3rd Annual Challenge of Color Blog Hop

The wonderful Miss Erin of Treasures Found, is having her 3rd Annual Challenge of Color blog hop.  This is the second color challenge mom and I have participated in by Erin and we both love it. Erin always has the most unique and fun challenges.  Of course when I signed mom and myself up for the challenge I didn't know about her upcoming shots and surgery, so we had to work around that (I needed my sawer for the pendants you know!).

How the challenge works - Erin sent us two color palettes to chose from. These amazing palettes were created by Brandi Hussey. The pictures are from the Earth As Art exhibit from the United States Geological Service taken from the Landsat 7 satellite. We have to make something...a piece of jewelry, or an accessory...anything that captures the colors from one of the palettes, or we could use both of them.

These are the color palettes mom and I received.  The night before mom's shot we talked over what we were going to saw out and the color palette we were going to use - No Man's Land.  I even sent an email to Erin to let her know.  Of course on the drive back to my house I had a totally different brain storm and the design totally changed.

The next week I sent some design ideas to mom (this is the week of her foot surgery) to see what she thought.  Mom drew up some patterns and we thought we had come up with a pattern I could saw out because we ran out of time before mom's surgery for her to saw out.  You will love this, two days after mom's surgery, she tweaked the pattern again because the holes were too small (which I thank mom because trying to saw those out and enamel them would have had me swearing a blue streak).

Here is the final piece - and in my opinion - I think we ended up using colors from both color palettes but mom and I disagree on it :)  Let us know what you think.

Mom and I are calling this piece "Winging It".

The pendant is a bird flying over a sunset on water.  The pattern was glued onto 20 gauge copper which is then sawed out, filed, sanded and then enameled in the kiln.

We also made the clasp to go with the necklace.

The beads are from Michaels - dyed imperial jasper 8mm, banded red agate 8mm round dyed, and silver plated med ring beads with seed beads as accents.

"Winging It"

Mom and I want to thank Erin for the wonderful opportunity to participate in her challenges.  They always push us outside our comfort zone and try new colors or new techniques.

Here is a list of the rest of the participants (if the links don't work please go to Erin's blog and check the hoppers out:

