Challenge of Color and Finally Friday

If you are a follower of my blog you know I love color challenges. I was so excited for this challenge and when I received my e-mail from Erin where she gave me two color palettes to choose from I let out a little squeal. I chose to make something for both color palettes because I liked them both. 

First up I chose this Vintaj butterfly. From it I wire wrapped a lampwork glass bead and an agate.

Then I wire wrapped a porcelain button with a teardrop chalcedony.

To finish the necklace I wire wrapped dozens of smoky quartz beads.

For palette #2 I started with the blue focal from Round Rabbit.

To it I wire wrapped lampwork glass beads, gemstones and porcelain beads.

To finish I added a lampwork glass dangle.

Finally Friday

Today is also the reveal of what I made from this Design-Seeds palette:

I started with this beautiful handmade button.

To the button I wire wrapped several chalcedony teardrops.

For the chain I wire wrapped crystals and these striped teardrop glass beads.

The result is a simple, pretty and flirty necklace.

Here is the palette for December 14th:

Can't you feel the cold air hitting your lungs when you look at this picture?

Stunning!

Hope to see you back here in 2 weeks!

~Shannon

Please visit the other participants in the challenge of color:

Erin Prais-Hintz    http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/2012/11/3rd-annual-challenge-of-color-reveal.html
Rebecca Anderson    http://songbeads.blogspot.com
Kris Auderer    http://strandedinthecity.wordpress.com
Chrizette Bayman    http://beadsoupmix.blogspot.com
Lori Bowring Michaud    http://artfullyornamental.blogspot.com
Courtney Breul    http://beadsbybreul.blogspot.com/
Lynsey Brooks    http://yellowunicorncreations.blogspot.co.uk
Stephanie Buss    http://maxandlucie.blogspot.com
Iveth Caruso    http://www.creativeatelier.net/
Shannon Chomanczuk    http://www.formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com
Lisa Cone    http://inspiredadornments.blogspot.com/
Cece Cormier    http://thebeadingyogini.com
Lori Dorrington    http://lorisglassworks.blogspot.com
Dawn Doucette    http://designsbydawnmarie.blogspot.com
Jeannie Dukic    http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog/
Kim Dworak    http://cianciblue.blogspot.com/
Beth Emery    http://storiesbyindigoheart.blogspot.com
Janice Everett    http://JLynnJewels.blogspot.com
Pam Farren    http://www.re-maker.blogspot.com
Donetta Farrington    http://simplygorgeous-donetta.blogspot.com
Gloria Ferrer    http://judetaama.blogspot.com.es/
Cherrie Fick    http://designsinthelight.co
Therese Frank    http://www.theresestreasures59.blogspot.com
Patty Gasparino    http://www.mylifeunderthebus.typepad.com
Tanya Goodwin    http://pixiloo.blogspot.com/2012/11/3rd-annual-challenge-of-color.html
Ambra Gostoli    http://chicandfrog.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/3rd-challenge-of-color
Jess Green    http://tabbiekoshka.blogspot.co.uk/
Denielle Hagerman    http://somebeadsandotherthings.com
Mary Harding    www.maryhardingjewelrybeadblog.blogspot.com
Karla Hartzog    http://www.karlakrafts.com
Kim Hora    http://www.kimmykats.com
Brandi Hussey    http://brandigirlblog.com
Emanda Johnson    http://ArtemisiaStudio.blogspot.com
Jennifer Justman    http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/
Sue Kennedy    http://suebeads.blogspot.com
Ema Kilroy    http://emakaye.blogspot.com
Lee Koopman    http://Stregajewellry.wordpress.com
Linda Landig    http://www.LindasBeadBlog.com
Kirsi Luostarinen    http://kirsiluokorut.blogspot.com
Cynthia Machata    http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com/
Alicia Marinache    http://www.allprettythings.ca
Beth McCord    http://www.ebbeadandmetalworks.blogspot.com
Mary K McGraw    http://mkaymac.blogspot.com/
Karen Mitchell    http://www.overthemoon-design.com
Cheri Mitchell-Reed    http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/
Aimee Moisa    http://threecatsdancing.blogspot.com
Karla Morgan    http://www.texaspepperjams.blogspot.com
Penny Neville    http://copperpennydesigns.blogspot.com
Becky Pancake    http://beckypancakebeaddesigns.blogspot.com
Kashmira Patel    http://sadafulee.blogspot.com
Alice Peterson    http://alice-dreaming.blogspot.com
Kayla Potega    http://www.teejewelry.blogspot.com
Debbie Price    http://greenshoot.blogspot.co.uk
Bobbie Rafferty    http://beadsong.blogspot.com
Caron Reid    http://caronmichelle.blogspot.com.au/
Nicole Rennell    http://nicolerennell.com/blog
Cynthia Riggs    http://cynthsblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/3rd-annual-challenge-of-color.html
Andrea Ross    http://silvermapledesigns.blogspot.com/
Sally Russick    http://thestudiosublime.com
Annie Scherz    http://www.studioluma.ca
Pam Sears    http://crazycreativecorner.blogspot.com/
Renetha Stanziano    http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com
Sandra Stein    http://sannipanni.wordpress.com
Kristen Stevens    http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com
Tracy Stillman    http://www.tracystillmandesigns.com (had to bow out due to a wrist injury)
Sherri Stokey    http://www.knotjustmacrame.com/2012/11/challenge-of-color-reveal.html
Lola Survillo    http://www.beadlolabead.blogspot.com
Kay Thomerson    http://KayzKreationz.blogspot.com
Jo Tinley    http://daisychaindesignsjewellery.blogspot.com
Emma Todd    http://www.apolymerpenchant.com
Cory Tompkins    http://www.tealwaterdesigns.blogspot.com
Pam Traub    http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com
Melissa Trudinger    http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Michelle Tucker    http://michellescreativemusings.blogspot.com/
Shelley Graham Turner    http://www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com
Monique Urquhart    http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com/
Rachel Van-Walsk    http://balancedcrafts.com/blog
Patti Vanderbloemen    http://www.myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com
Lesley Watt    http://thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com
Lynn White    http://lynnwhitejewelry.com/Lynn_White_Jewelry/Lynns_Jewelry_Blog/Lynns_Jewelry_Blog.html
Joan Williams    http://www.lilrubyjewelry.com

