Jewelry Mojo Challenge Week 11: Characters Welcomed

The inspirational prompts for the first ten weeks of this challenge came from a list of tricks to regain your creative mojo first published over on the Art Bead Scene blog earlier this spring.  Luckily for us, our hostess Heather Powers of Humblebeads decided to extend her challenge for a full 12 weeks which means a couple of surprise challenges here at the end of our mojo journey.  For week eleven, Heather has come up with a fun idea... create a piece of jewelry inspired by a celebrity or pop culture character.  

The first thing that jumped into my head was Temperance Brennan from the TV show Bones.  We are several years behind in watching the show, but it's one my husband and I enjoy watching together... just not at dinner time!  Temperance is a forensic anthropologist working for a Washington D.C. institution called the Jeffersonian (hmmm... fictionalized Smithsonian anyone?) using her skills in conjunction with the FBI to solve crimes.  Hooray for a strong, smart female character who is all about science... in many ways a great role model for girls.  But, truth be told, that's not why I instantly chose her.  Temperance Brennan happens to wear great jewelry!

Seriously, I am not the only one who is obsessed.  There's a Flicker photo stream called bonesnecklaces dedicated to screen shots of jewelry from the show.  You can check it out HERE.  Temperance is a world traveler and is knowledgable about many cultures and her jewelry certainly reflects this.  She tends to wear bold pieces with natural stones that often have an ethnic or almost tribal feel to them (which makes sense what with the anthropology and all).

Oddly enough, in a fit of Memorial Day spring cleaning, I had that very day found an old earring of mine that was in heavy rotation in my middle school days.  Seriously, I can't believe I used to wear these hubcaps as earrings, but there is photographic evidence out there (maybe I'll dig some up for a Throwback Thursday post!).  I knew that the earring would make an awesome focal for a statement necklace.

I agonized over which beads to pair with this oversized "pendant" for quite a while.  With my husbands help I decided to use a mix of turquoise heishi, carved cinnabar, and bamboo coral flowers paired with silver plated beads, chain, and findings.  I chose a Bali style toggle clasp to complete the look.  Because of the sentimental attachment to the original earring (and the fact that I have no idea what it's made of), I'll probably keep this one for myself.

Once again, I couldn't stop with just one design.  Brennan needs options!  When we were in Bend, Oregon last summer we found a cute little bead shop during our beer-centric wanderings.  One of my purchases was a cool brass pendant that was a bit on the large side of things.  I paired this funky pendant with some African green brecciated jasper from Dakota Stones and some green agate twisted ovals that have been in my stash since my early days of beading.

I'd like to think that Temperance Brennan would be happy wearing either necklace... I know I am!

P.S.  Well, I went looking for a picture of myself in the original earrings from my first design and couldn't find a single one.  I did find this sketch by my friend Amy though... Enjoy!

30 Words: Throwback Thursday

It’s hard to believe that these two munchkins

 just graduated high school.  

Where does the time go?  

It was just yesterday 

they were kids and now 

they head to college.

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The premise of 30 Word Thursday is simple... take a photo, write 30 words (no more, no less) and post it each Thursday.  This is a blog hop hosted by Erin Prais-Hintz over on her blog Treasures Found.  Click HERE to see her post for this week as well as links to the 30 Words from everyone else.

This is my nephew Daniel and my little cousin Sara Ann at my wedding in 2001.  They both graduated high school last week and will be going off to college at Auburn in the fall.  I'm super proud of both these young people and know that life has big things in store for both of them!

Waxed Linen Jewelry Blog Hop

So, you may have noticed that I'm a total sucker for a design challenge or blog hop.  That seems to be a universal truth about me so when Diana Ptaszynski of Suburban Girl Studio announced that she was hosting a Waxed Linen Jewelry blog hop I had to join in!  Diana was inspired to host this hop after rooming with Erin Siegel on the Bead Cruise this year.  Truth be told, even though I have had some waxed linen in my stash for a while, I hadn't used it other than to tie simple dangles on something until the Bead Cruise myself.  It was taking Erin's macrame bracelet class that really turned me on to this versatile and colorful material and I've been working more of it into my jewelry designs ever since.

I had such good luck with the waxed linen bracelet I made a couple of weeks ago, that I decided I wanted to make a bracelet for this blog hop too.  I actually ended up making a couple of them that can be worn together or separately.  I might actually be getting over my weird bracelet aversion!

