Black and White and Gorgeous All Over....

A while back, my daughter and I tried making some pieces for a specific color challenge.

The challenge was to use black.

My daughter came up with some stunning pieces.

First up, this complete set.

Love the necklace focal and the earrings.

Our styles are so different.

                     I love how she thinks.

I am not a matched set kind of gal, but I love these pieces because they very much go together without being all matchy-matchy.

I really like her twisted wire with the focal.

Perfect!

I love this piece.

These are something I would definitely wear....

I love the movement the chains create...

This bracelet is so sophisticated.

This is the perfect dress up accessory.

And then there is this last bracelet.

The elements she combined are so interesting together.

The chain next to her beaded chain compliment each other.

These little pounded wire pieces add a rustic organic element to the piece.

Would you wear this one?

I would!

How fun is that?

Just for fun today, try something totally different and see where it leads you.

Limit your color palette, materials or style.

See what happens.

Then tell me all about it.

Thanks for stopping by...

Midnight Prowler...Wings Series

I love my new determination to use the wonderful bits and pieces I have been saving.

It makes it so much fun to get things out to create.

I know anything could end up in a design instead of just the things I have plenty of.

Typically I can be drawn to a piece of jewelry that has just one component that I love....

In this piece, I love them all.

Which is your favorite?

I definitely cannot choose just one...

Well, off to make something else.

Thanks for stopping by....

She was a Collector of things

Last year I reorganized my beads and components.

They are sorted by color or material.

I am finding this is opening new doors when I create since so many like things are gathered together.

I have had an idea for a Collector Series.

And this was the very first piece I made for it.

I have to say, I love this one....

All the components and charms came from my metals, vintage and handmade components boxes.

This is the year I start to use those things I love and have been saving...

So you may notice some sweet little vintage wonders among all that goodness...

Like the bottle cap and brass tag...

Components that I bought and hoarded saved like the resin pieces and rhinestone bottle caps now are a piece of something bigger than themselves.

I am still on the fence about whether I keep this one or let it go to someone else...

Tassels and nests and buttons...Oh My!

This piece is called She Was a Collector of Things...

It is a bit of a biography....

Aren't those the very best kinds of pieces?

Something that tells a story?

So I am hoping this makes you want to make something that tells your story....

A charm bracelet or a necklace...

Of course it may only have a few curated charms....

Just a chapter of your story....

What are you waiting for?

Go make something amazing!

Thanks for stopping by....

Archaeology Necklace

Sometimes it is just fun to do something that is outside your usual style.

A friend and I decided to try to make some things with a decidedly grubbier and darker look.

It involved a lot of JAX Pewter Black.

I used it to age some chains, focals, and beads.

And this Archaeology necklace was born.

Glass and polymer beads were combined into this fun necklace.

The smashed bottle cap with a map covered in resin looked so much better after it was painted with JAX.

Now I love it.

It was in my failures pile so I figured nothing ventured, nothing gained...

What a gain...

I made links for each of my beads and then dipped them in Jax.

They all got rubbed with wax and buffed.

The fiber piece was made from a bit of a muslin sheet.

I dipped it in watered down black paint and then waxed it.

And those little twisted wire jump rings...

I made them...

Now THAT was fun!

I thoroughly enjoyed trying a new look.

I will be doing more of this style for sure...

What have you tried that was new for you?

Thanks for stopping by...

Last Guest Post at Plucky's Second Thought

My Last post with Jess is up over at Plucky's Second Thought.

Head over to find it here.

If you want to see any of the other posts I did over there, here is a quick round up.

This post shares ways to keep your child reading during the summer.

Want to see how to make this cute Peas in a Pod necklace?

Find it here.

This necklace was one of my favorites.

Find the post here.

I showed some sweet tin ornaments for your country Christmas tree in this post.

As a part of my Msason Jar Monday series, I did a pet post here.

Here is a post for another fun polymer clay necklace.

Looking for a fast easy gift?

Try hopping over to see the tutorial for these Butterfly Earrings.

And here is the another pair of easy Clay Earrings.

It is a nice little walk down down Memory Lane for me as well....

Thanks for stopping by...

Guest Contributor at Plucky's Second Thought

I did a quick polymer clay post over at Plucky's Second Thought.

You can find the tutorial for this fun little owl here.

Fly on over to visit Jess and see the post there.

Thanks for stopping by...

One Year Blogaversary and a Giveaway!

It is hard to believe I have been blogging one year.

When I started, I wanted to share tutorials and art and some great places I know.

I think I am still there but different too.

I have done over 170 posts this first year.

Wow.

That's a lot.

And I hope to do even more in year two.

I will share everything I learned another time.

But for today I wanted to give back to those of you that stop by and read this little blog.

Please leave me a comment below telling me your favorite post or posts and I will enter your name in a drawing to win this necklace.

I will draw a winner in one week so keep reading to see if it is you.

Thanks for reading my little blog.

Thanks for stopping by today and every day.....