A Time To Stitch 8: What's your bag?

Finally after some months of thinking, designing, creating and waiting the big reveal of ATTS 8 is here. Thank you, Christine and Therese for hosting the event for the 8th time now. Love it!!!!

 

 

So what's my bag? It clearly is an amulet bag and since my totem animal is the polar bear it has to be bear-themed. Plus I was able to work with my two favorite materials: leather and beads. But there is much more about it. So first I made the two-drop peyote beaded paw square and added it to a handsewn deerskin amulet bag. When I thought about embellishment I found a few special pieces some dear friends, Nicole and Ursel once sent me.

 

The handmade antler button was once bought and made in Germany, then brought to the US and now sent back to me. How awesome is that? Thanky, Ursel! :)

 

Next the tin cones: I love the sound they make when the fringe moves! Simply love it. Four of the tin cones (the outer two on each side) were sent to me all the way from the Pacific Northwest by my dear friend Nicole. Thank you so much, Nicole! :)

 

I would have loved to make a beaded pendant form the black bear claw I had in my stash for years, but I couldn't gather enough infos to make the best of it, so it's in the phot unbeaded.

 

So this bag will always remember me of two dear friends I have never met in person.

 

Now make sure you visit all the sweet and talented ladies who took the challenge of ATTS 8 and made their very own special bag, too.

Therese

Christine

Jenny

Bobbie

Ana

Amy

Cynthia

Karin S

Maryanne

Liz

Lori

Paula

Jasvanti

Dagi you're here!

Kepi

Samantha

Alicia

Motidana

Becky

A Time To Stich 6 Blog Hop: The Arctic King

 Yay, finally the time for the ATTS 6 Blog Hop is here! The ATTS series is a fun beading challenge hosted by Therese and Christine. Every time they put up a new challenge for the participants and every time I joined I had lots of fun and learnt a lot about new beading stitches. This time the objective was to use a graphed chart, word chart, or picture chart using peyote, square, RAW, or brick stitches. So here we go!

 

You read about the "Arctic King" in the headline and here he is: Ursus maritimus, better known as the polar bear. I was always drawn to bears, especially the majestic polar bears, and since 1999 the polar bear is my totem animal. The pattern originally was for a pair of earrings, but I don't wear big earrings and so I made only one to wear on a necklace.

 

 

I'm so in love with the colors and the movement of the fringe. And just in case someone wants the exact Delica colors: DB200 opaque white, DB10 opaque black, DB47 transparent silverlined cobalt blue, DB183 transparent silverlined montana sapphire. The Swarovski bicones in the fringe are 6mm crystal AB.

 

I planned to make more pieces, especially reproductions of some pieces I gave away in swaps. But then I got an email from a dear friend telling me that he was in hospital and there they stole two feathers earrings from a set I once gave him in a swap. Can you believe that??? I wrote him that I will send him replacements for the stolen ones: an eagle feather (third from left) and a painted eagle feather (second from right).

 

 

And now enough of bead people and stolen things. Now visit the talented ladies who were in this challenge with me. And a BIG THANK YOU to Therese and Christine for hosting this fabulous event! 

 

1-Therese Frank  (Host)    

2-Christine Altmiller  (Host)

3-Cynthia Machata

4-Samantha Wescott

5-Karin Slaton

6-Wendy

7-Dagi (Kokopelli) you're here

8-Lola

9-Paula

10-Karin G.

11-Becky Pancake

12-Ana Cravidao

13-Alenka

14-Debbie (Kepi)

15-Nelly May

16-LiliKrist

17-Sally Russick

18-Maryanne

19-Kim 

Worldwide Artist Blog Hop and four questions about Kokopelli Design

My wonderful blogging friend Nicole Campanella of Beadwright invited me to join the Worldwide Artist Blog Hop and answer 4 questions about my art. Thank you so much, Nicole, for inviting me. So here we go!

 

Bead embroidered pendant winning People's Choice Award in the Margie & Me Challenge 2010

Why do I do what I do?

