of a Christmas party and rich, dark colors. I used the spacers on some wire and wrapped them into a simple focal paired with gold toned chain and the antique brass toggle clasp. Definitely going to repeat this idea with other beads.


 Next up were the snowflake charms that  were calling to be a  pair of  holiday earrings.

While looking at the round glass beads, I thought of some little angel charms that were tucked away, and voila! Christmas earrings times two!
The enameled bead caps from Sharyl's Jewelry were the most perplexing. I loved the color and the whimsy,  but no matter what beads I tried to pair them with, they simply wouldn't work. I looked through my Pinterest boards to no avail, and then did a search, found an aha! and went to work. I was all out of antique brass chain, but  found a necklace and cut it to pieces and added some brass round spacers and purply crystals. Here is the end result
Here's another look:
While they aren't very Christmas-y, they are fun little earrings and something new I hadn't done before. The purples aren't exactly the same shade, but they blend fairly well and I'm leaving them be for right now.

 I hope you've enjoyed my seasonal offerings. Don't forget to stop by and see what the other participants created!  Come back in a couple of weeks for a giveaway related to this blog hop.


Your Hostess: Lisa Lodge, Grateful Artist
 
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design


Cassi Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill


Stephanie Sanner Haussler, PixyBug Designs


Leah Mifflin Tees, My Beady Little Eyes


Karin Slaton, BackStory Beads


Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution


Lori Jean Poppe, Lorillijean Creative Corner


Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams


Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design


Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life


Alicia Marinache,  All the Pretty Things


Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera


Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz


Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs




Lennis Carrier, Windbent


Erin Kenny, Beadifultherapy


Tanya Goodwin, A Work in Progress


Cilla Watkins, Tell Your Girlfriends


Renetha Williams Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts


***Christie Searle Murrow****You're here, Charis Designs Jewelry  


Sierra Barrett, Giraffe Can Has


Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes


Shirley Jones Moore, Beads and Bread


Dawn Horner, Northern Adornments


Charlene Bausinger Jacka, Clay Space




Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks


Miranda Ackerley, Daze and Days
May the seasons of your life be sprinkled with splashes and dashes of grace and joy!




20 comments:

  1. I adore Christmas, and non traditional colors. You totally nailed it with your pieces. And I love what you did with Sharyl's enameled pieces. Those earrings are fun and funky, and original. And you get to wear them all year round! Win, win! I don't wire wrap very well, but I'd like to try what you did with the spacers, that looks so good. Well done!

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  2. Those are all beautiful pieces, but I particularly love the last earrings. I love how you took the beadcaps that you weren't so sure how to use and used them in such an awesome way. The colors are awesome and so fun!

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  3. Wonderful job, Christie! I especially love the earrings with the snowflakes. I also like how you incorporated Sharyl's bead caps. Thanks so much for participating in the hop!

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  4. I love the last earrings. They match a winter theme well, I think.

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  5. Such a fun array of earrings. The snowflakes are my favorites.

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  6. So fun! I love them all, but I think the last ones are my very favorites!

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  7. I love the invention of these pieces!! You are so very talented!! Especially like the bead-cap earrings! :)

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  8. Everything you made is beautiful. I especially like the earrings. The bead cap earrings look great. I may have to try to do some that way!

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  9. Your soup would have been a real challenge for me! I love, love the bracelet and the earrings (especially the bead-cap pair) are so much fun!

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  10. I love what you did with your soup :)

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  11. Very pretty pieces, I especially like the bead cap earrings.

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  12. Beautiful pieces!! I can definitely see wearing your great purple earrings with your simple and lovely necklace!!

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  13. Christie, I love what you've done with each piece here! The clear crystals, the purples, the snowflakes... I think we have common tastes! I'm really in awe of what you did with the purple bead caps. It never would have occurred to me to use in that way, and the results are fabulous!

    Would you mind if I pinned to my Pinterest board? You can drop me a line on either of my Facebook pages: Sharyl McMillian-Nelson or Sharyl's Jewelry to let me know if that would be okay.

    Many thanks! Beautiful work! ~Sharyl

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    1. Sharyl, I'm delighted that the creator of the lovely bead caps is happy with my finished product! I'm going to find you on Pinterest :) Thank you- Christie

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    2. I've pinned! Like everyone else here, I found your designs so impressive! Thanks for letting me add to Pinterest! If you want to take a look, you are now appearing at: http://pinterest.com/sharylsjewelry/designers-using-my-components/
      Best wishes! :-)
      Sharyl

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  14. Very pretty earrings. I really like what you did with the enamel caps. Love the chain added to them.

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  15. I love your pieces and I will dare to disagree: they are very Christmasy and party-like! Just perfect to put on with a lovely black dress and head out to the party :) You used Sharyl's caps in such a brilliant design (I am always fond of the elegance of simplicity). And the focal on the necklace is absolutely lovely :)

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  16. Christie, what a beautiful collection of Christmas Holiday jewelry! Everything is festive and delightful -- gorgeous! I'm glad Lisa sent along the golden snowflakes in your bead mix and that they inspired your designs! Your Christmas jewelry collection is so much fun and your pieces are awesome.

    I love your post. Christmas is my favorite time. I would wear your gorgeous amethyst iridescent necklace to a Holiday party in a heartbeat! The texture and colorway is so elegant -- like pretty iridescent taffeta or rich colored velvet or luxurious satin in a Holiday dress. I think the necklace design makes an incredible signature Christmas style - such perfect Holiday jewelry.

    hristmas" earrings are great! I adore your snowflake earrings too. What a festive photo! Adorable. Dress them up. Dress them down. Love that they are gold -- my favorite metal. The AB crystal rondelles and gold findings are gorgeous, simply gorgeous. likewise, your angel earrings are so pretty: the white frosty beads with white metals are snow white beauties!

    Last but not least, your enameled antique brass "Aha!" earrings are adorable. Love the chains, the movement, the crystals. Brilliant!

    You created a wonderful Christmas post and an incredible Holiday jewelry collection, Christie! Gorgeous, festive, and beautifully designed, I enjoyed your collection immensely.

    Love,
    Rita

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  17. Wonderful earring designs. I love the pair made with the chains.

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