Loving My Soup

I've been paired with the lovely Clare from CatsEatDogs as my partner for Lori Anderson's  7th Bead Soup Blog Party. She's originally from across the pond but now lives in St. Louis with her family. I'm intrigued by the name of her blog ( note to self: find out why she choose that name).  We're in the second reveal so you'll have to wait until April 6th to see what we create out of the goodies.

My lovely soup!

 I loove these colors! The ideas started swirling around when I opened the package. The rules for the BSBP are that I have to use the focal ( and who wouldn't want to?) and the clasp. No problem there. They do not have to be used in the same design, however so who knows what will transpire! Thank you, Clare, for a delightful soup.

Here's what I sent her

Clare's soup

 

She's a lover of vintage style jewelry so with that in mind, I put together a lot of antique brass findings, a key pendant and a heart toggle with pearls, along with a couple of different color arrangements. I make it a policy not to open my soup ( yes, she was on time, I was not) until mine has been mailed,so had to look at the package for a couple of days before ripping it open. Can't wait to see what you come up with, Clare!


I've been playing with my Vintaj Big Kick machine (more about that in a upcoming post) so added this pendant at the last minute. I'm having so much fun with this new toy!

Vintaj Big Kick pendant

So, there it is. Don't forget to head over to Clare's blog and tell her hello. If you want to see more amazing soup, Lori Anderson has created a whole board on Pinterest for participants to post on.  After the reveal, creations will be posted there as well. Lot's of inspiration awaits looking at all the lovely collections.


Here's to splashes of joy and unexpected dashes of grace--Christie

Sign Ups are OPEN!

It's time to sign up...for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party with Lori Anderson from Pretty Things.  If you have a blog (this is the whole reason I started mine some time ago) and love making jewelry, please do yourself a favor and hop on over to her page to sign up. You won't regret it. It's grown me creatively, exposed me to amahzing artists from around the world, and provided hours of oohing and aahing inspiration.

You've only got through Sunday, January 27th so don't wait! It will definitely add a splash and dash of grace and joy to your beading life :)

Christie

Breathe Where You're Planted

What a year 2013 has been so far! I told a friend that I'm really unimpressed with this new year. I am rarely sick, but I've now gone through three separate health issues since New Year's Eve day. The latest has been dealing with some unexpected heart issues which has, in the last nine day, culminated in two ER visits and three doctor's office visits.

Lori Anderson had asked a question on a Facebook forum about what word  we would choose for the new year. Truthfully, I hadn't given any thought before I saw her post, and it got me thinking and praying. After some quiet time and deliberation, I felt that my word for was "Breathe". This year was to be a time of breathing in God's presence, slowing down and clearing the clutter from my schedule and life, and using that to be inspired to more creativity. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Just taking time to breathe in and breathe out- no fussing, no worrying, just being in the moment to breathe. Then I got sick the first time, and my last 3 days of Christmas break was spent on the couch,  instead of organizing and whittling away on my to-do list. Breathe.

Back to work, still not feeling wonderful, and then an eye infection. Seriously? No contacts for a week, minimal makeup because of the eye ointments. Breathe. I started planning on what I was going to do for the Memories and Thanks Blog Hop. After taking a break from jewelry making for a couple of weeks, I was ready to let those creative juices flow and had set aside time to work on my project. And then.. my heart decided to go haywire. As an nurse, I was way past my comfort factor, and none of the usual solutions were working so off to the ER we went (my first visit as an adult). The staff was wonderful, but what I thought what a rather innocuous pattern had switched to something else. I'm one of those lucky people who feels all the irregularities in my cardiac patterns and it was freaking me out. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Email Lori and tell her I won't be able to keep my commitment. Breathe. After a couple of visits to the cardiologist and another ER visit at 4 am, as well as numerous tests and just being exhausted all the time, the very good news is that my heart is healthy and strong. It just happens to want to skip numerous beats. I'm grateful.

