Pine Ridge Treasures Happy Beads Blog Hop Reveal

Tags

Create Jewelry: Glass, Green Girl Studios, Jamie Hogsett, Lisa Lodge, Marlene Blessing, Pine Ridge Treasures

Picture by Lisa Lodge

Lisa Lodge from Pine Ridge Treasures has had many fun blog hops over the years, and here is another one! The Happy Beads Blog Hop reveal is today. Kits came in purple and blue themes, and I chose blue. Blue is a color I don’t use often, so I thought I would challenge myself (although I find I don’t use purple as much either). I’m so glad I did! My kit contains a beautiful array of beads and components.

So many beads here to love in many shades of blue and a variety of shapes. Even those white beads, in a fun drop shape, have a slight coating that looks blueish in certain light.

The variety of shapes and colors brought to mind a necklace I have wanted to make inspired by the cover of the book Create Jewelry: Glass by Marlene Blessing and Jamie Hogsett. I’ve loved it ever since I got the book, and I thought this would be the perfect time and some excellent materials.

From the kit, I used cathedral beads, blue pearls, translucent twists, small turquoise crystals, little blue daggers, grey pearls and large turquoise blue crystals. I added the rest of the beads from my own stash. It was fun to decide which beads to use and in which order. Color makes me happy, so this necklace really fits in the with hop theme, and the little red heart charm that I found in one of the red bead bags to put at the clasp just rounded out that feeling.

I really loved the coated white drops. They look so elegant, and I love the way they fit together. I tried a few designs with those and settled on a bracelet.

I used a Green Girl Studios fine pewter button for the focal/closure. I made a loop of some vintage Czech crystals, also with the AB coating. I didn’t like the look of the crimp, so I covered it with waxed linen and frayed the ends for boho flair. I love the finished product.

I had so many beads left, so I made more. First, a pair of earrings.

I used beads and ear wires from the kit and cat charms from my stash for the earrings.

I had cut some memory wire for another project I didn’t make. I thought that would be a good way to use many of the beads I had left. I decided to use a cat charm on one end to make it coordinate with the earrings. I used a heart charm on the other end. Cat love!

Thanks for stopping by! Check out what everyone else made from their kits at the links below.

Your hostess: Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak Cianci Blue

Heather Canepa, Desert Jewelry Designs

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool Jewelry

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love (that’s me!)

Kari Asbury, Design Challenges

Therese Frank, Therese’s Treasures

Linda Anderson, From the Beadboard of…

Lisa Prewitt Knappenberger, LiRaysa Designs

Ellen Newcombe Gravante, TBD

Summer Romance Blog Hop Reveal

Tags

Green Girl Studios, Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures, Summer Romance Blog Hop

Today is the reveal for Pine Ridge Treasures’ Summer Romance Blog Hop!

I do not have a picture of the kit. I’m terrible about that! But it was a variety of silver findings, purple, pink, grey, white and peach crystals and pearls and opaque white glass beads. Much of what I have used in my necklaces is from the kits, so you will get a good idea.

First I made a necklace based around this striped pendant from my stash that had a lovely mix of the kit colors with green added.

I included the green leaf from my stash (connected with links from chain included in the kit). All the dangles on the pendant are from the kit. I love that heart lock and key! I used one shape of peach and purple crystals from the kit and added in a few green tubes to keep that color combination going throughout the necklace. I finished it with the clasp from the kit. This necklace is the lush romance of beautiful summer flora. It reminds me of being in a park.

This next necklace uses mostly the opaque white rondelles from the kit. I had scored this beautiful bronze unicorn pendant by Green Girl Studios and wanted to use it with what I considered romantic and magical beads, as would befit a unicorn.

When I think of unicorns, I think primarily of white, pink, purple and pastel blue. I had already chosen some vintage Swarovski long bicone crystals. The AB coating on clear gives off those unicorn colors. But, I only had six of these, so I needed something to round out the design. I wanted something subtle to keep the focus on the bling and the unicorn. Enter the Summer Romance kit with its beautiful opaque white faceted beads with just enough sparkle. Perfect!

I used one pink crystal close to the pendant, and finished the necklace with a rainbow titanium lobster clasp and two of the pink flowers from the kit.

I knotted both necklaces on waxed linen, my favorite stringing material, with open space between beads. I find that to be a very romantic design. It makes for lovely necklaces with a wonderful drape when hanging around a neck. But the open space makes the necklaces floppy and difficult to photograph. Trust me that they look great on!

Thanks to Lisa Lodge for another wonderful challenge and kit. I have goodies left over that will be popping up in other designs. Click on the links below to see what others made with their kits. Enjoy!