First up I started with a super simple design based on a tutorial from Lesley Watt of Thea Jewelry and Thea Elements.  You can find that tutorial HERE but you have to scroll down a ways... sorry I couldn't manage a direct link!  I was intrigued by the fun textured look she achieved just by alternating seed beads and jump rings.  I decided on a dark purple waxed linen and brighter purple luster seed beads.  I went with copper jump rings because that's what I had.  For my clasp I used a little glass button from Unicorn Beads that I won in a Vintaj give away a year or so ago.

I'm happy with the way that first bracelet turned out but I wanted to do something else that showcased the linen cord a little more.  I've been enjoying looking at the pictures Erin has been sharing of her stacked bracelets so I decided I wanted my second look to be something that could be worn with the first one.  Oh, and I needed to incorporate an art bead.  Game on!

I picked out a large polymer clay lentil bead by ArtsyBecca that I got as a door prize on the Bead Cruise because it had a nice mix of colors including some purple.  There is also some pale blue green and a nice metallic sheen to it.  I paired it with some rainbow fluorite and little square copper plated spacers.  I chose a toggle clasp from TierraCast that mimicked the patterns in the focal.

I still have some issues with bracelet balance so I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.  I'm also not sure about the best way to knot the clasp on the end.  I started with a larks head knot on the one end, but the toggle bar side just doesn't do exactly what I wanted it to.  I had to add a few overhand knots at the end to make it long enough for me and to allow the bar to pass easily through the ring side of the clasp.  So, again, any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Here's my finished "mini-stack" on... I think they look great together or alone!

As a P.S. to this post, I'm also sharing a bracelet that my friend, and Bead Cruise room mate, Kathleen just made with waxed linen.  It's a pattern of her own design.  I'm super happy and impressed by the way she has embraced the beading life!

And now for all the blog hop fun!  Lots of folks participating in this one so have fun bopping around seeing what everyone made.

Diana Ptaszynski (our hostess!)
Kelsy Vincent
Susan Kennedy
Linda Landig
Kashmira Patel
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Vaness Gilkes
Sandy Huntress
Kay Thomerson
Sarajo Wentling (that's me!)
Kari Asbury
Rebecca Anderson
Melissa Trudinger
Ann Schroeder
Shai Williams
Blanca Medina
Cheryl Brown
Johana Nunez Rivera
Lori Bowring Michaud
Kelly Morgan
Barbara Bechtel
Kristen Stevens
Heather Boardman
Janet Bocciardi
Kathy Lindemer
Lesley Watt
Susan Kolovson
Jayne Capps
Michelle McCarthy
Cynthia Deis
Karla Morgan
Erin Siegel
Becky Pancake
Kelly Hosford Patterson
Sharyl McMillan-Nelson
Inge von Roos
Carolyn Lawson
Linda Younkman
Sandi Volpe
Toltec Jewels
Michelle Mach
Jen Cameron
Dorothy Winchell
Darlene Mansue

Jewelry Mojo Challenge Week 10: Fashion and Beads

It's week 10 in Heather Powers' Jewelry Making Mojo Challenge!  (I'm feeling kind of sad that there are only two weeks left after this.)  This week's challenge is to create a piece of jewelry inspired by your favorite clothing catalog or online store.  I know part of the idea of this challenge is to think about connecting with your customer but, even though I am selling my jewelry more now, I still think of myself as my biggest customer in some ways.  (I'm not entirely sure why that is since I don't keep a ton for myself... but maybe because I try to only make things that I would want to wear.  That may not be the best tactic for a thriving business, but it's where I am right now.

I enjoy dressing up sometimes and all, but at my heart I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.  Clinton and Stacey from What Not to Wear wouldn't want to hear this but I just like to be comfortable.  Now I try to be cute and comfortable, but still... it's all about knits and low maintenance clothing for the bulk of my wardrobe.  Oh and sandals... we can't forget my endless collection of Teva and Chaco sandals!

Anyway, as a cute and comfortable goes, my go-to shopping destination lately is Eddie Bauer.  I just bought the t-shirt and skirt below (deciding only after I got them home that they worked together) and had no jewelry to go with them.  Full disclosure, the t-shirt looks much looser in the picture than it really is... I promise it works.  My husband wouldn't give his blessing to something that wasn't flattering!  The skirt also works with a plain tank top.

