Sunday, April 29, 2012

I Heart Macro

I really look forward to I Heart Macro Sunday


I enjoy seeing the pictures posted by the other participants


And I enjoy the opportunity to be creative



I'm joining Lori Plyler of Studio Waterstone for "I Heart Macro" slash "I Heart Close Ups: Up Close Photography for Macro Makers and the Camerologically Challenged". Please click on the link below to view photos by other participants, or to add your own macro photo.

studio waterstone

Enjoy your day and week!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

April ABS Monthly Challange


Boreas by John William Waterhouse, 1903
Oil on canvas

68.8 x 94 cm

I love the art piece chosen for Aprils ABS Monthly Challenge.   I'm a sucker for anything romantic and fell in love as soon as I saw the picture.  

I didn't think that I would be able to complete anything for this month, but then I remembered a pair of earrings I had started working on a couple of months ago.  They were made using a pair of Magdalena Ruiz's lampwork boro glass, Murrini Organic Spikes.

The colors were close enough to the color pallet, but needed a just a little more.


I had purchase some gunmetal recycled silk sari ribbon from Lisa Jurist and that was the perfect addition.



I really like how they turned out.  The wire used for the earrings is annealed steel wire that I purchased from Brenda Schweder.


Please visit the Art Bead Scene Blog on April 27th for the April blog tour and view current entries now, on the ABS Flickr.

Tree Wings Studio: Giveaway!!

Rebekah Payne of Tree Wings Studio is having a giveaway for some of her beautiful bead sets!


This is the set that I'm hoping to win (fingers and toes crossed), but there are two other beautiful sets available.

I Heart Macro 04/22/2012

My pictures for today's I Heart Macro are of flowers from a grocery store bouquet.  I've been so busy with work and haven't had any time to work in my garden this Spring.  I love seeing the flower pictures that are submitted for IHM each week, but the majority of the flowers blooming in my yard are weeds.

This bouquet had a nice mix of chrysanthemum's, a Gerber daisy, a sun flower, lily, eucalyptus and some miscellaneous items that I can't identify.  For some reason, I had a really had time shooting the sun flower, which is the one I wanted to shoot the most.


I love the contrast between the purple and yellow, green of this chrysanthemum


The eucalyptus smells wonderful!  There are little buds, like it may bloom, which will be interesting to see.


This little visitor liked the eucalyptus too and was nice enough to pose for pictures.


Love this orange Gerber daisy!


And the orange lily is very pretty too


A sweet little button chrysanthemum

I'm joining Lori Plyler of Studio Waterstone for "I Heart Macro" slash "I Heart Close Ups: Up Close Photography for Macro Makers and the Camerologically Challenged". Please click on the link below to view photos by other participants, or to add your own macro photo.

studio waterstone

Blessings to you and enjoy your week!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Wrapped, Stacked & Layered Bracelet Challenge

Welcome to the Wrapped, Stacked & Layered Bracelet Challenge hosted by Tracy of Make Bracelets!



The challenge was to gather bracelets that we currently have in our collection and try them on together in new and interesting ways, possibly making a new bracelet or two to add to the mix.  Then we were to take our favorite combination and create an interesting assemblage of wrapped, stacked and or layered bracelets, with at least one or two being made by us.

I have chosen three bracelets that I had made previously.  The top bracelet was made a couple of years agoIt's made with sterling silver beads, sterling silver daisy spacer's and a handmade clasp.


I made the next two earlier this year.


The top bracelet is made with knotted leather, Ellen Dooley lampwork beads, Gaea ceramic bead and misc. copper beads.
The bottom bracelet is a sterling silver bangle with Ellen Dooley lampwork beads, sterling silver beads and a turquoise cross.


I started wearing the three together a couple of weeks ago and have received several compliments.


 Below is a list of participants and should link to their blog or website.

Blessings to you and enjoy your weekend!


