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AJE Earring Challenge: Completed!

Art Jewelry Elements challenged jewelry designers to make a pair of earrings every week for 52 weeks using art beads!  That's a lot of earrings.  I am amazed that I managed to complete all 52 pairs of earrings.  Sometimes I had to take breaks due to family obligations, but I guess we all go through that at one time or another.  This challenge was fun, inspirational, and a great learning experience. Here are my last 8 sets of earrings. 45  Art Beads by Pat Westby, MVLBA 46  Art Beads by Flame on Glass, ETSY 47  Top Art Bead by Carolyn Harmon, MVLBA Bottom Artbead, Art Insomnia Beads 48  Art Beads by Flame on Glass, ETSY 49  Art Beads by Stone Designs, ETSY 50  Art Beads by XINAR, EBAY 51  Art Beads, artist unknown.  Just beautiful, red, sugared spacers. 52  Art Beads by Carolyn Harmon, MVLBA Now what to do with all of these earrings?   Don't forget to stop by the AJE Pinterest page to see earrings by other designers.  Thank you AJE f

AJE Earring Challenge Catch-Up.....

Here we go: 33   Art Beads:   Sheribeads 34   Art Beads:  Carolyn Harmon, MVLBA 35  Art Beads:   Art Insomnia 36  Art Beads:   VGB Lampwork Beads 37   Art Beads:  Carolyn Harmon,  MVLBA 38   Art Beads:  Carolyn Harmon,  MVLBA 39  I cut, bent, and wire-wrapped the wire.  Does that count? 40  Art Beads:  Art Bead Love Chain 41  Art Beads:   Serena's Beadery 42  Aged Czech Beads and hemp.  No art beads. 43  Hybrid Picasso Beads and Waxed Linen.  No art beads. 44  Art Beads:  Celine's Beads, Ebay

4th Annual Challenge of Color :: ColourLovers Wordlinks

I think these beads had all of the palett colors and then some!  I also made these: Color Names for Palette:  Gothic Sex Black Candles Castle in Ruins Gothic Lingerie Baroque Clavichords Supernatural Infusion Color Names for Palette:  Zen Forest Autumn Brown Rich Mud Moss Lichen Canopy Green Follow the link to see more challenge designs (Just click on the banner below).  Thank you Erin for the challenge and inspiration.

Pay It Forward this Holiday Season!

I believe that if you do good, it comes back to you.  Today, I was in line at a local rib joint waiting for my order.  The man that came in after me placed his order and said that he would pay for everyone's order that was in line.  As I and others thanked him, he said that God has been good to him this year and he wanted to pass it on.  Thank you Wayne!  Have a joyous holiday season. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Renetha

2013 Art Charm Exchange: Cuppa Tea Luv?

This is my 2nd year participating in the Art Charm Exchange which is hosted by Jennifer Cameron . This year's theme is LOVE!  The fun of this event is that each participant makes 10 charms +1. The +1 charm is then auctioned off during the Beads of Courage Auction, and the proceeds go to Beads of Courage .    I am not a bead artist, but I do love to work with art beads, and I have quite a stockpile. Some beads are labeled, some are not. This year I made teapot charms!  Nothing says love like tea with your best friend.  Each teapot belly is made with small, round lampwork beads made by Carolyn Harman of the Miami Valley Lampwork Bead Artists , Dayton, Ohio.  I love Carolyn's beads, and the fact that I can get them at my local bead shop, STASH !  As a matter of fact, STASH  had a trunk show featuring beads made by MVLBA  last month!  And I was there to look at beads.....and maybe buy one or two :) My +1 charm has an art bead made by Cheri Reed .  The beads were part of a go

ZnetShows & 7000 Bracelets of Hope

7000 Bracelets of Hope is an initiative from the Global Genes | RARE project, which is an advocacy organization for individuals with rare and genetic diseases. Their symbol is a denim ribbon, a play on genes=jeans. You can find more about the Global Genes project on their website ( https://globalgenes.org/ ). This organization started the  7000 Bracelets of Hope  initiative to provide blue-themed bracelets to families fighting rare and genetic diseases. The idea is that these bracelets give support and a little hope to these families. As well, the unifying blue theme may help spread awareness.  Hope Smitherman of ZnetShows called out to jewelry designers to participate in a lightening round challenge.  We were allowed to pick two choices of blue beads to begin our projects.  The completed bracelets will go to 7000 Bracelets of Hope! I chose some 10mm round sea glass beads in a light blue, as well as a strand of 12mm round navy blue pearls.    S06-B31-ONE - Cultured Sea Glass ro

Good News for Me!

