8th Do Over Challenge and Znet Shows Jewelry

Welcome to anyone new to my blog! I’ve joined a blog hop today and the theme is a do over challenge. Jeannie, a jewelry designer, has offered some of her old pieces for us to redesign. All we had to do was pay shipping, promise to use at least 50% of the beads in the piece and blog about it today! I was provided with this necklace and earrings.

For my first piece, Heathered Elegance below, I used the large amethyst nuggets and the tiny green nugget beads, maybe peridot? but it is much darker than any peridot I’ve seen and also includes some dark flecks. I added the filigree with wire guardians so the wire wouldn’t lose it’s coating or even fray. I gently shaped it with bracelet bending pliers to give it a nice curve.

I used the original clasp though I reshaped it to make it shorter (my bracelet was getting too long), the original beading wire and some gold Czech druk beads along with Znetshows Chinese crystals, rondelles in two sizes and colours, Champagne and a lovely deep purple.

I also made earrings to match. You can see the gorgeous purple rondelles better here. I love the sparkle!

Next I made a necklace using the coral coloured nuggets from the necklace. They may be real (dyed) coral, I’m not sure. I added some stick pearls and tiny teal beads (some gemstone but I forget what they are). The pendant is a Cultured sea glass piece also from Znetshows. I love this pale Coke bottle colour. It goes with so many things. I made the bail with 20 gauge silver wire.

Last but not least, I made a bracelet with the bronze pearls, antique bronze charm and grey/green gemstones. I call it Bronze Age. The gemstones are pretty interesting, at first they seem quite ordinary but in the light, they have lovely iridescent flecks like tiny opal chips deep inside. I only added the smoky quartz flat briolettes and clasp. It’s way too big for me but I thought shortening it would mess up the rhythm of the piece so I guess I’ll give it to or sell it to someone else.

I hope you enjoyed my pieces! Here’s the list of the other designers in the hop in case you’d like to see more.

Jeannie K Dukic

Penny Houghton

Donetta Farrington

Louise Glazier

Molly Alexander

Veralynne Malone

Becky Pancake

Shai Williams

Renetha Stanziano

Rebecca Ednie

Beti Horvath

Enjoy, Rebecca

Chalkboard with Stamped Floral Wreath

I love trying new techniques and this one was introduced to me by Jennifer McGuire.

On kraft cardstock, I stamped the floral wreath with white pigment ink. Then I stamped over the white images with dye ink. Then I combined that technique with another from Jennifer, to add another colour of ink over the original stamping, to accent each flower and leaf. After stamping the first time with coloured ink, you ink up your stamp with the accent (darker or brighter)colour then remove some ink with a cloth. In this case, I removed about half the ink leaving the center inked. Then stamp over your original stamping, carefully lining everything up. That leaves the centers a bit brighter/darker. Click to enlarge the photo as it’s hard to see.

I added the sentiment with black EP and carefully trimmed around it. I added a few little random dots to make the wreath look more filled in and added it to a simple card.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: SSS
Ink: versamark white ink, various hero arts and PTI inks
Paper: kraft CS-PTI, DP-MME (I think)
Accessories: pearls-Dollarama, foam dots-The Sticky Stuff Store, Divine Twine

Znetshows Deep Waters Crystal Necklace

I absolutely LOVE this and can’t wait to wear it. The finish on all the beads is an interference coating. Which means the beads look different depending on the way the light hits them. Yeah!

The rondelles are Chinese crystals from Znetshows, those are the first crystals on either side of the pendant. Then they continue in an ‘every other’ pattern with some other crystals. I think the colour is called Sahara Green. But they also look sort of purplish in some light. Lovely!

Interestingly, the pendant is actually also the clasp. It’ s magnetic! Cool right? When I first got these crystals, I wasn’t very impressed. But once I got other beads to go with them, I am thrilled!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Bead Galley (crystals other than Znetshows), pendant-LBS (local beading store), crystal rondelle spacers-Ebay

Bold Coffee for Mojo Monday

I know, I know, I never create in colours this bright and bold! But since I bought the October SSS card kit, I had to use it right? LOL!

 

I really liked this sketch and the scalloped DP is purple which my gal pal really likes. I know she prefers my softer styled stuff, but she also loves coffee! If I hadn’t been making this at the last minute I might have added a few sequins or rhinestones but oh well.

Enjoy, Rebecca

(PS: You get bonus points if you noticed that within the teal and blue paper, there are foxes as part of the print! I didn’t notice until I’d cut it the wrong way!)

RECIPE
Stamps: SSS What’s Brewing
Ink: Memento black, black Archival-Ranger
Paper: DP Basic Grey, CS-SSS doll pink
Accessories: foam dots-The Sticky Stuff Store, scalloped die-PTI

World Card Making Day!

Yeah, I know, I am jumping in the boat at the last minute here. I had a very busy day! But I still have time to add a couple of cards!

First up is a mixed media card I made for a sewing student of mine. I think this worked pretty well for a teenaged girl considering I don’t have any ‘hip’ dies or stamps to work with. I used pretty stick cardstock paper which held up well to the application of light moulding paste. I used a sketch for this card but it was an older one and I’ve forgotten who designed it. If anyone remembers it, please let me know so I can give credit.

Next up is a freestyle collage card. I know, it’s far from perfect but I am still learning this style. I adore it and can’t wait to get better at it! I coloured the wood veneers with Copic marker and used two different colours of thread together which I really liked. Looking at it now, in a photograph, I kinda wish I’d added a small flower to the bottom left of the frame. Oh well, next time.

This one is a clean and simple mixed media card. The solid butterfly is water coloured and I used a bronze coloured shimmer watercolour for the body. I coloured the homemade texture paste (white paint, white glue and baby powder) with G21 Copic marker refill. Then I flicked the same bronze watercolour paint on the background. I hope you like this one because I am really proud of it.

So my busy day? I started out (way earlier than I usually do) for the World Breastfeeding Challenge. I donated a set of jewelry and hoped that my baby, who no longer wants milk any time except at night, could be bribed to at least pretend he was nursing. um, yea, nope! Screamed and squirmed during the keynote speakers talk too. Grr! Then I ended up walking through the Farmer’s Market I had forgotten was there and the Mom to Mom sale. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a sale where moms can pay a small fee for a table and get rid of old clothes and toys. Like a mother to mother garage sale.

Then we left and found our local fire station was having Fire Safety Week so we stopped there for a while. He ADORED the fire trucks and the bouncy castle-style slide. He’d still be there if I let him. Then I was so exhausted (may not sound like much but since I am disabled, it’s quite a lot for me) and slept all afternoon! So that’s why my post is so late!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
too much to list but just email me if there’s something you’d like to know about.

ZnetShows Cultured Sea Glass Necklace

I am on the Znetshows Design Team! They make the most marvellous cultured sea glass and carry a wide variety of glass pearls and Chinese crystal beads.

Today I’m featuring the fabulous cultured sea glass. They have so many colours and shapes. I love how these bright colours work so well together. I added each of them to the basic ear wire with a briolette-style silver wire wrap. The green bead is actually on the ear wire. There was a kink in the end of it but I straightened it then kinked it back in place to keep the bead from falling off. I used round beads, eclipse shaped pendants and the leaf shapes.

These were super easy to make, they only took about 15 minutes. They would be great to make assembly line as gifts!

Enjoy, Rebecca