Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month Reveal - Caroline

Welcome to the November Component of the Month Reveal featuring Caroline of Blueberri Beads.  This is what Caroline offered us this month.

I have to tell you even though I have probably said it before I feel so blessed to be a part of this amazing team,  Each one of them are so talented and so inspiring.  This month Caroline was inspired by the lichen she has seen on one of her nature walks and it certainly transferred to this amazing design.

The way she can take her vision or inspiration and transfer it to these designs astounds me.  There is not one thing she has created that I have not totally fallen for and once again I was completely inspired when my cab arrived.  I couldn't even wait to take a picture, I glued it down, picked the beads and started.  It took about 5 evenings and the whole necklace was complete and I have worn it 3 times since.  It is a good thing too because I have now totally lost my studio as we are undergoing a makeover of sorts in the house.

I apologize for the strange view in this photo I did not realize the camera flipped the picture and it was too late to get a better one.

I love the texture of the cab so much I added a bit around the edge to mimic it.

Thank you so much Caroline for your amazing talent.  Now you all need to go and hop along with everyone to see what they have created.

Guests

Nicole Prince  

Kathy Lindemer

  

AJE Team

Diana Ptaszynski  

Lesley Watt  

Niky Sayers

Jenny Davies-Reazor  

Susan Kennedy  

Lindsay Starr  

Jennifer Stout Cameron

Kristen Stevens

Linda Landig

Caroline Dewison  

Hugs
KK

Art Jewelry Elements Component of Month Reveal - Linda

Here we are again.  I have to say I do love this time of the month.  This months reveal is brought to you by Linda of Linda Landig Jewelry.

Aren't these gorgeous?  I did remember to get a picture BEFORE I completed my design this month.

For those of you who do not know orange is my favorite color.  I only get to decorate with it this time of year and there are rarely components that use orange so I was extremely excited and in love with it.  The other great part is that I had the exact matching seeds that have been waiting for just a component this special.

At first before I received it I thought I might do some bead embroidery , however Linda's glazing and colors are so perfect that I just couldn't cover any of it.  On the cover of the newest Bead and Button magazine is a twisted herringbone using varying bead sizes that I thought would be perfect.  As I always do I wanted a smaller chain so I used smaller beads.

I liked it but it just did not have enough.  So it sat as I tried to figure out what I could add to give it the look I wanted.  In the meantime I played with the colors and some other beads to create a matching bracelet.  I had a design in mind but as I was stitching this is what I came up with.

I am having fun with it.  It has the colors of just changing trees.  So a funny thing happened when I was moving things around on my tray, I twisted the two ropes together a bit and it looked cool so I twisted them completely and I really like the look of it.

I did happen to run out of the green picasso 8/0's so I am waiting to order some to finish the rest of it and I am still trying to work out the connection.

I am so excited to see what everyone else has created.  Hop on over to the Art Jewelry Elements blog to check them out.

Hugs
KK

Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month Reveal - Rebekah

It is reveal time and I am so excited to be a part of it!  Rebekah of Tree Wing Studio is our host this month and this is what she offered.

I have to tell you that I did not notice the "love" printed on the side because I was so enamored with the perfect look of driftwood.  I tell you it is like she took a cookie cutter and cut it out.

I new instantly when it arrived what I was going to pair it with and how I was going to hang it.  My friend Jan of Molten Mayham has been dabbling in resin.  She has sent me some gorgeous piece and she is loving doing it so much she will soon be opening a shop.  I will be sure to let you all know when she does. Believe me when I say you will love what she is creating.  She had sent me this key.  She knows I have an affinity for keys and what they represent to me.  Love, Challenge, and Surprise behind every lock.

 I had originally thought I would embroider it but with the clear background any fabric would have drowned the picture out.  I did not get a picture of it before I bezeled it.I was going to but I became so wrapped up in making it work as I have never bezeled a square before.  I love the way it turned out.

From there I did another figure 8 chain.  I was going to do multiple layers but when I completed it and hung the heart it just felt perfect to me.  

