Summer Carnival Blog Hop Reveal

Hello again and welcome to the reveal for Lisa Lodge's Summer Carnival Blog Hop!  Lisa is a wonderful jewelry artist over at A Grateful Artist.  She hosts lots of Blog Hops throughout the year and I am always very excited to participate. So, several months ago when she announced the Summer Carnival I had to jump right in!

In this hop, Lisa told us that we would receive a kit full of wonderful beads that would include crystals and cultured sea glass and as she always does, her kit was overflowing with goodies; take a peek!

This is just a sample of some of the pretties I received.   There were cultured sea glass beads in both a royal blue and more aqua blue color.  There are flat and oval sea glass pieces as well.   Also, in the kit were several types of crystals.  Rondelles in both clear and a most fantastic aqua color.  Rounding out the collection are larger clear oval crystals and some great metal spacer beads.

Now, you would think with all these wonderful beads I could just jump right in and design, right?  Well yes, tons of ideas presented themselves when I sat at my workspace and focused on these beads.  However, I really struggled on the Carnival theme.  All the cultured sea glass and beautiful aqua beads just fed into my love of the sea and I kept tracking that way in my designs.   So,  I decided to step away from my beads and start focusing on the theme.   What does a carnival mean?  Rides?  Cotton candy?  All the tinny music?  Those games you never win?  

Finally, I started to focus on Lisa's inspiration photo for the hop.  The Ferris Wheel, specifically.  I am afraid of heights and have only been on kiddie Ferris Wheels, and even then I got those butterflies in my tummy.  But there is one Ferris Wheel I really would ride on if I got the chance.  Some day, no matter what, I will get to England...and when I do,  I want to ride the London Eye.  Can you imagine the views?  That is if I keep my eyes open of course!  So,  I kindly asked a friend for an inspiration photo and my design just came to life!

photo credit  D.F.

While I know that isn't specifically a carnival,  I do think the blue and clear crystals really worked well with the sky and the sea glass is a nice stand in for the Thames.  Here is how my inspiration photo looks as a necklace.

Circle of Dreams

I really wanted to carry the circle of the Ferris Wheel into this necklace.  It was important to me that it be distinct and also allow for me to add the sea glass components.  The necklace is designed so that the round wheel portion is worn where a broach would be worn.  

From the kit, I used the blue and clear crystals to make the wheel design.  From my own stash, I added these great wire beads. They remind me of the little cars you sit in when going around in a Ferris Wheel.  The rest of the lower part of the necklace is made using the same blue and clear crystal rondelles, some metal spacers from my stash that I feel give the piece a very vintage feel.   Finally,  I added three of the aqua colored sea glass pieces.  Little nods to the river flowing by past the London Eye.   The chain, also from my personal stash, completes the circle theme.  There is no clasp, because at 30 inches long, this necklace is easy to put on over your head.

If you know me, you know I can't design a necklace and not include earrings!  So, here are a beautiful pair that focus on the beads used in the wheel portion of my necklace.

This time, I used the aqua crystals, the silver spacer beads that Lisa provided and added some small Swarovski crystal bicones and those great metal beads.  There is actually a glass bead inside the wire and they add extra sparkle.

Wow what a hop!  It arrived with a bag full of great goodies that I am still in love with and can't wait to design more pieces with the leftovers!  I really enjoyed focusing on conceptual aspects of art and taking those concepts and ideas and bringing them into a beautiful statement piece.   Making pieces like this for challenges like Lisa's is what makes me feel like a real artist.  It makes my creative spirit sore!

Thank you again to Lisa for hosting us and since this is a blog hop, there are lots of wonderful other artists to visit and see what they created.  Please spend some time visiting them from the links below.  Thank you for stopping by!!!

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines (you are here)

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Catherine Yvonne King, Catherine's Musings

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Dee Alcalde, Agape Creations Jewelry

 Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry

Carole Carlson, Bead Sophisticate

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Dolores Raml, CraftyD's Creations

Marianne Hurley, Reads and Beads

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Marci Allen Koziolek, Krafty Max Originals 

Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop Reveal

Hi, it is me again with yet another blog hop or challenge review.  It has been a very busy week around here!  This time, I would like to welcome you in to take a peek at Lisa Lodge's Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop.   Several months ago,  Lisa offered participants the chance to work with natural gemstones and participate in her hop. I love natural stones. so I couldn't wait to participate in this one.

Lisa is always so generous with her kits!!  These pictures show just a bit of the wonderful items she sent me to work with.   The gemstone in my kit is black vein jasper.  I received tons of beads in this stone.  Rectangles, coins, different sized faceted beads and rounds.  The metal side of the hop included a pretty clasp,  two different kinds of spacer beads, some chain, cones, and connectors.  


When I sat down to design,  the one thing I felt was missing from the collection was a bit of color.  The black, white and grey in the black vein jasper is very bold and adding just the metal spacers made my design ideas kind of one dimensional.   So, I looked for a color that would work well with the stone and metal.

