It Ain't Over 'til the Fat Lady Sings

    Welcome to the Summer Lovin' Jewelry Design Challenge. Hosted by Shawna Barnes, of JSB Arts, & Healing Arts of Maine. 
    A lot of folks are heading back to school, and starting up their fall activities, but summer has a few surprises up it's sleeve yet.
    We've got a feast for the eyes lined up for you today.
    Shawna was incredibly kind and generous to gift a lucky few of us with some of her fantastic ceramic art beads to play with. We've had a few weeks to brainstorm on these beauties and come up with some fantastically unique designs.
    So grab yourself a tall refreshing glass of iced tea, kick your feet up, and enjoy the view.

    We each got a unique set of Shawna's ceramic art beads to work with. I got really excited when I received mine and dove right it, and kind of forgot to take a picture of the set I received. Fortunately Shawna did snap a shot, so I borrowed one from her.

    This picture does not do that glaze justice. The focal is a gorgeous lustrous gunmetal, that flashes in every turn of the light. It's incredible elegant looking. And that's exactly where I went running with it the minute I opened the package.
    May I present
                         "Opera" 

    Wrapped with faceted Iolite gemstones, plum Tiara glass crystals, silver seed pearls, and copper glass seed beads. Embellished with a lampwork glass and enamel florette by Kim Snider of Mandrel Beads, set off center, and livened with a bit of dancing eyelash yarn radiating around it. A purple stick pearl, a titanium Quarts crystal point, and a large Baroque Pearl, staircase up the side, like the grand staircase in the Paris Opera House, on chains of dazzling gemstones and crystals.

    Strung on a mix of violet Tiara crystals, Pyrite nuggets, deep plum Aqua Terra Jasper ovals, silver pearls, plum stick pearls, indigo druzy rounds, a pair of lampwork glass beads by Kim Snider, and a rich purple luster titanium coated druzy agate slice for a little pizzazz.
    It closes with a small hammered copper hook in the back. The focal pendant drips 4 inches in very dramatic style. The chain is 23 inches long, but could easily be worn shorter by fastening the hook to any point along the chain.

    I had initially planned on using liver of sulpher on the chain to darken it and blend with the beads, but decided I liked the little bit of extra flash that the shiny copper offered.

    Then I took Shawna's little gunmetal ceramic wheels and made a pair of earrings to match. Sandwiched between indigo druzy rounds and violet Tiara crystals. A pair of Kim Snider's lampwork glass florets, embellished with dancing eyelash yarn, cap a pair of Baroque pearls. They hang 2 3/4 inches long on crystal accented handmade copper ear wires.

    So now I have 4 ceramic art beads left. Two purple rounds, and a pair of  knobby textured beads in a slightly darker color. The textured beads reminded me of cocoons, so I went with a transformation theme.
    I etched a pair of butterflies in copper, hand drawn to look as if they are just emerging from their cocoon. I used a Vintag patina in Cinnabar. Coated them to get it in all the grooves and then thoroughly buffed with steel wool to shine the raised portions and leave just the perfect amount in the recesses.
    I wrapped the textured beads in sari silk to make them appear as if the butterflies are just emerging from their chrysalis.Accented with Coral seed beads, they hang 4 inches long on handmade copper ear wires.
    I've never paired red and purple together before. I really like this new color combination.

                   "Metamorphosis"  

    So, if any of you are smitten, and wondering how you might get your hands on these pieces you are in luck! I'm having a show on the Lampwork Bead Addicts Artist Spotlight today and these pieces will all be going up for auction this afternoon.
    I'm teaming up with another amazing artist for this show, the very talented Jean Wells. Here's an example of some of her amazing work, to give you an idea of what kinds of things you might see there.

                 I hope to see you all there.


    Now, go check out all the other challenge participants ans see what amazing things they made.

Linda Anderson - From the Bead Board
Kelly Hosford Patterson - Traveling SideShow 
Wendy Southin - Dragonfly Dreamers
Lori Schneider  - Bead Addict
Shaiha Williams - Shaiha's Ramblings
Carolyn Lawson - Carolyn's Creations
Debbie Eggleston- Designs by Debbie

    A huge thank you to our wonderful and gracious hostess Shawna Barnes. Please go check out all of her links and show her lots of love.
 http://www.jsbmaine.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JSBArts
http://jsbarts.blogspot.com/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/JSBArts