zondag 3 augustus 2014


Choosy Chicks Choose Chicklets Design Challenge!


 Another great blog hop hosted by our sweet hostess Rita – Toltec Jewels. She
always surprises us with what she’s  coming up with… 
This time she sends us, as a gift, a tiny little bead, made by Sue Beads.
A chicklet. That’s what we are going to create with J

 When I read the title of the hop, I have no clue what a chicklet exactly is…
I remember some  kind of chewing gum when I was a child, and that's it.
 My dictionary
says:  
 
?????
 
 
 Yess, that helps a bit! At least nr. 1.

‘We’ are free to buy some additional chicklet beads, and that’s what I did!
They are so sweet!  I did that before seeing ‘my’ chicklet.
When it arrived I found  a chocolate brown beauty.  
 
Luckily I choose light blue, banana and a gun metal coloured beady… 
That made it easy for me, brown and blue, a classy combination. I love that.
Fond of making bracelets as I am, yes... that’s what I designed.
 
I added some agate beads, montana rock crystal, some pewter rings and
aquamarine facetted beads.  And… I made 2 glass beads, the roses.
With the same glass as the 1 black /greyish bead I bought.
Some jasper butterflies are added because it’s...
Summertime!
 
 

There were 2 chicklets left, the banana coloured sweeties.
A nice colour for some earrings. There’s a touch of grey  in them.
So I added some hematite cubes and jet black crystal beads and gilded bead
caps for the sparkly part. The earrings are made of sterling silver.
 
 
 
Rita, I hope I did give your chicklet a good home!
It has found some chicklet brothers and sisters in that far away new adopted country!
Thank you so much for organizing the hop.
 
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Have fun hopping and admiring the creations and stories of the other participants:

Guest of Honor & Featured Artist:  Susan Kennedy
 
Sue Kennedy's blogs:                              SueBeads...A Beady Girl's
                                                               Art Jewelry Elements
Sue Kennedy's website                            SueBeads
SueBeads Art Beads                                SueBeads
 
Hostess:
 Toltec Jewels                                           http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

Artists:
Linda Anderson                                       http://fromthebeadboard.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Reno                                           http://jenrenjewelry.blogspot.com/
Shirley Moore                                          http://beadsandbread.blogspot.com/
Kristen Stevens                                        http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com
Marybeth Rich                                         http://forestofjewels.blogspot.com
Jael Thorp                                                http://jaelsjewels.blogspot.com/
Melissa Trudinger                                     http://Beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Andrea Glick                                            http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/
Nan Smith                                                http://wirednan.blogspot.com
Blanca Medina                                         www.peru-medesigns.com
Shai Williams                                            http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com
Carolyn Lawson                                       http://Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com
Rana Wilson                                             http://Ranaleadesigns.blogspot.com
Robin Reed                                              http://willowdragon.blogspot.com
Robin Showstack                                     http://heartsdesiresjewelryforyou.blogspot.com/
Sheila Prosterman                                     http://catswithbeads.blogspot.com
Karla Morgan                                          http://Texaspepperjams.blogspot.com
Kari Asbury                                             http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com
Kelly Rodgers                                          https://www.facebook.com/BeadinBlackBlue
Jayne Capps                                            https://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com/
Mischelle Andrade Fanucchi                    https://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/
Heather Richter                                       http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com
Chris Eisenberg                                       www.wanderware.blogspot.com
Kathleen Breeding                               http://www.zibbet.com/99BottlesofBeadsontheWall
Linda Landig                                           http://lindalandig.wordpress.com
Crystal Thain                                           http://beaddragons.blogspot.com/
Cheri Reed                                              http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com
Heather d-Entremont                               http://frugalmadougall.wordpress.com/
Dini Bruinsma                                          ** http://angazabychanges.blogspot.com **
Lori Schneider                                         http://www.beadaddicted.blogspot.com/
Tammy Adams                                        http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog.html
Melinda Orr                                            http://bandanagirl.indiemade.com/blog
Lennis Carrier                                         http://windbent.wordpress.com/
Cynthia Machata                                     http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com
Elizabeth Hodges                                    http://thewhisperingseas.blogspot.com
Debbie Rasmussen                                  http://kepirasmussen.blogspot.com/
Tanya McGuire                                       http://tanyamcguire.blogspot.com/
Charlie Jacka                                          http://clay-space.com/blog/
Ev Shelby                                               http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson                        http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com/
Jasvanti Patel                                        http://jewelrybyjasvanti.blogspot.com

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

dinsdag 1 juli 2014



My Country  Blog Hop, this is where I live… Welcome!


