Scenes of Summer

Wow, I can't believe Summertime is quickly approaching.  For me, this means having BOTH children at home and not in school, occupying our days with pools and bike riding; it means warm weather and blue skies with the occasional quick thunderstorm; it means vacations and ice cream and just old fashioned family fun.

One of the traditions in our family is to spend a week or two at the beach each summer.  It's tranquil and a change of pace for us.  There's not much to do besides play in the sand, swim in the ocean and pool, go for long bike rides, and get ice cream treats after dinner time.

That's why when Artbeads asked me to focus on creating something with a Summer theme, I was excited with anticipation for all the fun I could have with their vast selection of pendants and glass beads and how they could relate to what I think summer means.  Ultimately, I chose this amazing stoneware pendant and paired it with some mint alabaster and blue iris fire polished glass and some
topaz porphyr fire polished glass beads.  There are also some turquoise roundelles and sterling silver findings in this piece.  All the colors in these beads and pendant remind me of the summers we spend at the beach and brings a smile to my face.  I hope this creation brings joy to you too.

If you live in the area, this piece is currently on consignment at Kaleidoscope Angels.

Disclosure: I participate in Blogging for Beaders with Artbeads.com and have received the products free of charge from them. I am honestly reviewing the products and have not been paid for my endorsement as it pertains to the products received.

It's my BIRTHDAY--SALE today!

In honor of my birthday...my 35th if anyone is wondering....I am having a sale in my shoppe.

Everything is 15% off, TODAY ONLY!  Email (convo) me and I will adjust the price before you pay!

 

Etsybead Team--Mystery Bead Swap--Part One

Hello readers.  I wanted to share something fun my wonderful Etsybead team is doing.  The etsybead team mystery bead swap is a way to spark our creativity and have some team fun along the way.  The way it works is: Participants were randomly paired up with team members and the partners have to send a selection of beads to each other.  These beads and findings are no longer wanted or needed and the partners create new jewelry out of the supplies.

I was paired up with Dg Designs based out of Central, NJ.  I was especially excited that I got her since she makes handcrafted lampwork glass beads and was secretly hoping she would send me a few of these beads.  Boy, I wasn't disappointed.  This is what she sent me to work with:

And this is what I created with the supplied pieces.  I used a few pieces I had around here too:

These creations are available for sale in my shoppe.  You can also go to etsy and search for "Etsybead team mystery swap" to find other artist creations.

I have another partner I was paired with so be on the lookout for the second round of the mystery swap!

Something Unique for the Mother, Grandmother, or Wife

Mother's Day is just around the corner.  For all you husbands out there, the date is May 9th and it's never to soon to pick up something unique to tell your lady how important she is to you.  And for all you woman out there, you might want to give your mom or grandmother something special.  So either contact me today or drop a hint for your beau to contact me.  This photo jewelry is so elegant and special, I know you won't want to miss out on it!!!

FYI, Melia of Priceless Moment Photography took this photo of her children.  She does amazing keepsake portraits.  So check out her work too.  That's another great present for your loved ones to cherish forever.  And better yet, you can get a photo necklace from her worked into the package.

Communion and Motherhood

I have been super busy working on custom orders these past few weeks.  I thought I would share a few of those pieces with you.  I hope it sparks your creativity and helps you to figure out customizations of your own.

This first piece is a bracelet a client is giving to her niece as a Communion present.  This is actually one of three she is having me create.  The other two bracelets will use Rosaline Swarovski Crystal pearls.

Light green Swarovski Crystal pearls are paired with sterling silver daisy spacers and one larger round on each side.  Sterling silver alphabet blocks are used for the initials.  Cream Swarovski Crystal pearls are near the lobster claw clasp.  A sterling silver extender is used so the girl can wear the bracelet for years to come.  Oh, and how can I forget the sterling silver cross to commemorate the special event.

The next item I created was for a thoughtful husband to give to his wife in the delivery room after the birth of their first child.  The hubbie really wanted to incorporate the peas in a pod to the necklace.

Graduated sterling silver rounds complement the hand stamped heart and the pewter peas in a pod charm.  The front of the charm says "Mom" and the back has my client's last name.  Truly a special keepsake for the new mother to cherish for years to come.

The last piece I wanted to share is a Mother's Day Present.  It's a Copper bookmark and I think this is perfect for the avid reader.  My client's mother LOVES pink so this is what I came up with.

Rose quartz, pink Swarovski Crystals, Rhodonite rounds and some copper make this bookmark magical.

I just wanted to thank you for taking a look at my work and sharing in my creative process.