Wednesday, 12 December 2012

Gossiping Goddess Free Bead Challenge

One of the best things about becoming a part of  the on line art bead scene is the generosity and kindness of my fellow jewellery and bead makers. I'm always delighted and amazed at how willing everyone is to share their design ideas, post free tutorials and generally give advice and tips. One such star is Lesley Watt, customer, on line buddy and now real life friend (we spent a lovely afternoon together recently where Lesley kindly shared some precious metal clay knowledge with me). Lucky Lesley was given a fantastic stash of lamp work beads by a friend Kaz Baildon recently and rather than hoard the lot she decided to share the love and give away some of the little beauties to, well to basically anyone who asked by leaving her a comment. Well I was one of the lucky commenter's and for my very small trouble of penning a few lines and the real hardship of pledging to make something with it when it arrived, I received this stunner of a bead.....


I have to say I'd fallen in love with this bead when I saw it on Lesley's blog post and had my fingers well and truly crossed that I would be the luck recipient..... well you know what they say... be careful what you wish for! I have admit to shear avarice with no thought for what I might do with this lovely treasure once I had it. I did however have one determined thought I wanted follow through the cherry tree theme into the necklace with some 3mm garnet coloured glass rounds but that was it.....And so the hunt began for the perfect beads to compliment my little cherry tree. I started of with these.....

 

It's a little difficult to tell but the fire polished beads were actually the perfect colour match for the green of the tree and the pinky base colour but every which way I tried them the completely overpowered the focal. So these were ditched and the the hunt began again, I eventually decided on these.....


As well as representing the cherries I also wanted to pop some blossom in there somewhere but just an impression rather than using flower beads. This is how I began....

 


....and this is how I finished.




Thank you Lesley, I hope you like what I've done with your lovely gift.

Here's the link to Lesley's original post - Free Beads Anyone

If you would like to see what everyone else has made then here's the hop.....

Lesley Watt - www.thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com
Cory Tompkins - http://tealwaterdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/
Rebecca Anderson - http://songbeads.blogspot.co.uk/
Marie Cramp -  http://skyejewels.blogspot.co.uk/
Claire Braunbarth - http://smittenbeads.blogspot.co.uk/
Heidi Post - http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.co.uk/
Tiffany Smith - http://southerngalsdesign.blogspot.co.uk/
Sharyl Macmillan-Nelson - http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.co.uk/
Ailsa Cordner - http://www.bramalfiebeadsetc.co.uk/
Linda Landig -  http://lindalandig.wordpress.com/
Caroline Dewison - http://blueberribeads.co.uk/
Renetha - http://www.lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com
Kari Asbury - http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.co.uk/
Niky Sayers - http://silverniknats.blogspot.com
Purple Cobwebs - http://www.purplecobwebs.blogspot.co.uk/
Cilla Watkins - http://www.tellyourgirlfriends.com/

40 comments:

  1. Lesley12 December 2012 at 03:32

    B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L Claire! Totally evokes a blossom laden cherry tree - great work. Thank you for taking on the challenge.

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    Replies
    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 04:21

      Thank you for the bead and the opertunity Lesley, glad you like it :0) xx

      Delete
  2. Patti Vanderbloemen12 December 2012 at 04:06

    This is so gorgeous! I love our accent bead choices and the design is perfection!

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    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 04:19

      Thank you Patti! what a lovely comment :0) Claire

      Delete
  3. Caroline12 December 2012 at 04:54

    I love how all the elements tell a story together, it's a beautiful design :)

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    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 05:58

      Thank you Caroline, although stunning it was a tricky bead to use so I'm really pleased with how it turned out :0)

      Delete
  4. baymoondesign12 December 2012 at 05:21

    What a lovely and creative necklace!, thanks for sharing your thoughts on your selection of beads.

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    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 05:55

      Thank you Kathy, I'm so pleased you like it :0)

      Delete
  5. Unknown12 December 2012 at 05:28

    Such a fun and pretty necklace! I love those larger pink bicone beads on the right especially.