There’s a small little town in the countryside, in the middle of The Netherlands… 
That’s the place where hubby and I live, and we  love – love -  love it.
   It
has a special something, it’s somewhat remote even.

But… Surprise!
In 5 minutes driving
we are on the highway, and able to go anywhere
crisscross  the country. Which is easy, because our  country is quite small!
In another 5 minutes we can visit one of Unesco’s World Heritages,
the former island of Schokland -

...look! Its really worth to read the info! So beautiful.

 
We live near a (former) harbour, close to the Ketelmeer.
And enjoy  the  colours of the water...
That’s a great source of inspiration
for designing my jewellery too.  It’s lovely to see the world around us changing,
every season, again and again! To see the birds, the flowers and sometimes
the fight of wind and water, when there’s a storm.

And yes, when there is something on my mind, It really helps to take a long walk!
 

Let me show you some pictures of this beloved place (-:
 

I made some beads inspired by the colours around me, these are covered with Sunshine
 
 
 
and made a necklace with them, photographed in normal day light.
 
 
I hope you enjoyed this virtual visit, thanx for passing by and have fun
visiting the other participants. 
 
Here is Nan's List :-) with the links!

maandag 30 juni 2014

'The Age of the Dragonfly'

  
One of my favourite Summer Insects is the Dragonfly...
With  her gorgeous colours and elegant feature she is a welcome visitor
in our garden and the country side we live in!
I love the transparency of her wings so much...
 
For many many people she's the symbol of a great loss of a beloved person or pet. 
What a beautiful thought...
 
 
 
This month - in the Bead Soup Café @ FB -  a picture of the dragonfly is
challenging 'us' to design and create jewellery or another something special...
Appr. 25 ladies are participating and show their stunning contributions to the group.
 
Here's my small contribution, well... 2 pieces!
 
 
A leather bracelet, with a homemade (-: dragonfly focal in German Silver
- embossed and inked. Some Agate beads in matching colours are added.
 
 
 
I made this sweet little bracelet with Olivine beads, Cloisonné,
some Jasper and a sterling Silver dragonfly. 

If you like to leave a comment, you're most welcome!
Thanks for visiting this Blog (-:


♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
 
 
 
 


zaterdag 10 mei 2014


It is that Special Time of the Year - again…  
Time to celebrate The 8th Bead Soup Blog Party - 2014!


 
Thanx to our sweet hostess Lori, (though still having so much health issues,
I’m so sorry) it’s possible to participate in this Event.
Thank you so much Lori for all your efforts to keep the party going!
Take care, I wish you all the best!

 
I was very surprised by the Soup Saskia Letta sent to me, so many colourful
and phantasy full  made glass beads.
Here is her weblog http://puenktliundanton.blogspot.nl/  
She sent  me lots of lovelies…   
 
 
Look!!
Packed in a small sweet toilet bag, some chocolate Easter bunnies added.
They are gone… as you will understand, loooong  time ago!
 
 
 Because I am a glass bead maker too, I decided not to add glass beads to
my ‘jewellery- to- be’. I  also did not send glass beads to Saskia for that reason.
Her beads really  ‘don’t need much’. They draw a lot of attention because of the
vivid colours and their shape. So I kept it simple, what wasn’t so easy for me… 
I only added some matching 'gemmies' and silver beads. 
A necklace was born! Here I also used the beautiful silver clasp.
 
 

 Some beads were left... A sweet little crown,  and a small statue??? bead ?
Some beads could imagine a dress, maybe??? Okay, let’s make the statue bead
become  a focal, a princess. Wearing a long dress… 
And princesses need silk of course, so I gave her a silk ribbon 'to wear'…  
She can dance for hours in this way!
 
 

There were only a few beads left. For matching earrings? 
Yes, as a finishing touch! I lovetheir teal colour! With some silver beads, 
bead caps and chain maille rings they look nice,
the sterling silver ear hooks completed my design!
  

 
 
 Dear visitors, enjoy visiting the blogs of the other participants.
There are approximately 490 participants! In 30 countries, 48 states,
and North America, Asia, Europe and Australia as continents.
 
Have tons of fun, and thank you for visiting my weblog.
Here is the link to visit all the other participants.
 