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak and Renee Edbrooke, Cianci Blue

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool Jewelry

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

YOU ARE HERE: Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Kari Asbury, Design Challenges

 

Pine Ridge Treasures’ Pearls Blog Hop

Tags

Andrew Thornton, Green Girl Studios, Lisa Lodge, Pearls Blog Hop, Pine Ridge Treasures

Today is the reveal for Lisa Lodge‘s Pine Ridge Treasures’ Pearls Blog Hop! Participants chose from kits of lilac, montana blue or a green/blue mix.  I chose lilac and got a gorgeous kit chock full of glass pearls, some crystals, metal and a lovely clasp! Take a look.  Here are the strands.  (I bet you can guess which ones I’m using first.)

Here are the loose beads and components. 

Isn’t everything pretty? I love the colors and variety! If you guessed that I’d be using the grey pearls and clear crystals I’d already cut apart first, you’re right. I thought these would go perfectly with a Green Girl Studios fairy pendant. 

With five connection holes, I love the opportunity this pendant gave me for dangles. The fairy looks like she is dripping with jeweled dew drops, as every fairy should. All of the beads and the clasp I used are from the kit except the first two pearls in the strand. I used a couple of large hole pearls from my stash to cover the crimps.  I’m always looking for ways to cover my connection points. Here’s the full view.

Next up, I wanted to use the lavender pearls. I love the color and that there were two strands so I could make something long if I wanted. As it turns out, I didn’t make anything super long, but I love how the piece turned out.

I thought they would look great with this Andrew Thornton butterfly pendant. (I’m noticing a wing theme.) In looking for some cream colored seed beads to use, I came across this large hole, irregular bead mix. I love the contrast the earthy colors and feel made with the shiny spring vibe of the pearls and pendant.  I wanted to add in another element for some heft and texture. I really love how the simple cut beads (pineapple quartz?) brighten up the design.

I didn’t have time to make more pieces, but I certainly could have with all the materials.  I’ll have fun using those in the future.  Thanks to Lisa for another great challenge, and please visit the folks below to see what they made with their kits!

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool Jewelry

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It’s a Beadiful Creation

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love  <– YOU ARE HERE

Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Pine Ridge Treasures’ French Countryside Blog Hop

Tags

French Countryside Challenge, Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures

Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures puts together really fun kits and blog hops, and today is the reveal for the latest – French Countryside.  The colors in this kit are just luscious.  Look!

I desperately wanted to make a floral pendant with those gorgeous stone pieces at the upper left.  They look like petals.  I couldn’t figure out how to make that work, so I tried to use some vintage leaf beads from my stash with some of the kit crystals based on a tutorial I found online.  I had to take it apart and start over once, and then I got to a point where I’d need to do it again.  I’m not that patient, but I want credit for trying (ha!) so I will show you what I got.

Once I got this far, I was kind of getting the hang of it and could probably have fixed my mistake and made it work.  But it was stressing me out, so I’ll leave it for another time.  But those leaves really go with the kit!

So then I had that lovely green on the brain, and lucky for me I had beautiful green crystals in my kit.  I decided to use those with a Czech glass button that looks like it was made for the kit and make a bracelet.  I used smaller crystals for the loop of the clasp.

I think the colors in this kit are so beautiful, and this bracelet really shows them off. The very name of this kit sounds so lovely – French Countryside.

Another bead I really love from this kit is the lavender frosted glass.  It’s such a pretty color and shape.  I used some in a pair of earrings, along with a few crystals and some metal spacers from the kit.

This was such a fun kit, and I have so much left over.  I know I will make more beautiful things in the future!  Thank you Lisa, for another fun challenge.  Please visit the other participants to see what they made.

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool Jewelry

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love – You are HERE!

Pine Ridge Treasures Gentle Spring Reveal

Tags

Artybecca, Gentle Spring Challenge, Green Girl Studios, Kim Snider, Lisa Lodge, Mandrel Beads, Pine Ridge Treasures

Lisa Lodge hosts fun challenges and blog hops through her Pine Ridge Treasures: Beads and More page on Facebook.  Today is the reveal for the Gentle Spring Blog Hop and Challenge.

I’m not sure if spring here is particularly gentle.  I live in Wisconsin, and there is a lot of switching between rain, wind and drear, a little sun and warmth, snow and sleet, and tornado warnings.  But, the kit I got from Lisa is what I wish spring were like.  Full of beautiful plums and lilacs, there was no end to the inspiration.

One thing that came to mind is a Kim Snider butterfly wing bead.  That link is to her etsy shop, but check out her Mandrel Beads page on Facebook where she has great trunk shows.

