Good Earth Challenge Reveal

Hello Everyone!  It is an exciting day in my household because my son is having a birthday.   Remember those days when you were young and couldn't wait for your birthday?   Where did that fun go?  It is also an exciting day here because it is time for the Good Earth Challenge Reveal.   

I was very lucky to get to participate in this challenge that is hosted by the wonderful artist, Andrew Thornton.  You can follow Andrew over at his blog here.   Andrew picked a wonderful palette of beads for all of the participants to work worth.   He also made some of the pieces himself.  Take a peek at what I received.

And these are just a bit of all the treats I got!  In this picture you can see a fine selection of Japanese seed beads, Czech glass beads, Irish waxed linen, vintage brass rounds, ceramic beads, and even a vintage Hamilton gold bead (which I am saving for something special I am making for myself.)  On the bottom right are the beads Andrew made.  A leaf pendant he made out of polymer clay and some wonderful faux Moroccan Amber beads that are just to die for!!  I also got a bag full of goodies.  Tons of seed beads, Swarovski crystals and pearls, vintage sequins, jasper, glass and quartz to name a few of the wonders inside.  
It took me a bit of time to come up with a plan for all of these wonderful beads but I came up with several pieces that all speak to me about nature.  Most of my designs make me think of fall and harvest time.  The colors just explode with the celebration of nature in one of it's most beautiful seasons.  Come take a peek at what I made!

Autumn Abundance

My first piece is a necklace that used the beads from Andrew's collection exclusively.  I used several of his faux Moroccan Amber clay beads as the focal point for this piece.  In the middle is a wonderful glass bead that has a great vintage look.  In between the clay beads are vintage brass beads that have a really interesting texture.  The rest of the necklace uses Czech glass, crystals and a wonderful collection of seed beads.  Can you see the wonders of fall in this piece?

Next,  I made a fun pair of delicate seed bead earrings to work with this necklace.

I even made sure to match tiny red beads on the earrings to work with the red glass beads that are next to the green Czech glass on the necklace.  I am not exactly sure if those swirly metal discs at the ends are brass or not, but I fell in love with them right away and knew they had to fit into my design.  These earrings are delicate and add just the right touch to the necklace.

Leafy Splendor

There were so many wonderful beads left I just had to make another necklace.  This one uses Andrew's leaf charm as the focus.   I highlighted the charm with some wonderful Czech glass rondelles I had that are in a warm shade of red with a Picasso finish.  I love how the red color highlights the finish he put on the pendant.  Next, I used the round artisan ceramic beads, some more of the great Czech glass Andrew provided and then completed the necklace with the Japanese seed beads.  I can so see wearing this piece at a Harvest Festival or at a Thanksgiving event.

Guess what?  I am not done yet!   I finished off my collection with two fun bracelets.   The first is a collection of Czech glass, vintage glass, seed beads and some crystal.   I love this bracelet because of its random design.  If you know my work, you know I am big on symmetry so it was fun to go outside my comfort zone and design something that focuses on the beads and not a pattern.   One of the things I love about this bracelet too is it's versatility.  It can be worn with so many things!

Harvest Corn Bracelet

Finally, my last piece is a fun little stretch bracelet that works back to the earrings and my first necklace.   It reminds me so much of the oranges, yellows and browns of candy corn.  Wouldn't this be so much fun to wear on a fall Saturday when you were out enjoying the season?

Thank you so much for reading my post and stopping by to see my designs.   Thanks again to Andrew Thornton for hosting!  Please stop by and visit the other artists who created pieces for this challenge.

Carolyn Lawson http://www.carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Christy Porter http://queenbeedesignsny.com/?page_id=62

Kay Mallery http://kaymreflections.blogspot.com/

Shaiha Williams http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

Tammy Bowman http://innermusejewelry.blogspot.com/

Kari Asbury http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com/

Karin Grosset Grange http://ginkgoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr

Ann Schroeder http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com/

Marybeth Rich http://forestofjewels.blogspot.com/ (You are here)

Christina Hickman http://vintagetreasuresjewelry.blogspot.com/ 

Andrew Thornton, Alison Herrington, Laurel Ross, Kim Griggs, Deb Floros http://andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/