I introduce you to "Key to my Heart"

Now I would love it if you went and checked out what our team and guests have done with their hearts.

Guests
Karin Grosset Grange
Carol Briody
Rebecca Anderson

Ann Schroeder


AJE Team
Rebekah Payne
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Caroline Dewison
Susan Kennedy
Diana Ptaszynski
Kristen Stevens
Linda Landig
Melissa Meman

Niky Sayers

Lindsay Starr

Hugs
KK

Pretty Palettes Challenge Reveal

Welcome to The Pretty Palettes Reveal,  If you have been around last week I posted how excited I am that Erin of Treasures Found and Halcraft USA asked me to play along this month.

Here is the palette again, From Design Seeds

These are the beads she choose,

I have to say I jumped in with both feet immediately.  Sometimes that works for me but other times it ends in a block.  These both happened to me this time.  I started out playing with these trying to keep in mind I wanted to use all the beads in one piece.  Some of my trys I will show you others I will not.

Here was my first thought.

I did not like the boxy look of this one, the green beads did not play well and frankly I REALLY wanted to use the 3 hole links.  So it was scrapped.

Then it hit me I may not be able to use all the beads in one piece and I was putting a bit too much pressure on myself.  With that out of the way this next piece literally flowed from my fingers.

I love the vintage look and feel of this and the color is perfection.  Honestly this only took me 2 evenings to finish so it worked up fast too.

Then the block came.  I really really wanted to use the green but everything I tried wasn't looking like I wanted it to.  I even thought I would make a link.

It just did not have it for me.  I set the green aside again and this happened.

Fun to put together but I did not like the way it felt on my wrist.  Then in the 11th hour almost literally it hit me.  I changed up the seed bead and Monday evening this came to me.

I am loving the look and feel of this necklace and as you are reading this I am working on finishing it.
I can not wait to wear it!  I feel bad this is not completed but as in my normal crazy life my sweet husband pinched his sciatica and I have been nurse maid since then.

Thank you so much Erin for challenge me this month I truly enjoyed playing!

Hugs,
KK

My Czech Beads Competition

For any of you that follow me you know I am totally and completely addicted to Preciosa Twin beads.  They have a new competition every month for anyone who loves their beads with the possibility of winning 1000 grams of beads.  Click on the logo above for more information.

Let me repeat 1000 grams of amazing Preciosa beads!!!!

They have a theme each month and will pick 4 winners each month.  You can enter as many times as you wish.

April is Easter/Spring theme so what better piece to enter than the one I just finished in the Spring Fever Challenge I just did.

I love finding ways to incorporate twins in all sorts of stitches.  They have the best texture and organic look that I like to design.  In fact I have posted two tutorials using them on the Art Jewelry Elements blog.  One using twins in a Russian spiral you can see here and another using a cubic right angle weave variation you can see here.

Get yourself some twins and play!!

KK

AJE Component Reveal with a bit of tipsy on the side!

I am sorry for posting this a bit late this morning as I was trying to complete my piece and get pictures.  Pictures did happen but finishing did not.

Here is what the amazing Rebekah gave us to choose from this month.

 

I choose the very light whitish blue one.  When it came I was really blown away by the texture and depth of the bead.  But what to do.  As you know if you follow me regularly I let some pieces sit on my tray so that I see them everyday and wait (and in this case wait, wait wait) for them to tell me what they want to be.

Sometimes it takes a bit of a push especially if it has come down to the last minute.  This time it was still waiting on New Years Eve.  I know I know for a beadweaver this is beyond last minute.  How the heck can I weave something to show how much I love the bead?  Here is where the Tipsy comes in!

I do not know why I think it is fun to attempt beading while I have had a few mimosa's but I guess that is just a challenge I like.  So Cheers!

So with a couple of these under my belt I set to playing.  

Tipsy tip # 1 - Using a doubled thread is challenging enough when not tipsy it is nearly impossible when tipsy!  Oh the tangles!

