Michaels Challenge with Heather and Lorelei

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 QUICK! You only have until 10 am Saturday, December 20th!

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The color of springtime is in the flowers;
the color of winter is in the imagination.
~Terri Guillemets

You know I love a good challenge. And like Heather said, this helps me get things done! I need hard and fast deadlines to do anything and I usually work backward from that, prioritizing what has to be done first. So it should not be a shocker that I waited until the very last minute to do this. Literally. The clock struck 12:00 midnight - yes, today -  before I even picked up my first bead. One and a half hours later I ended up with four pairs of earrings and one bracelet. I might not make it to 8pm tonight (not true... I have to make earrings for my We're All Ears challenge due tomorrow! Not too late to join me!), but I am not too pooped to party!

Let me recap. Lorelei and Heather threw down another Michaels Challenge. They selected beads based on a picture that Heather took of her view from her new digs. This perfectly frosty scene is quiet and serene with just the barest hint of color. I love it. Hardly seems real, but I have been there, and it is a magnificent view.

Armed with a print-out of the palette and the beads they selected, I hit my local Michaels around Thanksgiving. Less than 2 miles away, you know I go there all the time. However, when I got there and was faced with all the pretty beads, I deviated from the shopping list. I got the same color palette, and one of the same beads, but I found others that I liked better, so I went with that. And according to the 'rules', substitutions are acceptable! This time, they have put a twist in... to add in some local beads, or other handmade items. I would have done that anyway, so no problem there. But just as overwhelming as it is in the Bead Gallery aisle at Michaels, it is equally a challenge to narrow it down in my studio. I have a bead problem, y'all. ;-)

I went with some different shapes and materials. The only one that I kept the same was the brown ceramic rounds (ironically, these are the only ones I didn't manage to use!). I substituted icy acrylic rondelles, milky green amazonite rounds, quartz crackle AB rounds, and matte faceted coins.

In the interest of time, and because I was told that the Gallery Q needs more, I focused on making earrings. Of course, that means that I have A LOT of beads left. But I feel that there are more things to come with this pretty palette!

Let There Be Peace :: I actually started with this piece. Those big crackle beads were screaming bracelet. And I guess I am cheating a little in that the beads I added are my own creation. But hey! I am a local-not-quite-starving-artist! I made these little Fabulous Facets Word Drops with the intention that I would sell them in my website for Christmas. Words like J-O-Y and L-O-V-E and S-H-I-N-E. But I never got around to listing them. They coordinate perfectly with the Fabulous Facet beads that I made in my video and the Facet Effects beads I sell in sets on my site. Should I add them to my site after the holidays? I think so! Watch for them. Great drops to add to anything in virtually any color you can imagine.

Bundled Up :: Working with Humblebeads is a no brainer for me. They are everywhere in my studio! I have drawers of them, they litter the surface of my workspace and I even have a special teal glass footed dish that serves them up right out in the open like a Humblebeads smorgasbord! I paired some purple-y disk beads with the cool amazonite rounds and some mother-of-pearl buttons that I picked up at the local Joann's (also just 2 miles away!).

Frosty Bling-Bling :: I don't go out on New Year's Eve, but that doesn't mean I don't have fun! We usually stay home and make some special foods, like steak with mushrooms and onions, chocolate covered anything and even some champagne. In years past it has become a tradition to invite over one of my oldest and bestest friends, Lynn and her husband Phil and their boys. Not sure what the plans are this year, but I know what I will be wearing! I started with the crackle rounds and a scarf made from some vintage rhinestone rondelle spacers topped with a frosty white patina-ed rounds from Miss Fickle Media and the added sparkle comes from some vintage rhinestone cup chain I wired tot he bottom. The wire wrapping at the top looks like a top hat to me! It was unintentional, but they look like blingy snowmen!

Winter Skies ::  I actually used something I bought at the Bead & Button Show! Woohoo! These double sided ceramic rounds (the back is a different pattern and just as pretty coming as going!) are from my girl Marsha Neal. They are this beautiful shade of steel blue-grey-teal. Hard to describe. I also used some silver leaves from BBS from The Bead Goes On. Judging from the amount of little charms and dangles I bought from them in June, I obviously had some plans for something bigger. Not sure what, but I will start concocting now! I added some of those acrylic snowy rondelles (they really pick up the light with a shimmer you can't see here) and at the top I wire wrapped the amazonite rounds. Long and dangly, just the way I like them!

Frost This :: I hate to say it... but Valentine's day is just 58 days away! Gah! I don't normally make themed items and these really aren't hearts-y, but for some reason I am thinking romantic night out with these earrings. I used sterling silver filigree pieces along with the matte faceted coin beads, the acrylic snow rondelles, and some Swarovski crystals and a copper plated rhinestone rondelle. My twist beads are two of my own Facet Effect beads (they are just lying around from all the things I have had to do with them lately), and two beautiful lampwork glass beads from Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens from Glass Bead Art. Okay, she is really not local to me - she is from Luxembourg! - but I am supporting handmade nonetheless.

Thank you for the inspiration and the kick-in-the-pants deadline, Miss Lorelei and Miss Heather! Now I will go and grab another cup of coffee and go see what everyone else did.

And if you haven't already go to this other post today for my 30 Words and a FLASH giveaway just in time for Christmas. Tomorrow you can find me on Earrings Everyday for my monthly challenge, and on Saturday come on back to see the annual Ornament Blog Hop. Woop!

Merriest of Christmas to all!

:: Lorelei's Blog ::

:: Heather's Blog ::