I settled on red as my accent colors for my pieces.   It is a strong color and compliments the grey, white and black in the jasper nicely.  To add my signature touch of sparkle,  I included some Swarovski crystals in jet with an AB finish, so they are a glittery shade of grey.

I was careful when picking the rectangles of jasper to match up the colors so the beads display all the variety of color in the stones.  I used some of the metal lentil spacers to separate the stones and then added barrel shaped red glass beads for that pop of color.  I then finished off the necklace with the crystals, smaller faceted jasper beads and then connected it to the chain that Lisa provided.   Unfortunately, I damaged the clasp  she gave me so I had to use one of my own.

Next, I designed a bracelet that can either be worn with the necklace or stand well on its own. I used faceted rodelles and one oval shaped of the jasper beads,as well as these neat metal spacers that are different than those on the necklace.  I used red for the color pop, this time, using glass beads that remind me of little perfume bottles.   Finally, the Swarovski crystals appear again for additional sparkle.

I couldn't make jewelry and not put together a pair of earrings!  Here I used more of those silver spacers from the necklace and small jasper rondelles.  I chose two oval glass beads in a bright red and added a crystal at the end so that all the pieces tied together.

It was lots of fun participating in the Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop and I want to thank our hostess, Lisa Lodge, again for giving me the opportunity to participate.   Please take some time to visit the other artists on the hop and see what they created.   Thanks for visiting!

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines (You are Here)

Karen Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Katrina Taylor, I Wanna Go Out

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog

Margaret Pelech, Big Margaret

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware (May be delayed a few days)

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life

Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design

Robin Reed, Artistry HCBD

Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry

Cassi Renee Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill

Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons

Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things (May be delayed a few days)

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Judy Campbell, Macmillanmarie Jewellery Design

Nan Smith, Handmade Jewelry Nanmade

Marde Lowe, FanciMarDesigns

Linda Anderson, From the Bead Board

Leithleach Alainn Seodra, Alainn Jewelry

Lisa E. Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs
Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

We're All Ears July Reveal

source

Hello again and welcome to July's reveal for the We're All Ears challenge.  If this is your first visit to this monthly post, let me give you a quick update to what this challenge is.   Every month, Erin over at Earrings Everyday posts an inspiration photo and the participating jewelry designers are to use that photo to create earrings.  We all gather together on the third Friday of the month to post our creations.

This month, Erin's inspiration post was on the 4th of July, so I think she really got into the spirit of the Holiday with these red, white and blue sail boats.  I loved the way the sails filled with air and the movement you could feel in both of the boats.   That movement is what I focused on when I created my design.

I ordered some brass from Vintaj earlier this month and they included a goody bag full of samples of their new designs.  The minute I pulled out these earring findings I new I had to use them for this month's design (they are called Perfect Paisley, but I like calling them swooshes.)  They remind me of the full sails, straining with the wind as the boats move across the sea.  Also, they could represent the waves that are displaced as the boats move along the water.   

To honor the colors in the photo,  I wrapped cathedral shaped crystals to the bottom of each piece of brass with a soft red shaped wire.  It adds just the right touch of red to the design without overpowering the brass.  I just love the blue hue in the cathedral shaped glass beads!  When I got done wrapping them,  they made me think of the water the boats were sailing on.   The little bit of copper colored finish on the ends of each bead really complimented the larger metal piece and brought the whole design together.  

As always, I had a great time participating in this challenge.  Would you like to see what others designed?   Check them out below:

An InLinkz Link-up

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/

Hop, Hop, Hopping All Over the Place!!!

Sorry I have been away from the blog for a bit,  but I have been focused on creating  and (hopefully!!!) selling the last few weeks.  Throw in summer break from school and I seem to have lost all my creative writing time.   I wanted to post a quick update to let you know what is coming down the pike.   Blog Hops of course!!!  I have come to really enjoy them.  Every time I participate, I am challenged and it always takes my designs to a new level.  

First up:

Good Earth Challenge July 17, 2014

I had the luck to be able to enter one of Andrew Thorton's blog hops before they sold out.   They always go fast, so I was very excited to get into this one.  Check out Andrew's blog.  He is an incredibly creative individual.   I was overwhelmed when I got these beads and I have made three pieces so far and probably have two more in mind, if I can figure out how to use my new knotting tool.

Here is a sneak peek at some of the beads I received:

The next hop up is Lisa Lodge's Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop.

Gemstone and Metal Blog Hop July 19,2014

I do not have pictures yet of the wonderful beads I received, but one of the reasons I love participating in Lisa's blog hops so much is because she always gives such a great range of beads to work with.  This will be lots of fun!  Check out Lisa's blog here

If you take a peek over on the left side of my blog,  (<------  Yes, over there :) )  You can see an updated list of some of the blogs and challenges I will be participating in over the next few months.  