Tipsy tip # 2 - I was not inhibited by color play at all.  I was able to pull colors from the bead AND and accent!!!  That is usually a challenge.

Tipsy tip # 3 - Do not I repeat do not ask hubs to help you find a missing bead in your stash ever!!!  He has set forth a bead buying ban and stash busting challenge!  Darn it!

Tipsy tip # 4 - 4 mimosa's in 2 hours makes for very slow beading!

With all of that I have to tell you I can not wait to finish this piece.  I made my first Y necklace and I am in love with it!  I know it may not be what someone else may like but I found sweet and somewhat simple is right up my alley!!!

Be honest when commenting please as I really appreciate all comments.  They help me learn and grow as a beader!

Please visit everyone else to see how they played!

Guest Designers:

Stephanie - Confessions of a Bead Hoarder

Ann - Bead Love

Karin - Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Melissa - Bead Recipes

AJE Team:

Karen - Starry Road Studio

Diana - Suburban Girl Studio

Kristen - My Bead Journey

Lesley - The Gossiping Goddess

Jenny - Jenny Davies-Reazor

Linda - Linda's Bead Blog & Meanderings

Melissa - Melissa Meman… Art, Life, Love

Susan - Sue Beads

Rebekah - Tree Wings Studio

Caroline - BlueberriBeads

 

Kristen

AJE Component of the Month reveal - Going out of my comfort zone part 2

On Monday I shared that I am venturing way out of my color comfort zone on the AJE Blog.  Not that I was using colors I do not love I was just combining them in a way I never ever have!  

This month we had the pleasure of licking I mean working with one of Diana's amazing pendants.

Oh I love all of Diana's work and this is just another chance to get inspired by them.

So this was where I started a palette from Design Seeds.

This was the progression which I will tell you did not really come together to my liking until last night.

Here is the Necklace.  I wanted to pull all the colors from the sunset over water into it and I think I just might have achieved it!  In fact until this morning Shelby (my daughter and tester of all things beady) didn't know if she liked it and then seeing it finish she almost got out the door with it before I was able to get the final pictures.

As always I am so blessed to be able to work with all the beautiful, creative and talented women of the AJE team.  As someone else said to me " I sometimes feel like a sapling among redwoods " but they never ever make me feel like that!  Ladies you are AWESOME!!!

Hugs and Blessings

KK

Echo Creative Club Reveal!!!

Welcome once again to one of my favorite posts. I love working with Jeannie's beads.  This month I chose to work with one of her amazing Enchanted Leaves!

I told you in my last post that one of the reasons I chose to work with it was that I had lost a treasured necklace I had created with one of her Whitewashed Knots. 

I will forever miss that necklace.  So with the intention that I was going to use the same colors as you see here the plan was to recreate the chain.

Well my brain was working in a different direction so it ended up taking a bit longer to work on.  I did get the necklace finished and here is the picture.

Oh you can not see it?  No you can not!  After many attempts at trying to get published using one of Jeannie's beads this might just be the one.  I have not received confirmation yet but I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Please hop over to all these other wonderful and lucky artists that are participating this month!

Alicia Marinache  http://www.allprettythings.ca/

Charlie Jacka  http://clay-space.com/

Jeannie K Dukic  http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog

Maureen Connolly  http://mrsbeadsley.blogspot.com/

Patti Vanderbloemen  http://www.myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com/

Hugs and Blessings

Kristen

Art Jewelry Elements Component of the Month Reveal

Have I told you all how much I love being part of this blog group.  The ladies that make up the Art Jewelry Elements blog team are not only talented they are also so supportive of each others art and life.  What started out as a gathering of artists from different mediums has become amazing friends.  I mean look at the Art I have had the pleasure of playing with.....

And this month is no exception.  It was Francesca's turn this time around and this is what she sent us.