Erin Prais-Hintz http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/2012/11/3rd-annual-challenge-of-color-reveal.html
Rebecca Anderson http://songbeads.blogspot.com
Kris Auderer http://strandedinthecity.wordpress.com
Chrizette Bayman http://beadsoupmix.blogspot.com
Lori Bowring Michaud http://artfullyornamental.blogspot.com
Courtney Breul http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com/
Lynsey Brooks http://yellowunicorncreations.blogspot.co.uk
Stephanie Buss http://maxandlucie.blogspot.com
Iveth Caruso http://www.creativeatelier.net/
Shannon Chomanczuk http://www.formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com
Lisa Cone http://inspiredadornments.blogspot.com/
Cece Cormier http://thebeadingyogini.com
Lori Dorrington http://lorisglassworks.blogspot.com
Dawn Doucette http://designsbydawnmarie.blogspot.com
Jeannie Dukic http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog/
Kim Dworak http://cianciblue.blogspot.com/
Beth Emery http://storiesbyindigoheart.blogspot.com
Janice Everett http://JLynnJewels.blogspot.com
Pam Farren http://www.re-maker.blogspot.com
Donetta Farrington http://simplygorgeous-donetta.blogspot.com
Gloria Ferrer http://judetaama.blogspot.com.es/
Cherrie Fick http://designsinthelight.co
Therese Frank http://www.theresestreasures59.blogspot.com
Patty Gasparino http://www.mylifeunderthebus.typepad.com
Tanya Goodwin http://pixiloo.blogspot.com/2012/11/3rd-annual-challenge-of-color.html
Ambra Gostoli http://chicandfrog.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/3rd-challenge-of-color
Jess Green http://tabbiekoshka.blogspot.co.uk/
Denielle Hagerman http://somebeadsandotherthings.com
Mary Harding www.maryhardingjewelrybeadblog.blogspot.com
Karla Hartzog http://www.karlakrafts.com
Kim Hora http://www.kimmykats.com
Brandi Hussey http://brandigirlblog.com
Emanda Johnson http://ArtemisiaStudio.blogspot.com
Jennifer Justman http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/
Sue Kennedy http://suebeads.blogspot.com
Ema Kilroy http://emakaye.blogspot.com
Lee Koopman http://Stregajewellry.wordpress.com
Linda Landig http://www.LindasBeadBlog.com
Kirsi Luostarinen http://kirsiluokorut.blogspot.com
Cynthia Machata http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com/
Alicia Marinache http://www.allprettythings.ca
Beth McCord http://www.ebbeadandmetalworks.blogspot.com
Mary K McGraw http://mkaymac.blogspot.com/
Karen Mitchell http://www.overthemoon-design.com
Cheri Mitchell-Reed http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/
Aimee Moisa http://threecatsdancing.blogspot.com
Karla Morgan http://www.texaspepperjams.blogspot.com
Penny Neville http://copperpennydesigns.blogspot.com
Becky Pancake http://beckypancakebeaddesigns.blogspot.com
Kashmira Patel http://sadafulee.blogspot.com
Alice Peterson http://alice-dreaming.blogspot.com
Kayla Potega http://www.teejewelry.blogspot.com
Debbie Price http://greenshoot.blogspot.co.uk
Bobbie Rafferty http://beadsong.blogspot.com
Caron Reid http://caronmichelle.blogspot.com.au/
Nicole Rennell http://nicolerennell.com/blog
Cynthia Riggs http://cynthsblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/3rd-annual-challenge-of-color.html
Andrea Ross http://silvermapledesigns.blogspot.com/
Sally Russick http://thestudiosublime.com
Annie Scherz http://www.studioluma.ca
Pam Sears http://crazycreativecorner.blogspot.com/
Renetha Stanziano http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com
Sandra Stein http://sannipanni.wordpress.com
Kristen Stevens http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com
Tracy Stillman http://www.tracystillmandesigns.com
Sherri Stokey http://www.knotjustmacrame.com/2012/11/challenge-of-color-reveal.html
Lola Survillo http://www.beadlolabead.blogspot.com
Kay Thomerson http://KayzKreationz.blogspot.com
Jo Tinley http://daisychaindesignsjewellery.blogspot.com
Emma Todd http://www.apolymerpenchant.com
Cory Tompkins http://www.tealwaterdesigns.blogspot.com
Pam Traub http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com
Melissa Trudinger http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Michelle Tucker http://michellescreativemusings.blogspot.com/
Shelley Graham Turner http://www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com
Monique Urquhart http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com/
Rachel Van-Walsk http://balancedcrafts.com/blog
Patti Vanderbloemen http://www.myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com
Lesley Watt http://thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com
Lynn White http://lynnwhitejewelry.com/Lynn_White_Jewelry/Lynns_Jewelry_Blog/Lynns_Jewelry_Blog.html
Joan Williams http://www.lilrubyjewelry.com

November ABS Challenge Piece

Three Worlds, 1955 by M C Escher

Lithograph

About the Art

Three worlds depicts a large pool or lake during the autumn or winter months, the title referring to the three visible perspectives in the picture: the surface of the water on which leaves float, the world above the surface, observable by the water's reflection of the forest, and the worlk below the surface, observable in the large fish swimming just below the water's surface.

About the Artist
Maurits Cornelis Escher, June 1898 – 27 March 1972, usually referred to as M. C. Escher, was a Dutch graphic artist. He is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints. These feature impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, architecture, and tessellations.

This month I was really excited to participate in the ABS Challenge - this piece actually spoke to mom and myself and it was easy to design - just took forever to create :)

This is our piece with a copy of the Escher inspiration.

The pendant is 20 gauge copper that mom put a pattern on, sawed out, filed and sanded.  I then kiln fired enameled the piece with black and white enamel.

Mom and I also made the clasp to go with the piece - sawed out of 20 gauge copper, filed, sanded and enameled with black and white enamels.

The lampwork beads I made with white and black glass - I was trying to go for the feel of the leaves with the feathering on the beads.  Mom and I used accent beads, from Michaels.  They are Zebra 24mm Diamond Stone beads.  We also used gunmetal spacers and black glass beads.

So, that is our piece for this month's ABS Challenge.  I hope you enjoyed the piece as much as we did creating it!

Check back on Friday because mom and I are participating in Erin's Color of Challenge blog hop.  I am so excited to share what mom and I created - it totally changed from our beginning ideas and involved into something completely different.  That is what I love about challenges - pushes you outside of your boundaries!

Playing with Pictures

Yes, I know I should be in the studio working but just not feeling it.  Mom is down with a stomach bug and I have been with a headache for a little over a week.  Plus I feel like something is missing - I have all these ideas but just no umph to get them done - such as the ABS Challenge piece and this Friday is Erin's reveal for her Color Challenge.

