Wednesday, September 25, 2013

September 2013 ABS Monthly Challenge 2nd Entry

September 2013 ABS by Klassy Joolz
September 2013 ABS, a photo by Klassy Joolz on Flickr.

I was very inspired by this months challenge.  This Bracelet is my 2nd Entry for the ABS September Monthly Challenge.

These beautiful Artisan Beads are from Mandrel 2 https://www.etsy.com/shop/mandrel2  - Large Artisan Ruffled Disc Lampwork Beads and Small Round Lampwork Beads.  The pretty fall colored Artisan Bumpy Bead is by Elizabeth Creations https://www.etsy.com/shop/sharlee22 . 




 
I used Sterling Silver Accents (spacer beads and bead caps), Swarovski Crystals, Glass Crystals, Freshwater Pearls and a cute Czech Bellflower wire wrapped dangle.  The  Clasp is a antiqued silver toned Leaf/w Grape Vine Toggle (looks like the leaf in the picture).



This Bracelet, also, matches my Necklace which was my first Entry:    http://klassyjoolz.blogspot.com/2013/09/september-abs-monthly-challenge.html


 
 
Here is the Beautiful Painting from which I got my Inspiration.  Love the Fall/Autumn Colors and just the painting it's self.

 
Autumn from "The Seasons Series" 1896
Alphonse Mucha Oil
 
Thank you ABS for the Challenge and you for visiting my Blog!     Please stop by again!

 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

PEARLS! PEARLS!! PEARLS!!! BLOG HOP

People say "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend"....but I think "PEARLS" are a Girls Best Friend". 
 
I was born in June (The Twins) so I have always loved PEARLS as it is my birthstone. 
 
Here's a little history about the PEARL as my Birthstone and how the PEARL came to be:
 

June Birthstone : Pearl

Birthstone Color: White
June birthstone From one of the humblest of life forms, the mollusk, comes the pearl -- a gem of unsurpassed beauty and elegance.  Ancient civilizations had many stories to explain the origin of June's birthstone, such as the Greek belief that pearls were the hardened tears of joy that the goddess of love shook from her eyes as she was born from the sea.  According to Arab legend, pearls were formed when oysters were lured from the depths of the ocean by the beautiful moon and then swallowed moonlit dewdrops.  And the Ancient Chinese thought that these gems originated from the brains of dragons.    The scientific explanation for natural pearls is almost as mystifying as folklore.  When an irritant, such as a small parasite or a fish lodges in the flesh of an oyster, mussel, or clam, a protective substance called "nacre" is produced.  Over years, layer upon layer of shimmering nacre coats the intruder, creating a lustrous pearl.  Natural pearls are relatively rare, so a process evolved in which a piece of shell or bead was placed inside a mollusk to stimulate the production of nacre.  This results in a cultured pearl, which accounts for about 90 per cent of the pearl industry.  Most of the cultured pearl industry is in Japanese and Australian coastal waters.  These gems come in a variety of colors, from pure white to pink, yellow, gray and black.  They also come in different shapes and sizes.   Pearls have been a passion and even an obsession of people throughout the ages.  These gems have adorned crowns, clothing, and temples, and were said to be a favorite of Cleopatra.     Only those with royal status once wore pearl jewelry, but eventually these gems were seen among all classes of people.  They continue to be viewed as a mark of taste and refinement as well as a symbol of purity, and they are often given to celebrate a marriage or the birth of a child.  Pearls are nature's perfect gift, suitable for all ages, and elegantly worn with everything from jeans to an evening gown.

So Thank You Michelle (Mishel Designs) for this wonderful Blog Hop about PEARLS.  Michelle Buettner even has a diploma in Pearls from the Gemological Institute of America because she loves Pearls so much.

Please visit her Blog for all the details at:

                                                                  http://www.misheldesigns.blogspot.com/
 
 I love to design with PEARLS and I use them a lot.  I love to wear them!  I like them to be formal and casual sometimes at the same time.  Keishi Pearls are one of my favorites...but I love Pearls that are of different shapes and sizes, too.  The following are designs that I have done.  Some are recent and some are from a little while back.
 
 
Keishe Pearls and Potato Pearls 
 
 
This necklace is designed with my two favorite gemstones Longneck Coin Pearls and Turquoise.
 
 
Here I was having fun with Potato Pearls and Resin Clasps that I made (bracelets 1 & 3)
 
Thank you so much for stopping by.  Please visit the other Participants and see their Beautiful Designs and just have fun as you Hop around!
 
Pearls! Pearls!! Pearls!!! Blog Hop Participant List:
 

 

Sunday, September 8, 2013

September ABS Monthly Challenge

My September 2013 ABS Entry.

The beautiful Artisan Beads are from Mandrel 2 https://www.etsy.com/shop/mandrel2  (green shimmery leaves, clasp beads, gold round beads) and Elizabeth Creations https://www.etsy.com/shop/sharlee22 (pretty fall colored Artisan Bumpy Beads).  I added Sterling Silver Accents, Swarovski Crystals in copper, Freshwater Pearls in a soft green and the pendant is a Silver Ox Stamping.


 
 The Hills Tribe Sterling Silver Leave Bead Caps were just a perfect touch as well as the other Sterling Silver Bead Caps that I thought looked like the grapes.  The Gold  Plated Pewter Bead Flower Wheel Beads seems so similar to the ornamentation on her bust areaMy Mucha inspiration was the Silver Pendant.  I have had this stamping for the longest time and finally it is where it should be in this design.
 
 
 
I loved the colors in this painting.  Colors changing from summer to fall - shades of green, orange and yellow and the browns and tans with just a little punch of red.
 
 
Autumn from "The Seasons Series" 1896
Alphonse Mucha Oil
 
Thank you for visiting my Blog!  Please stop by again...