Creative Spark E-Zine & Spring Challenge

A few weeks ago, I mentioned there was a surprise coming up. I may have mentioned beads and Znet Shows (I don't remember at this point) but there were (obviously) beads involved and they were from Znet as a part of a blind Spring Challenge (blind, as in I didn't know what beads I'd be working with until I opened the box they sent). Boy, what a box! It was crammed! It was packed! I got the box and giggled for at least twenty minutes.



A beautiful mix of Spring colors to work with



More....



More....



There were actually a lot more beads than this, and I made a whole bunch'a earrings, but only so many could be entered in the challenge. You see, they were going to be published in their E-Zine, Creative Spark. YES! ME! WOO HOO!! First time I've ever been published for my hobby. I love beads and I love getting free beads to create with. Znet Shows has some awesome beads to play/work with. Please, take a moment to go here to check out their 'zine (I'm featured starting on page 83) and feel free to enjoy the beautiful work of my teammate designers.

Pirate Swag!

My bestest bud took a trip with her niece and family to Sea World not too long ago and got one of those smashed penny prizes.  She showed it to me and I told her I could make a necklace for her if she wanted.  Strangely enough, she let me have the penny (eeeeeevil grin!)

So, here it is, from design concept to finish.

design idea to begin
(why keeping sketch book in purse is good!)

checking the size of the smooshed penny to the drawn frame

1st measurements

revised measurements

Final incarnation
(I won't freak you out with the 1st incarnation ~shudder~)

Close up of penny in it's frame with the adjustment
of it's own little black "pearl" instead of the crystal dangle

playing around, a metal frame from the measurements

side view

finished frame ~ wrapped in wire with
aqua crystals (trust me, they're aqua!)
the wire wrap thru the two loops on the
bottom keeps the frame together. The
crystal on the bottom is also a dangle
instead of being wired to it.

Busy Weekend

 I had a busy weekend with the camera.  Here are a few new items (and a couple of old) going into the store on Etsy. 

Skies over Jupiter



Dream!

Rustic Berries

Rustic Teal

Teal Swirls

Red Daisy Dangles

Blue Daisy Dangles

Hot Spring - Lanyard

Pics After A Delay

Oh, my gracious!  I had no idea how hard it would be to re-take all the pics of the things I had in my Etsy store as well as get new pics of all the things I'd made to add to the store! Then, on top of that, I got sick last weekend and wasn't even able to take the pics until Monday night.  At which point I learned about photo editing.
Fun.
Right.
I love my new camera and my new table top studio, but I do NOT want to get either of them out again any time soon (which is a really ridiculous thing to say since I'm not going to stop creating!)
Anyway, here's a few previews of what's going to be in the shop by this weekend! (I hope! I plan!!)
Enjoy :)

I went SO nuts on the earrings! You don't even know! This isn't a 1/4 of what I have to put in the store (phew!) and I plan to have it all done over the weekend? Stay tuned, folks, and see if she escapes from Ward B! (hahahahaaa)

Another Self-Challenge and Updating a Jewelry Line

Carson in his Halloween Costume... yes, that's
a wheel chair; yes, he's only 2; yes, he really does
know how to move that thing around on his own!

I have a line of jewelry on my Etsy store that's dedicated to Spina Bifida. There's an adorable little boy in my church, Carson, that was born with this malady that inspired this line and, when my line starts selling, I'm going to be donating a portion of the proceeds to an SB charity or for SB research. 



Anyway, in the not-too-distant past I had created a set of necklaces for for Carson's mommy and some friends of hers who each have a child with SB.  We called the necklaces "Perfect Imperfections" because the stones were all one color except for this one line of yellow running thru them... a "flaw," if you will.  And that's what I'm changing the name of my SB line to, "Perfect Imperfections."  The challenge for myself is this, several of the pieces I make are going to have a "flaw" in them somewhere.  Some obvious (like a bead or link that doesn't "belong" with the color or scheme) and some "hidden" (you'll have to look to find it; after all, not all physical maladies are obvious either).  I wrote a poem for Carson and his mom, as well, also called "Perfect Imperfections."  It reminds us that God can use what we see as imperfect or useless, either in our lives or someone elses.  It's not up to us, it's up to Him.

PERFECT IMPERFECTIONS

Man says "They're broken, throw them away."
God says "I can use them, give them to me."

Man says "What can they do? They're useless."
God says "What can't they do? I will use them!"

Man says "Don't bother, they're imperfect!"
God says "for my strength is made perfect in [their imperfections]."

         "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my [imperfections], that the power of Christ may rest upon me."  II Corinthians 12:9

Weekend Slump - (sort of)

Well, I didn't do very much this weekend.  I was lazy.  I did do a few more earrings.  I read (in a blog or in one of my numerous jewelry magazines I buy ~ I should have stock in their companies by now!) about using items you can find in your local tool store, such as copper piping, and went to Lowe's a few weeks ago.  I've been playing with the copper pipes I bought ever since.  Got a new Dremel for Christmas (yes, copper gets hot when being drilled; no, you should not hold it with your bare fingers!) and stole a pipe cutter from my dad. (I guess I should say "borrowed", but he knows he's never getting it back ~ heeee! ~)  One of the pair of earrings I made are these and I liked 'em SO much that I decided to keep them. Selfish!  Oh, well, I'll make more pairs with the tubes and beads this week (and break the table top studio back out... yes, it's repaired but, as mentioned earlier, I was SO lazy this weekend!)  Oh, ALso!  I made this necklace last week.  I took an idea from Linda over at Objects & Elements and went a slightly different way with it. (see? this is what I love about stalki...er... following all you creative ladies! you can get great ideas from the crafts of others)

AND! I got to make the inner Pyro happy!  I used flame to darken the copper in the necklace.  I'm going to have to break down and buy a small hand-held torch.  Those candle lighter lighters don't do a great job (tho', if you're patient, and heat from underneath or aim the flame inside the tube, it works better... prettier colors... just sayin')

1"  long copper tubes that have been pounded
by the peen on my craft hammer. Winter blue
beads and a lighter blue crystal bead as accents.



Closer look ~ can you see the hammer marks?
What they say is true, even if it's not pounding,
it's still theraputic to beat on something! :)



MY version of the necklace Linda created.
I'm also not as good with the metal as her...
yet!  Some day... Still liking this, tho'!



A closer look at the flowers I made. Yellow
crystals added to blue plastic flower forms
and all hooked to a jump ring and hooked
onto the end of the wire.