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    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 05:54

      Thankyou! I love those Bicones too! they are fluted firepolished beads, if you would like some too you can find them on the Smitten website ;0)

      Delete
  6. Unknown12 December 2012 at 05:38

    I love your idea of carrying through the blossoms and your piece really conveys this idea. Wonderful textural elements throughout and of course the star bead is stunning.

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    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 05:50

      It was a bit of a beauty that beads isn't it! Thank you Katherine :0) :0) :0)

      Delete
  7. sandysewin12 December 2012 at 07:42

    Nice work! I have to admit I wasn't too enamored of that bead when I first saw it, but you made me like it. :-) Happy creating!

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    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 08:02

      Thank you, it's funny I had the exact opposite thought loved it when I saw it but then struggled to get the designs right for it.

      Delete
  8. Libellula Jewelry™12 December 2012 at 08:20

    You really did a great job with the theme of the necklace. *very pretty*

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    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 12:31

      Thank you, I really wanted to make this lovely bead sit comfortably in it's new home! :0)

      Delete
  9. Heidi Post12 December 2012 at 08:52

    How lucky to get the bead you wanted! You made quite a gorgeous necklace with it!

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    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 09:38

      Thank you Heidi, It was lucky wasn't it :0) I have to say there were so many lovely beads though any would have been nice to have.

      Delete
  10. Claire Ennis12 December 2012 at 09:09

    BEAUTIFUL, great work as usual, just about to upload my blog x

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    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 09:34

      Thank you Claire, I'll be over to have a look at yours then :)

      Delete
  11. Shee Sews12 December 2012 at 11:43

    Love it, gorgeous, a difficult bead to work with but you certainly did it justice :D xx

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  12. lamplight crafts12 December 2012 at 12:10

    I love tree pendants. I like the beads you selected to go with the chain and pendant. I all works together for a very casual easy wear design.

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  13. Kari Asbury12 December 2012 at 14:08

    Beautiful! Really love all the elements you brought out of your bead :)

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  14. A Polymer Penchant12 December 2012 at 14:55

    huh, I took a look and saw apples. I'm biased since when my little girl and I play the animals are always going to pick apples. We have never done that and I have no clue where she got that from. Anyway, you won me over I see a beautiful cherry tree, blossom tones and gorgeous fruit, I really love all the texture. Fantastic job

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    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 15:08

      Isn't it funny how we see things differently, I grew up with an apple tree of two in the garden but they were always green apples, so for me it was a cherry tree, I'm glad I converted you :0) x

      Delete
  15. Unknown12 December 2012 at 15:31

    What a beautiful bead!! Have to confess that I am glad I didn't get that one as I wouldn't have had a clue where to start!!! You however did an amazing job with it :-)

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    1. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 15:34

      Thank you Ailsa, it is a beaty isn't it, but yes it was a tricky little fella ;0)

      Delete
  16. Unknown12 December 2012 at 15:43

    Your vision was so clear, it is very easy to see what you created. I love the 'cherries' and 'flowers' throughout the necklace. Great job!!

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  17. SmittenBeads12 December 2012 at 15:50

    Thank you Shirley, it's always good to hear when your vision works :0) so thank you for the lovely comment.

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  18. Linda12 December 2012 at 17:21

    I love your design! The multi-strand sections of knotted garnets especially appeal to me. You did a great job!

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    1. SmittenBeads13 December 2012 at 01:03

      Thank you Linda, I have a bracelet on the way with the same technique using one of Lesleys leaf toggles :0)

      Delete
  19. Anonymous12 December 2012 at 19:52

    I really like this necklace.

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  20. Sharyl14 December 2012 at 22:57

    What a splendid job you did with that bead--the thought and detail that went into your creation is so impressive--as is the end result! I love this!

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    1. SmittenBeads15 December 2012 at 01:15

      Thank you for the lovely comment Sharyl, It was fun to create although it did get changed around about 100 times ;0) I'g glad you like the end result. Claire

      Delete
  21. Unknown23 January 2013 at 09:47

    You are very clever!!! M x

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