Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Summer Lovin' Reveal

It's hard to believe that it's August 1st already!  The summer is going much too quickly.  But, the one thing that is good about it being the first of August is that it's the day of Amy's Summer Lovin' challenge reveal!!

I never think to take pictures of the kits for these challenges.  I'm always too busy trying to figure out what I want to make with the wonderful goodies that are in them!  This kit was beautiful, with lovely soft colors and an incredible focal "tree of life" pendant. 

This is what I made.



The focal had a jump ring which I removed so that I could bezel it.  I added some of the fire polished crystals from the kit to the bezel, along with some leaf beads and seed beads.  I made a wire wrapped frame and loop (which isn't very visible in the pictures),  and attached it to the bezel with some seed beads.  One of my favorite stitches for rope necklaces is herringbone.  I used seed beads to stitch the rope and added some of the pearls from the kit.  The leaf clasp is one I've had for a long time and I thought it was perfect for this necklace.  I hung the pendant from a jump ring which I strung with seed beads.  It looked so plain that I decided the seed beads would finish everything nicely!

Here are some close-ups of the pendant and the necklace.

 




This was such a great kit and I had such a great time working on it.  Amy deserves a big thank you for hosting this challenge.  And, I think birthday wishes are in order for our hostess today!!  So, a big happy birthday, Amy!  I hope you have a wonderful day.

Head on over to Amy's blog to check out all the other participants to see what they've done with the Summer Lovin' kit. 

Thanks for stopping to visit.  I hope you have a great day!

 

16 comments:

  1. Wow, love your necklace. The muted pewter color is a great choice. I love the wire wrapping too. What a great touch it adds. When we work with seed beads we appreciate all sorts of tiny details don't we. I love that.

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  2. Maryanne!!! This is so pretty and the whole design is just perfect. I love the way you covered up that hole in the focal with your bezel. The leaf clasp couldn't be any more perfect for this! And finally - I LOVE the way you incorporated the pearls into the herringbone rope! I could go on and on about all the perfect little details - the necklace is gorgeous! Thanks for playing! (also thanks for the b-day wish!!! I'm having a great day already looking at everyone's creations!)

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  3. It's so leafy and organic. I really love that. Nicely done!

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  4. Beautiful Maryanne! I just love the herringbone necklace. It really allows the pendant to pop! Job well done!
    {Hugs!}

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  5. Goregeus Maryanne, I love the leaves you added and the rope is perfect for the focal. Love it.

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  6. I adore your necklace. The bezel is gorgeous and I love how you incorporated the leaf beads. The herringbone rope is absolutely perfect and I love that you used the pearls in the rope. This really is a show stopper.

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  7. Wow - stunning! I love your necklace and that tree of life is so beautiful. I have never done bead work before - I'm not even sure what a bezel is, but you have certainly made me want to take it up - I shall have to look out for a beginners class!

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  8. I love your chain and that that pendant design! Swooon!

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  9. What a beautiful rope. It sets the tone for your design, soft, simple and a perfect showcase for the Tree of Life. Truly awesome creation!

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  10. This is a great piece. The herringbone rope is a wonderful addition to the focal bead.

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  11. I love the inclusions in the herringbone rope. The lighter pearls really make it pop. It is so clever how you bezeled the focal to avoid the high spots in the design.

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  12. Hi Maryanne,
    Wow I love what you did with your kit it is so very beautiful. I like how you made the clusters of pearls in the herringbone rope awesome! The bezel around the pendent is one of a kind, great idea!
    Therese

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  13. WOW! I am really loving to see what everyone has done. You girls are just amazing with your beadwork. Maybe someday I can do something like this too!

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  14. I really like what you did with this. <3 Good job !

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  15. I Loooooove it! You know I loved that focal piece, and now I love what you've done with it. Very you :)

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  16. What type of media is the Tree of Life focal made of? Your design really interests me because of the unexpected clusters of pearl beads to break up the regularity of the herringbone. Just stuning.

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