Jan 11, 2014

Into the Forest Blog Hop



Welcome to another special creative challenge and blog hop hosted by Lisa Lodge of "A Grateful Artist" and Pine Ridge Treasures Jewelry
Today we are all designing with a forest theme, almost as if we are walking through the woods together as we move "into the forest" with color and texture and style. It's a rich and uplifting challenge, warming us in winter and renewing us for the New Year as we paint the trees, greenery, sweet earth and soft light of the woods with our jewelry and beads.


The "Into the Forest" bead mix I received was full of rich olive green Czech rounds, spring green rondelles, leaf green Swarovski bicones, Czech AB peridot leaves, two shades of druk beads, aventurine nuggets, green mosaic turquoise, moss agate barrels, AB peridot size 10 round Czech seed beads, and silver leaf findings for a pendant and earrings:


I had so many design ideas from the kit! I planned on using my multicolored beadwork "leaves" (see below the triangles in autumn colorways) with the silver leaf focal to create a colorful leaf necklace, and use lots of Vintaj antique brass with the gorgeous olivine Czech fire polished beads. 


I had ceramic tree and moon by beadfreaky and a bracelet cufff by Humblebeads out on my bead table to use also. I thought the small glass light & medium green rounds might be perfect as a rosary, and I could imagine some cool earrings made from the bicones and Czech leaves. I wasn't sure how to use the aventurine nuggets, although going through my gemstone beads, I realized I do have a strand of pretty amazonite large nuggets. They would be pretty together! 


 I wanted to use the stunning seraphinite gems and the beautiful cabs the amazing  Lennis Carrier of Windbent made and gave to me -- inspired to celebrate friendship & the magic of the forest with her art beads & the rare, angelic (with wisps of white like angel wings) seraphinite! The combination would express my love of the forest, and the peaceful memories I have of being in the woods outside our suburb as a child. The stillness of the woods, the grounding beauty. As a girl, I spent years just sitting, enjoying, relaxing, talking to God in the woods. The woods feel nurturing and safe, renewing. How I love them! 



I decided I would finally use my very special bead -- one so hard to find -- a bead of color! Most art beads of fairies or faces are all white folks, I came to realize, so that even Native, aboriginal, ethnic jewelry often ends up with a white person or Caucasian looking face in it! Don't get me wrong, my mom is Irish -- a very, very pale and beautiful redhead -- but I want to create diverse jewelry reflecting a diverse world. So, I'm always on the look for beads of color :) 


This sweet fairy treasure is created by Sally Sutherland of Soul Silver! And she's not only a bead of color, but a fairy too! I knew right away she belonged in forest jewelry. And although I wish I'd created everything I felt inspired to make, I am still grateful to have the ideas for the jewelry & the spark of inspiration to create. Since I was thinking our hop was the 18th, I ran out of time -- but creating the fairy felt good and she deserves a special day of her own! I'm happy to have created Forest Fairy jewelry, and am so pleased that she can now be worn & enjoy being out & about  -- fairies don't like to be stored away or they'll create mischief! ;) 


I created a simple netted chevron gothic necklace (in a day! so it works up quickly) using Lisa's light green Druk beads and the perfect color AB seed beads (the free tutorial pdf is at the PBS Beads, Baubles & Jewels website, series 700, show 707-6, "Gothic" ). I added erenite ABx2 Swarovski bicones, blue crystal quartz rounds, and some Toho AB seed beads to reflect both shades of green in the fairy's gown & the three petal flowers. 



Thank you Lisa for hostessing and everyone for creating another lovely hop! 
Goodnight xxoo Rita

Artist Unknown -- A beautiful quilt! 


Enjoy all the enriching and wonderful jewelry art created by all the hop participants! 
Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations
Janine Lucas, Esfera Travel Blog
Jasvanti Patel, Jewelry by Jasvanti
Shaiha Williams,   Shaiha's Ramblings
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends
Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry
Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me
Monique Urquhart, A Half-Baked Notion
Janet Bocciardi, Honey from the Bee
Dini Bruinsma, Angaza by Changes
Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs
Christina Miles, Wings n Scales
Elizabeth Engriser, Bead Contagion
Alice Peterson, Alice Dreaming
Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things
Catherine Yvonne King, Catherine's Musings
Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles
Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

18 comments:

  1. That sweet little fairy is perfectly paired with the netted necklace! Love the vivid colors and how pretty it all turned out. Interesting fact re gazing at trees- I'll have to keep that in mind. Christie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your work is always so awesome and this one is no exception. I'm so happy you let your fairy out before she caused mischief. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your fairy looks perfect on that necklace!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful colour combo and lovely design, Rita... I feel certain Forest Fairy is pleased with your work ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the forest fairy necklace, Rita! It is calming and gives off a vibe that "all is well, and as it should be". Lovely color interaction as well. Thanks for being in the hop!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love your necklace...the fair is so dang cute! Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love your blog and what an elegant necklace. Very fitting for a fairy.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Stunning necklace Rita!
    It does not seem so simple at all to me (-:
    And that ♥sweet little fairy...she must be very happy in that necklace!
    Have fun with the rest of your plans / ideas for more beautiful jewellery.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Stunning necklace Rita!
    It does not seem so simple at all to me (-:
    And that ♥sweet little fairy...she must be very happy in that necklace!
    Have fun with the rest of your plans / ideas for more beautiful jewellery.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Simple?! LOL! Definitely beautiful, but not simple! Your fairy is perfection with this chain!

    Your version of the forest is bright and beautiful - when I think of "forest", I see and feel deep greens - almost black - and dark. Love your version!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your necklace is simply amazing! The sweet fairy goes perfectly!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh how beautiful! I love that you created 'forest fairy jewelry'. Your fairy is simply gorgeous and the woven necklace suites her perfectly.

    ReplyDelete
  13. How wonderful! The choice of a netting stitch complements the fairy absolutely perfectly. It's like a continuation of her wings, or a trail of magic dust she leaves behind as she flies through the forest.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Rita-I agree that there isn't much choice in beads with people of color . I found a bead with the face on an Indian woman and made a necklace with it. An woman who had an Indian grandmother bought it for herself and she wrote me a very touching note about how much the necklace meant to her. I am sure that if you decide to part with your necklace, it will find a special home too. It is lovely. The colors all compliment each other and the focal beautifully.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, that fairy is so adorable! and perfect with your colour schema, isn't that fate?! Absolutely love the netting, I might give it a try :) Thank you for sharing, Rita!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love the netted designs. Netting is a fav of mine as it can work up very quickly, especially if you use larger beads.

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a pretty necklace. The colors you chose from your hop stash match the little fairy bead perfectly. And she looks completely at home in your wonderful beaded/netted necklace.

    ReplyDelete
  18. My interpretation of your necklace. The netting symbolizes the wings of this beautiful angel. It makes me smile.

    ReplyDelete

Gracias for your comments and for visiting! I appreciate every word :)
Namaste --
Rita