Michael's Beading Challenge Blog Hop Co-Hosted By Lorelei Eurto & Heather Powers

When I read that Lorelei Eurto of Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio and Heather Powers of Humblebeads were co-hosting a design challenge and blog hop, I was so excited to join in!! Participants simply purchase the following Michael's beads and design away:

Round Cut Horn Beads 91920

Aqua 9.5 x 10mm Table Cut Glass 55809

Purple Glass Round 6mm 80842

Green Ceramic 12mm Round 92927

Aqua Opaque Table Cut Glass 99069

Bone Amber Rectangle 12 x 20mm 93294

Reconstituted Turquoise White Rondel 93741

I found most of the beads! 

Heather made the bead choices based on fabric that inspired her: 

Preparing for our hop, I was inspired to buy this beautiful ceramic focal from Spain. 

The focal is by Mari Carmen Rodriguez Martinez of MAJOYOAL. 

Won't it be luscious to design with when it arrives? 

Focal by Mari Carmen Rodriguez Martinez of MAJOYOAL. 

 And, another boon! My sweet spouse finally found the elusive & mysterious "purple" 

glass 6 mm rounds on one last trip to Michael's Sunday night.  

                                                         Tada! Thank you Lee! :) 

On Monday I became sick with a burning sore throat. 

The illness made me want to sleep & sleep... but I've kept going.

SUMMER GARDEN

Laurie Ament of Isinglass Design Lampwork with brass flower, glass rounds, ceramic & wood beads.

青花  (BLUE FLOWERS)

Swarovski bicones, Chinese glass & howlite rondelle beads, ceramics, wood.

WINDWOOD 

I created a pendant focal from a Swarovski  pear drop (necklace still in progress), and was delighted

 to discover three sided teal & metallic beads in my stash that matched the Michael's window glass.

I made Inca Puño chainmaille links with antiqued copper & turquoise rings for the teal glass items,  and decided to use a beautiful copper focal made by Krist Bowman given to me by Jennifer Cameron. 

Windwood 

Inca Puño Chainmaille Earrings

And another surprise: in a swap box for BeadSwap USA, there were

two teal & gunmetal coordinating glass hearts! I made a second pair of earrings. 

Windwood Bracelet

Copper focal by Krist Bowman, with teal & metalic glass windows, Swarovski bicones, copper chain & clasp.

Visit Lorelei Eurto & Heather Powers to hop the other blogs in the Michael's challenge.

Thank you both for co-hosting the blog hop. It was great to discover that Michael's has some very cool beads and great to design with them! I can't wait to see how others used their beads in designs! 

Toltec Jewels is an author by day, jewelry maker by night. Her literary work is housed by the San Francisco MOMA and is published internationally in popular magazines, literary quarterlies, and university publications. She has won a number of awards for both her literary and jewelry arts. She is happiest making handcrafted jewelry with her entire family, snuggling with her doggies and grandkids, sewing, singing, reading, and learning more jewelry techniques.