A butterfly wing seemed so perfect for the theme, and I needed some beads from my stash to take the bits of purple in the wing and make it go with all the beautiful purples in the kit.  I thought of a disc bead from Humblebeads. First of all, what doesn’t a Humblebeads disc make better, and second, Heather Powers has made some of my favorite necklaces combining her disc beads with Kim Snider wings. The disc combined purple with some browns and golds of the wing.  Then I decided to use some purple and blue vintage glass beads I’ve been saving for something special.

I knotted them with a variety of beads from the kit.  I think this necklace came together beautifully for a very Gentle Spring look.

I had to use some of the great metal Lisa included.  The bird on a branch charms needed to be earrings, and I thought they would be perfect with the large square crystals included in the kit.

So cute!  I always love to hear the singing birds on early spring mornings.

I’m making an attempt to use some of my art beads, and I knew my Artybecca stash would have some nice spring colors.  I found this bead with a nice periwinkle strip; the texture reminds me of a carrot!

I knotted some of the light purple beads from the kit alternating with periwinkle beads from my stash.  With the pendant, I used a couple of the kit bicones with an orange bead to bring that color out of the pendant.  I made a dangle with a few beads, including one of the frosted glass squares from the kit.

Green Girl Studios also makes me think of spring.  I had a butterfly pendant that is perfect!

I used most of the rest of the plum bicones and the light purple beads from the kit.  I added in other spring colors and a fun dangle repurposed from an old earring.  I finished it all off with the butterfly toggle clasp from the kit.

I still have a ton of beads from this kit to keep bringing spring into my life no matter what the weather does! Thank you, Lisa!  Please have a look at what spring beauties the other participants made by visiting the links below.

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings

Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs

Saundra Farren, Something by Saundra

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love – You are here

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn’s Creations

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Pine Ridge Treasures Ceramic Blog Hop

Tags

Gaea, Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures, Pine Ridge Treasures' Ceramic Blog Hop

Today is the reveal for Pine Ridge Treasures Ceramic Blog Hop!  Lisa Lodge hosts fun challenges and hops with kits she sells through her Pine Ridge Treasures Beads and More Facebook page.  The kit for this hop included a ceramic art bead along with some coordinating beads.  Here is (most of) my kit:

I had already poured my materials on my bead table and started working before I remembered to take a photo, so I scooped it up for this picture.  So there are really a few more beads, and those two red jump rings don’t belong!  I was thrilled to get this swirly twirly heart pendant by Gaea in chocolate clay!  Love!

I really wanted to focus on the colors in the heart glaze.  I knew I had some dyed jade in that shade of blue, and Lisa had included those fabulous green beads!  I find myself enjoying simple designs more and more, so I decided to include brown with waxed linen instead of any of the brown beads.  A little knotting and I have a lovely necklace!

Thank you, Lisa, for another fun blog hop!  To see what other people made, please visit the blogs below.

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn’s Creations

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue

Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs

Saundra Farren, Something by Saundra

Ann Schroeder, Bead Love

Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Ceramic Bead Challenge ft. Grubbi

Tags

Ceramic Bead Challenge, Grubbi, Lisa Lodge, Natalie McKenna, Pine Ridge Treasures

Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures is hosting this Ceramic Bead Challenge on her Pine Ridge Treasures – Beads and More Facebook page.  The challenge features beads by Natalie McKenna of Grubbi. Lisa offered sets of beads and sets of discs.  I opted to get one of each.  More is better when it comes to Grubbi!

I absolutely love these colors and the rustic nature of the beads.  I especially love the colors of the disc set and was tempted to use them in a necklace just all next to each other at the front, but that just seemed too easy.  I chose instead to use the sets together in a knotted necklace, a favorite style of mine lately.

I added a nice silver oval connector I got at Michael’s with a couple of the Grubbi beads and a little silver key.  I dotted the strand with stamped silver beads between the ceramic.  Here is a little closer look at the Grubbi beads.

This was another fun challenge from Lisa Lodge.  Thanks, Lisa!

Flora Tones Challenge Reveal

Tags

Bead Style magazine, Denise Yezbak Moore, Design Seeds, Flora Tones Challenge, Gaea, Halcraft, Lisa Lodge, Lorelei Eurto, Pine Ridge Treasures

Lisa Lodge is hosting the Flora Tones Challenge, and the reveal is today.  The actual reveal is on Lisa’s Facebook page Pine Ridge Treasures: Beads and More. But I always like to have my creations do double duty and get a blog post out of it!

Pink and green is one of my favorite color combinations, so I could not pass up a challenge based on the Design Seeds palette above.  I got a great variety of beads in my kit.