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

zondag 6 april 2014


‘Color of Dreams’ Blog Hop
‘Our’ sweet hostess Rita / Toltec Jewels is hosting this Blog Hop. It’s always a lot of
fun  to participate and see in what way she inspires us, again and again…
This time she sent us
beads, made by artist Patricia Handschuh of The Colour of
Dreams Boutique. 
Thank you Patricia and Rita, for donating and treating to the beads.
They are very special!

This Blog is about ‘Color of Dreams’, our dreams. Do I have one? 
Ooo yes, many… Here’s a special one. As a child I was dreaming of working  in Africa,  
inspired by the great doctor Albert Schweitzer. I wanted to be a nurse…
And so I did. Did I go to Africa? No! I married and had my children.
Years later I worked in an Asylum Seeker Centre.
Many people from Africa came to the Netherlands to find peace and freedom. 
 I worked with them, learned a lot about Africa, but I still was here! In 2002 my
husband and I got retired. In all those years I had cherished my dream…
We decided to do some voluntary work. In Kenya, where my husband worked in
the early 1970’s  We started our  jobs in a Children’s Home in 2004.
We developed a complete vegetable nursery, did a lot of PR work for them and lots of other things.
We worked in the Home for about 10 months, divided over 4 years.
Nowadays we run our own Foundation” Changes” to support them.
So my dream came true and is still alive!

I’m sure the children in The Lewa Children’s Home in Eldoret would have
loved to see this colourful bead… Such strong, vivid colours, it really looks like candy.
So I dedicate my piece of jewellery to them! The pattern of the bead goes very
well with the pattern of the -recycled, yes it's Africa! aluminium- pendant,
made by me. I glued the bead on the aluminium, and used some stainless steel
wire for decoration and to cover the bead holes a bit.
It a simple design. In this way the bead attracts all the attention, and that’s good!
 


Have fun visiting all the other participants via this list:
 Honorary Artist: Patricia Handschuh
Patricia's blog:            The Color of Dreams        
Patricias Etsy:             The Color of Dreams
Hostess: TJ                Jewel School Friends
Kay Thomerson           KayzKreationz
Audrey Belanger          Toki No Hourousha

Alicia Marinache          All the Pretty Things
Terry Carter                TappingFlamingo
Lori Schneider             Bead Addict
Jenny Kyrlach             Wonder and Whimsy
Asri Wahyuingsih         Asri's Beadwork
Dini Bruinsma              Angaza by Changes
Karla Morgan              Texas Pepper Jams
Debbie Rasmussen        A Little of This, A Little of That
Veralynne Malone          Designed by Vera
Kathy Stemke               Vintage Memories Jewelry Design
Mowse Doyle               Mowse Made This
Heather Richter             Desert Jewelry Designs
Lori Poppe    Adventures in Creativity with LorilliJean

Jayne Capps                Mama's Got To Doodle
Andrea Glick                Zenith Jade Creations
Kathleen Breeding         99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall
Becky Pancake             Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Karin Martinez              Fairies Market
Miranda Ackerley          Mirandack

Penny Houghton           Smelly Nelly
Carolyn Lawson           Carolyn's Creations
Chris Eisenberg            Wanderware
Christie Murrow          Charis Designs Jewelry
Monique Urquhart        A Half-Baked Notion
Eve Shelby    Raindrop Creations Jewelry by Evelyn
Cryss Thain                 Here Bead Dragons
Jasvanti Patel               Jewelry By Jasvanti
Nan Smith     NanMade Handmade Jewelry
Sue Kennedy               SueBeads
Jean Yates   Snap Out of It, Jean! There's Beading to be Done!
Debbie Rogers             Debbies Treasures
Marybeth Rich             A Few Words From Within the Pines
Shirley Moore              Beads and Bread
Shaia Williams             Shaiha's Ramblings
Kathy Lindemer           Bay Moon Design
Linda Anderson           From the Bead Board
Judy Turner               Silver Rains
Gloria Allen                Gloria Allen Designs
Regina Wood              Ginas-Design
Robin Reed                Artistry HCBD
Mary Goovars            MLH Jewelry Designs
Marlene Cupo             Amazing Designs
CJ Bauschka              4 His Glory Creations
Robin Showstack        The Crazy Bead Hoarder
Cynthia O'Toole          Sparkles and Sweets

Jael Thorp                 Jael's Art Jewels
Renetha Stanziano      Lamplight Crafts