Flower Bangle Challenge Blog Hop

Finally I have internet!
Now I can share with you my reveal for the Flower Bangle Challenge.
I was sent a plain bangle and asked to embellish it.
-and embellish it I did!

I started by making my own forged copper headpins. Then I wire wrapped a glass bead and a czech glass flower bead on each of the 27 headpins.
Then I wire wrapped thin copper wire around the bangle adding the wire wrapped flowers and glass beads as I went along. I added 2 of the glass beads and 1 of the flower bead to each section.
When I was done with all of that I could have stopped but there was bare bangle showing between the wire wrapped dangle sections which were begging for embellishment so I wire wrapped teardrop glass seed beads in between each dangle section.

I have left the wire without a patina but I am strongly considering adding it...we'll see :-)

Please stop by the other participants blogs:

Jo Tinley - Daisychain Designs <--our fearless leader

Shannon Chomanczuk - For My Sweet Daughter <--you are here

Jenny - Shyme Design

Keri Lee Sereika - Pink Lemonade

Heidi Post - Ex Post Facto Jewelry

Sherri Stokey - Knot Just Macrame

Echo Creative Club - June

Happy Monday!
Today is the reveal day for the Echo Creative Club.



I received 5 - 16mm Fractured Art Beads with white inlay from Jeannie Dukic of Jewelry by Jeannie
These beads are a great large size which might be intimidating to some (I know I used to be afraid of big beads) but these are super lightweight so they are not scary at all.

I knew I wanted to use them separately so I made a pair of earrings and a necklace.

I started with the earrings first. I cut 2 pieces of heavy gauge copper wire, hammered the heck out of it and made the sticks. Then I wire wrapped the beads onto the sticks I just made. I added ear wires and now I have the perfect pair of earrings for pairing with anything and everything in my closet. I love yellow and love to pair it with everything so these are the perfect pair of earrings to throw on with shorts, dresses, jeans, whatever.

Then I tackled the necklace. I found this cool chain at Michael's on clearance so I bought 2 strands. Each strand has 4 links and I wanted a beefier necklace so using big 'ole jump rings I used both chains right in the front.

Then I added 2 of the art beads and a vintage lucite bead to one side and the remaining art bead to the other. Up the back of the necklace I wire wrapped white vintage lucite oval beads.
I wanted to keep the look mono-chromatic so I used white and red in the beads and gray wire which goes perfectly with the red and gray meshy chain I found.

Hope you like what I made, stop by the rest of the group to see what beads they received and what they made.

Shannon Chomanczuk  http://www.formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com <--That's me :-)

Jeannie K Dukic  http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog  

Cindy Cima Edwards  http://www.cindycima.com

Beth Emery  http://storiesbyindigoheart.blogspot.com

Keri Lee Sereika http://www.pinklemonade.typepad.com

Kristen Stevens  http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Lola Surwillo  http://www.beadlolabead.blogspot.com

Sonya Ingersoll-Stille  http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com/

Hope you are having a great Monday!

~Shannon

Bohemian Inspired Blog Celebration

I was recently asked to participate in the Bohemian Blog Hop to announce the arrival of the truly lovely book written by my friends Lorelei Eurto and Erin Siegel.

This inspirational book is very well laid out and has beautiful photos.
The instructions are easy to follow and the best part - the designs are all easy to adapt into your own style.





I was so excited to get this book because I love using fiber in my work.

Here are a few pieces I have made over the last year:

Beading Daily is also hosting a challenge over at Polyvore using several of the pieces that appear in the book! If you make your own board, you will get a chance to win some awesome prizes. Hop over to BeadingDaily.com to check out how to participate! 

The printed book and the e-book are available now and they are on sale.

Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to head over to Beading Daily to visit some of the other participants in the Party.

~Shannon

Happy Birthday - Lot's of pictures

It's Finally Friday and I didn't make anything but I have a good reason:


Today is my daughter's 3rd birthday!

Me - 1 week before I delivered my daughter

 I really cannot believe she is 3 years old already.

Happy 3rd Birthday Emily Grace!

Did you make anything inspired by this palette?

Here is a bracelet I made last summer which fits this palette perfectly. 

I meant to make 2 more of these for my shop but never did. Maybe next week :-)

Next week:

The Rules:

Look at color palette.

