3rd Annual Challenge of Color

Welcome, welcome to my wee little corner for this 3rd Annual Challenge of Color hosted by Erin Prais-Hintz and Brandi Hussey!  I have a very difficult time resisting Erin's challenges, they are always so wonderful and inspiring!  I was completely fascinated by the inspiration for this year's color challenge, here's what Erin said in her email to we participants with our palettes:

"Miss Brandi selected 40 of the more than 120 NASA Earth As Art photographs for our color palettes. Each palette has six colors selected from the unique topographical images."

If you haven't checked out these photographs before, which I know I hadn't, I highly recommend taking a peek, they are incredible!  Here is the palette I chose from the two Erin presented me with:

You can view it the photo also here:  http://www.skyimagelab.com/ghadamis-river.html

Isn't the palette Brandi created gorgeous??  I fell in love.  I stared at this palette for a very, very long time.  I started pulling beads in the right colors from my stash and set them in a tray to stare at too lol.  Finally I got to work and this is what I came up with:

I had big dreams of creating even MORE pretty pieces, but only got so far as making a pair of bangles:

I rather like them though!

Now, I wasn't sure exactly where the Ghadmis River was, so I decided to investigate a little.  According to the pic itself it is in the Tinrhert Hamada Mountains near Ghadamis, Libya.  The Tinrhert Hamada Mountains are between Libya and Algeria.  Here are a couple of links that I found interesting about that general area :)

http://atlasobscura.com/place/ghadames-oasis

http://travelingluck.com/Africa/Algeria/Algeria+(general)/_2476132_Hamada+de+Tinrhert.html

Thank you SO much to Erin and Brandi both for hosting, I had a wonderful time!  I hope you have enjoyed my little corner, now on to the other amazing color palettes (and pictures!):

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/  <<<---You are here!
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


Thank you so much for stopping by!
~Jennifer

My friend, Christine...

Makes the most amazing beads!  I love beads...  I love lampwork beads... I especially love Christine's little treasures.  They are incredible!  Each bead is a work of art, so when she asked me if I would like to play with some of her beads... well, what could I say but YES!!!  (with many exclamation points, of course, because I am that kind of girl ;) )  She sent me three absolutely beautiful beads, seriously, beautiful.

How pretty is the ribbon on the box?  I love pretty packaging :D.  And those beads!  Oh my goodness, if I tried a million years I would never quite capture how stunning they are in person.  Seriously.  Amazing.  I sort of sat there and stared at these beauties for a few minutes, then started pulling out my favorite findings to play... (Fallen Angel Brass Co. brass, of course... I am a addict, I admit it freely).  Sometimes things leap into my mind fully formed, but most often I like to sift through my stash and lay out many different possibilities and... play :).  The first piece that came together was one with the amazing center bead above, it has shades of blue, a hint of green, and then the gorgeous white calla lilies on top, here it is:

I chose two lovely leaf connectors, some chain, lapis rounds (I love lapis!), some lovely sari silk, and created a handmade hook clasp to finish it off.  I am calling it "Lilies of the Night" (I have a bit of a night obsession, it's the deep blues though... I love the sky at night).

The next piece I created was with the pretty pink tulips on the gorgeous green, seriously, these beads make me swoon-y.

I wanted to do something different, so I took this awesome FAB chandelier floral finding and clipped off two of the rings, filed them, and used it to make a lariat.  I cannot decide which necklace I like better... both make me very happy.  Christine's beads are covetable... ;)  So, you ask, where is the adorable heart bead?  I couldn't give you everything at once, now could I?  I have a plan for that one, I just haven't been able to sit and create it yet lol.  Soon though, hopefully this weekend :D  I promise to post the pics as soon as I finish it (and the weather gives me light enough to take pictures lol).

Now... I know you must be asking, where can I get some amazing beads like this for myself??  Lucky for you Christine sells her gorgeous beads on Etsy, so you can pop right on over and get yourself some of your own!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChristineHansenGlass

And her totally wicked blog, which you really want to check out, because we are cross posting :)

http://www.intuitivesparks.blogspot.com/

Christine is funny, clever, and just flat out awesome.  Her blog is always full of interesting insights, pretty beads (of course...), and even recipes!  I am so glad Christine and I have become friends, we have a lot in common (including our favorite colors, eclectic tastes in music, and overuse of exclamation points!!).  Love you, Chris, you rock!

Hope you are having a fantastic week, sweet friends!

~Jenn