Bead Peeps Swap 'N Hop Informercial ;)

1. Why or how did you get started making jewelry?
2. What style(s) of jewelry do you like to make?
3. What materials do you prefer to use (and which ones do you avoid)?
4. What techniques do you prefer (and are there any you don't like)?
5. What colors do you use most, and which do you run screaming from?

1. I started making jewelry in 1999, sooner if you counted the macaroni and beaded necklaces I made for my Mom when I was a youngin'. I first began making jewelry because Brazil inspired me to do so- they have some of the most incredible wirework known to man down there. It is amazing. I was an exchange student back in 1998-1999. :) I didn't even wait to get back before trying some wirework of my own!!! LOL. INSPIRED.

2. I love to make classic beaded jewelry with lots of freshwater pearls! My favorite material to work with are FW pearls. And art beads! I LOVE ART BEADS! *drools*

3. I love everything, pretty much, except for cheaper plastics. :)

4. I *JUST* got into metal stamping, so that's probably out for now as a medium as I'm just too new. I don't enamel or do anything with a torch. I don't have a cat-free and safe place to play with fire! I also don't have a kiln. Boo! With all that being said, I do love beading and wirework, and some loom-work and stitching. (Although not too much of both the latter). I also work with polymer clay!

5. I like jewel-type colors the best, but will try anything. Really. Just don't send me something you wouldn't use yourself! I also collect: cat anything, Hello Kitty or peacock stuff. Love all of that.

The Ocean Blog Hop 2014 hosted by A Grateful Artist!

Here is my Bead Soup Blog Party Post! (Click there if you want to go straight to it!).

SO! I am participating in yet ANOTHER blog hop. This one is hosted by A Grateful Artist aka Pine Ridge Treasures. :)

To recap- here's the blog post I published showing the beads I was given. CLICK!

And here's a link to the participant list.

This is one of the pieces I made out of the beads I was given- it is made from magnesite two-holed spikes, cultured orange sea glass beads (matte), and seed bead glass daggers in clear. It kind of reminds me of spiky coral... at the very least, it's a very FUN piece of jewelry!

This is a pretty cool FISHY necklace... The focal is one I made for a Bead Soup Blog Party Blogger/Non-Blogger Challenge... here's the link... CLICK. The theme to THAT contest was "Under The Sea" which fits pretty well with our Ocean Blog Hop that's happening today! :)

I used carnelian, glass rondelles in orange, and light light light green pearls. This focal is made from polymer clay, and has an Aventurine embedded in it. I create most of my beads using my fingers and a few simple tools...

This one is my absolute favorite out of the ones I made... I used a brass chandelier finding and blended it with copper, carnelian, brass and another polymer clay focal... this one has a green catseye embedded in it, with three crystazzi crystals as the fishy's air bubbles. Is it not the CUTEST little focal you've ever seen? *winks*

Here is another lovely necklace and earring set that I made for this challenge- I cannot believe how much jewelry I've made so far from the beads that were sent. WOWSA.

I made my own headpins- first time I ever tried to do this- I thought they turned out pretty darn good! :)

I used those larger sea glass discs in frosted white and orange- I also used yellow shell and 6mm frosted orange rounds!

The stone in this heart focal is sodalite. :) 

As you can probably tell, I had a ton of fun making stuff for this blog hop/challenge. :)

I know I posted in the original blog post that I was in the June 14th reveal, but I volunteered to switch to the May 31st reveal. :) That's why the dates of the two posts don't match. Just so you know!

Hope you enjoyed looking at the neat stuff I made!

Off to blog hop!