3rd Annual Challenge of Color: The Reveal

I know I've been completely MIA on this blog and I take full responsibility in the fact that I'm all over the map doing 9 million different things at once! Unfortunately when you take on more than you can handle, things suffer and this blog is one that has suffered o.O

Either way, I'm glad I was able to at least finish my Challenge of Color pieces before my health took a nosedive early this week. Three things about this challenge and my pieces:


1. I suck at structured colors. I had the worst time trying to match what I had in my stash to the colors from my palette. It's very appropriate this hop is called Challenge of Color! 

2. I wish I could have done WAY more than two pieces, but I'm trying to be happy with what I did get accomplished. A life lesson I'm still struggling to learn and accept on a daily basis: You can't be perfect!

3. I wasn't able to do the absolutely stunning color palette I received justice with all it's colors because I sadly didn't have all the colors that came with it in my stash. I had to pick out a few colors and work with those, but all in all I'm happy to have been able to stick to a few colors out of my palette even if it wasn't all of them.


Before we venture to my pieces, here is a little reminder of the color palette I received:

Sierra De Velasco

On to my pieces!

Firstly, I opted for a bracelet since they are my specialty...

Dream a Little Dream

For the bracelet, my inspiration came from the silver tone crescent moon focal piece and, of course, my color palette! As you can see, I went for a 'cool color' theme and pulled out the lime green, deep blue and plum purple to work with. All beads come from my stash whether they be purchased or upcycled.

The chain is one of the elements that is upcycled from a simple multi-chain necklace I took apart just for this project and is made to alternate sides of each larger bead in the bracelet.

The silver tone 'Dream' charm was a last minute addition because I felt the focal need a wee something else to make it perfect ^.^

Next in my Challenge of Color pieces is a pair of earrings, similar in color to the bracelet, but with more of a teal taken out of my palette rather than the dark blue.

Also, I chose to run with a gold tone base rather then silver.

To be quite honest, this pair of earrings was a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants creation; I had no idea what I envisioned when I picked up those large focal beads so I just ran with it and I think it turned out pretty darn good!

Used were smaller glass beads with little bits of upcycled gold tone chain in between to give it that 'full' look.

Just an FYI, I plan on selling both of my pieces in the near future, so if you're interested or know anyone who's name these two pieces are loudly shouting for a holiday present, leave me a comment or send me an email! :)

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Make sure to stop by our beautiful hostess's site, Erin of Treasures Found, and see what she created as well as the rest of the 80 other Challenge of Color participants! 

Erin Prais-Hintz
Brandi Hussey
  Rebecca Anderson

Kris Auderer  

Chrizette Bayman

Lori Bowring Michaud  

 Courtney Breul 

Lynsey Brooks
Stephanie Buss 

Iveth Caruso
Shannon Chomanczuk
Lisa Cone
Cece Cormier

Lori Dorrington
Dawn Doucette
Jeannie Dukic    (life threw her a curveball, spread some sunshine to her anyway!)
Kim Dworak
Beth Emery
Janice Everett
Pam Farren
Donetta Farrington
Gloria Ferrer

Cherrie Fick
Therese Frank
Patty Gasparino
Tanya Goodwin
Ambra Gostoli
Jess Green
Denielle Hagerman
Mary Harding
Karla Hartzog
Kim Hora
Emanda Johnson
Jennifer Justman
Sue Kennedy

Ema Kilroy
Lee Koopman
Linda Landig
Kirsi Luostarinen
Cynthia Machata
Alicia Marinache
Beth McCord
Mary K McGraw
Karen Mitchell
Cheri Mitchell-Reed
Aimee Moisa
Karla Morgan
Penny Neville
Becky Pancake
Kashmira Patel
Alice Peterson
Kayla Potega
Debbie Price
Bobbie Rafferty
Caron Reid
Nicole Rennell
Cynthia Riggs
Andrea Ross
Sally Russick
Annie Scherz
Pam Sears
Renetha Stanziano
Sandra Stein
Kristen Stevens  (her Muse is on vacation - hop over and give her Muse a nudge ;-)
Tracy Stillman   (hard to bead with a wrist injury, send healing thoughts)
Sherri Stokey
Lola Survillo
Kay Thomerson
Jo Tinley
Emma Todd
Cory Tompkins
Pam Traub 
Melissa Trudinger
Michelle Tucker
Shelley Graham Turner
Monique Urquhart
Rachel Van-Walsh 
Patti Vanderbloemen
Lesley Watt
Lynn White 
Joan Williams

3rd Annual Challenge of Color

Aside from the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party, I've not really taken part in any sort of jewelry challenge or blog hops.

Not for lack of trying mind you!

I never know where to go to catch most of these hops or challenges and I'm either too late, too broke, or too sick to join in on the fun *tear*

Thankfully, Erin of Treasures-Found.blogspot.com and a little bit of universal magic had me signing up barely on time for the 3rd annual Challenge of Color Challenge & Blog Hop!

For those of you who don't know about the challenge, you can read up on all the details HERE.

This year, inspiration for the colors comes from satellite pictures of the planet earth-How completely awesome is that?! Thanks to Brandi of Brandi Girl Blog, each satellite image is paired with a color scheme much like the ones you might find in the paint section at a local Home Depot or Lowe's, but MUCH better ^.^

Here was the picture and color scheme I was sent...

Sierra De Velasco

I'm absolutely in LOVE with the colors I got! Like big-puffy-heart in love.

Now all I need to do is find beads and parts and just let the creativity flow! If you're interested in seeing some of the other stunning pictures that inspired these color schemes you can check out the Earth As Art image gallery.

What would YOU like to see me make in this color scheme?

Inspirational Tuesday(11/13)

{Image Credit}

“The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart - this you will build your life by, and this you will become.”

--James Allen 

What inspires YOU today?

 

A Painting & A Custom Bracelet

I've been blogging since 2009 and when I began blogging, I started following several different people, some of which have been become some great friends over the years and to whom I still loyally follow to this day!

One of which is my friend Jennifer of Eighty MPH Mom.

Recently, Jennifer picked up painting as a hobby and if you've seen some of the pictures she's done, you wouldn't believe me when I say she JUST started. Her paintings look more like a seasoned artists' than someone who just started!

One of which, I absolutely fell head-over-heels in love with...

{Image Credit}

I just had to have it and a deal was struck! We came to an agreement we'd do an even trade; her painting for a custom piece of jewelry from me.

Boy was this a fun project!

Jennifer specifically asked for something that incorporated a butterfly in it and I immediately thought of the perfect piece that had her name written all over it.

I've had that cloisonne butterfly piece since I started making jewelry which was 7+ years ago! It was sitting all that time because it knew it was destined to be this bracelet ^.^

I sent some pictures of the bracelet when it was finished off to my lovely friend eagerly anticipating her opinion. Honestly, I'm always nervous when I do custom work; what if the client doesn't like the way it turned out?

In this case, I didn't have to worry. She LOVED it with a capital L :)

Now to wait until tomorrow to send it off!

Body Parfait Giveaway ends TONIGHT!

For those of you who haven't entered this blog's first every giveaway, you still have time!
Who WOULDN'T want this incredible handcrafted bath and body bundle?

Giveaway ends tonight at 11:01pm CST! 

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