Color Challenge Reveal

Yeah! It's here! What an awesome challenge this was. Erin @ Treasures Found hosted her second Color Challenge. I was thrilled to participate in this one. I was still very much a newbie and finding all the cool blogs when she had the first one. Apparently she had lots of fun with paint chips at that one! She found a fantastic source of color inspiration for us to use in the site, Design Seeds. My color choice was purple. Design Seeds color chart was: Frozen Heather! Take a look!

Isn't that scrumptious?? But it was a bit harder than I anticipated. I immediately knew I wanted to do another freeform bracelet. I loved the experience with my first one, so I started pulling out colors. Now, Erin never said you needed to use only the colors in the palette, but I really tried hard to stick to that. I had one exception. I had ordered one of the Monday Mixes from Betsy Ramsey over at Red Panda Beads. And one of those was really calling to play with the purple. See?

She has the prettiest ab finish that just sparkles.

Wanna see how she well she plays with Frozen Heather?? Lookee!!

 There's that pretty topaz hanging on the edge.

 And looping around a clear ab crystal.

I ended up with lots of bridges on this one.

I totally realize that this is a busy piece, but it just wouldn't let me stop!

It really wanted to curve over, so I let it!

Check this pretty little toggle. It's a pattern from Grace Nehls in Feb 2011 B&B.

This is the back side, which I thought was pretty as well.

This color palette was a challenge, since I was trying to use up stash, and it was a lot harder than I thought to get that blue/green included. I apologize for my pics. When I took them, the colors seemed to show true. Once I'd uploaded them last night, the purples looked a lot more blue! So, those "blue" beads around the edge are really more of a purple color. I had a total blast making this, and working with the awesome Design Seeds color palette! Please go visit them when you have a chance.

Here is the list of the other participants (and their color palettes) in the challenge!

1	Norma Turvey	Teal	Color Crave
2	Jeannie Dukic	Green	Mineral Tones
3	Mary McGraw	Teal	Embellished Hues
4	Jo Tinley	Red	Decadent Tones
5	Rebecca Anderson	Pink	Tulip Tones
6	Kristi Jaro	Red	Temple Entrance
7	Stephani Gorman	Green	Dew Tones
8	Melissa Meman	Green	Fruit Star
9	Kathleen Lange Klik	Teal	Silk Hues
10	Cynthia Riggs	Red	Autumn Comfort
11	Heidi Post	Teal	Flora Bright
12	Cece Cormier	Teal	Merino Teal
13	Amy Freeland	Gray	Cultured Tones
14	Alice Peterson	Blue	Island Play
15	Rose Noble	Gray	Autumn Stacked
16	Kristina Johansson	Yellow	Sunny Flower
17	Kirsi Luostarinen	Teal	Dragon Hues
18	Tari Kahrs	Orange	Citrus Tones
19	Mallory Hoffman	Purple	Petaled Dark
20	Molly Alexander	Brown	Peppered Tones
21	Regina Santerre	Red	Frosted Berry
22	Emanda Johnson	Teal	Color Purl
23	Amy Severino	Orange	Winged Tones
24	Bobbie Rafferty	Teal	Lime Hues
25	Tanya Goodwin	Gray	Pecked Tones
26	Lisa Lodge	Blue	Nocturnal Tones
27	Hope Smitherman	Blue	Bloom Tones
28	Linda Landig	Green	Cacti Dark
29	Ambra Gostoli	Teal	Perched Autumn
30	Lori Bowring-Michaud	Blue	Sharpened Blue
31	Pippa Chandler	Teal	Hungarian Hues
32	Keirsten Giles	Purple	Mineral Brights
33	Jennifer Justman	Blue	Autumn Rays
34	Sandy Richardson	Purple	Moroccan Brights
35	CJ Bauschka	Teal	Teal Air
36	Shaiha Williams	Teal	Sushi Hues
37	Kay Thomerson	Purple	Autumn Spectrum
38	Sally Russick	Purple	Golden Gate Tones
39	Cilla Watkins	Purple	Autumn Infused
40	Shirley Moore	Purple	Frozen  Heather     You are here!!
41	Jenni Connolly	Gray	Paw Tones
42	Tamara Soper	Green	Field Tones
43	Sharyl McMillian-Nelson	Blue	Nested Blues
44	Jen Velasquez	Pink	Sweetened Tints
45	Maria Grimes	Red	Bright Bloom
46	Elisabeth Auld	Gray	Petaled Tints
47	Susan Kennedy	Pink	Zinnia Tones
48	Shannon Chomanczuk	Gray	Autumn Leaf
49	Holly Westfall	Yellow	Sprinkled Tones
50	Patty Gasparino	Red	Color Carton
51	Angela Little	Pink	Singapore Brights
52	Lizzie Zawinski	Green	Budding Hues
53	Kristen Stevens	Pink	Scooped Tones
54	Dawn Doucette	Brown	Jarred Tones