I decided to make an etched and painted set to go with this outfit using a variety of blue beads.  This isn't the best picture of my jewelry but I've been having some lighting challenges... it is what it is!  The paint is a nice cornflower blue in person.

I'm cheating a little bit on my second look which is a variation on a theme.  The photo from this year's collection isn't really the same color as the one I have in my wardrobe from last summer which is more turquoise like my necklace.  While not a perfect color match, I think it still could go.  It would look nice with the same top in citrus or spring mango too.  I really like the design I used to etch the leaf blank... I think I'll be doing more like this to go to the gallery this summer.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my attempt to match up my designs with casual fashion!

30 Words: Is this a Street?

Is this a street?  Seriously... 

Who would ever notice 

this little doorway and think 

“This is where they hide the oldest 

brew pub in Bruges?"  

De Garre here we come!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The premise of 30 Word Thursday is simple... take a photo, write 30 words (no more, no less) and post it each Thursday.  This is a blog hop hosted by Erin Prais-Hintz over on her blog Treasures Found.  Click HERE to see her post for this week as well as links to the 30 Words from everyone else.

New Earring Monday: Weeks 19 & 20

It's time for another installment of New Earring Monday!  It's crazy to see that we're 20 weeks into 2014... the time just keeps speeding by!  The last few months have been super busy with no relief in sight for the time being but I just keep on trucking.

For this reveal I'm sharing double the normal pairs of earrings.  Don't be too impressed, they are all variations on a theme.  As I was picking sets of beads to go together for these little Czech glass and brass dangle earrings, I made the conscious decision to channel my husband.  What does that mean? you may ask.  Well, I'll tell you.  Almost every time I ask him which he likes better when I have two options, he says "Make them both!"  So this week I did!

I had just gotten in some new brightly colored coin beads from Lima Beads that I knew would be perfect for a style of earring that I've made in the past.  I bought turquoise, lime green, and bright orange but I haven't used the orange just yet.  I had little bell flower dangles in both lime and a luster teal that worked great with the coins so I went to town making four variations!

I went for two pairs in the solid colors and two pairs mixing and matching the green and turquoise beads.  I think all of them are fun and summery.  All four pairs went to Unearthed Arts and can be found in the gallery.

Jewelry Mojo Challenge Week 9: Ancient History

Week 9 in Heather Power's Jewelry Making Mojo Challenge is all about creating a piece of jewelry inspired by ancient designs but using modern materials.  With everything that's been going on in my world the last week I almost didn't make the deadline... but I managed to just squeak something in at the last minute.  You can read all about the Mojo Challenge (and still join in) HERE.

When thinking of the ancient world my mind went right to Roman glass.  I've always been fascinated by the colors.  In modern jewelry you tend to see it all shiny and iridescent... almost opalescent.  For this challenge I wanted something that felt more old and rugged.  One of the resources that Heather recommended was the book The History of Beads from 100,000 B.C. to the Present by Lois Sherr Dubin.  Luckily, a neighboring library system owned this tome and I was able to get ahold of it for some extra inspiration.  I love this picture of some necklaces with Roman and pre-Roman glass beads... this is the stuff!

A picture of a picture in the book so not as dazzling as it is first hand.

I thought that some of the African recycled glass in my stash (some of it left over from the long ago Lima Beads Spring Rain challenge!) would be a good stand in for the more rustic Roman glass beads that I saw in the photo.  Now to figure out what to go with it...

I've long been an admirer of Petra Carpreau's Etsy shop Scorched Earth and knew immediately that I wanted some of her gorgeous droplets for a pair of earrings.  Since she's in the UK, I figured that I might as well grab a few things at once to make the most of my shipping fees!  Check out all my goodies... you'll be seeing more of these in finished jewelry soon I'm sure.

I didn't have great lighting when I took this... they too look much better in person!

This was my answer.  I just love the rustic shapes and rich glaze colors she uses often tipped with bronzy metallics.  Now I just had to decide which pairs of beads to put together and actually find some time to make something.

I ended up making two pairs of similar earrings.  The first set uses Petra's lovely turquoise crackle and supernova glazed droplets paired up with some pale aqua African recycled glass and pewter colored wire.  I'm not going to lie... I'm smitten with these and might have to keep them for myself!

For the second pair I used raku bronzy droplets in turquoise and green crackle glaze.  This time I used some smaller green and brown African recycled glass and brass colored wire to complete the look.

