Creative Spark!

Hope Smitherman of Crafty Hope and Bill Zhang of ZnetShows have truly given me back my Creative Spark.

I had been in a creative slump for the longest time...pretty much most of this year. Hope emailed a bumch of us late February asking if we would like to participate in this quarter's design team. Bill would send us all beads and we were to create something with them, and Hope would put all our work into a beautiful magazine. A total win-win for me, right?

So here's what I got:

What a brilliant way to welcome Spring...with chinese crystals and sea glass in just the right colors.
I am so very tempted to show you right here what I made with them, but I'd rather you go look at it in the Glossi Hope put together. It has designs from a lot of other designers, book review, tips and tricks and also some funnies. Its even got videos!

So..here it is:

Click to view Creative Spark - Spring 2014 on GLOSSI.COM

Bead Soup Blog Party 8 ~ Soup ingredients are here!

Hello all...am back after a super long hiatus!

I am participating in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party again this year.
Lori paired me up with the wonderful Kari Asbury of Hippie Chick Designs (blog / etsy)

I have known Kari for a while now through Facebook forums, and am SO glad I was paired with her. I have been lucky with all my partners so far, they all make their own unique, super gorgeous components! Kari makes the prettiest ephemera components and thoroughly spoiled me.

Here's what I got...

(I was too impatient to see what was inside the package to take pics of the package itself)

Aren't you floored!!! I knew I would get some cool wood pendants but this is beyond imagination.
I did tell her I usually get stumped with large focals, and she sent a sweet note, that in spite of the warning, she could not resist sending me the peacock. I am so glad she could not resist, it is drop dead gorgeous! And I think I am definitely going to make something with it...since it shows up in my dreams pretty much every day now!

She sent me two clasps..both made by her. The toggle clasp is so so so cool! The key has been attached in such a innovative way! I will take another picture when I make something with it...so its a mystery for you right now ;-) And the red brass clasp is very well made, and well-timed for me, since I have been wanting to make something like that. Now I have a sample to learn from.

I am having a hard time picking a favorite, they are all so beautiful!

In case you would like some of these tiles for yourself, here's the link to Kari's component store: Asbury Avenue Designs.

And then she sent me these co-ordinating beads, also artisan made:

The sari ribbon is from Design Talented One, ceramic beads from Gaea, and the lampwork and boro beads are from Pink Beach Studios, Art By Lisi, Firelily and Lynda's Lampwork.

This picture also has the back of one of the ephemera pendants...even the back is so pretty!

Thanks SO much Kari, you're the best!