Let me backtrack for just a moment.  Before Christmas a dear friend had given me an amaryllis bulb in a container, unaware of my black thumb. I had it sitting by my front door with intents of getting it planted but one thing didn't lead to another and it just sat there. Day after day with no watering, no potting soil, no nothing. Just before my heart decided to have it's little party, I happened to glance at it one day and this is what I saw.

It was BLOOMING!! I was taken aback- did I mention it hadn't been watered or tended to? AT ALL?? I called my next door neighbor who is wonderful with growing things and asked her to adopt my brave little flower, which she did. It is now living outside next to another amaryllis planted and watered. At the time I was reading a devotional  that another special friend had gifted me with, One Thousand Gifts Devotional by Ann Voskamp. In the first chapter she writes about giving thanks in the meager times and thin things, because it there that we come to know Who God really is. It was challenging and refreshing at the same time.It was still somewhat theoretical at the time I was reading it though, until the whole heart spiel hit.

Today my heart is quiet for the first time in a week and a half. I've run errands, felt normal (hurray for energy), and enjoyed my day grateful not to have those disconcerting, non stop palpitations. I have a new appreciation for those who live with much worse on a daily basis. It's exhausting- literally.Through all of this I've realized that I want to emulate the courageous and hardy amaryllis. Without any care from me, it just sat there and bloomed. Without complaint, without fuss, it just bloomed. I want to do the same, I want to breathe in whatever circumstances God allows to come my way  knowing that, unlike the amaryllis, I have a loving, caring Heavenly Father who actively is tending to my needs whether I feel it or not, and wonderful friends who have interceded on my behalf.  I want to breathe whether I am planted in ideal circumstances or not.

 Breathe. Breathe in grace, breathe out thanksgiving. Breathe in His presence, breathe out my worries. Breathe in quietness and worship, breathe out prayers.

Tomorrow this vital organ of mine may decide to party hearty again ( pardon the pun). If it does, I will choose to be thankful. If it doesn't, I will be humbly grateful. In in all, however, I pray that I will just BREATHE.

If you just need a few minutes to soak, here's one of my favorite worship songs  Breathe by Michael W, Smith.


Until the next post, wishing you a new year filled with splashes of grace and dashes of joy!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

          I am sooo excited to see all the wonderful ornaments in this year's Art Bead Scene Ornament Blog. Again, the requirements were to create an ornament using either an art bead or a handmade bead.  I've tried to use each blog challenge to do something new. It's gets the creative juices going and makes me push past my insecurities. Coincidentally, I've been part of a ladies group going through Beth Moore's  So Long, Insecurity book study, so it seemed apropos to tackle something yet untried.

            Right angle weave has been a friend of mine these past few months ( the simpler versions, that is)  particularly a pattern I learned from a lovely Michigan snowbird this past March. When I realized that I could take the smaller earring pattern, and upsize it using 8mm or 10mm beads as opposed to the 4mm size, voila! Ornament idea!! And this is what was born...

Purple Papillion

               
                 What's not to love about purple? When these beads called my name at the local bead store, I answered! I chose the butterfly metal tag ( courtesy of Michael's)  to symbolize new things, and the word "dream" for inspiration. Stamping is something I've wanted to do for a long time, and this is my first baby step. The letters aren't nice and straight ( and yes, I used tape as a line guide) as I'd have liked, but again, baby steps. If you look closely you'll see a little heart in the corner of the wing, because it's hard to dream unless your heart is in it. Several pins on Pinterest suggested coloring in the letters with black Sharpie markers and then buffing off the excess. Black was too harsh, so a lovely purple Sharpie was substituted to keep with the theme. A new Stamping it out board was also created in my search for tips and tricks. I can't wait to do more of this.  Lisa Niven Kelly's book Stamped Metal Jewelry: Creative Techniques and Designs for Making Custom Jewelry might just be my Christmas gift to myself. One never knows.

                   After wire wrapping them all together, I remember a wire ornament hanger that a friend had given me. It was, however, very red, and thus unsuitable. After a couple of tries, and lots of discarded 20 g silver colored copper wire, the ornament hook became the finishing touch.