I have the feeling that I'll be putting in another order from Petra in the near future.  I think I'm hooked on her beautiful creations.  Maybe if I have more in my stash I'll be willing to part with some of them!

We're All Ears: May 2014

Zigzag Nerite shells - Neritina Communis - from Atlantis Shell Co

Another month, another inspiring choice for the We're All Ears challenge over on the Earrings Everyday blog!  Nature is truly amazing... just look at the colors and patters on those shells.  Yum!

My idea sprang into my mind pretty immediately and I made this pair the same day the challenge was posted.  I have had these great little shell beads in my stash for quite some time.  I'm sure I paid way too much for them, but I fell in love with their little swirls and subtle shades.  I added some cool Picasso finished red beads and some brass, and voila!

These earrings are currently for sale at the Unearthed Arts gallery here in Waconia.

Progress Towards 2014 Goals: Getting Published

In my first post on this blog for the new year I laid out a list of goals for myself and my business for 2014.  You can see that post HERE if you missed it.  I'm happy to report that I'm making some serious strides in several of my goal areas already, one in particular:  to pursue getting my designs published in a jewelry making magazine.

I'm no expert on how all the different magazines work, but Stringing Magazine puts out themes and/or color palettes ahead of time for each of their issues.  Jewelry designers can choose to email pictures of possible submissions to the magazine ahead of time and get a response back about which (if any) of your work they would like to see in person.  (This is a nice service that they offer which saves the jewelry maker time in filling out forms and the expense of mailing things back and forth that the magazine knows they aren't interested in.)

Right at the beginning of the year Stringing was accepting entries for a special issue that they do.  I didn't have time to make anything specifically for the color palettes, but I had a couple of pieces on hand that seemed to fit.  I dutifully (and hopefully) emailed in a couple of pictures, and to my surprise, they wanted me to send a pair of earrings in for closer inspection!  To make a long story short, they didn't end up wanting them, but I refused to let that get me down.  You can't win if you don't try!

In the meantime, I had let the email deadline slip past me for the summer issue but decided to send a couple of items in anyway (you don't HAVE to run things past them, it's just a nice service they offer).  Just two days after my first rejection letter (you see, I have no doubt that there will be many more in my future) I got exciting news... Stringing wants to publish not one but both of the items that I sent in for the summer issue!  I'm going to be published in a real live print magazine!   Just a tiny taste of success, but it is sweet indeed.  I can't wait until the issue comes out and I can share with you all.

With that tiny victory under my belt I was more excited than ever to try and design something specifically for the Fall issue.  Three out of the four themes were right up my alley and I ended up emailing pictures of four necklaces to them.  Of the designs I sent in, they only asked to see one in person (and have since declined that one) so I thought I'd share the pieces with you all.

Their first category for Fall is "Wanderlust."  They wanted travel inspired jewelry with a mix of components that convey a richness of culture and a worldly feel.  Here is the suggested color palette (not that you have to use all the colors they show).

I had already made my necklace for the January Inspired by Reading Book Club based on The Enchantress of Florence and I immediately thought that it would be perfect for this theme.  I know I shared this one on my blog already, but here is the collage I made to send into the magazine.

For "Shiny Copper" they really did want a focus on bright, shiny copper.  Most of my designs with copper tend to be on the more antiqued end of things, but I was hoping that this necklace with the etched copper blank from Vintaj might be shiny enough to spark their interest but, alas, it was not.

The last category that I made a try for was the only one I got a nibble on... "Dark Glamour."  It was all about a dark, gothic, almost fantasy look.  This one felt the most up my alley and I made two looks for this theme.  My first necklace was probably more on the glamour side with the tasseled chain and rhinestone rondelles.  (I love the way this one turned out and might just keep it for myself!)  The second design features a resin raven pendant I made paired with pyrite rounds and black Czech glass rondelles.  The magazine asked to see the raven necklace, but, as I mentioned, it didn't make the cut.

As I write this, the Winter 2015 Stringing guidelines have just been posted.  So, it's time to see what I can come up with for the editors' consideration this time.  The deadlines always come quicker than I want them too and there's already a lot on my plate so wish me luck!

Art Bead Scene Challenge: May 2014

This month's inspiration for the Art Bead Scene challenge is a lovely oil painting by Bernardo Bellato.  You can read more about the painting and the artist over on the ABS blog HERE.  As pretty as the picture and the color palette Brandi Hussey created are, nothing immediately jumped into my mind as far as an art bead to use or a direction to take.  I was actually thinking I might sit this one out. 