Tuesday Tips

Would you believe I am out of photo storage space here on my blog? Blogger or well Google wants me to pay to upgrade. It is now a monthly fee. I cannot believe it. I really don't want to have another bill. I guess it is all part of doing business but for now I have figured out a way around it. I upload my photos to photobucket first and then copy the direct url and give blogger the direct url to the picture in photobucket. Make sense? No, not really to me either but it works and I am pretty excited because I wouldn't be able to share photos otherwise. It works for now but is an extra step so I am not sure for how much longer.

I am having a new website and blog design done as we speak so I may just move over to that blog in the future :-)

Please increase your cuticle oil use. 

I stayed at the cabin for Thanksgiving and it has forced air and oh are my cuticles dry! 

The only thing that saved me was the tiny bottle of cuticle oil I have stashed in my purse.

Have a great Tuesday!

~Shannon

Echo Creative Club Reveal

Today is the reveal of the Echo Creative Club November blog hop.

I love this necklace so much I wore it to work last week.

I wire wrapped a wood, smoky quartz, and a lampwork glass bead to the leaf.

I attached this to a Vintaj donut which I used as a toggle.

I discovered that as a toggle it did not want to stay closed so I changed it from a toggle closure to a lobster claw closure at the back of the neck. Much better!

bad cell phone picture :-)

I love this simple long necklace. It is earthy and fun and can be worn with anything. 

The lampwork bead has green and purple in it.

Thank you so much to Jeannie for this beautiful leaf. I found this necklace to be wonderfully tactile and I really enjoyed this months challenge. I find it more difficult to make simple pieces. My motto of more is more sometimes makes me not know when to stop. I kept saying to myself (yes I talk to myself) beaded chain? leather? Does it need more? No, STOP! So I did and I left it simple. Now I will have to make some more of these I just loved it so much!

Check out the other bloggers:

Alicia Marinache http://www.allprettythings.ca/

Charlie Jacka http://clay-space.com/

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

Dagi http://kokopellidesign.blogspot.com/

Donna Martin Bradley http://strandedbeads.blogspot.com/

Jeannie K Dukic http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog <---our and="and" bead="bead" fearless="fearless" leader="leader" maker="maker" var="var">

Jessica Klaaren http://www.cellardoorjewelry.blogspot.com/

Karen Williams http://baublicious.blogspot.com/

Kashmira Patel http://sadafulee.blogspot.com/

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

Michelle Buettner http://www.misheldesigns.blogspot.com/

Shannon Chomanczuk http://www.formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com/ <---me :-=":-" div="div">

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

 

Have a great day!

~Shannon

Finally Friday

I am enjoying the company of my husband and beautiful daughter today.
I hope you are having a wonderful week enjoying time with your family.

I will see you next week for the reveal of the Finally Friday inspired piece I made.

Tuesday Tips

Red Mylar Acrylic Nails

So my tip for today?

How not to have dry skin from dish washing?

How not to have turkey guts under your nails?

How not to stain your nails when cleaning/cutting pomegranates, tomatoes, and black walnuts?

How not to ruin your manicure gardening?

Yes, you are right - get someone else to do it for you ;-)

But seriously - wear gloves.

I have several different kinds of gloves that I like but my favorite are the blue disposable nitrile gloves. They are cheap so I don't feel bad throwing them out after use,

 especially after cleaning out the turkey :-P

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Mine is stuffing, Mmmmm....

I hope you have a wonderful day

~Shannon

My Week in Pictures

I love Instagram!

