ZNet Summer Challenge 2015

Summer is my favorite time of year- beaches, sun, a slightly more relaxed schedule and hopefully lots

 and lots of time around water. So, when offered a chance to be part of a sea inspired challenge,

 I was delighted!  The cultured seaglass that ZNet Shows offers is truly a pleasure to work with.

 Because I'm craving some beach time, I chose to use gorgeous beaches from around the world 

as my inspiration. If you want to see more of the fabulous sea glass beads that ZNet has to offer, just
click on the link.
First up are some bangles inspired by Malibu Beach in Barbados- the orange and blues make for 

a beautiful combination. The products used in these two bangles are Cultured SeaGlass shell beads

in Saffron Yellow (S72-B57) and  Cultured Sea Glass puffed 20mm coin beads in Opaque 

Blue Opal (S15-B460. 
Here's a picture of Malibu Beach...

and here's the bangles I made.

I recently discovered Summer Wind Art by Ashley  Bonney ( www.etsy.com/SummerWindArt) and knew that her Sand Dollar Bracelet connector would be perfect to pair with the Cultured SeaGlass pebble beads in aquamarine (BDS1926-03).  Menorca Beach in Spain has the same lovely color pallette as this bracelet, don't you think?

Next up were these 32 mm Cultured SeaGlass starfish in Light Aqua Coke Bottle Seafoam ( S27-B88P). I wanted to keep it simple but with a bit of sparkle and shine so added some Chinese crystal and antique brass spacers from a local bead store, and voila! The Abaco set with the antique brass chain and earrings would be perfect for dinner out after spending the day on this gorgeous beach.

Abaco Beach

Finally, I used 20 mm starfish in  Aqua Coke Bottle Seafoam (S27-B882XST) and some Chinese crystal Aquamarine rondelle dangles (RS101-27) to create a sweet little  necklace and earring set  titled the Bora Bora set.

 

  I hope you've enjoyed this little tour of sea inspired jewelry and the breathtaking beaches that inspired them!

There's lots more to see in the Summer 2015 edition of Creative Spark, so be sure to take a peek

Creative Spark Summer 2015 

Hope your summer was fabulous!  Thanks to Crafty Hope for her great work, and to Znet Shows for the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful design team.

Znet Shows Creative Spark

I've been remiss in blogging. Life changed lanes a few months ago and I was blessed with a new opportunity, which I am loving. However, being part of this new thing meant letting go of others, and I am no longer teaching jewelry classes or doing as much jewelry making. I'm also working an extra day a week, again, a blessing, but life got really busy very quickly. So, I'm sorting through beads and commitments to figure out what exactly needs to stay and what can be let go of. I've also discovered bangles, which are ever so much fun. I grew up in India, and bangles were a staple from the time that I was little. I love making them, I love wearing them and I love sharing them!

Znet Shows  is a great company to be part of. Their products are beautiful and their prices are amazing. For the fall issue of Creative Spark,  they came up with something different for us designers. Some would make fall themed jewelry, some would write tutorials and some would play with found object jewelry. I was fortunate enough to be part of the fall themed jewelry group.  Look at the gorgeous beads that came my way!

I went looking for some inspiration and found it on Instagram with my friend @DenesiaChristine. You'll see one of her stunning pictures inside the magazine, but please take a peak at her other breathtaking pictures.  They're a treat for the eyes. (And while you're there, I'm @CharisDesigns.)

I mentioned earlier that bangles are my new plaything, and so I got to playing. These were the first things that got made? Don't they just embody all the colors of fall?

There's a lot more beautiful things waiting to be seen inside. I hope you'll click on the link and take a peek at all the jewelry my fellow design team members have created. And, oh look!, I'm on the cover!!! How's that for a splash and dash of grace and joy?