challenges

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Creative Project #10 for February……earrings and a few new things!!!

Yesterday I posted a pair of earrings that I said *might* be the giveaway for Saturday’s 100th post, but they were snatched up.  So I am not sure what will be my giveaway….maybe something you have seen, maybe something I haven’t blogged about yet.  Surprises are good 🙂
I spent the morning making more beads and letting them anneal while I ran some errands.
Some I am saving for a necklace, but I used one pair for earrings.
The same but different from yesterday 🙂
I also got some new tools in the mail today and spent some time making a glass button and practicing a flower shaped bead.
Here is my glass button still on the mandrel.   I only made one mistake…..I only ordered one mandrel, so I can only make one button at a time!

Here is my first try at a flower bead.  I thought it was okay for a first try.
The shape is somewhat close.  Just got to work on getting the petals even…..making that liquid glass *SIT & STAY*!

Here they both are off the mandrels.

I am looking forward to playing with both of these new techniques!
See you tomorrow 🙂

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Creative Project #9 for February……earrings on the brain!!!

Just a quick Create! project today since I have been in and out of meetings I havent had much creative time.  I have tons of earring ideas in my brain.  Quite a change for me since I usually HATE doing earrings since I have to do the same thing TWICE!  Oh well, I seem to be on a roll now so I will go with it.
These were fun to make and are a combination of fine silver wire, copper wire and colored copper wire that is non-tarnish.
The shape reminds me of a birdcage or a bird perch.
I am *thinking*, but not sure yet, that these may be my giveaway prize for my 100th post.
Just so no one misses out let me go over the *rules* again.
1. Comment under the post for the 100th post (this Saturday) ~ this gives you one chance.
2.  Become a follower of this blog, thru your email, not thru facebook ~ this will give you a second chance.
3.  I will give you until Sunday evening to comment and will announce the winner on Monday.
Hope you all want to play 🙂
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Creative Project #7 for February……Valentine’s Day is a week from today!!!

I have been on quite the roll lately with my blogging!! I am very proud of myself!
For Create! day 7 I am still in feeling the Valentine’s spirit, and got such a great response to my heart jewelry that I thought I would make some more with a slightly different twist.
Floating Hearts Earrings:
The glass beads are dark pink with black swirls.  The hearts are made of fine silver wire and soldered.
Just in case a matching pendant was needed, and since I had so much fun with this pattern:
I was looking through my box of finished beads, trying to decide what I would make and found I had enough beads to do earrings and a pendant.
The top bead was so much fun to make.
I had all this space to doodle on with the stringers.
Now my head is bursting with heart designs and ideas for jewelry!
Just five more posts until I do a giveaway for my 100th post! I think that will fall on Saturday.  Here is how it will work…..first you will have to comment under the post, on Saturday, for your first chance at the giveaway……..BUT…if you become a follower of my blog that will give you an extra ticket in the drawing.
I am still trying to decide what I will giveaway, but will decide soon!
Until tomorrow……happy creating!
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Creative Project #5 for February….something in on the road.

Today was a pretty busy day.  We are emptying our upstairs to have spray foam insulation put in……and *maybe*, just *maybe* one of the rooms upstairs may become a classroom for me to teach quilting.  I have gotten a lot of requests lately and am starting to feel like I should pay it forward.
So the morning was spent emptying two huge rooms, then after lunch my husband and I took a road trip to another town….40 minutes away ~ far for the islands!…..to attend a fundraiser for a friend’s mom.
If I was gonna create today I had to take something on the road.  I had gotten an email from Lion Brand Yarns this morning featuring some patterns, and one of them was a cute little crocheted envelope.
Just before we left I got it started.
Here it is in the car when I completed it.  You can take a look at our *highways* 🙂
When I got home I sewed on a button for a clasp.
Makes the perfect jewelry pouch!
My husband has also been creative!  For Christmas he got a home brewing kit to make his own beer.  We are beer connoisseurs!  And tonight the time had come to taste the first batch, after 3 weeks of waiting!
It was awesome!  This batch was Lager and the next batch will be Draught.
And I know this beer is vegan!
Hope you have all had a wonderful Saturday!
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Creative Project #4 for February…….Valentines!