Capriccio Padovano, 1741

by Bernardo Bellatto

Luckily, I got my May Simple Truths Sampler from Erin Prais-Hintz just days after Art Bead Scene shared this month's inspiration artwork.  Eureka!  I decided to build my entry around her cool "Building Block" beads.  Erin was inspired by the tower and jumped off from there for these really unique sets of beads.  My beads are sort of a pewter metallic with gold or bronze highlights.  

With the size and shape of the building block beads, I knew that I had to pick some other beads that were on the chunky side.  I grabbed a few large Picasso finish Czech glass rounds that I got from Andrew Thornton that have a great mix of the gold, brown, and, olive green in them but I needed something else to keep my design from feeling too neutral and monochromatic.  There is a ton of blue in the painting so I grabbed an assortment of African and Czech glass beads as well as a ceramic bead in shades of blue.  There's also an extra darker green been thrown in too.  (Most of these came from a mixed lot of beads that I also got from Andrew.)  I like the little pops of color that the extra beads add.

I was originally planning to tie on a little scrap of golden colored sari silk somewhere to pull in a little more of the goldenrod shade, but the spacing of the beads and clasp placement didn't work out the way I had planned.  So, I shifted gears and pulled out a cool brass plated hook and eye clasp that has a hammered finish.  I like the rustic feel that comes from all the different textures and rich colors.

Jewelry Mojo Challenge Week 8: Color Palette Inspiration

Last week was all about working with one color, but the week 8 assignment for Heather Powers' Jewelry Making Mojo Challenge is all about working with a color palette that we find challenging.  You can read all about the challenge over on Heather's Humblebeads blog HERE and join in if you like!

Over a year ago now (boy does the time fly!) I shared a post all about exploring color and color palettes.  You can check it out HERE.  Part of what I talked about was my tendency to shy away from mixing colors.  I think I've gotten much better, but it can still be a struggle to go outside my color comfort zone.

As I started thinking about colors and palettes that I find challenging, I was having a hard time deciding on a direction to go.  My husband suggested that I let him choose a picture from our recent trip and use that for my color inspiration.  This may seem totally crazy, but he really has a good handle on what colors I'm most and least comfortable working with so I went along with the idea.

In the end, he narrowed it down to a couple of pictures of tulips that he took at the Keukenhof Gardens right outside of Amsterdam.  I ran them both through the Adobe Kuler website and we decided that the picture and palette below was the winner.  Kuler doesn't save the source photo with the color palette (they actually call them themes) so I grabbed a screen shot to show them together.  That view doesn't do the photo justice, so I'm sharing the original too!

The inspiration photo my husband took and the Kuler color theme I created from it.

The yellow, orange, and red portion actually feels pretty safe to me.  Not exactly monochromatic, but still safely within a comfortable range of colors that just go together.  (See, I really need to learn my color theory so that I can better explain things like this... but that's for another day!)  For me, it's that purple-y blue that throws me for a loop.  I needed to work that into a design with the other colors and not have it look weird... challenge accepted!

I really thought the blue color in the palette was purple until I started pulling beads and comparing them to the Kuler screenshot.  It really is more of an almost cornflower blue.  Pulling possible beads in the oranges was the easy part but I did find a couple of possibilities to sneak in that little pop of blue.  I decided to maximize the orange idea by using copper at my metal.

To really stretch myself I chose some blue waxed Irish linen as my stringing material.  When I started out I thought I was making the front part of a necklace and that I would use copper plated chain at the back.  As I began knotting the beads (and thank you again Erin Siegel for helping me get over my fear of fibers!) I realized that it might just be a bracelet I was making!  (This makes me sound like a flake and a dork, but it's true.)  Here's what I ended up with.

I really wasn't sure about the blue beads with the orange, yellow, and red... but it has grown on me.  I think the blue waxed Irish linen helps pull it together and the pops of blue make it feel special.  

I'll admit that I made a couple of rookie mistakes... I cut the linen a little too short.  You'd think that with my experiences trying to be thrifty with wire (cutting it too short, and then having to start over wasting more than if I'd done it right the first time) that I would learn to cut way more than I think I need.  You would be wrong.  I cut two pieces about 16 inches each and that was not really enough with all those knots.  Thankfully, I had just enough to securely tie of the clasp end of things but it wasn't easy!