Because I have to. Being creative is not a hobby, but a way of life, at least for me. It is necessary for me to exist. Maybe a quote hanging on my studio wall explains it best:

“Why did she make things? Well, she enjoyed it, of course; but it also somehow helped her remember who she was and where she came from." -Anonymous.

Yes, I guess that hits the nail on the head.

 

Arrow quiver

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

That’s a tricky question, as I’m sure that my work does not fit into a single genre. I dabble in so many art forms and work with so many media, that the difference is always.........yes, different. Maybe there is one element, that returns in many of my pieces. I often ask myself:  “Did my ancestors already do this and if yes, how did they do it? What tools did they use? How did they get the materials without craft stores and discounters?” For example spinning wool. I buy the wool and maybe have to card it before spinning. That’s all. But I do not have to breed sheep, shear them, wash the wool etc. Or chainmaille. I buy wire, coil it and cut it into rings. And sometimes I even buy pre-cut rings. But where did my ancestors get their wire? And how did they make chainmaille armors before wire could be made? Interesting to think about it, right? And sometimes, many times, I try my hand on old crafts with the tools my ancestors used way back. How skilled they must have been!

 

Chainmaille bezel for a glass cabochon made from sterling silver rings and embellished with Swarovski crystals

How does my creative process work?

When I find out I’ll tell you. *LOL* No, just kidding. Sometimes it can be described as jumping in followed by trial and error in the making process. No planning ahead, no sketches, working with what I have on hand. And sometimes it starts with an idea, a photo or an inspiration I saw somewhere followed by a sketch in what I call my scrapbook, collecting possible colorways, gathering materials and tools and thinking about the best way to make a certain project.

 

Crochet afghan with square and strip motifs

What am I working on now?
 
Oh, I hope I can post more than one item. ;) So there are several crochet items, like a blanket, a shawl, a set of coasters etc. Then there are two knife sheaths for knives BF and me made during a knifemaking class we took last weekend. We even forged the blades ourselves, so these sheaths got to be special. And the latest addition to my list is making/sewing my own garments. I started and finished one shirt and working on another. I work on and off on all of these items, so that explains the long answer.

 

Knife sheath for handforged knife

So these were my answers. I invited the following artists to join the Worldwide Blog Hop. Both are SA based and are avid and talented crocheters:

Zelna Olivier  http://zootyowlcards.blogspot.com/
Anneke Wiese http://crochetinpaternoster.wordpress.com/

Zelna and Anneke will post their answers on August 18th.

 

Denim Rag Quilt made from recycled jeans

 

8th Bead Soup Blog Party: REVEAL TIME!

Finally it is reveal time! Due to several issues the reveal was postponed for one week. Which gave me some extra time to make things. So thumbs up for the delay! :)

FIRST I got to say a HUGE thank you to Lori Anderson and her helpers for organizing this. It must have been a task to handle all this. The SECOND thank you goes to my talented partner Eszter for the wonderful bead soup she sent and for her patience, as my first package got lost and she had to wait for the second one toaarive. Guess she's happy about the postponement, too.

So what did I get from Eszter? She sent an incredible bead soup with some beads that immediately caught my eye. For example the orange Buddha head or the pink stone beads. Aren't they great? And look at the beautiful colors of the soutache ribbon! Ah, so many Options!

 

And what did I make with my bead soup?

 

The first thought was doing a piece with soutache and I chose to take the Buddha head as the focal, because the ribbons match it perfectly. Not sure what this piece will become, but I can imagine this as a centerpiece for a colorful painting, a wall decoration or a pendant. I love how it turned out and I bow to all soutache artists who mastered this art form!

 

The second piece is a little flower pick I made with the flat pink stone bead. I found the perfect seedbeads and cutbeads in my stash and here it is. Lovely!

 

 

 

To visit my partner Eszter and what she made with the bead soup I sent to her (see below), click on the photo.

 

A list of participants can be found on the official Bead Soup Blog Party Page! I can't share the list here as there are over 500 (!) participants. Otherwise this would have been a loooooooooooong post. :)

If you like to see my pieces from the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party, click here.

