Bead Soup Blog Party !!!

After my recent very enjoyable experience with with Michelle Mach's Secret Snowflake Challenge Blog Hop, I found my way to Lori Anderson's blog and her fifth Bead Soup Party and I was jazzed! So I filled out my application and waited, all the fingers on both hands crossed. The 200 participants were to be chosen from a total of 384 and today when the announcement was posted, YIPPIE, I was included! My partner's name is Amy Freeland. Stay tuned to see what we create when they are revealed on March 3rd!

And while you're waiting, stop by Lori's blog. In addition to her creativity I really love the positive nature of her posts!

Secret Snowflake Challenge . . .

. . . here's my entry for the Secret Snowflake Challenge. I knew the finished item(s) were to be posted January 15th. I just didn't realize Sunday was the 15th and thought I had till Monday.

Jewelry designer Michelle Mach offered up this challenge on her blog, Beads and Books, last December 23rd.

It's been a while since I entered a challenge -- last time was when Deryn Mentock worked her way through Mary Hettmansperger's book Wrap, Stitch, Fold and Rivet.

 Little did I realize how long it had been; here's a link to one of Deryn's November 2008 blog posts featuring one of my entries:

http://somethingsublime.typepad.com/something_sublime_from_th/2008/11/mary-hetts.html

What a great challenge that was! If you really want to challenge yourself, I highly recommend that you get a book like Mary's and work your way through, project by project. But I digress. Back to the current challenge, Michelle Mach's Secret Snowflake Challenge. Here's a photo of the challenge kit contents:

And here are a couple additional photos of my finished entries.

This is part of a Susan Lenart Kazmer clasp. I layered snowflake confetti pieces that came with the kit along with German silver glitter and tiny freshwater pearls in resin. 

The real challenge for me was in combining the shades of aqua and blue, something I wouldn't normally do. What do you think?

Secret Snowflake Participants

Please visit the blogs of all the jewelry designers who participated!

• Alice (Alice Dreaming)
• Chris (beadjewelry.net)
• Christa (Adventures of One Beady Woman)
• Crystal (Here Bead Dragons)
• Cynthia (Cynth's Blog)
• Dawn (Morning Glory Beading)
• Donetta (Simply Gorgeous)
• Erin A.
• Jennifer (JenniferJW)
• Jennifer (Jewelry, Art and Life)
• Kari W. - Coming soon!
• Kate (We Can Make That at Home)
• Kay (Palm Coast Art)  YOU ARE HERE!
• Linda (Lindy's Designs)
• Lisa C. (A Bead a Day)
• Lisa (Inspired Adornments)
• Mary (MLH Designs)
• Michelle (Beads & Books)
• Michelle B. (Reverie & Revival)
• Millie (AMM Jewelry)
• Norma (Moonlit Fantasies)
• Pam (The Crazier Sister)
• Pamela - Designs pictured on this page
• Rebecca J. - Designs pictured on this page
• Renetha (Lamplight Crafts)
• Rosemarie (Gem Rose Designs)
• Shannon (Falling into the Sky)
• Susan (Bead Inspired)
• Therese (Therese's Treasures)
• Therese (Domestic Goddess Enterprises)

Where "messy me" creates . . .

Copper . . .

. . . Swarovski crystals and coffee quartz.

Etched and domed copper, hand forged ear wires, rubies.

I'm working on . . .

. . . something new. I saw a leather cuff bracelet some time ago that I really liked and wondered whether I'd be able to make one. We are lucky to have a Tandy Leather shop nearby and I had been in there a couple of times just looking around and thinking "I could never do this." The store manager is a delightful woman named Carmen who knows absolutely everything about working with leather. She set me up with the supplies I'd need for the bracelet and showed me the techniques required.

As I was leaving, I noticed a leather Christmas stocking hanging in the window. Carmen said they'd be having a class the following Saturday morning to learn to make one, so I signed up on the spot. I decided since I had long ago lost the stocking I made for little Tommy, it was high time for him to have a new model. Here's how it turned out:

And here are my first attempts at making bracelets:

In honor of Harry Potter . . .

Rust Belt Market !!!

What trip to Michigan could be complete without a visit to the Rust Belt Market? Located in the very charming town of Ferndale, the Rust Belt Market is a super venue for the local art talent. If you're ever in the area, you owe it to yourself to stop in!

Visit the lovely Melanie Brooks of Earthenwood and take home some treasures! I did!

Check out this comfy lounger made of black rubber thingys normally used for toilet tank repairs!

Handmade doll amulets!

Snag some record album bowls for your chips and pretzels!

Stroll around this sweet little town and have a delicious lunch -- so many places to choose from!