The first thing I made is a bracelet in a style popularized by Lorelei Eurto. She had a tutorial for it in the May 2014 issue of Bead Style magazine.

I used the pink flowers, the purple teardrop shaped beads, green bicones and pink seeds beads from the kit.  I strung it on waxed linen and used a few bigger beads and a link from my stash along with four Hamilton gold spacers and three pink anodized jump rings.

Next I wanted to make a necklace.  The bead selection gave me lots of ideas.  In the end, this is what I made.

I used the large pink faceted beads from the kit and added in some rose and green English cut Czech glass, and made a pendant from three Gaea beads.  I really like how it turned out; it’s chunky, yet delicate.

I wanted to make one more thing, and as I was reading my regular blogs, I figured out what.  I get a lot of ideas from Halcraft, and I had been wanting to make a necklace like these featured in Denise Yezbak Moore’s recent post.

I used some of the purple teardrops at the bottom and some of the pink seed beads.  I didn’t get as much of an ombre look as I was going for, but I think it’s quite pretty.  I love the gentle swishy feeling of it on.

I quite enjoyed the Flora Tones challenge and still have lots of beads leftover to make more treasures.  Thank you, Lisa!

 

Flora Hues Challenge Reveal

Tags

Andrew Thornton, Flora Hues Challenge, Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures

Lisa Lodge hosts challenges through her Pine Ridge Treasure – Beads and More Facebook page.  Today is the reveal for the Flora Hues challenge using the palette above.  The official reveal is on the Facebook page, but I also like to do a blog post.  Here is a picture of the materials I received:

As you can see, I got a variety of beautiful glass pearls, some silver metal spacers, connectors and a clasp, along with several large crystals.  (I had used one before I took this picture).

First I focused on the crystals.  I wanted to combine them with leather because I like a mix of hard and soft.  I ended up making a relatively simple necklace, using one of the crystals.  I also riveted leather for the first time.  That was exciting (and easy!)  The green leather really reminded me of the woods, so I hung a leaf from the crystal and then used a few of the white pearls as dangles like dew on the leaf.

I really love the colors of the pearls.  It’s such a rich palette.  One of my favorite looks is beaded chain, so I added a few crystals in the same color family and made a beaded chain.  I have several pendants that would have gone with the chain, but I think this pendant by Andrew Thornton featuring vintage crystals works the best.  Unfortunately, it’s very hard (for me) to get a good picture of clear crystals.  But it looks great in person.  I also used the clasp from the kit on this necklace.  It is the perfect style!

I also made another necklace featuring a tassel since I’m obsessed with tassels lately. This one is very full, though not quite as full when it is hanging as in this picture when it is flat.

I used some of each color of pearl and the sliver spacers from the kit.  I added a variety of crystals and other beads.  The tassel is made with waxed linen, and there is a piece of sari silk at the back.  It is a super long necklace and lots of fun.

This was another very fun kit and challenge from Lisa Lodge.  You can join the page to see the other creations and get in on the fun!

 

Vintage Organic Challenge

Tags

A Grateful Artist, Halcraft USA, Jera Lunda Designs, Lisa Lodge, Miss Fickle Media, Pine Ridge Treasures, Vintage Organic Challenge

Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures hosts both blog hops and Facebook Challenges.  The Vintage Organic Challenge has the official reveal on the Facebook page, but I’ve never been one to waste an opportunity for a blog post!

My kit for the challenge features brass with glass pearls and jasper in a variety of colors from the palette.  Lovely!

In looking at the inspiration picture, I really love the color combination in the middle flower.  I felt like I could best capture that palette by adding some turquoise to beads from my kit. I also wanted a bit of a jangly, boho feeling.  I don’t follow trends a lot, but I’ve been seeing that the hippie look is popular for spring, and I’ve always loved that easy look.  So I decided to combine beads into some charm dangles to really get the combination of colors.  I put these on some beautiful chestnut indigo brass oval chain from Miss Fickle Media.  She has the absolute most beautiful patina chain. I finished the back off with more turquoise chips and jasper squares from the kit. I love it!

I made a second necklace with more of the jasper, some of the green pearls and brass both from the kit and from my stash.  I knotted it on waxed jewelry cord and used a Quan Yin pendant from Jera Luna Designs.

This challenge was a lot of fun, and I love the way my pieces turned out using the beads from this wonderful kit.  Thanks to Lisa! If you would be interested in seeing other creations, joining some challenges, blog hops or buying some of Lisa’s lovely non-challenge kits, go visit the Pine Ridge Treasures – Beads and More Facebook page.  Thanks for visiting!