2nd History Blog Hop: Native American

 

 

Die Schöpfungsgeschichte
Eine Legende der Indianer im Westen Kanadas

     

Am Anfang war nichts außer Wasser. Die einzigen Lebewesen auf der Welt waren die Tiere, die im und auf dem Wasser lebten. Da fiel eine Frau herab aus der Himmelswelt. Zwei Loon-Enten legten sie auf den Rücken der Großen Schildkröte. Sie brachten ein wenig Erde vom Grund des Meeres und legten sie um den Rand des Schildkrötenpanzers. So entstand trockenes Land. Dieses Land wuchs von allen Seiten und wurde grösser und grösser, bis sich daraus ein riesiges Land formte, eines auf dem Bäume und andere Pflanzen wachsen konnten. Dieses riesige Land wurde auf dem Rücken der Großen Schildkröte geboren und das ist so bis heute. Die Große Schildkröte trägt immer noch die Erde auf ihrem Rücken.

Blog Hop Nr. 2 wurde von Leah Curtis von The Beady Eyed Bunny organisiert und es ging darum, eine Volksgruppe oder eine Epoche schmucktechnisch zu bearbeiten. Bei mir waren es, wen wundert es, die Indianer. Und ich habe mich nicht direkt für ein fertiges Schmuckstück entschieden, sondern für eine Perlenrosette mit einem Schildkrötenmotiv. Ich habe immer einige Perlenrosetten auf Vorrat, da sie sich hervorragend zum Verzieren von Lederwaren eignen, wie ihr unten in der kleinen Bildergalerie sehen könnt.

 

 

Creation Story 

A legend of Indian tribes in Western Canada

In the beginning there was nothing but water. The only creatures in the world were the animals that live in and on the water. Then down from the sky world a woman fell. Two loons placed her on the back of the Great Turtle. Some earth was brought up from the bottom of the sea, and placed around the edge of the Great Turtle's shell. This was the beginning of dry land. On all sides, the land grew larger and larger, until at last it formed a great country, one where trees and other plants could live and grow. All this country was born on the back of Great Turtle, and it is so today. Great Turtle still bears the earth on his back.

Blog hop no 2 is hosted by Leah Curtis of The Beady Eyed Bunny and was about making a piece of jewelry for a special era or people. In my case I chose Native Americans, which is not really a surprise. I didn't choose to make a piece of jewelry, but a beaded rosette with a turtle motive. I always have some beaded rosettes ready made in my stash as they are great for decorating leather items, as you can see below in the photo gallery of some of my art.

 

Leah Curtis - Indus Valley - beadyeyedbunny.blogspot.co.uk

Laney Mead - Māori - laney-izzybeads.blogspot.co.uk
Becca - Art Nouveau - godsartistinresidence.blogspot.com
Melissa - English Romanticism and Mourning Jewelry - beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Tracy Stillman - Native American - tracystillmandesigns.com
Gerda - English Romanticism and Mourning Jewelry - gerdascraftsblog.blogspot.com
Liz E - Native North American - beadcontagion.blogspot.com
Ahowin - Māori (New Zealand)  - blog.ahowinjewelry.com 
Jasvanti - Indus Valley - jewelrybyjasvanti.blogspot.com
Lizzie - Art Nouveau - theneedtobead.blogspot.co.uk
Julia Hay - Merovingian - pandanimal.blogspot.co.uk
Dini - Celtic - angazabychanges.blogspot.nl
Caroline - Art Nouveau - blueberribeads.co.uk 
Charlie - Moche of Peru - clay-space.com/blog
Karin - China - maverickbeads.blogspot.com
Niky Sayers - Rome - silverniknats.blogspot.com
Marcia Dunne - Celctic and Mourning Jewelry - thealternativefoundry.blogspot.co.uk
anafiassa - Mesopotamia - anafiassa.blogspot.com
Kokopelli - Native American - kokopellidesign.blogspot.com
Christa - Native American - adventuresofwonebeadywoman.blogspot.com
Clair - Roman - obstinatepursuit.blogspot.co.uk
Susan Bowie - Native American - susanbowie.wordpress.com
Gloria Allen - English Romanticism - gloriaallendesigns.blogspot.com
Sheila Garrett - Early Russia - 4brownowl.blogspot.co.uk





Anklet Blog Hop - The Reveal



Endlich mal wieder ein paar Perlen auf meinem Blog, gell? Und zwar bei zwei Blog Hops, an denen ich heute teilnehme. Der erste wird von Kashmira Patel veranstaltet und dreht sich um etwas, was ich noch nie gemacht habe: Fußkettchen! Ihren Blog Sadafulee....always in bloom! findet ihr hier.