So, with all this talk of hops, it is time to make a special announcement.  Forest of Jewels and your friendly hostess, (that's me!!!)  Will be holding a Blog Hop  in November in time for my birthday.  I haven't gotten all the details together yet, but expect to work with beautiful Czech glass beads and handmade clasps, plus a special focal bead.   I will be announcing the hop and starting signups in the middle of August, so make sure to check back for details.  Better yet,  follow the blog so you don't miss an update!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

June We're All Ears Challenge Reveal

Guggenheim Museum

Hello again and welcome to the June reveal for the We're All Ears Challenge. I would again like to thank Erin over at Earrings Everyday for hosting us each month.  On the first Friday of a new month she posts an inspiration object and then we return on the third Friday to blog about what we created from that inspiration.  

This month Erin chose this view looking up to the top of the rotunda.  I have never been to the Guggenheim (it would be on my list if I ever got to NY) but I had the luck of growing up in the suburbs of Chicago.  This exposed me at a very young age to the architectural wonders of Frank Lloyd Wright.  We would often take trips to Oak Park to look at the buildings he designed there.  

Because of my love of Frank Lloyd Wright, I was really excited about designing something that took the spirals of the photograph and brought them to life.  

City Circles

I used Vintaj brass rings to symbolize the levels of the floors that are represented in the picture.  The larger crystals are in a melon opal shade and they remind me of the white that is in between each brown layer in the photograph.   Finally, I used crystal bicones in greige.  Those little bit of sparkle remind me of the city lights.  

As I worked on my design, I remembered a shopping trip my sister and I took to Oak Park right before Christmas.  It was night time and the city was covered in holiday decorations.   Those little bicones sparkling against the ivory colored ones remind me of the twinkling lights against the snow.  

I had a lot of fun working on this month's design.   I got to take a look back at some of the favorite buildings of my childhood.  And, as my creation came together I was able to re-visit special memories I made with my sister.  

Please check out the Earrings Everyday blog here to see the other submissions this month.   And thank you for stopping by!

The Ocean Blog Hop Reveal

Hello!  Welcome to The Ocean Blog Hop Reveal.  Several month's ago, Lisa Lodge over at The Greatful Artist announced that she would be hosting an ocean themed blog hop and I had to jump right in.   If you know me, you know I love the water and the beach.  It is one of the bonuses of living in Florida, so I couldn't wait to participate.

Lisa sent along a great collection of beads and findings to use in my creations.  This first picture shows the siam colored crystals, round metal connectors, and star fish charms.  In the green bowl is a collection of beads in a multitude of shapes and sizes.

The second photo of what I received shows the crystal rondelles again, along with some pretty yellow barrel beads and two wonderful tangerine colored sea glass pendants.  

After spending some time studying all the wonderful beads, I needed to come up with my ocean inspiration.  Usually, when you think beach or ocean you think blues or greens.  But, I thought more about my experiences and I remembered a trip I took down to the Florida Keys and a snorkeling adventure.  There is nothing more beautiful than the life under the water.  Aqua colored water, white sand, fish in all sizes and colors, and incredible coral.  (remember not to put your foot down!!)  I used my memories of that trip as my inspiration for my designs.

Coral Under the Sea

I made this bracelet to represent the coral in the ocean.  I used the siam colored crystal rondelles for my coral then highlighted them with dark blue crystal rondelles to represent the water.  The smaller crystal bicones in blue, light blue, and sea green can represent either water or small fish darting in and out of the coral.  If you look closely in the picture, you can see clear glass teardrop beads.  Those were part of the mix of beads in the green bowl above.  They stick out from the bracelet just like the branches of coral would do from the sea floor.  

It is a bit easier to see the clear beads in this photo:

The second piece I made for the blog hop is a fun pair of earrings.  I used the sea glass pendants and those fun star fish to make a pair that is just perfect for a summer day.

Sunset Beach

How fun are these??  Imagine yourself on the beach or boardwalk, enjoying a relaxing summer day with family or someone you love.  I think they are just perfect for that day at the beach.

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a peek at my designs.  I love participating in Lisa's Blog Hops and creating jewelry based on a theme. The next Blog Hop of Lisa's I will be participating in is the Gemstone and Metal one coming in July so make sure to watch for that post as well.

Now it is time to enjoy the rest of the party and hop along to see what the other participants have designed.  Please use the list below to see all of the ocean themed pieces.

Ocean Blog Hop May 31^st Reveal:

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines  You are Here!

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Monique Urquhart, A Half-Baked Notion

Katrina Taylor, I Wanna Go Out

Mary Ann Macri Jacobs, Trucksville Crafts

Jeanne Steck, Gems by Jeanne Marie

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall

Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry

Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog

Margaret Pelech, Margaret Pelech's Ocean Blog

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations

The beautiful cultured seaglass for this hop is from ZnetShows.  Check out their awesome selection! ZnetShows Cultured Seaglass