Saturday 2 August 2014

Chicklets Blog Hop!

Wow! Talk about a challenge! I was very excited to sign up for Toltec Jewels blog hop using the oh so sweet chicklet beads made by Sue of SueBeads. I even sent off to her and bought more of them because I like them so much. However once the bead arrived from Rita last month my muse deserted me and  try as I might nothing with this bead worked. The soft,greyish green colour just wasn't doing it for me!

Believe me,  I tried every combination I could think of. Contrasting colours, complementary colours, no other colours  ( just clear glass), metal including copper, brass and silver, adding other art beads, making something in polymer clay to go with it, wire wrapping, symmetry and assymmetry, lariat, sead beads, sari silk, waxed Irish linen and so on.  I truly believed that I was going to fail this challenge due to lack of inspiration. 

A couple of years ago I bought Stephanie Eddy's  Lazee Daizee  and played around with viking knit for a couple of months. It didn't turn out great and was time consuming so it's been tucked away until now. I have an idea to make something for a friend's birthday this summer so I pulled it out to use. I came across this coloured wire in my wire stash and it reminded me of my green nemesis bead so I thought I'd give it a try. I hadn't done viking knit for a long time so I did a trial with the seafoam green before pulling out the pricey silver for the gift. 
Guess what? I really liked how the green seafoam viking knit turned out so it became my bracelet for this challenge.
I used the Chicklet bead as the focal and framed it with two oval blue green azurite ovals that I've been wanting to use for months. The sterling flower spacers are from my Bead soup sent to me last year by Rita of Toltec Jewels so it seemed appropriate to use them in this challenge. I still haven't figured out the fastening and I have to do some work on the wire ends of the viking knit but I am happy to have made this. And I didn't fail the challenge!!!

Thank you Rita for hosting this great Blog Hop. It was a great idea and definitely a challenge for me! Thank you for sending me the bead and for pushing me yet again outside my comfort zone. I'm looking forward to seeing what everybody else has made.

Here is the amazing list of all the other talented artists in this hop so please hop along and check out their creations. I know it's a bit overwhelming but do what you can and be sure to go to Rita's and Sue's blogs to see their work.

Guest of Honor & Featured Artist:  Susan Kennedy
 


Sue Kennedy's blogs:                               SueBeads...A Beady Girl's blog

                                                            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