Thankful

My how time flies! It has been 3 whirlwind years since we moved to the coast. I was a very unwilling participant in this plan. Today I can say that I am thankful I listened to God, and followed His direction for our lives. It did take a while. So, if you are in the midst of a storm, be patient.
My life has been so enriched by so many things. We have a truly special group of acquaintances and friends here now. So different from the folks we hung out with in Tennessee. But that's ok too.
The weather here is drastically different. Lots of humidity, sunshine, heat, humidity, growing things we're allergic to, humidity....but there is also a special beauty in living on the coast that you just can't duplicate.

This bird, an anhinga, is originally from Brazil, and now migrates here.

The very frightening (to me) bridge in Charleston. That is one looonnngggg sucker.

Truly beautiful sunsets

Such peaceful waves.

The salt marsh, a fascinating area of the coast.

I am privileged to be a part of CBS Bible Study program at a local church. This non-denominational program helps women really dig deep into the Bible, to study, understand, and apply God's Word to our lives today. The program here also offers a homeschool class, so my children are studying the same subject matter that I am, just at their level.

I am so extremely grateful to have found all the amazing people here in blogland. I have learned, laughed, cried, and enjoyed the stories, comments, teaching, knowledge, and just sheer wonderfulness of people met thru blogging. Yes, I know we all have our hairy moments. But for the most part, we are all a community of niceness. Of supporting one another, of sharing with each other, of encouraging thru comments when people share a glimpse into their lives, bare bones and rough.  I am thankful from the bottom of my heart for this journey God has me on, and that you are a part of it. 

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving! Shirley

My Bucket List

This is my entry in the Just Ask Bucket List Getaway Giveaway. Just Ask offers a breast and ovarian cancer screening and is encouraging people to share 15 things that I want to enjoy in my lifetime as a reminder to be aware of my health. Want to enter? Head over to TodaysMama.com to get the details. 

This is a seriously awesome giveaway, and you get a chance to think about some things you want to accomplish in your life. So, my bucket list?

1.Go to  Australia with my family

2.Take a cruise to the Galapagos Islands

3. Go on a cruise with my family to Alaska

4. Go to a Bead show

5. Take our kids on a road trip to New England/Canada.

6. Have a place big enough to foster animals in need.

7. Learn to sing.

8. Learn to play the guitar.

9. Laugh every day.

10. Be confident enough in myself to sell my work.

11. Teach classes on bread baking.

12. Learn to surf.

13. Go para sailing.

14. Skydive.

15. Be happy with my efforts.

You know, that was kind of hard to write. There are so many things you could wish for. Some of those listed are more important than others. But really, they are all the same. To be a better person each day, and thru my efforts, to make someone else's day brighter as well. Which comes right back to the Bible...Love one another as you love yourselves.

Blessings, Shirley

I love beading!

My computer has died, life is a whirlwind, but thru it all, I can lose myself in beading! I'm so very grateful to all you awesome folks out there that keep issuing beading challenges! I'm participating in Beading Babes this month, and I'm so very thrilled with both of the pieces. I'll give you a little sneak peak of one of them.

I'm so very thrilled to get to use my JulsBeads on this project. The colors are awesome. The lovely Betsy at RedPandaBeads helped me pick colors for the project. Some of the ones we picked didn't work once I got them all together, but I think the ones I picked worked beautifully.

I also decided to make a Christmas ornament. I don't usually like beaded ornaments. For some reason, they don't generally appeal to me. However, the one in the new Bead and Button did strike a chord. I am very happy I have used up some of my bead stash on this one. However, the bad thing is, in order to finish it, I need more beads! :) Anyone ever had that problem??

 This is the upper portion of it, just starting on the fringe. Why did I chose those colors? Cause that's what I had, of course! That's what you're supposed to do when you're trying to decrease the bead stash, right? Also, the only pearls I could find in 4mm and 6mm were...white. 

I think it's just something in the air right now, but there's just so much talent all over the internet right now, it's just inspiring me!!!

In case you were getting worried that the other portion of my blog was getting neglected, I'm making Ezekiel bread tomorrow! I've never had the store bought, but I have been assured by folks that have, that mine is totally awesome compared to it. I think it's pretty yummy, and it's healthy! So there!

Blessings, Shirley