LamplightCrafts

Received these goodies from ZnetShows  yesterday.  The challenge is to make whatever I want with the bead provided by ZnetShows before March 3rd.  Then the results will be published in their Spring Glossi!  Do you see how I've grouped the colors?  Designs are already forming.  Talk about Spring Bling! Stay tuned for a sneak peak.  Link to the Winter Glossi:   http://www.glossi.com/CreativeSpark/75363-spark-winter-13-14 Have I said that I love challenges?  Well I do!  Let the beading begin. Who knew a 13 year old could fit under a bed.  He crawled under the bed just after he got home from his physical therapy.  I love all my boys, but Leo spends a lot of evenings watching me bead.

Winnings! I just want to say thank you Bello Modo for hosting the challenges.  I look forward to participating in more challenges. Bello Modo announced its winners for their Radiant Orchard Challenge .  I did manage to finish this piece for the challenge: However, I didn't win the main prizes, but I did win a secondary prize goody bag for my use of Czechmates! This was made with Czech mates 2-hole tiles, Toho Takumi's, Swarovski crystal rose satin and purple haze crystals, and Vintaj dragonfly charms.  The focal is a lampwork bead, by my friend and fellow beader Carolyn Harmon ( MVLBA ).  I love her beads! The closest to Radiant Orchid I had in my stash were the Takumi's color called dragonfruit.  They brought out the color of the art bead. I won 3rd place in the Bello Modo Takumi Summer Challenge .  I love to complete challenges because it focuses my designs--rather than beading for the sake of beading.  Not that I don't do a lot of th...

Living Life Creatively: Share the Love Giveaway : Inspired by the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday, Lori Bergmann wanted to do a little Giveaway to show her appreciation for all the love her family, f friends and wonderful customers have given her throughout the year!

Read all about it here:   ESFERA

It is now Week 2 for the 2014 Year of Jewelry Facebook Group, and I am on schedule.  This week's theme is "It's Golden."  I made a pair of earrings.  Easy?  Yes.  Golden?  Of course I made these earrings with 24K gold fumed beads made by VGB Lampwork (Ebay).  VGB always makes beads that sparkle gold or silver.  But the gold-fumed are my favorite.  These tiny spacer beads are so cute. Don't forget to stop by the YOJ Facebook page to see what other jewelry designers made so far in this challenge.  Have I said that I love challenges?  Well I do. Renetha

I signed up for the Jewelry Because Creations Contest.  Jewelry Because creates artisian jewelry and fights for social justice.  The jewelry is created and used in fund raisers for causes and groups that are changing the world for the better.  I am all for doing my part of making the world a better place. For October 2013, I was a finalist and received a great package of goodies.  The black cubes and blue bicones were part of the kit. October Finalist My winnings....more beads!   November Finalist Now for the good news!  I also signed up for the November contest, and was a finalist again.  The pearls, chain and rondelles were part of the kit. The surprise came when it was announced that I won the bonus round for December with this design.  I am so excited. December Bonus Round Winner I am looking forward to creating with the January Creations kit.  It's a lot of fun and I love the challenge.Visit Jewel...

It is time once again to start another journey of jewelry design.  Last year was a lot of fun, but I dropped the ball and didn't post every item like I wanted to.  However, I did manage to make a jewelry item for each week for a total of 52 pieces of jewelry and that is in addition to the 52 pairs of earrings for another challenge. Them for Week 1:  Something New for Me.  Here is my first design, Travertine Dreams, for the year: Lampwork bead by Carolyn Harmon, MVLBA. Porcelain beads by Heliotrope Art Studio. Only 51 more pieces to go.  The 2014 Year of Jewelry group members post all pictures on Facebook, click here .

Click to view Creative Spark Winter 13-14 on GLOSSI.COM I am honored to share the pages of this Glossi with so many talented jewelry designers. It is worth the read. I love reading about other's creative process too.

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 Pintere...

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

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.

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

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 ...

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.    S...

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.

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.