So, instead I have been playing with some of our pictures.  These are pics I took of mom's Oriental bushes.  The first pic is the original picture and the second one is from me playing in Pic Monkey.  Enjoy while I try and finish sawing and filing - maybe.

Bush 1

Bush 1 altered

Bush 2

Bush 2 altered

Bush 3

Bush 3 altered

Bush 4

Bush 4 altered

Bush 5

Bush 5 altered

Happy Thanksgiving

From mom and myself we wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

Mom and I are heading to our cousin's house for Thanksgiving with the family.  Bring on all the good food :)

Review of the Show and Mom's Surgery

Last Friday, Saturday and Sunday was our show at the Frankfort Public Library.  Mom and I love this show but mom had to have her steroid shot on Friday.  There was a mix up (she was supposed to have the shot on Thursday) so mom was pretty out of it on Friday so it was me at the show.  The above pic is of the bruises mom got from her five sticks of them trying to give her an IV.  They finally had to call a specialist in to stick mom.  No - I did not beat mom because she didn't finish sawing out pieces for me :)

These are two pieces we completed on Thursday just in time for the show on Friday.  The bracelet has one of my favorite quotes and the necklace has the kokopelli pendant on it.  Love how they both turned out!

Here is a picture of the table before I got everything on it.  I made mom sit in the back corner and watch until I got everything on the table and I did let her rearrange a little.  Mom is worse than a toddler; can't get her to listen to me :)

After set up I took mom home and put her to bed.  She wasn't doing too good and I told her she was not going to the show with me that night - hey, she actually listened to me.  Plus her body shut down on her so that was a plus :)

On Saturday and Sunday this was the view from where I was sitting and working on Viking Knit.  The show went really well and I think this might have been our best year so far.  Of course now - when mom is better - we have to work and work and work to get the inventory back up.  We didn't realize how low we were until this show.

I had to share with you one of the things I bought at the show (mom and I also bought five or six of her pendants).  It is a polymer clay dragon (I LOVE DRAGONS!!!!).  The artist is Alexa and she is 15 years old.  I remember talking with her last year and sending her an email with all sorts of ideas.  This year she was asked to be in the show and she so deserved it!!!  If you have a chance check out her site DragonFlame Design.  Once I find where mom stashed the pendants I will take pics and share them - they are so freaking awesome!!!!  Right now the dragon is at work sitting in front of my monitor so I can look at it every day.

This is mom's foot before surgery on Thursday.  Mom always draws on her foot before she goes into surgery - I know our podiatrist gets a kick out of the drawings.  Last time mom drew a zipper down the area he was going to operate on.  This time it is sort of a bulls eye around the thing he was going to cut out.

This is where mom got prepped for surgery.  The doctor came in and check out her drawing and had a great laugh.  Oh, this time it took one try to get the IV in.

Here is where mom was out of surgery.  Mom would kill me if I shared the pics I took of her - of course she probably doesn't remember me taking the pics - but I am sure she would still kill me.  Mom did really well and the doctor thinks he got it all this time, cross your fingers.  He did have to make a longer incision to get it all and found branches of the thing and he cauterized them so keep thinking positive thoughts.  Of course mom didn't remember what the doctor said and every five minutes or so she would ask, again, what the doctor said.  I could have had so much fun with mom but I was a good girl.  I got mom home and put her to bed.  I stayed with her until 10:00 that night - every half hour I was giving her a cold pack to put on her foot.  It was half hour on and half hour off. 

Yesterday mom moved from her bed to the couch.  She was still putting the cold pack on for a half hour.  Her toes were cold so we found her a winter sock and I got one of those heat packs for your hand and she put them in her sock.  I also made dinner for mom yesterday (just so you know I don't cook!).  I made her corn casserole and stuffed chicken (already made just have to put in the oven).  I stayed with mom until around 4pm yesterday.

This is mom today with Zola helping her on the laptop.  Trying to keep mom down is freaking hard.  She already wants to call the doctor on Monday to see if she can walk yet.  I yelled at her - mom he made a longer incision this time - you NEED TIME TO HEAL!!!!!  Mom does not stay still very well.  I told her she can talk to the doctor on Wednesday when I take her in for her first appointment.  She is seriously worse than a toddler!!!!

Zola asleep on the laptop

So, that has been our week - from the three day show to mom's surgeries.  I think I have been a little burnt out on shows and making things.  I went to make beads yesterday, from the November ABS Challenge, and I had to stop.  I got four done and it wasn't fun.  If it isn't fun I just didn't want to keep going and maybe make a mistake or burn myself.

