Forever and a day...

I know, it's been forever and a day since I last posted.  So much has been keeping me away from you, worst of all, ill health.  I am ok, just really bogged down right now I guess.  This stupid flu that I can't seem to get over doesn't help any.  HOWEVER, that being said, there are far better things for us to talk about and for me to show you!

Since my last post was December 14, 2012, I guess I have a few things to show you! 

Let's start with AW.  I posed a learning challenge on Artisan Whimsy, sponsored by Ameerunswithscissors.com, for members to learn the art of soutache embroidery right along with me.  This was back in November.  Amee K. Sweet-McNamara of ameerunswithscissors.com graciously offered to sponsor the challenge with a fabulous grand prize of 100 yards of soutache, a video tutorial and a bracelet kit!  This challenge has just ended, and I don't have winner names yet, so I can't tell you anything more about that aspect of it...lol.  I CAN tell you that it was a blast and we received some very creative entries.  As an added bonus, I now have a new obsession...but let's not dwell on that.

On to other things...lol.  The OTTBS monthly challenges have been very inspiring.  December's challenge was black and silver, which I did not complete.  January's challenge is blue, green, purple and gold...peacock colours!  I am trying to complete this challenge, but not sure I'll make the deadline.  I also started the weekly challenge on OTTBS, to complete a pair of earrings every week for the year.  Doesn't sound so bad does it?  Well, let me tell you, it's not always easy.  I think I have kept up with this challenge, but since I have been so sick, I haven't kept up with posting pics.  Let's say I have a few weeks of pictures to post.

New this year, I joined two other groups on Facebook.  The Colour Combo Challenge group picks a new colour pallette every week and everyone designs a piece around that pallette.  What a great motivator!  I love this idea!  Except that a week goes by really really fast in terms of challenges and designing, and of course real life :P  The other group is called The Year of Jewelry, where members supplied 52 different inspirations for a year's worth of jewelry designs and members design a new piece every week for a whole year!  Another wonderful idea!  You see where I'm going with this?  Not yet?  Ok, here's some more information.

Lisa Lodge of Pine Ridge Treasures, posed a Sand and Sea Bead Table Blog Hop, where you purchase a bead soup from her (complete with focal) and she sends you either a sea or sand related soup and you must design a piece using this soup and whatever is on your beading table.  Ok, so I, of course, had to give this one a try as well!  I am so excited!  I have some great ideas,and by the way, my soup consists of sand-themed colours.

Also, the BBB group on Facebook poses a new challenge every couple of months based on patterns designed by other people, so you don't have to design, you just have to bead.  Nice.  Definitely useful when your mojo has gone awol on you.  But thats another story for another day ...lol.

Back in December I also joined Bead Swap USA.  What a great time I have with these ladies!  They host bead swaps in different themes with members from all over the world!  They are also the home of the Travelling Bead Box!  So far I have joined 3 swaps, and I am enjoying every minute of it!  Except for Canada Post, but that's also another story for another time ha ha.

And last, but definitely not least, Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party!  I did it, yes I did.  I signed up.  However, I was smart and signed up for the last reveal :).  I am very excited about this though.  This is huge!  Can't wait to see who my partner is!

So you must have some idea where I am going with this now?  That's right, I think I may have set myself up to fail.  Crap, but there are just so many things I want to do!  So here's how I have managed so far, and I'm not so sure this is allowed, but here goes.  I have decided that my earring-a-week challenge has turned into a whatever piece-a-week challenge.  If its earrings, great, if its a bracelet, great too!  See what I mean?  Ok, so lets add in the CCC group colours, and the YOJ inspiration challenge.  My piece a week now has to be in a specific colour pallette every week and is inspired by one of the YOJ themes.  For example, the colour pallette could be blue, grey, green, yellow and red, but my piece will also have a music theme to it.  Get it?  Yay, that's three birds with one stone!

The BBB challenge makes things a little more difficult and like I said before, I save this one for when my mojo goes running around on me again.  The dirty devil! 

As for the Sand and Sea Blog Hop and the Bead Soup Blog Party, those are two entirely different things and will receive my undivided attention on each piece!