7/6/13

Seasons Challenge

Today is the reveal for the Season Blog Hop, hosted by Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures. Each participant was sent a selection of beads, which we could combine with beads and findings from our own stash, to create a piece of jewelry reflecting either a season of the year, or a season in our lives.

Here are the beads I received from Lisa:

When I tipped them out into a dish, the beads initially said "Fall" to me, but their colors also reminded me of the cockle shells my sister and I loved to collect during summer vacations at the beach.

I combined Lisa's fun shapes with a few playful shapes from my own stash, and in no time, the mix was singing Summer.

Freeform spiral stitch is becoming one of my beading staples and its lush texture was perfect for this project. I noticed how the rich, warm browns in Lisa's soup brought out the striking details in the dark blue spikes, so I mixed in a strand of 3mm lapis that matched the tones in the spikes, then tossed in some additional wood beads and abalone discs to keep the necklace looking organic -- and feeling as light as, well, a walk on the beach!

Much thanks to Lisa for inspiring us with this challenge. You'll want to follow the links below to Lisa's and all the Season participants' blogs!

                    Your Hostess: Lisa Lodge, Grateful Artist

                    Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

                    Cassi Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill
                    Stephanie Sanner Haussler, PixyBug Designs
                    Leah Mifflin Tees, My Beady Little Eyes
                    Karin Slaton, BackStory Beads
                    Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution
                    Lori Jean Poppe, Lorillijean Creative Corner
                    Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
                    Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design
                    Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life
                    Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things
                    Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
                    Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
                    Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
                    Toltec Jewels, Toltec Jewels for Jewel School Friends
                    Lennis Carrier, Windbent
                    Erin Kenny, Beadifultherapy
                    Tanya Goodwin, A Work in Progress
                    Cilla Watkins, Tell Your Girlfriends
                    Renetha Williams Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts
                    Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry
                    Sierra Barrett, Giraffe Can Has
                    Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
                    Shirley Jones Moore, Beads and Bread
                    Dawn Horner, Northern Adornments
                    Charlene Bausinger Jacka, Clay Space
                    Tara Plote, The Newbie Beader's Blog
                    Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks
                    Miranda Ackerley, Daze and Days


 

23 comments:

  1. Stunning design Karin! I really like the placement of the ceramic link-it compliments the design beautifully.

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  2. That is absolutely gorgeous. I love the summer feel and the beadwork is awesome. It looks so lush and full of life.

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  3. That is beautiful! You totally nailed summer with this necklace! And I'd like to hear more about freeform spiral, I've not thought of that technique with freeform before, but it looks awesome!

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  4. I've got to learn that spiral stitching. The necklace is DIVINE! Such beautiful beach-like density. Love it!

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  5. That is an amazing necklace! Just gorgeous!

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  6. What a great way to make Summer out of Fall! if only it would be so easy in real life... Your necklace is very beautiful.

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  7. This is such an amazing necklace! I love it!

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  8. Stunning statement piece, and delicious colors! Would love to examine the stitching up close!!

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  9. I literally gasped out loud when I scrolled down and saw your piece! What an amazing statement piece - love it!

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  10. I love that. No way would I have made anything that cool if I had gotten those beads.

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  11. I am in love also with freeform spiral stitch! I adore how the weave works up so beautifully, quickly full of sweet beads, lusciousness, gems, art beads & treasures! You received a rich mix from Lisa, and the jewelry you've created is elegant. Love the colorway, the play of shapes, the addition of lapis rounds and abalone, the asymmetrical ceramic placement. Beautiful, giving, and tranquil. Superb jewelry art, Karin!

    Love,
    Rita

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  12. Karin, Love your necklace! Freeform spiral is a new technique I've been trying. Your weave is absolutely gorgeous. The mix of colors feels so natural & "summery". I also like the way you incorporated the focal asymmetrical and included the abalone! Absolutely a beautiful necklace!

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  13. What a stunning design, Karin - you totally rocked this challenge! All I could say when I saw your necklace was "Wow". Then I said Wow again! Very beautiful. Thanks for being in the hop!

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  14. Fabulous! That is an amazing necklace!

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  15. Lovely piece: rich and flowing beautifully! definitely a summer reminder :)

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  16. How lovely ! But oh, does beadweaving scares me... Good thing it doesn't scare you, though !

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  17. I love this piece!! Awesome job.

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  18. Love how this turned out, it really is nice and full.

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  19. Gorgeous!! The rich colors and freeform spiral definitely remind me of the beach!!

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  20. oh my! that is stunning! what a piece

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  21. What a gorgeous piece. I love all the texture and the way the blues and browns play off each other. You did a wonderful job with your 'summer' piece.

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  22. OK - I am dying to know how you made that necklace. Would you ever consider a tutorial? Really gorgeous!

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