Pretty Palettes September

Today is the reveal day for the Pretty Palettes Challenge for September.  Here is the palette:

September Palette

And here's what I came up with:

I added some purple glass beads and some freshwater pearls to the beads that Erin sent to me.  

This is a longer necklace that features a pendant from the Lipstick Ranch with secret message on the back.

My second necklace features the large off white pearls and I just happened to have 2 gray Humblebeads disk beads that I added to each side.

I used the pink glass beads with some pearls to make a wrap bracelet.

I even made earrings, which Is always harder for me to do because I never wear them.

Please check out the Halcraft blog to see what everyone else came up with.

Pretty Palettes September - ME!!!!

Every month, the Halcraft Blog has a color challenge hosted by Erin Prais-Hintz.  And each month she picks a person to play along.  This month she picked me.  Yea, for me, beads in the mail!!  One of the small pleasures in life, beads in the mail.  This is the palette that was picked for September.

September Palette

Mmmm, yummy.  Makes me want cake.  Mmmm.  Anyway, these are the beads I received.

Purples and pinks and a little off white and silver.  This is a little preview of what I came up with.

Come back on September 24th to see the finished designs.  If you want to play along, check out the Halcraft blog for details.

Pretty Palettes Challenge for August

Look at me, two months in a row of bead challenges.  With my oldest back in school, I hope to have more time to make stuff and show it off here on the blog.  This month the palette was a pretty mix of teal, fuschia, brown and off white.  Here is the inspiration:

And here's what I did:

Stacking bracelets.  I'm really into making stretchy bracelets lately.  I think it's because they are quick and easy and fun to wear.  I can't stand wearing jewelry I have to fuss with.  These, you slip them on and that's it.  Here's a picture of what they look like together:

All the beads are from Bead Gallery at Michaels.  Stay tuned, I have some exciting news for September!

Pretty Palettes

I have been following along with the as Pretty Palettes Challenges every month on the Halcraft blog.  I always want to make something, but can never find the time.  This month's palette was a pretty mint green, yellow and gray.  I found myself at Michaels and picked up some beads that would work (for 50% off, too!).  

I'm really into this style of bracelet lately.  It's a wrap with beads strung on waxed linen and attached to a leather loop with a button.

Bonus-it can be worn as a necklace too. I used a mix of mint and green beads with some tiny silver flower spacers.  I couldn't find any yellow beads I was in love with, so these mint glass beads with tiny yellow splotches are what I chose.  I love all of the other pieces that were made this month, great inspiration!  Can't  wait to see next month's palette.

Spring Fever Design Challenge

When I heard about this Spring Fever Blog hop, I knew I wanted to try and get a set of adorable spring beads.  But not because I have been longing for spring.  I live in Orlando and we have two seasons, really hot and eh, it's not that bad today.  These beads were too cute to not want to try.  I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure what color scheme I was going to get.  I lucked out and received purple, yellow and green, three of my favorites.  Of course I didn't take a picture of the beads because as soon as I got them, I wanted to start stringing.

I ended up with three pieces.  I bracelet made with one of the ceramic birds, a lighter purple bead and a ceramic lentil bead with tiny purple flowers.  I used some wooden slice beads and a purple flower toggle to finish it off.  

I wanted to make a charm necklace with the ceramic leaf so I wire wrapped some tiny purple seed beads around a copper circle and added some extra flowers and beads dangling from the bottom.  I used the second bird to attach the circle to

some tan suede cord.  

The last necklace I'm not crazy about.  I used some yellow beads and wire wrapped purple flowers before adding the green ceramic rounds.  I finished it off with some purple jade beads.  I might do it over.  I don't know, I can't stand taking stuff apart.

The one thing I didn't use was the sari silk.  It was a lovely purple color, but I just couldn't figure out what to do with it.  I'm saving it for another day.  