I know I have a lot to do - file and sand the pendant for the November ABS piece, make the beads for the November ABS piece, saw out the piece for Erin's color challenge and make the beads for the challenge.  Make this week, since it is a short week, I can get this stuff done.  I just need to suck it up buttercup and get it done.  I will have my weekend to veg and then it is back to work!!!!

Have you ever had that feeling where you just didn't want to do it anymore - right now I have it.  But I think if I take it easy this week the artistic vibes will come back.  Plus it isn't fun when mom isn't out in the garage with me.  I don't have anyone to talk to  or just knowing she is out there with me.  Oh well.

You all take care this weekend!!!!

Honor Our Veterans on this Veteran's Day

Happy Veteran's Day to all of those who served and those we are still serving!



Upper left Grandpa Ralph (WWII Pacific Theater), Middle Grandpa Lee (WWII European
Theater), Upper Right Uncle Gerald (killed at Iwo Jima), Lower Left Dad (Vietnam)
last two images of me (one in the field and the other before PLDC graduation)

I had to share the 2011 West Virginia Marching Band YouTube again.  They did an awesome job honoring the military.

Thank you for all of you who have served and who are still serving our country!

THANK YOU!!!!

Berries and Leaves Challenge

Artisan Whimsy is having another challenge this month, Berries and Leaves.  For the challenge you can create a jewelry component or a finished piece of jewelry using the berries and leaves theme. 

If you would like to participate head on over the Artisan Whimsy Challenge and join.  Entries must be linked before midnight on November 29th.  Winners will be announced on Friday November 30th.  One entry per person.

Mom and I decided to enter both the jewelry component and finished piece of jewelry.  Both of us love making leaves so this was a perfect challenge for us.

The jewelry component is one of our leaf pendants.

Mom and I use 20 gauge copper, put a pattern on the copper and mom saws it out with a jeweler saw.  Once the pendant has been filed and sanded I then enamel the pendant in the kiln.  The colors used in this piece is one of our favorite colors I create by combining three different transparent enamels.  Both mom and I love the rich and vibrant color on this pendant.

The finished jewelry:

This necklace is one of our favorites and we can't keep them in stock.  They usually sell the first show we put them in.  We use on of our oak leaf pendants that we saw out of 20 gauge copper and then enamel in the kiln.  I accented the piece with our lampwork glass beads, copper spacers and fire agate and the piece is finished off with a brass leaf clasp.


If you would like to participate head on over to Artisan Whimsy and check out the challenge page.  Or just check out Artisan Whimsy - there is a lot of great information and artists.

Finished Pieces

As you all know mom and I have a show this weekend - Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  We are trying to finish assembling last minute pieces, get the inventory laid out, figure out what we want to take, label the inventory and get mom over to the doctor for another steroid shot in her neck.  So, a lot happening in the next three days.

Here are pictures I promised of the finished pieces.  I still have a bracelet I am assembling and mom is assembling one more necklace and if we have time some earrings.

Enjoy!

Leaf Bowl

Mask

Sugar Skull

Better pictures of the bowl, mask and sugar skull.  All three pieces started off as as a flat sheet of 20 gauge copper, mom puts a design on the copper, I saw out the perimeter and then mom saws out the design.  Once the piece is sawed out we file and sand and then I enamel.

Bracelets

Polymer Clay Beads from Tropical Blonde and our lampwork
glass beads with Czech beads as accents

Polymer clay beads from Tropical Blonde and our
lampwork glass beads with Czech beads as accents

Our lampwork glass beads, Czech beads, Mookaite

All the bracelets have our lampwork glass beads.  Two of the bracelets have polymer clay pillow beads from Tropical Blonde (love, love, love her polymer clay).

I am in love with this necklace and I am not sure if I will let mom sell it at the show :)  The circles and clasp are copper we sawed out and enameled and we made the lampwork glass beads.  Mom assembled the whole thing with jump rings.  Mom done good!!!!

Mom calls the beads Butterfly Kisses because the beads remind her of butterfly wings.  I made the beads and we used freshwater pearls and Sterling Silver spacers.

This is our Scottish Thistle necklace.  The pendant is enameled copper and we have our lampwork glass beads, Czech beads and I think the red beads are either Mookaite or Jasper.  I will have to ask mom.

I hope you enjoyed the eye candy :)  I hope we can get the last few pieces done tonight and I can share pics later.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!