If you use Instagram I am @sechomanczuk 

For those that don't use it or know about it Instagram is like facebook for pictures and the coolest part of Instagram is the filters you can add to your photos.

Here is my week in photos, some are Instagram and some were just taken on my iphone. 

Did you know I broke my phone? Yup, smashed my screen, I was so sad but Apple care came to the rescue and I was able to get a new phone.

Here's my week in pictures:

This little deer spent a few days eating the grass in my backyard 

and hiding from the hunter across the street :-)

Here is my little stinker helping me add star sprinkles to our cupcakes.

They came out so good, and cute too.

Here is the start of a necklace I am working on for the challenge of color, reveal date id Nov 30th. I cut it all apart several time so this is not the finished product. That's how I roll.

Here is another piece I am working on. 

If you read my blog you will have heard about Finally Friday and the color challenge's I do. 

This fun group of beads is for the current challenge to be revealed on the 30th.

This is a little earring tree I have at the salon, it has on it a sampling of my hammered copper and sterling silver hoop earrings and my ornaments.

I tossed bread out for the birds, I got this guy instead :-)

Would you believe she is only 3? 

I have to blow dry her hair after her bath! It is so thick it never dries, crazy.

Happy Monday

~Shannon

Finally Friday

This is a great color palette isn't it? Love purple.

Here is what I made:

I was playing with 2 of the buttons I bought at the Sheep and Woll festival. Then I added beads from Humblebeads, Gaea, Vintaj, PinkBeach, and some glass seed beads from TwistedSistah.

These 2 necklace obviously fall into my current theme of In Circles :-)

Here is the palette for next time - 2 weeks:

How beautiful is that? I am freezing right now, it's about 20 degrees here in NY. 

Brrr... I would love to hang out in that hammock :-)

Hope you have a great Friday and I hope to see you link up your blog in 2 weeks for Finally Friday

~Shannon

ps: you do not have to use all the colors in the palette

Tuesday Tips

Gelish gel nails

Well these are the perfect Fall nails aren't they?

I love Fall and I can't believe this weather today. It was so beautiful that I even had the doors open for a while. I am so happy the weather has been so good for the cleanup efforts of Hurricane Sandy. I cannot imagine what these people are dealing with and some milder temps must be helping a bit.

I am looking forward to the movie Twilight hitting theaters this weekend. I have plans to go with the girls to see it. Last year when part 1 came out I was invited to go but I had not seen any of the movies so my friend lent me all of movies. Hubby and I watched 1 on Thursday, 1 on Friday, 1 on Saturday and then on Sunday I went and saw the new one in the theater. By the end of the weekend I was hooked and kind of missed having a new movie to watch every night.

So we borrowed all the Harry Potter movies, but I digress...

Are you going to see the Twilight movie this weekend?

Finally Friday - Inspiration

Design-Seeds - prickly purples

Today is not the reveal day you still have 1 more week.
Today I wanted to share with you a few beady things I found on etsy which inspired me.

DonnaMillard

First are these beautiful lampwork beads from Donna Millard. They are the perfect inspiration for this color palette. I love the clear glass that envelopes the purple. Just stunning.

SilverRiverGlassWork

I had to share these because I just loved them. I love etched glass beads and the addition of the fine silver is just lovely.

I hope you will visit me next week and link up what you have made from the Design-Seeds palette.

~Shannon

Tuesday Tips

I made this photo x-large because I wanted you to see the detail. These are Magneto by Gelish and I used a striped magnet. These were fun to do and I am just loving the Magneto polishes.

I am so busy right now. The class I was taking Flourish and Thrive Academy is wrapping up and Morning Whip with Erika Lyremark is just starting.

I am working on whipping my business into shape.

The first order of business is I am changing the name. I haven't figured out what to do with my blog but I will. I started a new website www.shannonchomanczuk.com and I am working on that.

I was a busy girl today (yesterday by the time you are reading this) and I got my Christmas ornaments almost finished and got an order already, thanks Mike :-)

hammered copper and sterling silver earrings

ornaments waiting to be finished

ornaments getting their holes, eyelets and ribbons

Hope you have a great day!

~Shannon

Finally Friday - Crashing Blues

Design-Seeds - Crashing Blues

I am in love with this necklace. I shared it on the Hudson valley Etsy team blog where I am guest blogger on Wednesday's but it fits for this palette too so I wanted to share it with you.
I have been working on a circle collection which I was calling going in circles but I have changed that to in circles :-) Every piece in this collection starts with one circle. Either a button or a round pendant and then I build the piece around that one circular element. I have been working on this collection for about 3 months and I am loving where it is taking me. I hope tp reveal more pieces to you guys soon and hope to get the whole collection finished soon. Yay. Squares or triangles next? Lol
Anyway, here is the necklace:

Dear Gaea, I love your white beads. But then you probably know that :-) 

Here is the palette for TWO weeks:

Design-Seeds - prickly purples

Link up your designs below!