Sunday, April 15, 2012

I Heart Macro 04/15/2012

I'm joining Lori Plyler of Studio Waterstone for "I Heart Macro" slash "I Heart Close Ups: Up Close Photography for Macro Makers and the Camerologically Challenged". Please click on the link below to view photos by other participants, or to add your own macro photo.

studio waterstone

In March I signed up for Cindy Wimmer's Button Swap Blog Hop, which will be held on May 13th.  I am honored to have been partnered with the very talented Lynda Moseley of SCDiva.  Lynda makes beautiful, beautiful polymer clay pendants, beads and buttons.  She also makes some wonderful Scottish and Irish Tartans Series pendants and necklaces.  Please visit Lynda's Etsy shop to see her gorgeous creations and check out her tutorials.
Last Monday I received my buttons from Lynda and they are lovely!


I am in love with these buttons!  I have some ideas and have pulled out beads to go with the red and blue floral and the purple and green bees buttons.  I'm excited and worried at the same time!  These buttons are so pretty and I hope I do them justice with my design ideas.


I also wanted to share a picture of a visitor I had while working on taxes yesterday.  I felt something light on my ankle and casually swished with my hand, thinking it was probably a fly or mosquito.  When I felt it again and looked down, this little critter was on my leg.


My natural instinct was to scream "Whhaaaaa!" and shake it off my leg.  The poor thing went flying across the room and was probably scared to death!  My son helped me scoop it up in a container, so we could release it outside. 

Blessings to you and enjoy your week!

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Flap Your Wings Design Challenge & Blog Hop


This morning I am joining Tania Spivey of Moobie Grace Designs, who is hosting the Flap Your Wings Blog Hop, in memory of Judy Glende.   (For a list of the blog hop participants, please visit Tania's blog or click on the button.)

Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Judy, in reading her blog posts I could tell that she was a kind and gentle soul.  She was an amazing artist and was very respected and loved in the beading community.  From the FYW's blog hop posts you will see how much this dear, sweet woman has been and will be missed.

I made the above earrings as my tribute to Judy and all who have lost a love one to cancer.
Details:
Vintaj brass
bird blanks, embossed by me
Sapphire Swarovski crystal bicones
Bronze faceted rondelle crystals

Brass colored, pewter spacers
Brass wire

Handcrafted polymer clay beads - Rebekah Payne of Tree Wings Studio

 

Although I have decided to keep the earrings I made, I will be making a donation to:
Mustang Alley Horse Rescue
1020 Walters Road, Greenville, TN 37743 

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Art Letter Stamps Giveaway at Pretty Things Blog

Lori Anderson of Pretty Things is have an awesome giveaway.  Visit Lori's blog to find out how you can win a lowercase set of Ballroom Boogie letter stamps 


 and a very cool stamping hammer designed specifically for metal stamping. 

 Winner will be announced on Monday, April 16th, so you better hurry!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Happy Easter & I Heart Macro 04/08/2012


studio waterstone

I'm joining Lori Plyler of Studio Waterstone for "I Heart Macro" slash "I Heart Close Ups: Up Close Photography for Macro Makers and the Camerologically Challenged". Please click on the link above to view photos by other participants, or to add your own macro photo.

Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy Easter!


Enjoy your week!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

I Heart Macro 04/01/2012

studio waterstone

I'm joining Lori Plyler of Studio Waterstone for "I Heart Macro" slash "I Heart Close Ups: Up Close Photography for Macro Makers and the Camerologically Challenged". Please click on the link above to view photos by other participants, or to add your own macro photo.

Getting a late start due to much needed yard work.  I've signed up for several blog hops/challenges and my up close pictures are the beginnings of those projects (so I won't be revealing what the pictures are).





Also playing around with some textures on Picnik.  Just 18 (or 17) more days to use Picnik (On April 19, 2012 Picnik will be closing).

And because April is National Poetry Month I will leave you with a quick haiku

It is Sunday night
The weekend goes by so fast
Oh how the time fly's

Enjoy your week!