Bead Peeps Swap Reveal

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It's A Long, Long Time from February to May...whoops, that's not how the song goes...ok, I know, you're not surprised to find a blog that's been quiet for a while until TODAY!!!  Yes, folks, it's time for the 2016 Bead Peeps Bead Swap REVEAL!  Welcome - I hope you enjoy discovering what I created to share even just a bit as much as I enjoyed working with my swap "goodies."

First, a reminder, I received this wonderful assortment of goodies from Maria Rose Sharrow of  Willow Street Shops.

The requirements of the swap are that you send at least one focal and at least one clasp which are to be used in the final designs.  As you can see, Rosa  was very generous, providing me with lovely soldered and bezeled focals (which she makes herself!!), two clasps, and a great variety of "supportive players" (game talk for lots of fun beads!).

My first designs came together out of the "necessity" to have some new jewelry for the Easter holiday, and I knew that Rosa's yellow flower pendant would be perfect.  I used some of the yellow and blue vintage beads as part of the necklace chain and added my own blue chrysocolla rounds and amazonite nuggets along with the sterling silver toggle clasp from the swap.

The matching earrings with more chrysocolla beads and amazonite use the textured silver links from the swap.

After thinking that I had an early start in preparing for today's reveal, I, naturally, procrastinated on any more work...until, yes, just a few days ago (some things never change).  But once I settled on using another one of Rosa's unique focals - this time the soldered pendant with a butterfly wing - things quickly fell into place.  The swap included brilliant teal glass rounds which highlighted the wing's color along with added chrysocolla rounds, turquoise rounds and accents of freshwater pearls in coral and white.

For the matching earrings I used gorgeous turquoise drops from the swap along with the accent freshwater pearls.

Finally, I used more of the swap's teal rounds in a memory wire triple wrap bracelet that features the same turquoise rounds and freshwater pearls as the necklace along with a variety of gemstone chips and sterling silver rounds.

My muse decided that the lovely darker pieces of the swap will need to wait for cooler weather, I think!  I just could not get focused with those pretties, but I know I will love working with them this fall!  Thanks, Rosa - I had a great time!

Here is the swap that I mailed to Rosa.

I'm excited to see what she has created.  You can join me by heading to Rosa's blog here Willow Street Shops.  And of course, please enjoy browsing all of the participating blogs and see what I know will be incredible, beautiful jewelry!  Happy Hopping!

Linda Anderson (our hostess) http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com 

Natalie Davidson http://www.northshoredays.com/

Marcy Lamberson http://www.studiomarcy.blogspot.com 

Kathy Lindemer http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com/

Dita Basu Http://www.alankarshilpa.blogspot.com 

Andrea Glick http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/

Kristina Peck http://tealeavesandtinyhats.blogspot.com/ 

Shai Williams http://www.shaihasramblings.com/

Catherine La Vite http://www.drygulchbeadsandjewelry.blogspot.com/ 

Christina Hickman http://vintagetreasuresjewelry.blogspot.com/

Gloria Allen http://wingsandbeads.blogspot.com 

Teresa Schurter http://treezstreazurs.com/

Maria Rosa Sharrow http://willowstreetshops.blogspot.com 

Susan Kelly http://mimismilesdesigns.blogspot.com

Jenny Kyrlach http://anafiassa.blogspot.com/ 

Michelle McCarthy http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com

  

Terry Jeanette Carter http://tappingflamingo.blogspot.com 

Lee Koopman http://stregajewellry.wordpress.com

Laurie Vyselaar https://lefthandjewelry.wordpress.com 

Marianne Baxter http://simplyseablimejewelry.blogspot.com

Divya N http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com 

Kelly Hosford Patterson http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com/

Johana Nunez http://www.artincendi.com 

Kari Asbury http://hippiechickjewelrydesign.com/blog

Robin Reed http://www.willowdragon.blogspot.com 

Kristina Hahn Eleniak http://www.peacockandlime.wordpress.com

Robin Lynne Showstack http://heartsdesiresjewelryforyou.blogspot.com/ 

Rosantia Petkova http://bairozan.blogspot.com/

Claire Fabian http://saraccino.blogspot.de/ 

Inge von Roos https://ingetraud.wordpress.com

Rachel Mallis http://mintmonarch.com 

Sam Waghron http://palemooncreation.blogspot.co.uk

Lori Schneider http://beadaddicted.blogspot.com 

Fay Wolfenden http://torchfairy.blogspot.com

SEEDERS

Suse Stelljes http://pearlify.blogspot.de 

Ginger Bishop http://www.lilmummylikes.blogspot.com

Nelly May http://www.smellynelly.blogspot.com 

Rebecca White http://morganafeycreations.121hub.com/

Sheila Prosterman http://catswithbeads.blogspot.com 

Catherine King http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com

Palak (aka Pallavi Asher)http://kalaabhushan.blogspot.in/ 

Krafty Max http://kraftymax.net

Renetha Stanziano http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com/ 

Becky Pancake http://beckypancakebeaddesigns.blogspot.com

Katy Heider http://onthepondcreations.blogspot.com/ 

Deborah Apodaca http://deborahapodacadesigns.blogspot.com/

Heather Richter http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com/ 

Tami Norris https://tamisdesigns.wordpress.com

Brandy Scozzari http://bhjewelry.wordpress.com 

Catherine King http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com

Kathleen Breeding https://www.facebook.com/99BOBOTW/ 

Veralynne Malone http://veradesigns.blogspot.com

Bobbie Rafferty http://beadsong.blogspot.com 

Lori Blanchard http://alainnjewelry.wordpress.com

FRIDAY FAVORITES

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The day has almost slipped away before I could post this, but "no worries," plenty of favorites to share FOR SURE today....

