Autumn Design Challenge

I was lucky enough to be chosen by Lesley and Caroline for their Autumn Design Challenge - have a look at the goodies that they sent me!

I started up with the Caroline's bird bead.  I wanted to find a perch for it and tried a few things - but I eventually decided on this wooden bead that came as part of a pack from Smitten Beads.  I decided to make some resin components - incorporating skeleton leaves.  Then I pulled out some Czech glass beads that had a frosty, autumnal feeling and put these together with the round beads from Caroline.  It got finished off with some peanut beads......

I've been experimenting with some Pebeo effects paints and mixing those with resin.  You get some interesting honeycomb effects - the end result is entirely unpredictable...it is quite exciting watching this paint dry!!  I picked some complementary paint/resin colours to Lesley's flower pendant - and some extra components for the necklace.  Again it is finished off with some peanut beads (I'm a little obsessed at the moment!)....

I've been making quite a few of these wire 'cocoon' beads lately - I make these on a coiling Gizmo.  So I made a couple more and matched them with Lesley's bracelet focal.....

The last thing I made was a bangle using Caroline's heart bead as a dangle.  I made the bangle in wire and then tightly wound on some sari silk.  I wire wrapped this adding a few seed beads for some extra sparkle.  I think I might make a few more of these - I think they'd be fun to stack up on my wrist......

I really enjoyed working with Caroline and Lesley's art beads.  Please do go and check out their work for yourself.  Lesley is at  http://thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.co.uk/ and Caroline is at http://blueberribeads.co.uk/.  Please also go and have a look at what everyone else made with the beads that they were sent for the challenge....

Lesley Watt - http://thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.co.uk/

Caroline Dewison – http://blueberribeads.co.uk

Sue Rennie - http://moonandsevenstars.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/autumn-design-challenge.html

Gay Messander - http://gaysiemay.blogspot.co.uk/

Made By Jules - http://madebyjulesblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Heidi Post - http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.co.uk/

Janet Bocciardi - http://www.honeyfromthebee.com/

Alice - http://alice-dreaming.blogspot.com

Dolores Raml - http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com

Lucy Haslam - http://faerystone.blogspot.co.uk/

Pine Ridge treasures - http://www.gratefulartist.blogspot.com

Shirley Moore - http://beadsandbread.blogspot.com

Tracy Collins - http://travelsintimedesigns.blogspot.co.uk

Melissa Trudinger – http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com/

Mags - http://magsinhelmet.blogspot.com

Pepita - http://pepita-handmade.blogspot.co.uk/

Jo-Ann - http://itsabeadifulcreation.blogspot.com

Toltec Jewels - http://www.jewelschoolfriends.com

Judith Johnston – http://www.judith-johnston.com/blog

Janine Lucas – http://www.esfera.me/travel/blog/travel-stories

Madeline Bunyan – http://madelinebunyan.com/mlj/

Chic and frog – http://www.chicandfrog.wordpress.com

Autumn Design Challenge

Hooray!  I got chosen to be part of the Autumn Design Challenge organised by Lesley from the The Gossiping Goddess and Caroline from Blueberri Beads.  These ladies are very talented - go and have a look at their work.  For this challenge, they have put together a set of beads and sent them out to all the participants.  This is what they sent me......

Caroline has sent a set of her ceramic beads.  I love these, particularly the purple bird bead - I think that I'm going to have to find it a nest or a branch to sit on!  Lesley has sent a bronze flower pendant with a gorgeous enamelled centre and a bronze bracelet focal with a lovely patina.  I've got lots of ideas about how to use these (probably too many ideas!) but you'll have to wait until the reveal day on October 2nd to see what I do.  Please come back then!