Saturday 6 July 2013

Seasons Blog Hop!

Yay for Pine Ridge Treasures' Seasons Blog Hop.  It's arrived!

For this blog hop, Lisa Lodge from Pine Ridge Treasures sent me a beautiful ceramic pendant (in, I might add, frightening as heck colours) made by Melinda Orr Designs, and some lovely blue accent beads and copper findings to match.  Ok, so NOT colors I would normally work with together (like ever).  Turqouise blue and orange.  What am I going to do with that??!?

Bottom is what I added from my stash, top is what I received from Lisa Lodge.
 Of the few blog hops I have participated in, including BSBP7, this I think was the scariest for me.  These colors did it.  Wow, I contemplated for months!  And, then to have to match it to a season of the year, or a season in my life.  Uh oh.

So, here is what I came up with (and forgive me, this piece is not entirely finished - I'll explain later).  These colors only remind me of one thing.  Sailing.  Which brings me to the seasons, summer of course!  However, the sailing reminds me of two things:  my daughters, who are both sailors (sea cadets, go figure), and my parent's place on Manitoulin Island (many yachts and sailboats to watch!).  My youngest daughter is leaving today for Kingston, Ontario to go sailing for 3 weeks.  Wow, this is such an adjustment for me; she's only 13.  My oldest daughter (16) and I are leaving for my parent's house on Monday.  Twelve hour drive, but she is 16 and now has a driver's license so she can help drive :).  It will be a great trip, provided I can keep myself from worrying about my younger daughter the whole time.

This is what I started with...yuk
 I ripped this piece apart 3 times.  I started with bead embroidery, and tried to keep the stripey flow of the piece in the embroidery, but absolutely despised it.  Can honestly say that's never happened to me before.  So, I started again...and again...Finally I came up with an idea I liked.  I wanted it to be something a sailor might wear on her night ashore, but would also convey the trust, skills, and luck involved when on the water.

almost finished...lol
 I started out with the turqouise soutache, added the cream, and some beads, and then remembered I had this small scale fabric rope.  I wanted to add the element of luck to the piece, so I had my older daughter make a good luck sailor's knot to sew on the bottom.  Love this idea, but here is where we come to the unfinished part.  Younger daughter leaving today, had to pack her up for 3 weeks (including sailing gear), older daughter and I are leaving for two weeks on Monday, must have us packed and ready to leave for 6am Monday morning.  Finished work for the summer on Thursday at 2pm, van has been in the shop for a week, finally got that home yesterday, and hubby works out of town.  I really wanted to have the rope part of the necklace finished and the good luck knot sewn on, but alas...LIFE has caught up with me this week.  So much to do, so little time.

That being said, it can still be considered a finished piece as is...it's just a pendant instead of the full necklace.  Although, I would like to finish it and write another blog post to show it off as a finished piece, for my own satisfaction :)



Thank you for visiting my blog, and I hope you enjoy the whole list of blogs participating in the Seasons Blog Hop:

Your awesome Hostess: Lisa Lodge, Grateful Artist
 
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Cassi Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill

Stephanie Sanner Haussler, PixyBug Designs


Karin Slaton, BackStory Beads

Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution

Lori Jean Poppe, Lorillijean Creative Corner

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design

Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life

Alicia Marinache,  All the Pretty Things

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz

Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs


Lennis Carrier, Windbent

Erin Kenny, Beadifultherapy

Tanya Goodwin, A Work in Progress

Cilla Watkins, Tell Your Girlfriends

Renetha Williams Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Sierra Barrett, Giraffe Can Has

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Shirley Jones Moore, Beads and Bread

Dawn Horner, Northern Adornments

Charlene Bausinger Jacka, Clay Space


Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

Miranda Ackerley, Daze and Days


23 comments:

  1. Oh-so-creative, and what a fantastic piece to treasure forever - for the memories that inspired your design, and the story of creating it. And yes, I SO want to see it when it's hanging from its rope. But first, have a great trip with your daughter!

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  2. I really love the soutache and beading with the pendant. It blends in so perfectly with the colors. It's awesome as is, but I would love to see it if you create a necklace around it.

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  3. Leah, I love the story behind your piece. It really, really turned out beautiful, and I love the sailor's knot your daughter made for it, that makes it extra special! You totally aced this challenge, and created a wonderful memory piece to remind yourself of the trust, love and adventures of this summer!

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  4. You bead weavers blow me away. Those colors would have scared me, too, but I love what you did with them. Such a nice- easy-to-wear piece.

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  5. Wow --orange would be kind of a scary color for me. But you did a beautiful job, and I really love the story and good luck knot. That was a wonderful idea!

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  6. I love your idea and the story behind it. The colors work well together.

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  7. I love the piece and the story behind it. The colors go well together!

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  8. I have to say that bead embroidery makes me want to curl in a ball and cry. It is beyond my field of expertise, but I will say this; I love it! I think it's one of the most beautiful ways to use beads, and your creation is yet another example of that. The colors are vibrant and fun, and you have created an absolutely gorgeous piece! Well done!! :)

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  9. Thank you everyone for the kind words. It always amazes me the beautiful works of art that come out of a 'blind' challenge like this one. Thank you Lisa for hosting this! I look forward to the next one :)

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  10. I agree - those are some scary colors. I love what you made - it's gorgeous!

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  11. Wow, you did a great job with a challenging focal! I especially love the fabric rope around the edge.

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  12. Leah, you certainly created a work of art for the Melinda Orr ceramic! I liked your first design, the bead embroidery, yet the jewelry art you moved to is indeed outstanding! It's a beautiful representation of sailing, and clearly does "convey the trust, skills, and luck involved when on the water." You've work holds the love & admiration you have for your daughters. Bravo!

    Love,
    Rita

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  13. Wow Leah! Fabulous piece. Your beadwork is fantastic! I've tried my hand at it & it's way harder than it looks! You created a beautiful pendant. Would love to see you finish the necklace to go with the pendant!

    Have a wonderful trip with your daughter & hope the "baby" has a blast on her outing as well! How exciting :)

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  14. What a great piece, Leah! Bead embroidery scares me (I am not patient with tiny beads), but I love how it looks! Can't wait to see this as a necklace. You did a great representation of sailing, and mastered the "challenging colors" aspect as well. Thanks for being in the hop!

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  15. Leah, that's just a beautiful piece you've made. Looking forward to seeing the finished necklace!

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  16. Leah, that's an amazing piece - love how you incorporated sailing elements into bead embroidery, soutache, all matching Melinda's gorgeous ceramic piece! Wishing you all a nice trip, filled with beautiful memories :)

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  17. Amazing job with the scary colors ! Did you know blue and orange are complementary ? :)

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  18. Awesome job! Have a wonderful trip!

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  19. Now that is really cute!! Great job!

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  20. You really did that challenge up well, love the soutache that you added, seems like it goes well with sailing (at least to me). Hope you have a nice vacation.

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  21. Fourth time's definitely a charm!! Your pendant is beautiful!!

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  22. Wow, what great beadwork. Really sets the focal off well. And what great inspiration for your piece. Can't wait to see the finished necklace part.

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  23. This piece reminds me of Florida for some reason. Very nautical feel about it too. Great job.

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