Summer of Color3: The Last Week!

It's really hard to believe that we've come to the last week of the Summer of Color3!  It's been such a fun challenge.  I know I've said that before, but since color is my favorite thing, it was a great way to spend creative time this year!

This week's colors were sage and sepia.  A beautiful combination with many possibilities.  I've used it in paper and also in beading. A few years ago I made a bead crocheted rope necklace that I really love.  I thought I'd share it since the colors are sepia and sage.



I stitched a peyote stitched slide to cover a magnetic clasp and also to be a focal for the necklace.

Since that wasn't made specifically for this challenge I also did some paper art.  I had been wanting to use the Graphic45 collection "A Ladies Diary" since it came out.  The colors in the papers worked for this week's challenge so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to make a small inspiration board, another thing I'd been wanting to do. 



I cut small tags from an older Sizzix's die and attached things that a lady might see at her dressmaker's to help her make her choice for her next outfit.  You can see her  peeking out from the left edge of the board, surveying the offerings!!  A few embellishments and some pictures of ladies in beautiful hats that might interest her and the board is ready to be put on display! 

I've started embellishing the back of my dimensional projects just for fun.  I've always loved adding some thing to areas that aren't readily seen by anyone but me.  I use that area and the embellishments to sign and date the project.  Here's the back of this one.

 

 

This was fun to make.  And, a fun way to end this challenge.  I want to thank Kristin for organizing this.  I'm so looking forward to next year!

 

 

Thank you for visiting today.  I hope you all have a wonderful day.

 





Summer of Color3: Week 5

I can't believe we're at week 5 of the Summer of Color3 challenge!  I know I said that about week 4, but seriously, we only have one more week.  This has been so much fun for me!  This week was a real challenge because the color combination was candy apple red and yellow.  So bright and cheery, but not colors I use a lot!  The first thing that came to my mind was the kitchens from the '30s and '40s.  Those were hard times and those bright colors were a good antidote to the dreariness of life back then.   I had planned to make a summery necklace using beads in those colors and some vintage fruit beads I have in my stash, but I realized I could never have finished the necklace I had in mind  in time.  So, that will be for when I have more than a week to finish it.  What I did make was a small shadow box with Graphic 45's beautiful collection called French Country.  I've wanted to do some late summer projects with these papers and this was my chance to get a head start.

Here's the box.

 

I covered the back with FC papers and the sides with a yellow polka dot from Authentique.  Then I used some of the individual cut aparts from the collection and glued them to the back.  I used dimensional sunflower stickers and silk sunflowers to finish the inside.  I love pennant banners, so I used some other motifs to make a banner across the front.

 

 

 

 

 

The outside and back of the box were painted with Tim Holtz' Distress Paint in Mustard Seed.  I then used some embossing paste and a stencil to give it some dimension.  I inked over the paste and the paint with Distress ink.  It actually is more red than it appears in the picture.

 

 

 

 

On the back I recorded my details.  You can see more of the embossing paste on the side. 

 

Well, that's my project for this week.  I'm pleased with how it turned out and now I can enjoy beading my summer necklace in candy apple red and yellow!

 

Thank you all for visiting.  I appreciate you stopping by and I welcome all you who are new to my blog.  I hope you all have a wonderful day!







Summer of Color3: Week 4

I can't believe we're at week 4 of this great challenge!  Summer goes by too quickly for me, even though right now we feel like we're living in the rain forest!  But, I'm having a great time with this color challenge.  This week's colors are pale pink and charcoal.  So, I decided to make a set of wire bangles. 

Even though I started making jewelry with beads I've become more and more attracted to wire and metal jewelry.  I'll always have my beads because I love working with a needle and thread.  But, I also have come to love working with wire and metal.  I often, okay mostly always, incorporate beads into my wire and metal, but it's a different discipline entirely.  And, it's so much faster to create a bangle in wire or metal than it is to bead weave one.  So, on to this week's project. 





 

 

I had seen a project for a bangle designed by Lisa Nivan Kelly that I had wanted to make.  So, I thought this would be the perfect time to make a set of bangles based on the pattern.  I like to wear multiple bangles so I decided to make three and vary the design elements.  These are the bracelets I came up with.  I used 3 shades of pink seed beads and sterling wire that I oxidized with Liver of Sulphur which made it charcoal in color.  I like to oxidize my wire and metal because you can see the patterning better. 

 

Here's a close up.

 



 

These were fun and quick to make.  They're comfortable to wear even in this aforementioned rain forest type weather we're having right now because they're lightweight.  I really love them and I'll be making more because my daughter has requested a set.  That will give me more variations to try, so I'm looking forward to making them. 

 

Thanks for stopping by today. To people new to the blog, welcome, I love having you visit.   I hope you're having a good week!