It Says Summer To Me

"Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

How do you know that summer has arrived?

Since today is officially the first day of summer, I thought that it would be fitting to share some summer inspiration.

I was offered an opportunity that I couldn't refuse back in March when summer was little more than a dream to me. Auntie's Beads gave me a mini-shopping spree to order whatever I would like from their site, if I would then make something and tell you about it. I am embarrassed that it took me this long to post my results. But I figure that it is better late than never, right?

I buy from all sorts of online vendors, and although I had seen Auntie's Beads mentioned in ads, I had never ordered from them. Well, that will change now! There is a little bit of everything on their site from glass beads to pearls and pewter findings to copper chain. The website is easy to navigate and I like that the pictures are shot with a white background to make it easy to see all the details of a component or bead. I found their prices reasonable, too. Here are the things that I ordered*:

Antique copper plated earwires with leaf and loop
Miyuki Matte met patina iris beads
Pewter rococo square spacers, antique copper plate Blue Turquoise magnesite round beads

Antique copper plate radiant square link and toggle
Bright copper link round rope chain by the foot
Deep rose turquoise medium nugget strand

I used all of the components that were sent to me except for the Miyuki beads. From the picture I thought that they might be a better match for the blue turquoise magnesite round beads, but they weren't. They ended up being a bit too gray in tone. But I will save them for another piece down the line.

Sweet Taste of Summer

I know it is summer when the watermelons are seen heaped in my favorite grocery store. You can get cut watermelon all year round these days, but I know that summer has arrived when I see those giant green orbs. There is a certain mystery to them. You never know if they will be sweet and juicy inside.

I love the color of watermelon. The green wavy stripes. The crisp white rind. The sweet pink flesh. And every 'seedless' watermelon has at least one black seed. But remember when it used to be that they were filled with seeds? Then a spitting contest ensued with the juice running down your arms. When I saw the deep rose turquoise nuggets I thought they looked just like the color of my favorite fruit. So I decided to make something that would remind me of summer.

Sweet Taste of Summer

I alternated the pink turquoise with green prehnite nuggets from my stash laced with black seed beads. The clasp is made from galvanized steel wire wrapped in more seed beads. I think this bracelet looks juicy!

A Landscape Rare

Summer also makes me think of cool blue water, sunlight dappled through the lush leaves on trees and going on adventures. I was most excited by the blue turquoise magnesite beads that I received. I loved the color and the mosaic look. Turquoise happens to be the Pantone color of 2010 and I think that it is a perfect summer color that looks great with copper, which is my favorite metal tone to design with.

I have been making my own resin components for a few years now, and this double sided pendant has vintage maps for journeys and adventures as well as snippets from a French poem (translated into English).

It says, "Few things are perfect: your soul is a landscape rare." And it also has a mustard seed, because from the tiniest inspiration grows the greatest ideas. This is what I call my "Seeds of Inspiration" pendants.

A Landscape Rare

I really liked the heft and solid feel of the square radiant links and toggle. And they are all double-sided, so that worked well with this pendant that can be worn either way.

I added some wood beads from Michaels, a beaded bead scavenged from some old necklace and the most lovely teal colored recycled silk sari ribbon to remind me of the cool water of the river. I threaded the ribbon through the bright copper chain, just to give that some more visual weight, like a babbling brook flowing over stones.

And of course, some earrings to match, using the leaf and loop ear wires, turquoise magnesite rounds, teal seed beads (bringing in the same detail from the necklace) and the cool copper square spacers. Don't those magnesite orbs look like our little planet Earth? Or a map with twists and turns leading to treasures galore?

Summer has definitely arrived around here. But the one thing I won't be inspired by are all the mosquitoes that will be showing up soon!

Question: would you be interested in buying components like my "Seeds of Inspiration" pendants? Layers of paper, resin, poetry, and art? Do tell!

Would you like to win the "Sweet Taste of Summer" bracelet?
You have until 11:59pm CST on Monday, June 21st to comment on this post. Winner will be drawn at random from all comments that complete this sentence...

I know that it is summer when....

Enjoy the day!

*FTC compliance disclosure: the '*' items mentioned in this post credited to Auntie's Beads were provided as a promotional gift.
These items are for review or design purposes.