Fußkettchen bedeuten für mich SOMMER! Denn nur dann kann man sie tragen und sieht sie auch (zumindest im hiesigen Klima). Und im Sommer ist man ja öfter mal im Wasser oder am Strand und da sollte Schmuck strapazierfähig sein und nicht anlaufen. Also habe ich meine beiden Designs komplett ohne Metall hergestellt. Auch super für Menschen, die allergisch auf Metall reagieren!

Finally some beads on my blog again, right? I participated in two blog hops and both reveals are today. The first is hosted by Kashmira Patel and is about something I have never made so far: anklets! You can find Kashmira's blog Sadafulee....always in bloom! here.

Anklets mean SUMMER to me! You can only wear and, even more important, only see them then (at least in my corner of the world). And in summer our jewelry experiences a lot of stress: water, sun lotion, sand, so it should be durable and shouldn't oxidize. So I decided to make my anklets completely without metal. Also nice for people who have metal allergies.

Nr. 1 ist meiner kürzlich wieder erwachten Leidenschaft fürs Häkeln zu verdanken: weißes Baumwollgarn, bunte Glasperlen und ein Knopf. Das ist alles! :)

No 1 is a product of my lately rediscovered passion for crochet: white cotton thread, glass beads and a button. That's it! :) 

 

 

Nr. 2 ist ein bisschen ,,komplizierter": Lace Leaf Chain aus dem Buch ,,Zulu Inspired Beadwork" mit einem Mix aus blauen Rocailles, Millefiori-Glasperlen aus der Bead Soup Blog Party, Satinkordel und einem meiner geliebten böhmischen Glasknöpfe. Und jetzt weiter zu den talentierten Ladies, die mit mir Fußkettchen designt haben!

 

No 2 is a bit more "complicated": Lace Leaf Chain from the book "Zulu Inspired Beadwork" made with a mix of blue seedbeads, millefiori glass beads from the Bead Soup Blog Party, satin cord and one of my beloved Bohemian glass buttons. And now off blog hopping to my wonderful and talented fellow blog hopping ladies!

 

 

Kashmira Patel	http://sadafulee.blogspot.com
Kaushambi Shah	Will post on Kashmira's blog - am waiting for her entry
Jean Wells	http://jeanawells.blogspot.com/
Mischelle Fanucchi	http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/
Shellie Grindie	http://www.creativeeclectica.com/
Ginger Bishop	http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com/
Monique U	http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com
Cynthia Machata	http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com
Libellula	http://libellulajewelry.blogspot.com/
Kay Thomerson	http://www.kayzkreationz.blogspot.com/
Mimi Gardner	http://othercuriosities.blogspot.com/
Anindita Basu	http://alankarshilpa.blogspot.com/
Rita (Toltec Jewels)	http://www.jewelschoolfriends.com/
Gina Hockett	http://freestyleelements.blogspot.com/
Tammie Everly	http://ttedesigns.blogspot.com
Jessica Murray	http://whimsicalweavings.blogspot.com/
Dyanne Cantrell	http://deelitefuljewelrycreations.blogspot.com/
Ema Kilroy	http://www.emakdesigns.com/blog
Emma Todd	http://www.apolymerpenchant.blogspot.com/
K Morgan	www.TexasPepperJams.blogspot.com
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson	http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com/
Cheri Reed	http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/
Rochelle Brisson	http://acreativechelle.blogspot.com/
Michelle Buettner	http://www.misheldesigns.blogspot.com/
Sandra McGriff	http://www.skyescreativechaos.blogspot.com/
Stephanie Weiss	http://uniquelymebwd.blogspot.com/
Shelley Graham Turner	http://shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com/
Vickie Foley	http://ohabbyday.blogspot.com/
Lynda Carson Roxanne Mendoza Dagi	http://freshbakeddesigns.wordpress.com/ http://roxidesigns.blogspot.com/ http://kokopellidesign.blogspot.com/

