Jewelry by Jeannie offers a jewelry challenge every so often.
I was lucky enough to participate in the last one and really enjoyed it. Rushed to sign up for this one !
Here's how it works:
Jeannie will send you an old, tried, boring piece of her jewelry for free and you will work your magic and turn it into something beautiful and amazing. There will be a small entry fee to cover shipping and handling.
The jewelry she is sending out for this challenge are designs she made when she was new to jewelry-making and has decided not to sell. This is NOT jewelry currently listed on her website! There will be no art beads of any kind in what you receive.
Can't guarantee what you get or that you will even like it. Just have fun and keep within the spirit of what this challenge is about; DO OVER/CHALLENGE! It will not be in any fancy packaging when you receive it.
My package arrived and I dove in ! Want to take a peek ?
Strand of Lucite and wood
Set created with AB Glass chips & Glass Donuts
These are the pieces I am to do over !
I carefully took each one apart and stored the pieces on my work desk. Would take them out occasionally, waiting for them to speak to me. They were silent at first. So I went on with other projects. One of which was creating some polymer clay focal beads to fill up my supply cabinet for upcoming shows.
I just randomly start making the beads and pop them in to bake ! As I am cleaning and buffing them several jump out and ask to be included in the do over ! Then as I am digging through my stash to find little this and thats to work with an adorned shell begs to be included too ! I end up laying out and redoing bead designs into the wee hours of the next day ... well , actually, Hubby said, at 5 am , that I really needed to go to bed for a bit !
Having not worked with glass chips before I had a learning process to go through. Little devils are slippery !
I know, enough of the chit chat - show us the pretties !
First I divided the AB Glass chips up into two portions.
Using the first portion of the chips and the larger of the two
glass discs I set out to incorporate my first focal bead. I
added a few Swarovski crystals in pink and purple to pick up
the colors in the focal. Filled the strand out with clear Czech
glass beads. A few silverplated findings and this is the result.
The balance of the AB glass chips and the smaller of the two
glass discs joined the polymer clay adorned seashell.
Picked
up a scoop of smaller sea shells and a few wood beads for
accents. A little wire work and pulled them all together.
Then I turned my attention to the strand of Lucite and wood
beads. I knew exactly which focal bead I wanted to pair
them with. Added a few Chalcedny that I had from bead fair
purchase and Here we go .
The glass chips were a real challenge for me. So many little
pieces in so many different shapes and thicknesses. The AB
coating on them makes matching up other beads a daylight
event. I am pleased with the final pieces and hope I found
a new life for these !
Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and browse the other
participants.
Mary Govaars www.mlhjewelrydesigns.com
Penny Houghton www.smellynelly.blogspot.com
If you are interested in seeing more of focal beads I create
they are at .