My design, Dark Moon (above), placed 3rd in the Bello Modo Takumi Summer Challenge !  Yeah me!  I am also 1 of 7 finalists in the Jewelry Because October Creations Contest .  Stay posted for the reveal.  I am currently beading up a few designs for the ZnetShows ' Winter Glossi .  And after my rant at Northridge Publishing over their "no refund" policy regarding subscriptions, they finally credited my account for the no longer published issues of Bead Trends Magazine .  I am so excited by all of the good after all those pesky little problems that turn up in real life.

Do Over Challenge #6 & Blog Hop!

Going to try and keep this post short so you can get to the eye candy! Jeannie sent each participant one of her  old, tried, boring pieces of jewelry.  The n each participant works their magic to turn it into something beautiful and amazing.   I don't have the before pic, because I passed the camera on to DH, and he accidentally deleted it while uploading his pics onto his computer.  However, I can say it was a peridot and pearl handlinked gold chain before I took it apart.  The earrings are still intact though not for long! Here is my redo!  Art beads by Pam Ferrari.  Stop by Jeannie's blog for links to other participants.  

Is It Worth It?

Tonight, I am looking at my youngest son's Parent Input for IEP form.  IEP is the acronym for Individualized Education Plan.  Leo is 12 years old and has cerebral palsy.  He cannot talk, walk, and has extremely limited control over his body do any activities that most of us take for granted.  He is totally dependent on someone, mostly family, to take care of him.  How should I respond to the following statements?       1.  Give a brief statement stating a "vision" for your child over the next year, and also a vision after graduation from high school.        2.  I see my child's strengths as:      3.  I see my child's greatest need as:      4.  Other information I feel is important to the growth of my child's educational process: Statement 1 Response:  Most people would say they want their child to have an quality education and grades good enough to get them into college.  In Leo's case, it is difficult to gage what or even if he is learning.  A

Problem: Northridge Publishing Company (Bead Trends Magazine)

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ I was a long time reader of Bead Trends Magazine .  It was a publication filled with beautiful handmade jewelry and inspiration.  But now the not so beautiful side to Northridge Publishing Company.   Bead Trends last issue was for July.  I don't know about anyone else, but Northridge Publishing Company did not notify me that the magazine would no longer be published. I used my credit card to set up monthly transactions for the magazine. Evidence of Bead Trends disappeared from all social media outlets.  So I went to the website and deleted my credit card information.  Charges continued to show up on my statement for August, September, and October.  If a charge shows up for November....... I contacted Northridge Publishing Company several times via their chat room.  No response.  I sent two emails.  Finally today, I received an email from their customer service. Northridge Publication has a policy of no refunds for subscriptions.

Creating with Cabochons Challenge Reveal!

Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime loves challenges and put out a call to Create with Cabochons!  I and others responded to the challenge.  I've done a little bead embroidery and thought this challenge would be fun.  Not only was it fun, but it is also addicting.   I started out with a piece of Succor Creek Jasper that looks like a beautiful desert landscape, and inspired by my friend Cathy Helmers (an expert in bead embroidery), I made the focal below.  It is truly a one of a kind piece.  I used a lot of the hybrid seed beads surrounding the cab and fringe.  Sadly, the hybrid seed beads are not being made anymore, so you better get them before they are gone. And this piece too. The focal is a lampwork bead made by Carolyn Harman, MVLBA . Thank you Sally for hosting this challenge, and for providing those links about beading cabochons.  I had great fun with these! I will get to hopping sometime after the weekend.  My nieces are coming for a visit, while m