7th Bead Soup Blog Party: Third Reveal

Nun ist er endlich da, der große Tag! Meine erste Teilnahme an Loris Bead Soup Blog Party hat sehr viel Spaß gemacht. Vielen Dank an Lori, dass sie das alles organisiert hat. Ich kann mir gar nicht vorstellen, wie hart der Kampf manchmal gewesen sein muss.

 

So finally the big day is here! It is my first time participating in Lori's Bead Soup Blog party and I can tell you it was so much fun. Thanks to Lori for organising this! I cannot imagine how hard the fight sometimes must have been.

 

 

 

Meine Partnerin Hannah und ich mögen beide verschiedene Handarbeitstechniken wie Schmuckherstelleung und Nähene und so waren wir das perfekte Team.. Im oberen Bild seht ihr die Perlensuppe, die sie mir geschickt hat. Sie mußte mir leider zwei Päckchen schicken, weil das erste verloren gegangen ist.

 

My partner Hannah was the perfect match, as we both enjoy several crafts including jewelry making and sewing. Above you can see the soup she sent me. She had to sent out two packages as the first got lost.

 

 

Was sofort meinen Blick angezogen hat, war das Meerjungfrau-Lesezeichen. Ist das nicht toll? Ich mag das Meer, den Strand und wenn ich dort bin, sammle ich sehr gerne Seaglass und Muscheln. Für dieses Lesezeichen habe ich zwei Stücke englisches Seaglass von meiner lieben Freundin Penny verwendet, zusammen mit Muscheln von meinem Lieblingsstrand in Italien und einer Perle aus der Suppe.

 

The first thing that caught my eye was the mermaid bookmark. How cool is that? I love the sea, the beach and also looking for seaglass. I have quite some pieces and to make this bookmark special and unique I used two pieces of English seaglass my dear friend Penny once sent me in a swap, a glass bead from the soup and some shells I found at my favorite beach in Italy.

 

 

Das zweite Stück habe ich mir extra für die tollen, grünen Glasblätter ausgedacht und der kleine Pentagramm-Anhänger und der Verschluss passen perfekt dazu (und nein, das Pentragramm ist kein Hexenzeichen ;)).

 

That piece is designed around the lovely green glass leaves and the little pentragram pendant the clasp are the perfect match (and no, the pentagram is not a witch sign ;)).

 

Und dann hat Hannah noch den Nagel auf den Kopf (oder direkt ins Schwarze) getroffen mit diesem Anhänger! Ich bin mit Leib und Seele Bogenschütze, also muss diese Teilchen einfach, schick und vor allem jeden Tag tragbar sein. Ich habe einen kleinen Hämatit-Cabochon aus meinem Fundus auf den Anhänger geklebt, zwei Hämatit-Perlen aus der Suppe genommen und alles auf schwarzes Lederband aufgefädelt. Ich liebe es!

 

And then Hannah absolutely hit the target with sending me this pendant! I am an archer with all my heart, so this had to be a simple, wearable every day piece. I used two of the hematite beads from the soup and glued a tiny hematite cab from my stash to the pendant. I love it!

 

Das letzte Stück ist das Armband, dass ich für den Echo Creative Club reveal im April gemacht habe. Neben der Cherry Blossom von Jeannie habe ich zwei der Glasblätter und zwei der Millefioriperlen aus der Suppe verwendet. Für mehr Infos zum ECC und wie man teilnehmen kann, einfach auf den Link oben rechts klicken. Organisiert wird der Club von Jeannie, Inhaberin von Jewelry by Jeannie.

 

The last piece is my bracelet for the Echo Creative Club reveal in April. Apart from a Cherry Blossom art bead I used two glass leaves and two millefiori beads from the soup. To learn more about ECC and free guest spots to participate, click on the icon on the top right of my blog. It's another fun challenge hosted by Jeannie of Jewelry by Jeannie.