My other error, if you will, is that I would have done the flower dangles differently by putting them on the clasp end.  What I really should have done if I had realized I was making a bracelet would have been to cut one really long piece of cord and doubled it over with a lark's head knot on one end and the loose ends with the flowers on the other. Not a fatal flaw, just something I would have approached differently if I had know what I was making.  :)  

You know I'm not a bracelet girl, but I may be coming around!  Other than the bracelet I made in Erin Siegel's class on the Bead Cruise (you can buy her tutorial in her Etsy shop for that one HERE) this is probably my favorite bracelet I've made.  Thank you Heather Powers for doing this awesome challenge and helping me push my boundaries!  

30 Words: Off on an Adventure

Four friends and traveling companions

find exploring the heart of Bruges on a 

gorgeous spring day is thirsty work.  

What better place to stop 

than the oldest bar in town?

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The premise of 30 Word Thursday is simple... take a photo, write 30 words (no more, no less) and post it each Thursday.  This is a blog hop hosted by Erin Prais-Hintz over on her blog Treasures Found.  Click HERE to see her post for this week as well as links to the 30 Words from everyone else.

New Earring Monday: Weeks 17 & 18

With all my recent travels (I will post about my most recent trip soon!), it's been a challenge to keep up with all of my jewelry-making projects and good intentions.  I'm a little bit amazed that it's May and I'm still on track with my personal New Earring Monday goal for the year.

For this reveal I'll start with a pair of earrings that I made to go along with my April Inspired by Reading necklace.  (If you missed the necklace you can see it HERE.)  I had some little mulberry disc beads from Humblebeads that went perfectly with the colors of the little floral house and other components I used in the necklace.  I paired them with some of the purple Swarovski pearls and Vintaj brass bead caps and key charms to tie it all together.

Next up I have a new variation of an earring design I've been making for a while.  I used a slightly smaller Czech glass flower than I've done before in orange and added a turquoise colored seed bead and brass spacer to the center before wire wrapping them to the Vintaj leaf embellishment.  I'm ready for some sunshine and flowers!

I'll be bringing both of these pairs to the Unearthed Gallery sometime this week!

Jewelry Mojo Challenge Week 7: One Color

This week, Heather Powers has challenged us to create something using just one color (although you can vary the value of the color from light to dark).  The idea being that sometimes having a whole rainbow of choices at your fingertips can be overwhelming.  So, by limiting our choices she hopes to amp up our creativity.  You can get all the details about the challenge (and join in!) over on the Humblebeads blog HERE.

There's a tiny bit of irony in this week's Mojo Challenge for me...  If you've been following me for a while, you know that I have a tendency toward the monochromatic in my designs and have been working hard to break out of that rut.  But, hey, there's a time for everything so I will embrace my one color side again for this week!  Now to just decide which color to work with...

I decided to try my hand at a bracelet design to give myself an extra challenge.  (I'm not much of a bracelet wearer myself.)  Still feeling in a purple mode (a color that I work with a little less often than some... see, more challenges for me) I picked out some wisteria colored Czech glass, pale purple Swarovski crystals, and deeper purple seed beads.  I paired it with Vintaj brass chain and a lobster claw clasp.  In retrospect using silver toned materials may have made it feel more one color, but I've been in a brass groove lately.  

Worried about wear and tear on a bracelet I used medium SoftFlex beading wire which may have made the strung side seem a little stiff when not being worn.  It behaves properly when on my wrist, so I think it's ok.  I put the chain around the bottom portion of the bracelet with the clasp right off one of the strung ends to make it easily adjustable for folks.  

I got hit with a little more one color inspiration this morning and whipped up this necklace in pinks and brass.  Lots of variations of pink Czech glass going on and I painted the flowers on the pendant piece a pale pink too.

Unintentionally, my design for the Inspired by Reading Book Club this week also embraces the "One Color" idea.  If you missed that one you can see it HERE.

30 Words: Pictures in Tulips

Amsterdam’s canal houses depicted in tulips.  

Precision planting produces a 

picture in brightly colored petals.  

An interesting interpretation of a 

city I’ve only barely met and 

want to know better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The premise of 30 Word Thursday is simple... take a photo, write 30 words (no more, no less) and post it each Thursday.  This is a blog hop hosted by Erin Prais-Hintz over on her blog Treasures Found.  Click HERE to see her post for this week as well as links to the 30 Words from everyone else.