Going Once...Going Twice

For some people, shopping is all about finding a great deal. Others, it's about finding that unique piece that you just have to have. No matter your shopping style, if you add in the excitement of an auction, it's guaranteed to make your purchase that much sweeter!  
  
Artisan Studio Gallery Auctions is a great page where you can find amazing artwork and spectacular jewelry all yours for the bid! Every Saturday, from 9 am to 9 pm EST the auction is open with super low starting bids and amazing BIN (buy it now) offers. 
  
Here are some of the beautiful things available today!
  

    
I decided to offer these two sea-themed pieces of jewelry this week.

  
 Jump over to Artisan Studio Gallery Auctions to see what else is up for grabs this week!

Monday Musings - Ideal or Real

If you are anything like me, you tend to live in two different worlds. 

  

I mean, we all live in the real world. And for most of us, that means we have to work and cook and clean and do all of those unpleasant tasks that are necessary simply because you don't have anyone else to do it for you!

  

But there is also the pretend world. That's the place where you can go anytime you read a book or watch tv or play computer games. 

  

  

But there's another pesky little world that we rarely even acknowledge exists. And that's the "ideal" world.

  

Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to make our lives look a certain way, or own just the "right" (you can fill your own blank here) that we forget to enjoy where we are right now. After all, we'll only come this way once...

  

Moving to eastern Tennessee was a huge change for me. And I had all these dreams of what it would be like when we got here. I'd have the house I always dreamed of, and things would just flow into place... (I can hear you snickering at me...be nice.)

  

This past year and a half has been a time of trying to find myself again. Both my parents are gone, my grandparents are gone, AND my daughter just got her driver's licence. So all the people who needed me for specific things that no one else but me could give no longer need me. At all. (Yes, that's a bit melodramatic...my daughter will always need her mom.) 

  

But I find myself wishing for the "ideal" life. Not a perfect life, but more like the one I had kind of hoped would happen once we had made this monumental move. And I found myself being dissatisfied with the majority of things simply because a few things weren't working out the way I thought they would.

  

There wasn't a big moment when I realized this was all happening. I just sort of noticed that I was being really negative all the time. And then I realized how silly this all was. 

   

  So, I'm trying to look at the positive things in my life. And stay focused on those. 

  

  

Like my amazing family. 

  

And the view from my front porch. 

  

The gorgeous Tennessee sunsets. (Although sunsets on the ocean will always be best, in my humble opinion.)

   

  

  And the gorgeous flowering trees that are all over our property. These beauties are from one of the peach trees in the front yard. 

  

And mostly for having a great God who loves me no matter what mood I find myself in and is willing to invest time in me so that I will become the person He has always wanted me to be. 

Hidden Cove Challenge

I have to admit it...I love blog hops! They give me an acceptable excuse to be spending time on the computer. And I love to see the creativity that comes with a beading challenge like this. 

If you've never participated in blog hop or have never hear of one, let me tell you all about it. We all receive the same package of beads and beading supplies. We can use whatever other supplies we happen to have on hand. And then we create some amazing and stunning pieces of jewelry with those supplies, take pictures of them and then share them with the world! 

I happened to stumble across Allegory Gallery several months ago and fell in love with them. Periodically, they offer a hand-picked selection of beads and beading supplies that coordinates with a particular theme and I was lucky enough to find them in time for their Hidden Cove Challenge. 

   

     

I guess you could say I cheated when I decided to participate in the Hidden Cove challenge. Water colors are part of my "go-to" bag whenever I'm feeling a bit lost in my creative zone. But nothing ventured, nothing gained as the saying goes. 

   

  

Take a look at all these amazing and beautiful pieces we received! And as if this wasn't enough...there was a mystery component as well! 

  

  

I had to start with the surprise pendant, which is a polymer clay piece with metallic ink and paint washes. I played around with using it just as it was for a necklace, but I couldn't get the idea of using it as a focal for a beaded pendant out of my mind. 

  

I used three sizes of seed beads in shades of turquoise, metallic aqua and gold to create the bezel and design around the mermaid. The pendant is finished with ultrasuade, an ecofriendly alternative to leather. I put it on a necklace made of leather and bronze chain for a boho feel. 
    

 My next design was quite the challenge. I wanted to use the seed beads that were part of the kit, but they were all different sizes and shades of blue. Pulling out white glass pearls from my stash, I sketched a design that felt like waves. I found the large orange beads while looking through my beads and decided to use colors that were more like a sunset instead of sand. The finished piece is a work of art, using about 2000 beads to create it. 

  

I decided to take a break from beading and jumped right into wire work. I started with the Dalmatian jasper and used only pieces from the kit to make this fun bracelet. 

  

  

There were carved pieces of Dalmatian jasper in the kit as well. I paired them with some of the frosted glass and faceted Czech beads to create this fun pair of earrings. 

  

I have to make a comment here...there is a HUGE distinction between authentic sea glass and man-made frosted glass. I collect and work with genuine sea glass and while the frosted glass is beautiful, it is not sea glass. And that is another post for another time.

I decided to dig out my soutache and made this fun pair of earrings with the blue beads from the kit. 

  

I had several pieces from the kit separated to use for a necklace tried to make something that was asymmetrical. But it just isn't naturally in my nature and after several attempts, I created this fun (symmetrical) necklace. 

  

   

I was looking at the wooden beads and decided they would make a great pair of earrings.   

  

  

There were a couple of blue beads that had white swirls and spots that reminded me of the nighttime sky at the beach. I added some Swarovski crystals and Czech beads as well as some of the flat beads from the kit for another pair of earrings. 

  

There were some aqua glass chips that caught my eye the next time I pulled the kit out and I just added them to a fun gold chain to make a charm bracelet. 

  

  

And finally, I decided to use the last three pieces of frosted glass for a pendant. I added Czech beads and Swarovski crystals for a bit of sparkle. 

  

  

I still have a few pieces from the kit that I haven't used...mostly because I'm still working on the design in my head. Sometimes it takes a while for it to all come together. 

  

I want to invite you to check out the Allegory Gallery Design Challenge facebook page where you can find links to everyone's blogs who participated in this challenge. There are some amazing pieces out there! 

These pieces will be available in my shop Whispering Mountain Designs soon!

Fabulous Friday

I just finished beading a pattern by Lorraine Chairman Hickton. She is an amazing artist and designer and I am privileged to be able to work with her in testing some of her new designs. (Be sure to check out her shop with lots of beautiful patterns for sale. Click here: Trinity Designer Jewelry.)

   

  

This bracelet is titled "China Town" and the vibrant colors are so in keeping with Chinese celebrations. You can almost see dragons in the design, if you look close enough. 

   

These bracelets are stitched using Delica 11/0 beads. Each bead is stitched on, one by one, to create this amazing design. And if you've never seen these beads up close, let me tell you that they are small!

  

   

Here is the bracelet just getting started. 

  

   

I set out each line with the beads I need so I don't miss a color. That little row above the bracelet is the next row of beads I would be working with in this design. 

  

The stitch used for this design is called the brick stitch. The beads sit stacked on top of each other, instead of in staggered rows with the peyote stitch. 

  

  

A close-up of the bracelet, to show off the intricate design. It truly makes a colorful statement when worn! 

  

You can purchase this bracelet in my shop (click here: China Town bracelet). 

  

This is another of Lorraine's designs, "Blue Baubles." It is one of my favorites. You can view it in my shop by clicking here: Blue Baubles