                    Don't stop here, though- there's many more ornaments to see! Here's the list of blog participants:
Art Bead Scene
Humblebeads
Treasures Found
Song Beads
Viki O'Dell
Sue Beads
Modern Nature Studio
Diane Hawkey
Suburban Girl Studio
Jen Judd Rocks
Ellie's Bijoux
Island Girl's Insights
Life By The Seat Of My Pants
Too Aquarius 
Shelley Graham Turner
Artfully Ornamental
Charis Designs Jewelry  ** You are here**
Harrison Hollow Designs
Silver Nik Nats
Bead Soup Mix
Toodles and Binks
Bead Recipes
Play Sculpt Live
BeeTree by M.E.
Billi RS Rothe
A Half-Baked Notion
Kimis Jewelry and Gifts


 When you're done with blog hop, stop by my Christmas Ornament Ideas  board for lots of easy and fun ornament ideas.  Thank you, Heather Powers for letting me be part of this- it was a lot of fun!!


May your Christmas season be filled with blessings, dashes of grace and splashes of joy!

A Sneak Peak

I love Christmas ornaments- especially hand crafted ones. So, last year when I  came across the Art Bead Scene Ornament Blog Hop, I was in ornament heaven! Heather Powers of Humble Beads posted an adorable seed bead ornament, and that was just the start. You can find the list of all of last years participants below her ornament tutorial.

Shortly afterward, a fellow beader challenged us to set  new beading goals  for the coming year, and I decided that this would be one of  mine. I was super excited when Heather said we could use either a bead using handmade components or an art bead. Here's a preview- you'll have to come back on December 4th for the reveal.

Until then, may your day have a splash of grace and a dash of joy!

Christie

And the winner is....

And the winner of the bead soup is.... ( drum roll, please)

GINA HOCKETT!! Her blog is Freestyle Elements, and while reading her bio, I realized that we both are RNs. I had my daughter pick a number, and it was hers. Gina, I've emailed you, and once I get your address, the soup will be headed your way before Thanksgiving.

I've been doing the 30 days of thankfulness on Facebook this November. It's caused me to stop and think of what I really am thankful on that particular day, and the answers have been surprising at times.When it's all said and done, its the things that can't be bought that I'm most grateful for.

Wishing you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving mixed with splashes of grace and dashes of joy!

As Promised, a Giveaway

Life took an unexpected turn this fall, and what I thought was going to be a nice, leisurely season, wasn't. Nuf said.  By now,you've had more than enough time to to make your way through all the amazing creations from the 6th BSBP. Weren't they amazing? I'm always floored by the variety of techniques and artistry- some are truly spectacular and leave me in awe of the level of skill and creativity.

This was my 3rd opportunity to participate in Lori Anderson's baby- she's def been the hostess with the mostess :) In addition to some of my "leftovers" from the various bead soups, I recently was the unexpected winner of a "de-stashing" courtesy of  CJ Bauchska! Little did I know what was headed my way, but she went above and beyond in generosity and beads!

I was floored! Wish I lived closer to her, so I could take some of her classes- seed beads and I have a nominal relationship, but obviously they are CJ's friends. We were gone on back to back trips after her stash arrived, so they've been waiting patiently for me to do something with them. As I looked around MY hoard assortment of beads, I realized that it's time to pass the blessing along.

I've had such a great time being paired with Dana James, Andra Weber and most recently, Arlene Dean- they've expanded my horizons, and their giftings of beading goodness have been generous to say the least. Sooo, I'd like to help someone else have the same experience. I have only two guidelines:
1) You did NOT have participated in the last BSBP  but you do have a blog.
2) When you use what is sent ( we can figure out a time factor), that you link your post back to this blog.

That's it! I'll put together a bead soup for you and send it your way and then wait to see what you create. (Please note that Bead Soup Blog Party is trademarked by Lori- this is just plain bead soup :))

Want a chance to win? Just leave a comment below by November 14 ( one of our girls turns 21 that day, so we'll celebrate that!) and make sure I have a way to contact you. One lucky person will get goodies headed their way.

Hoping this adds a splash of grace and a dash of joy to your day!