• "Hands down"....the #1 favorite is that today is officially the first day of spring! Woo-hoo! Let the sunshine, warm weather, and yes, even the spring rains (within reason!) begin ~ I am MORE than ready this year...

• I am a "collector of quotes" and this is a new favorite that I came across just this morning:

"The beautiful is everywhere." ~ Fernand Léger

• Some of you may think that my complete wardrobe is comprised of my "Goodwill Hunting" forays :-), but to be honest, I ♥ shopping just like the next "gal!" In fact, one of my "favorite" shops is Coldwater Creek ~ I love to peruse their latest catalogue or surf their site to see what might be new, finding their colors, designs, and textures refreshing and unique. So, when I can find a Coldwater Creek sale + free shipping + my yet-to-be-used gift card from Christmas (Thanks, Hannah! ♥), I can't resist what I think is quite the deal! Here are the "Friday Favorites" that came in the mail today!

• "Spring Blooms" Necklace and Earrings are DONE and ready to be listed (tonight or tomorrow!!) in the Etsy shop. The pink, green, and slight touch of soft golden yellow hues were inspired by the "Tulip Lovers Circles" palette highlighted in last week's "Tickling the Muse" post.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

The New York Snowman Returns...

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The tree is up and is awaiting decorating. If you have been a "follower" of this blog for some time, then you already know the "Tale of the New York Snowman" ~ but for those of you who may have joined us more recently, I've decided to re-post (at the risk of "spilling the beans" on my true "non-creative" roots! LOL!). Of course, this year the New York Snowman journeys again...to a new home with the not-so "little girl" as she begins a new life on her own again.

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there was a little girl who was a "Bluebird" (the CampFire Girls version of "Brownies" for those Girl Scouts out there). One day, at a December Bluebird meeting, the little girl's troop leader announced that they would be making snowmen to decorate their Christmas trees. The little girl clapped her hands with delight as she loved to craft, even though through the years to come many art teachers would tell the little girl she was artistically-challenged.

As the little girl and her friends gathered around the large wooden work table, filled with a delightful assortment of colorful supplies, she could feel the excitement and energy of what must be the artistic muse filling the room. Dozens of hands reached across the table through scattered lace, sequins, styrofoam, and pipe cleaners, everyone laying claim to the perfect pieces for their own snowman sculpture. But, the little girl had a different idea has she quietly scooped up two lone gray styrofoam balls, pinned them together with paper clips, and began adding scraps of red and white lace and netting, pipe cleaners, and sequins to her creation. As she neared completion, the troop leader suddenly took notice and asked, "Why, dear, here, we still have some regular styrofoam balls left. Don't you want to use them?" "No, " replied the little girl, quietly, still gluing and positioning her lace, "this is the snowman I want to make." The troop leader continued, "But it's gray." "I know," answered the little girl, and simply smiled as she finished gluing the final piece of lace into place.

The little girl took her snowman home that night and hung it on the highest branch that she could reach of the family Christmas tree. Her mother smiled and told her it was a wonderful snowman, but it was her father that gave it the name that has lasted all these years. He took a very long look at the gray snowman and said, "Oh, I get it - it's a New York snowman!" And he laughed a very long time. The little girl didn't understand at the time why he was laughing, but she was glad that the snowman made her father happy.

Over the years, the New York Snowman always came to have a place of honor on the family Christmas tree, and yes, as the little girl grew there came a time that she did understand why her father laughed and gave the snowman its name. She laughed with him as she thought of pure white snow made dirty by the exhaust and travel of city traffic.

And then one year, her first year alone at Christmas and many, many miles away from family, the little girl received a package. Inside was a carefully wrapped bundle with a note in her father's handwriting ~ "It's time for him to go on your tree now." The New York Snowman had come home to the little girl.

The little girl has grown up, married, and has a growing family of her own now. Yet, every Christmas, one of the very first ornaments still placed on her tree, in a place of honor, with heartfelt memories of what it means to create with love, to share with family through the years, is the New York Snowman. May your holiday decorating be filled with love and sharing!

~Post Script #1....the "little girl" has just now noticed that New York Snowman is "Scarlet and Gray"! How fitting ~ GO BUCKS!

~Post Script #2...when the "little girl" made this "Scarlet and Gray" New York Snowman, she was living in Michigan ~ how ironic!