Sun & Sea Creative Bead Chat Challenge 2012

I have been part of a group on facebook called Creative Bead Chat.  Bead lovers from all over share their creations and tips and all sorts of things.  They are a wonderful support group, personally as well as creatively.
I was chosen by Random.com to be one of the recipients of the beads for the Sun & Sea challenge.

Here is what I started with.  I pulled together some things I thought would go well with the ceramic, polymer, shell, copper & glass I was provided with.

My own textured & patina'd copper sheet & wire with the challenge goodies.

 The first item I made is this double strand copper necklace & earring set.
I took 1/3 of the sheet of copper & made it into charms.  The bail of the donut is embellished peyote stitch.  The copper ear wires are hand made by me.  The beautiful copper clasp provided is on the back of this piece.

Ocean Breezes

Ocean Breezes Earrings

 This bangle was next.

Shell We Dance

 Adding some pearls, aquamarine & sponge coral helped set-off the beautiful components provided.

On The Boardwalk

 The glass beads were beautiful enough that I wanted to spotlight them on these hoops.

Sunrise

I had so much fun creating with the items supplied by some very talented bead artisans.

My pottery is still my first love, but beads and creating things with them come in a fairly close second.

Thank you to all who organized this challenge!  And thank you to all of the others who have participated.

Feel free to comment below, I won't know what you think (good, ambivalent or bad) unless you do.  And, I don't bite!

Please visit the other blogs that have participated in the challenge.

Most of all, have fun!

http://www.yayjewelry.blogspot.com/

http://cswdesignsbyhehe.blogspot.com/

http://alice-dreaming.blogspot.com/

http://blog.aimeesjewelrytreasures.com/

Home again!

Terri came home (well... to our house) on Thursday.
She is getting plenty of rest & plenty of spoiling from all of the wonderful people that know & love her.
The pathology report is due tomorrow, and her follow-up with the surgeon is late Tuesday morning.  We will know more then, hopefully.
Yesterday she conserved her energy so she could go with us to our usual Saturday night restaurant, New York Pizza, in Anderson, SC.  The owner & staff are like family to us & she wanted to be able to show them she is doing well... (and, enjoy their awesome pizza!).
We sure have good luck, Karma, angels, God, good spirits or what-have-you on our side.  This has been such a whirlwind couple of weeks & our true friends have emerged once again to give us support, love & assistance.  We could not ask for more (well, that she never had the tumor might be one request, but we learn from adversity...and we cannot change what was).
(I guess it makes me feel a bit like a wimp with migraines... LOL)
Friends have offered to help at the store & refuse payment, one thought I should not have given her a discount when she bought her items at the end of the day, another said she would be insulted if we even offered to pay.  But their help is worth a lot to us all. To Terri so she can feel less stress about the coverage at the store, & Dad and I so we can at least take a few hours off each.
Dad is a real trooper, he has worked just about every day (except Sunday) for 2 weeks.  I am grateful to Phyllis for helping me watch the shop yesterday so he could have a break.  I was able to get a couple of hours off Friday morning thanks to Mary for being an extra set of eyes at the store & a real help for anyone looking at the stamping supplies.
I have tried to keep up with updating everyone about Terri's progress, but it is not always easy to find the time when I have the energy.  Please forgive me if I missed anyone, it was not intentional.
Yes, this post will be cross-posted to the store's blog...

If anyone wants to help out at the store, please email the store ( mercantinc@aol.com ) with days & times so we can have a written list.  A few of you have told me days, but I for some reason cannot remember when they are...

Comparison #2

SUCCESS!

I cast the first of my Larger Mugs last night!  Being the first pour of a new mold, it was slow in releasing... so, I let it sit overnight (OK to do since there are no undercuts to hang-up during shrinkage)... 

When I woke up this morning (at 5:15!) I was not clear-headed enough to feel like I should be handling the mug... so, I waited patiently (ie - caught up on my blog reading) and opened it about 6:30 when I was feeling a bit more clear-headed and steady.

First pouring of Larger Mug!

I am soooooooooo pleased with the results!  The 2nd pouring is draining as I type and may be able to be released from the mold before I go into work this morning... if not, that's OK, it can wait until I get home this afternoon (not sure if I can wait that long though!) [** UPDATE - I was able to release it before 8 AM, and a THIRD one is draining right now!**]

As I was photographing the new mug, I noticed a dry mug in the background that it's handle broke, so, to compare the two at this stage is close to the final difference in size.  The amount of shrinkage in the drying is minimal, compared to the final firing.

The handle-less Original Mug (dry) with the Larger Mug (leather hard)

So... a side-by-side comparison... WOW... I am EXCITED!  Can you tell???

A top view... color is off... but it works...

This is 20 years in the works... the excitement I feel is hard to describe!  To actually see it in clay... that drives it home to me.  The wooden model was great, to see in 3-D finally, but in clay brings it to an altogether different level for me!

In my bog reading this morning, I concentrated on clay blogs... well, clay bead blogs... I have been trying to get some clay beads and pendants and buttons made, now that my clay muse has returned, and is in a productive mode... maybe I can get some of those done as well... WHILE filling the requests I have already on my list!  Starting tonight, I will add a status line at the top like my friend Kelley does, that way everyone will know where they stand.  Why not now, you ask... because I have clay to attend to, that's why!

Wishing you all a fabulous day filled with wonderful things...

And sending purrs to Kelley on the new addition to her family... can't wait to see pictures!