Happy Friday everyone!
It dawned on me yesterday that I should probably do some Valentine’s themed projects.  So that was my goal with my *Create!* project for day four and since I am on a roll with the jewelry, that is the direction I went in.
I am not a matchy-matchy type of person so to me the pendant and earrings can be worn together, but I know to some that just wouldn’t do.
All the beads are made by myself, and all the silver wire is fine silver wire.  The colored pink wire on the pendant is colored copper wire that is non-tarnish.
I think the earrings are my favorite.
Now I need to get back to finishing my orders that are almost done!  So if you ordered something from me at the show last weekend, then you will probably see me next week!
Have a great weekend.
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Creative Project #3 for February (and a surprise for me)

Today was a bit of a rush for me since Thursdays are my day to go into town, grocery shop, run errands etc…..  BUT I did manage to do something creative!  This challenge is really giving me a chance to try out patterns that I have had for a while.
Most of you know that one of my favorite books is “Totally Twisted” by Kerry Bogart.
Well she has patterns for sale at the interweave store also, and I purchased this pattern called “Pacifying Pendants“.  I had to work with the beads I had made so it isn’t exact, but my version I guess.
Some of you may remember a few months back I was making these pendants…..
That is when I was playing around with PMC.  At the time I only had a torch to fire the silver with and this was the only pendant that didn’t melt before my eyes.  Now I have a kiln I can fire PMC in, but with the shows I have been doing there wasn’t much time to *play*.  It is way up on my list to try some more PMC projects with my kiln very, very soon!
To top today off I received my Potholder Pass package from Amy!!!
Amy and I have become fast virtual friends and she and I are moderating the potholder swap together for this round.
What an awesome package!!!
Do you see that eyeglass case?  Amy makes those…she prints the fabric and everything!
Check out her Etsy Store and see the really cool creations she has for sale from her printed fabrics.
I am so in love with these potholders that I want to frame them!
I just adore free pieced letters and green….perfection!
Hope you are all having a great week!
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Creative Project #2 for February

This post makes my 90th post!!!  If I keep up this marathon blogging, in no time I will be on my 100th post!!!  That day I will do a giveaway for my followers.
Today I worked on a few different projects.  I have some orders from the show for my journal covers, so I started a few of those today.  One of the orders is for a design different than any I have done….here is a sneak peek…..
I also worked on a project that has been at the back of my mind for a while now.  Inspired by these two books……
*Whimsyland* & *Greetings from TucsaDelphia* by Liz and Beth Hawkins.
The designs in this book are full of fun and whimsy and that is top on my list when making something.  After looking in these books, when I received them several months ago, I wanted to make some place mats.
So today *Vegan Blvd.* was created!
I love scooters and if the traffic here was decent I would drive one.
Tonight is pizza night, so in between sewing projects I have made some vegan sausage for the pizza and have the dough rising.
I am looking forward to dinner and using my new placemat!
Happy Creating….until tomorrow 🙂

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Creative Project #1 for February

In my last post I told you I had joined a new group, called *Create!* A Project a Day – February*, on Flickr and the challenge was to create something everyday for the month of February.  I had three ideas this morning…..a bag pattern from Fat Quarterly Magazine, an apron pattern from the same magazine, or some crocheted jar covers.
The bag won!
If you didn’t already know, I have a bag fetish!  So I should have known the bag would be first.  The pattern is by Monika Wintermantel.  She is a flickr friend and I have admired her work for a long time!  Check out her blog also www.monaw.blogspot.com, she does some amazing work!
This is the front of the bag.  I basically followed the pattern for the this side.  For the back I added my own touch…..
As well as some ceramic buttons that I made.
I am hoping this group keeps my inspiration in full gear since I have some upcoming shows to work towards and I have had a blast the last few weeks creating new items for the last show.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a new creation!