Tuesday, June 17, 2014

A Time to Stitch Five

Today's the day people! It's here, it's here! What? Well, the reveal for A Time to Stitch, of course!
This is one of my very favorite challenges, and it is run by the awesome Therese Frank and Christine Altmiller.
So this challenge was to take one stitch, and make 3 identical pieces, changing either the size, or the color of the beads.
I chose flat herringbone, it's one of my favorite stitches for it versatility. I took this challenge one step further, and used silver-lined, opaque, and matte finishes as well as the three different colors. I guess I cheated a bit, because I also used a silver metallic in each of the bracelets, and a coordinating size 15 for the edge beads.
I really love how they turned out, and I hope you do as well!
I found these awesome buttons to use as my clasps.




I am so thrilled to see the differences in each bracelet.



Because of the silver lining on the purple bead, this one has an overall shiny look, and you don't see the pattern as much.



 This one has such a dainty look, and the button fit perfectly with that feel. The matte finish really allows the pattern to stand out.



 I adore this one! The opaque beads show off the pattern so well, and that mother of pearl button has just the tiniest hint of  green in it. I was working on this one while not at home, and there were lots of distractions around. So....it was a bit short. But the longer clasp looks fine when it's on, and I love how I ended up creating it. I will definitely use the technique again. After stringing enough beads to fit around the button, I strung 16 more. Then I square stitched the last 8 to the first 8, and embellished the top with a tiny 15. Worked great!



Just like the bracelets themselves, each loop showed off the personality of the bracelet.





 Yep, these three girls are stars of the show around here! Thanks for joining me on this wonderful challenge. 
Now you get to see the rest of the participants!

Therese               Our wonderful hostesses!


Shirley     You are here!

Saturday, June 7, 2014

It's a Chicklet kind of day....

Do you enjoy blogging challenges? I am quite addicted to them!
There are some that just fill me with joy...Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party, Therese and Christine's Time to Stitch, and pretty much anything Rita (Toltec Jewels) decides to host!
Rita has a new one, and I'm so very excited I get to participate!! It features the wonderful work of SueBeads!!! I know, right? Sue makes beautiful lampwork beads, and I have yet to play with any of them, so I'm thrilled to be in this challenge.


This is a new shape Sue has created, called Chicklets. They are just adorable, and I can't wait to get mine and start playing. The list is full, but I'm sure you could play along if you already have some of these cuties. And if you don't, why not head to Sue's shop? And pick up two or three or a dozen...
Stay tuned for more excitement throughout the summer, as I kick my loom and kumihimo disc into high gear!
Blessings, Shirley