 

Den Bead-Soup-Blogpost meiner Partnerin Hannah findet ihr unter dem Link unten.

Check out my partner Hannah's post by clicking on her banner below.

 

 

Und für eine komplette Liste der über 200 Teilnehmer findet ihr hier:
For a complete list of the more than 200 participants visit:

 

http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.ca/2013/04/welcome-to-3rd-reveal-of-7th-bead-soup.html

Bead Soup: die zweite hat's geschafft!/the second package made it!

Hey, hey, endlich ist meine Perlensuppe da! Könnt ihr glauben, dass die erste Suppe irgendwo zwischen Großbritannien und Deutschland verloren gegangen ist? Leider mußte meine Partnerin Hannah deswegen eine zweite schicken.

Hey, hey finally my bead soup is here! Can you believe that the first soup got lost between the UK and Germany? I'm so sad that my partner Hannah got to send a second package.

 

 

Aber schaut euch mal die tollen Sachen an, die sie mir geschickt hat! Viele Anhänger (Ich liebe den mit Pfeil und Bogen!), Glas- und Steinperlen, ein süßes Meerjungfrau-Lesezeichen (das nach Seaglass und Muscheln ruft) und eine hübsche Grußkarte. Na, das ist doch mal eine leckere Suppe.

But look at all the goodies she sent! Lots of pendants (I love that bow and arrow!), glass and gemstone beads, a cute mermaid bookmark (which says seaglass and shells, please) and a beautiful card. Now isn't that a delicious bead soup?

 

Do Over Challenge Blog Hop

Endlich ist der Tag da: Do Over Challenge Blog Hop! Einige großartige Künstler und kreative Köpfe haben sich um Jeannie versammelt, um alten Schmuckstücken neues Leben einzuhauchen (die Linkliste gibt’s am Ende dieses Posts).

Finally the reveal date of the 3rd Do Over Challenge is here! Come on and visit some great creative artists who all followed the call of Jeannie and gave new life to an old piece of jewelry (see link list below).

Als ich das Schmuckstück gesehen habe, das Jeannie mir für die Challenge geschickt hat, kam mir sofort das Wort ,,opulent” in den Sinn. Mit diesen tollen Glasperlen wollte ich unbedingt ein Schmuckstück herstellen, das was hermacht und hier ist nun meine „Überarbeitung“:

When I saw my piece of jewelry Jeannie sent me for the challenge, the word “opulence” came to my mind, influenced by the huge glass pearls the necklace was made of. I wanted to make a bold and shiny piece of jewelry and this is what I did:

Jeannie/Hostess http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog
Cilla Watkins http://www.tellyourgirlfriends.com
Michelle Mach http://michellemach.com/blog
Alesha Conklin http://obtainingmercy.typepad.com
Molly Alexander http://beautifullybrokenme.blogspot.com
Cindy Wimmer http://www.sweetbeadstudio.com
Mary Govaars http://www.mlhjewelrydesigns.com
Marlene Cupo http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com
Dagi http://kokopellidesign.blogspot.com/
Charlene Jacka http://clay-space.com/
Julia Johnson http://beautifullywhimsical.blogspot.com
Carolyn Lawson http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com
Pamela Orians http://somedaybeads.blogspot.com
Linda Younkman http://lindydesigns.blogspot.com/
Shelly Joyce http://www.aujourlejour-shelly.blogspot.com/
Judy Riggs http://www.rigglettes.blogspot.com/
Cary Scholes http://mamaneeds2create.blogspot.com
Shaun Mullin http://bogshaun.blogspot.com/

Und die nächste Do Over Challenge ist auch schon geplant!
And the next Do Over Challenge is right around the corner!

Fashion Inspiration Blog Hop: Christian Dior or Sonia Rykiel

Marcie von La Bella Joya hat sich mal wieder ins Zeug gelegt und sich eine Color Challenge für uns ausgedacht (ihr erinnert euch bestimmt noch an ,,Margie & Me"), diesmal als Fashion Inspiration Blog Hop und da mußte ich einfach teilnehmen. Ich bin zwar keine Modemaus, aber ich konnte mir gut vorstellen, was Passendes für die beiden Outfits, die Marcie ausgesucht hat, zu machen. Unten seht ihr die beiden Outfits mit den jeweiligen Farbpaletten.

