Winter Sparkle Blog Hop 2014

I am fortunate to have a beading friend who was thoughtful enough to purchase a kit for the Winter Sparkle Blog Hop for me as a Christmas gift! ...Isn't that a good idea for the next time a friend of yours has a birthday...or you need to think of something for a Christmas gift for someone? :) This Blog Hop takes place on Saturday, the 22nd of February and our hostess is: Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist.

As a result, I received some wonderful beads to create three different pieces of jewelery.
Here is a picture of the beads that I rec'd in my kit.

Because there was such a generous portion of beads to choose from, I was able to create not one, but three complete sets of necklaces with earrings! :)
Here are pictures of them.

One of the first pieces I created, this one became a wedding shower gift for a "Seahawks" bride! Didn't even realize until it was pointed out to me that I was using their colors. :)

Thought that the cute dolphin charm would make a good focal on this one...if my daughter ever sees it, she'll be hinting that it would make a good birthday gift! ...She loves dolphins!

close up

Second piece, added a blue, green ceramic bead as a focal for this one.

Third piece...had to get more creative with this one, as was running out of beads from the package given me. Used a vintage connector, bronze colored glass pearls and a large, faceted glass bead from my stash to finish this one. Thought it turned out rather well.

close up of focal

This is what I still have to work with for another piece if I want to! Was amazed at the amount of pieces I was able to create, using but a very few of my own... :)  

Here is the 'widget' picture and link to get to Lisa's blog:

http://gratefulartist.blogspot.com/
Please visit these other blogs to see their creations
Your hostess: Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations
Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends
Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry
Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs
Ev Shelby, Raindrop Creations
Dolores Raml, CraftyD's Creations
Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue
Cassi Renee Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill
Annette Rivers, Mama Owl's Mess
Tammie Tusher Everly, TTE Designs
Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons
Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines
Norbel Marolla, She Flies Again Jewelry
Karen Burg, KEB Designs
Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot
Jasvanti Patel, Jewels by Jasvanti

Winter Sparkle Blog Hop ...delay...

Hi,
So that everyone that comes to visit my blog knows, I won't be posting early in the day, as I have a memorial service to attend out of town.
I will post tomorrow, the 22nd, it will just be late in the day. I was not thinking, and suddenly realized that I can't be in two places at once.
My apologies.
I hope those that come to visit will return to see my results...won't give away any more than that!
Later,
Ev

The New Year and new jewelry pieces

Well, the dust has settled from the holiday season and I'm ready for spring...soon it will be time for the annual bead soup blog hop...and I'm ready for that too! :)
Have kept busy beading; each Sunday my friend and I bead. We also have personal 'beading challenges' once a month or so, where we each take turns at buying bead assortment packages and then seeing what we can create with them! :) This time around I created a purple and white piece with the package for our February challenge.

I was lucky enough to win a lovely birdhouse w/birds from The Bead Shop Liverpool challenge in November of last year and have just finished creating a piece with the bigger bird and the birdhouse. I think it turned out rather well.
Opps! Am having some trouble with uploading pictures...there is supposed to be several here!! :) Will try again...here is the birdhouse and birds I rec'd as a prize from participating in a challenge through Bead Shop Liverpool.

My lovely prize!

The Bead Shop/Liverpool Bead Challenge

the earrings

The finished piece

Pearls! Pearls! Pearls! Blog Hop

Was especially interested in being in this blog hop as, I too, very much enjoy working with pearls! ...so the only problem for me was choosing which kind of pearls to work with...:)...and finding the time to write this post...especially with the revel date of tomorrow! :)
Found (at Michael's) some wonderful beaded beads done with freshwater seed pearls in lavender and peach. I paired them with Amethyst and light green crystals and frosted peach top drilled glass beads. The necklace and earrings came together pretty fast, once I decided what to work with!
I'm very pleased with how they came together and hope all that come to view them like them as well as I do!

close up of one section of necklace

loved the way the earrings came out!

the finished set

Thank you for coming and visiting my blog.  MiShel Designs hosted this blog hop.  Thank you Shel for being willing to do so, I sure have enjoyed being a part of it! :) Below is the list of other creative beaders that also love working with pearls. I can't wait to see what they have on their blogs!
Ev

Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop Participant List:

MiShel Designs - Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Host 

Sadafulee,…Always in Bloom 

Antiquity Travelers

Jewelry By Jasvanti

Bead Contagion

 Back Story Beads

Sharyl’s Jewelry and Reflections

Silver Niknats

Fresh Baked Designs

Lisa Yang Jewelry

Designed by Vera

Serena Trent

Amy Bright

Carefree Jewelry by Lisa

Agape Creations Jewelry

Klassy Joolz

Beautifully Broken Me

One Kiss Creations

Stories from the City of  Brass

Make Bracelets!