Please check out what everyone else made:

Lesley Watt -http://thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.co.uk

Caroline Dewison -http://www.blueberribeads.co.uk 

Emma Quinn -http://patinafinishes.blogspot.co.uk/

Kathy Lindemer - http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.co.uk 

Vicky Roberts -http://thebeadshopliverpool.blogspot.co.uk

Lori Bowring Michaud -http://artfullyornamental.blogspot.com/

Leigh Thow -http://jewellrleigh.blogspot.co.uk

Ailsa Jackson -http://katzjewellery.blogspot.co.uk/

Steph L -That's me! http://stringaholic.blogspot.co.uk/

Kristi Harrison - http://kristibasket-itsanewday.blogspot.co.uk/

Merja - http://helmiriippuvuus.blogspot.fi

Lucy Haslam -http://faerystone.blogspot.co.uk/

Penny Neville -http://copperpennydesigns.blogspot.co.uk/

Linda - http://earth-shinedesigns.blogspot.co.uk/

Kristen Stewart - http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.co.uk/

Erin Prais – Hintz – http://treasures-found.blogspot.co.uk/

Klassy Joolz -http://klassyjoolz.blogspot.co.uk/

Jenny Argyle -http://keithagnestutorialsdesigns.blogspot.co.uk

Shaiha -http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com

Claire Lockwood -http://www.somethingtodowithyourhands.com/

Patti Gasparino -http://www.mylifeunderthebus.typepad.com/

Suhana Hart -http://www.buttonedupbeads.blogspot.co.uk

Toltec Jewels - JewelSchoolFriends.com 

December AJE Challenge

This is the second time this past year that I have lucked out and won one of Rebekah's beads to design with.  I was particularly excited about this challenge because of the awesome bead.  I have put this bead in and taken it out of my shopping cart on Etsy many times due to budgetary constraints.  I would have posted a picture of just the bead, but I was too excited and strung it right away.  

I meant to make a bracelet, but I found these ombré olive beads and I thought they went well with the other pieces for a necklace.  I'm not sure you can see on te close up of the bead, but there is a subtle blue running through the olive green.  So pretty up close.  

Thanks Rebekah, your beads are always so well made.  Thanks for stopping by and please check out what everyone else made.

Guest Designers:

Stephanie - Confessions of a Bead Hoarder - that's me!

Ann - Bead Love

Karin - Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Melissa - Bead Recipes

AJE Team:

Jen - Glass Addictions

Karen - Starry Road Studio

Kristi - Kristi Bowman Design

Diana - Suburban Girl Studio

Kristen - My Bead Journey

Lesley - The Gossiping Goddess

Jenny - Jenny Davies-Reazor

Francesca - Francesca Watson Designs

Linda - Linda's Bead Blog & Meanderings

Melissa - Melissa Meman… Art, Life, Love

Susan - Sue Beads

Rebekah - Tree Wings Studio

Caroline - BlueberriBeads

I'm beat

I had a show this weekend and I'm exhausted.  Because of my kids, I can only do one show every six months.  It's just too hard to find childcare for a whole weekend.  This time I picked the Big Bang Bazaar.  It's an indoor show, they provide the tables and chairs and all you do is bring our stuff.  That was a big part of the appeal of this show for me.  Here's my little corner.

We couldn't hang up anything on the walls, so no sign.  But I actually think the faux wood paneling worked with my stuff.  I attended this same show in September and it was so packed you couldn't move.  So I thought close to Christmas it would be the same way, people lined up at the door to get in, everyone shopping for the holiday.  Not so much.  It was VERY slow.  Like time moving backwards don't see anyone for a half an hour slow.  All the vendors that I spoke with were not happy to say the least.  The woman in the space next to me said she didn't even make back her entrance fee and the woman next to her only sold one thing all weekend.  I felt so bad.  I made back my booth fee and a some profit, so I was very happy about that.  

But man I am tired.  You wouldn't think standing around talking to people would wipe you out, but I'm beat.  Shows are always a learning experience, what works and what I would change about the next one.  I'm thinking I definitely need a stylus.  It would be easier when I'm using my Square to have people sign with that instead of their fingers.  A couple of vendors had one and it works really well. I was also interested to see what people were picking up and what they bought.  I sold necklaces off of my neck stands the most, so I'll have to invest in more of those.  And I sold a lot of bracelets that were memory wire or stuff with a length of chain so the size could be adjustable.  I think I'll focus on more of those styles for the next go around.  

To all of you out there who do a lot of shows, hats off to you.  That's hard work and I don't know how you do it.  Hopefully maybe something I learned this weekend will help someone else too.