I have yet to have put any enameled work in any of my designs so I was thrilled to get my piece.  And you see those little drops?  Silver!  This called for some serious concideration.  I was over the top thrilled when mine arrived.  I had the perfect beads. Knowing how sometimes my skin tends to alter metal I decided to bezel it.  And also thanks to Kelly of the Hole Bead Shoppe I also had a beautiful tube of sterling plated 15's that were perfect for this project.  I have to say I totally cried when I broke one of the beads but all is well.

It still needs a Name but I love love love this necklace!!!

Thank you so much Francesca this was so much fun to play with!  Hey I may not be around because I have yet another bout of sickness.  I may be sleeping but hop over to the Art Jewelry Elements page and see what everyone else created.

Hugs and Blessings!
Kristen

Art Jewelry Elements - Component of the Month Reveal!

Welcome to the AJE component of the month reveal.  This month it was Jenny's turn to host and she did darn good!!!  I know I have been very quiet and scarce as of late but part of it was using any spare time to complete this piece.  Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.

 

The Labyrinth

 

"The labyrinth is a meditative pathway which according to history has pagan roots, yet eventually found its way into church yards. Walking the labyrinth is a reflective journey of the spirit. Although a labyrinth resembles a maze, it is not. Getting yourself lost inside a maze can put yourself into a panic state. Whereas, following the labyrinth pathway will take you to its center and return you safely back to the entrance. It is not a walk to take quickly, take your time on this sacred walk. It is a grounding and peaceful experience."

 

Funny as I explored the design of this gorgeous pendant I found myself wondering.  The design actually came in such a flow it was easy to just sit and enjoy the beads.  As I was sitting and finally enjoying the process ( the holidays were so busy finding time was the biggest issue) I realized that each time I sit and bead I am walking my very own labyrinth.  I find it a peaceful and calming journey most times and when a design flows I have so much more time to enjoy the process.  It is so much like walking a path and being able to notice all the beauty around.  How each bead nestles into it's place, how the thread is a guiding and binding force and how each individual piece is a one of a kind journey of discovery.  I have to thank Jenny so very much for not only sending this piece to work with (and another that is waiting for it's own journey) but the peace that it provided me.  I needed that more than anything!

 

Walking the Labyrinth

 

I always wanted a necklace in cobalt!!!  Thank you Jenny!!!

 

I used one of the components from my "Pop up Pearls" tutorial.  It just seemed to fit!

 

Close up of the clasp that mimics the component.

 If you want your own Labyrinth pendant go here! 

 

I promise to be a better blogger in the coming new year.  I really have missed posting more than just reveals and challenges but don't worry I still love posting them too!!!

 

Hugs and Blessings

KK

AJE Component of the Month Reveal

Have I told you how much I love being part of the Art Jewelry Elements team?  At times I do feel as if I am way out of my element but my partners have made it clear that I do have much to offer and that support means so much.  The other aspect I love as part of this team is the creative sparks that each one of these members provides me.  I not only get to use and showcase their amazing creations I am learning so much about the processes involved in making them.  This month our Component of the Month was these gorgeous pendants made by Lesley Watt of Gossiping Goddess.

 

I have admired Lesley's work for quite a while.  I have only had one experience with metal clay and that was so brief I was left in need to feel it again.  You should know I was not disappointed at all!!!

 

No most of you have read some not so me posts as of late and I am thanking you right now for hanging in there.  Thanks to some really good friends either reminding me of who I am or really giving me the slap upside the head I deserve I am back.  The only problem with that was that my muse Rhiannon had decided she did not want to stick around for me to complete the other two challenges that I had thought I would be participating in.  However before she left and all that icky drama came into view I had already decided what I wanted to do with this pendant.

 

Now you are only getting a partial picture because well I didn't get it completed and I need more of my accent beads.  But here is my Glisten.....

 

 

 

I would like to ask you which picture you like better.  Because of the cloudiness as of late I decide to attempt to use the flash again so I am checking to see which one you like better.

 

Now I would love to direct you to each of the participants as usual but for some reason it will not let me link anymore so please hop over to the AJE page (click link above)

 

Hugs and Blessings!

Kristen