Marcie over at La Bella Joya thought about a new color challenge like the ones based on Margie Deeb's book "The Beader's Color Palette" which I liked very much. Now she's hosting a Fashion Inspiration Blog Hop and I had to participate. Although I'm not a fashionista I could see myself designing something to go with the outfits Marcie chose. You can see them below with the matching color palette.

Christian Dior - Fall 2011

Sonia Rykiel - Fall 2011

Und obwohl mir die leuchtenden Herbstfarben in dem Sonia-Rykiel-Outfit sehr gut gefallen haben, habe ich mir doch Christian Dior ausgesucht. Das Model sieht so romantisch und fast schon elfenhaft aus und ein florales Design wäre perfekt dafür.

And although I liked the bright fall colors in the Sonia Rykiel outfit I chose to go with Christian Dior. The model looks so romantic and almost elvenlike and I thought something floral is perfect to go with that outfit.

Der Designprozess war zwar kurz, aber ich habe ihn nie als so vollständig erlebt wie dieses Mal. Ich hatte dieses schöne dunkellillafarbene Wild-Kunstleder und das war mein Ausgangspunkt: das Design zeichnen, die Blätter filzen, die kleine Blume perlen, einen Knopf aussuchen, alles zusammennähen, von Hand und mit der Maschine.

The design process was short, but never felt so complete before. I got this beautiful dark purple faux suede and went from there: sketching out a design, felting the leaves, beading the little flower, choosing a button, sewing it all together by machine and by hand.

Ich denke, dieses Armband kann man getrost als ,,Mixed Media" bezeichnen. Und er ist soooo angenehm zu tragen!

I think this cuff can really be called "mixed media". And it's soooo comfortable to wear!

Und nicht vergessen: die anderen Teilnehmer findet ihr auf La Bella Joya! EIN AUGENSCHMAUS!

Don't forget to visit all the other paticipants at La Bella Joya! EYE CANDY AHEAD!

(Cuff design by Kokopelli Design, 2012)

Kokopelli Design 2012

So, nachdem ich auf anderen Blogs viel darüber gelesen habe, was meine Bloggerfreunde so im nächsten Jahr planen, muss ich doch auch mal was zu diesem Thema schreiben.

So what do I plan for next year? I read a lot of posts by my blogging friends all around the world and thought I'd share my plans for 2012, too.

Einmal werde ich an Jeannies Echo Creative Club teilnehmen. Das ist ein Club, bei dem verschiedene Künstler jeden Monat etwa mit ihren unglaublich schönen Perlen (wie hier zu sehen) machen werden. Wenn ihr mitmachen möchtet, klickt auf den Link oben.

First there is Echo Creative Club, hosted by my dear friend Jeannie of Jewelry by Jeannie. Echo Creative Club is a monthly challenge with changing participants and featuring Jeannie's oh so beautiful art beads. Click the link and see what's behind and how to participate.

Zum Zweiten möchte ich gerne meine Zeichenkünste weiter verfeiner und deswegen das Drawing Lab 2011 ins ,,Drawing Lab 2012: Montagsmaler" umwandeln. Meine Zeichnungen werde ich dann jeden Montag in der Kategorie Montagsmaler (an die Show können sich vermutlich noch viele erinnern, aber meine Zeichenkünste sind hoffentlich besser als die mancher Kandidaten ;-)) veröffentlichen.

Second is the transformation of Drawing Lab 2011 in Drawing Lab 2012. I had so much fun drawing every week, fulfilling a certain assignment and uploading my work to a Flickr group for all to see. I'm going to continue my weekly drawing routine to increase my skills and learn more about drawing techniques. I'll post my work every Monday in the category called "Montagsmaler" (translation: "Monday Painters", which was once a famous gameshow in Germany).