Be inspired.

Gather supplies inspired by that color palette.

Create something wonderful.

Anything, jewelry, clothes, a painting, even a big 'ole mess.

Take a picture.

Post on your blog.

Link palette to Design Seeds.

Add link here in comments.

Play again the following week!

So did you make anything inspired by this weeks palette? Be sure to add your link below.

Thank you for stopping by, I really do appreciate you reading my blog and I hope you will join in next week.

If you liked today's post please share it with your friends,  pin any of the pictures on pinterest, tweet or share on facebook and google+, but most importantly leave me a comment below.

~Shannon

Yikes

I cannot believe it is Wednesday already!

I have not even started working on my Finally Friday jewelry :-/
The 25th my Echo Creative Club piece is due and I am not done.

But, I had my very first craft fair on Saturday.
I had a great time.
It was hard work, weeks preparing, hours planning my booth, years learning how to make jewelry :-)

I learned a lot about myself, about selling, about other sellers, about my wonderfully helpful husband.

I handed out every last business card I brought with me :-)

Are you working on something for Finally Friday?
Did you see that I added a few new pieces to my etsy shop?

Well I am off to work on my Finally Friday.
~Shannon

Finally Friday

Hello! Welcome to another edition of Finally Friday!


I also am sharing the video I made yesterday and today for my what you make matters segment.


Here is the video if you want to watch it:

Day 3

Here is today's video:

Day 4

and dear youtube do you have to pick the worst shot? Ugh.

Here is the inspiration for my piece this week:




Here is the pendant I made for today's inspiration palette:

A Marsha Neal Studio pendant, a Czech glass briolette, a Vintaj Natural Brass twig and my own hand soldered, hand forged, wire wrapped copper circle.

Here is the palette for next week from Design-Seeds:

   

The rules:

Look at color palette.

Be inspired.

Gather supplies inspired by that color palette.

Create something wonderful.

Anything, jewelry, clothes, a painting, even a big 'ole mess.

Take a picture.

Post on your blog.

Link palette to Design Seeds.

Add link here in comments.

Play again the following week!

So did you make anything inspired by this weeks palette? Be sure to add your link below.

Thank you for stopping by, I really do appreciate you reading my blog and I hope you will join in next week.

If you liked today's post please share it with your friends,  pin any of the pictures on pinterest, tweet or share on facebook and google+, but most importantly leave me a comment below.

~Shannon

What You Make Matters

Good Morning :-)

I am taking a class called What You Make Matters with Megan Auman and she has asked us to do some homework. No she didn't ask us to make a video of ourselves but I thought that would be fun so here is my homework from day 1 and 2.

Hope you like them :-) I am a huge dork on camera but I am trying to get more comfortable on camera and you have to start somewhere right? Right!
Have a great day
~Shannon

Day 1

Day 2

Necklace Number One

So today I am going to share one of the necklaces that was chosen for
Bead Trends - Designer Highlight - July 2012 Issue

I have to tell you the story of how this necklace came to be.

I was searching the interwebs for inspiration after I got the e-mail from Tatia. I was stumped what to make because I knew the issue was coming out in July but here I was in bleak NY December.
I came across a necklace with a cool heart pendant which Diana Ptaszynski from Suburban Girl Beads had made and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. The problem? The heart wasn't for sale as just a pendant.
So whats a girl to do?
Beg, that's what! Lol
I popped Diana a fb message and asked when she would be making more of these pendants available for sale.
Her answer: Late Spring :-( Ugh, my submission was due to Northridge Publishing by Feb.
So I pressed her some more. Do you have anymore just like this one laying around?
Yeah, no, you have to wait like everyone else. Lol
Okay no seriously Diana was so cool when I told her I was going to be Designer Highlight she sacrificed the necklace, cut the pendant off and shipped it to me the very next day!
I was dancing when it arrived. It was perfect.

To it I added a tube bead from Gaea Cannaday from Gaea Handmade, a metal flower button for a clasp and on waxed linen I knotted crystals, fire polished glass and picture jasper.

So that is the first necklace which was featured. Don't worry I have permission to share these pictures, I asked :-) Stop by tomorrow and I will show you the next piece I made and share with you the links to the art beads I used in the piece.

~Shannon