Carolyn’s Creations

Raindrop Creations Jewelry

Freestyle Elements

Staycation Blog Hop, sponsored by Tesori Trovati Jewelry

Hi there! Well have joined another blog hop and am enjoying each one immensely as I complete them! I learn something new about myself and what I'm capable of creating, as well as, get to see how others are stretched in their creativeness... what a wonderful bonus that is too! This new blog hop is all about travel, but not the kind you think of first. It is a 'stay'cation' type of travel...one where you 'stay' home for your vacation! Neat idea, huh? :) I thought so...and as you can see, the deadline for the revel is coming up this weekend...had to think long and hard about this one as I live in an area where there are many, many choices to choose from for it! :) 

   As I live in Olympia, Washington, I came to the conclusion that there are just too many different parts of this area to choose from, so decided to go with something that tends to dominant the skyline on clear days here where I live...depending on which way you are looking! :) Here are some pictures to give you a clue... ...and a sampling of some of the varied wildlife that lives there!
Mt Rainier at sunset
              Mountain chipmunk
                                                           fox
Blue grouse                   Marmot
                                        white tailed deer
black bear        Alta Vista sunrise  


 **Note: all pictures are courtesy of Dreamstime.com (found online)

A little historical information about Mt Rainier...from Wikipedia*.
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of 14,411 ft (4,392 m). 
Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and it is on the Decade Volcano list. On clear days it dominates the southeastern horizon in most of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area to such an extent that locals sometimes refer to it simply as "the Mountain." On days of exceptional clarity, it can also be seen from as far away as Portland, Oregon and Victoria, British Columbia. With 26 major glaciers and 36 sq mi (93 km²) of permanent snowfields and glaciers, Mount Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. The Carbon, Puyallup, Mowich, Nisqually, and Cowlitz Rivers begin at eponymous glaciers of Mount Rainier. The sources of the White River are Winthrop, Emmons, and Fryingpan Glaciers. The White, Carbon, and Mowich join the Puyallup River, which discharges into Commencement Bay at Tacoma; the Nisqually empties into Puget Sound east of Lacey (one of the 'bedroom' communities in the Olympia area; and the Cowlitz joins the Columbia River between Kelso and Longview.
 At the time of European contact, the river valleys and other areas near the mountain were inhabited by many Pacific Northwest tribes who hunted and gathered berries in its forests and mountain meadows. These included the Nisqually, Cowlitz, Yakama, Puyallup, and Muckleshoot.
Citing the need to also protect scenery and provide for public enjoyment, railroads and local businesses urged the creation of a national park in hopes of increased tourism. On March 2, 1899, President William McKinley established Mount Rainier National Park as America's fifth national park. Congress dedicated the new park "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" and "... for the preservation from injury or spoliation of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders within said park, and their retention in their natural condition." 
Hope you have enjoyed reading about and seeing some pictures of a very interesting part of our state of Washington! :)
...now, did you think I forgot!!!
Nope, didn't. :)
Here is what I envisioned  as I thought about the beauty that surrounds this majestic peak and the wildlife (and flowers...hum, didn't get much of that in pictures...maybe next time! ) that inhabits the area...and the materials that I used...
I found a piece of agate that reflected (I think) the shape of the mountain and some of the colors of late summer (like now!) and the fall. To go with it I chose an earth tone mix of seed beads, in pale pink, brown, gold, tan, green, dark blue and purple, as I didn't want to overshadow the pendant.

Above you can see how I used the antique gold cones with a simple gold clasp, to string the triple strand of seed beads...

Here is a close up of the pendant, which I wire wrapped so that it would not flop around! Although, when I threaded it through the strands of seed beads, I left it loose so that it is free to slide back and forth.  :)

I decided to leave part of the gold ring of the hoops showing...

The finished piece! Simple, but elegant...don't you think? :)

 If you click on each picture, they will enlarge and you will get a better, closer look at them. I do not have a camera that can take really good pictures, so have used my smart phone...and it doesn't take the best pictures!
Look forward to viewing each of your creations in turn come the 31st! :)
Ev

Pepita Blogoversay Blog Hop

Hi all!
Time for the reveal for Pepita's Blogoversay blog hop...:) Here is the piece that I created from the focal bead that Pepita sent to me. I think it turned out very nice! ...had some difficulties along the way, as the bead arrived in poor condition "I.E. broken" (the mail service was less than gentle in handling her package, even though she wrapped it in bubble wrap!) When I emailed her to tell her about this, she was gracious enough to send me, not one, but two to replace it! So here is what I did...

I only used one of the focal beads as I was running out of time to get my piece ready to put on my blog. I used lime green and antique copper seed beads and small goldstone nuggets (not moonstone!) to accent the colors in the focal bead. I think it looks pretty good...the picture isn't the best, as I used my phone to take it with. 

This second picture is a little clearer...:)  
 I had a hard time getting it in focus as you can see...none of the pictures I took did it justice...the goldstone is very sparkly and it can't be seen in the pictures at all...I found that if you click on the picture and look at it enlarged the pictures are better... I tried one last time and the below picture is much clearer than the others...Enjoy! :) Ev

My new grandbaby~

Well, several people have asked about the newest grandbaby that has entered my life...:) I have four now...and don't think that I will see anymore! :)
Below you will see a picture of Mason Andrew...who came into world at 38 weeks instead of 40...so he changed everyone's schedule right off the bat!! :)
He weighted in at 7# 9ozs and was 19" long. He joins a proud mom & dad and big sister (who is 6).