Drittens gibt es eine Neuauflage der Color Challenges von Marcie auf La Bella Joya. Wenn ihr die Margie & Me Challenges aus 2011 gemocht habt, dann werdet ihr die neue Challenge lieben: Fashion Inspiration Blog Hop.

Third is a new series of of color challenges by Marcie of La Bella Joya. Remember the Margie & Me Challenges of last year? When you loved them, then you will freak out about the new one called Fashion Inspiration Blog Hop.

Tja, und dann sind da noch die ein oder zwei kleinen Dinge, die ich für mich selbst erreichen will: ich möchte meine Nähkünste erweitern und von meiner talentierten Mutter lernen, wie man Kleidung näht. Weiterhin würde ich dieses Jahr gerne mehr Dinge für mich selbst machen und nicht so oft darüber nachdenken, was sich gut verkaufen könnte oder was andere mögen könnten. Ich freue mich auf eine kreatives Jahr und hoffe, dass ich euch in 2012 recht oft in Bloggerland treffe!

And then there are the one or two things I want to achieve for myself: increase my sewing skills with the help of my talented Mom and learn from her how to sew clothes plus I want to make more things for myself instead of thinking what might sell and what other people might like. I'm looking forward to a creative and fun year and hope to see you often in bloggerland!

Do Over Challenge 2: Die Enthüllung/The Reveal

Endlich ist der Tag der großen Enthüllung da: Do Over Challenge 2 inklusive Blog Hop! Leider konnte ich ja bei der ersten Do Over Challenge nicht dabei sein, da mein Schmuckstück leider in der Post verlorengegangen ist. Aber da es nach ca. zwei Monaten doch noch hier aufgetaucht ist, hatte ich für dieses Mal schon einen Vorsprung. Unten seht ihr mein Schmuckstück vor der Verwandlung.

So here it finally is: the BIG reveal of Do Over Challenge 2, hosted by my blogging friend Jeannie. I couldn't participate in the first Do Over Challenge, because my piece of jewelry got lost in the mail. But after it showed up (two months later) I got a head start for this challenge. Below you can see my piece before the do over.

Also was macht man mit diesen glitzernden roten und grauen facettierten Tropfen? Der erste Gedanke war Vertical Netting. Ich habe schon einige Netzstücke nach dem gleichen Muster gearbeitet, die durch die Variationen im Material und der Anzahl der Perlen sehr unterschiedlich wirken. Für diese Variante habe ich außer den silbernen Rocailles alles aus der alten Kette verwendet, inklusive Ohrhaken und Verschluss (so ein Verlängerungskettchen ist bei diesem Design sehr praktisch). Die Rocailles haben leider schon angefangen, ihre Farbe zu verlieren und so habe sie durch 11/-Rocailles in rot und schwarz ersetzt. Und tadaaa, da ist meine Überarbeitung: ein Netzcollier mit passenden Ohrringen in rot und schwarz!

So what to do with those beautiful red and black diamond faceted briolettes? Vertical netting came to my mind almost at once. I have a pattern that is very versatile and I used it for some other netted chokers/collars. It works perfectly and varying the number of beads and the colors it looks different any time. I kicked out the silver colored seedbeads used in the original, as they started to loose the silver color, and added black and red 11/0 seeds. I also used the earwires and the clasp, as the extender chain comes always handy in a design like that. And here it is: a netted collar and matching earrings in red and black!

Und jetzt geht mit auf den Blog Hop und seht euch all die umgearbeiteten Stücke der anderen Ladies an!

And now don't miss the blog hop and meet all the wonderful talented ladies who were in this challenge, too!

Jeannie, the wonderful organisator of this challenge!

Donna, who is posting the pics on Jeannie's blog, as she hasn't one of her own.

http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog

Natasha
http://nswhims.blogspot.com/

Michelle

http://fireflyvisions.blogspot.com/

Sandra

http://ladychaos.blog.com/

Andrea

http://www.heavenlanecreations.wordpress.com/

Cathie

http://www.cathiecarroll.blogspot.com/

Norma

http://moonlitfantaseas.blogspot.com/

Marcy
http://www.studiomarcy.blogspot.com/

Camille

http://craft-a-mamie.blogspot.com/