Saturday 2 August 2014

Chicklets Blog Hop!

Wow! Talk about a challenge! I was very excited to sign up for Toltec Jewels blog hop using the oh so sweet chicklet beads made by Sue of SueBeads. I even sent off to her and bought more of them because I like them so much. However once the bead arrived from Rita last month my muse deserted me and  try as I might nothing with this bead worked. The soft,greyish green colour just wasn't doing it for me!

Believe me,  I tried every combination I could think of. Contrasting colours, complementary colours, no other colours  ( just clear glass), metal including copper, brass and silver, adding other art beads, making something in polymer clay to go with it, wire wrapping, symmetry and assymmetry, lariat, sead beads, sari silk, waxed Irish linen and so on.  I truly believed that I was going to fail this challenge due to lack of inspiration. 

A couple of years ago I bought Stephanie Eddy's  Lazee Daizee  and played around with viking knit for a couple of months. It didn't turn out great and was time consuming so it's been tucked away until now. I have an idea to make something for a friend's birthday this summer so I pulled it out to use. I came across this coloured wire in my wire stash and it reminded me of my green nemesis bead so I thought I'd give it a try. I hadn't done viking knit for a long time so I did a trial with the seafoam green before pulling out the pricey silver for the gift. 
Guess what? I really liked how the green seafoam viking knit turned out so it became my bracelet for this challenge.
I used the Chicklet bead as the focal and framed it with two oval blue green azurite ovals that I've been wanting to use for months. The sterling flower spacers are from my Bead soup sent to me last year by Rita of Toltec Jewels so it seemed appropriate to use them in this challenge. I still haven't figured out the fastening and I have to do some work on the wire ends of the viking knit but I am happy to have made this. And I didn't fail the challenge!!!

Thank you Rita for hosting this great Blog Hop. It was a great idea and definitely a challenge for me! Thank you for sending me the bead and for pushing me yet again outside my comfort zone. I'm looking forward to seeing what everybody else has made.

Here is the amazing list of all the other talented artists in this hop so please hop along and check out their creations. I know it's a bit overwhelming but do what you can and be sure to go to Rita's and Sue's blogs to see their work.

Guest of Honor & Featured Artist:  Susan Kennedy
 


Sue Kennedy's blogs:                               SueBeads...A Beady Girl's blog

                                                            Art Jewelry Elements

Sue Kennedy's website                            SueBeads

SueBeads Art Beads                                SueBeads
 
Hostess:
 Toltec Jewels                                           http://www.JewelSchoolFriends.com


Artists:

Linda Anderson                                       http://fromthebeadboard.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Reno                                           http://jenrenjewelry.blogspot.com/

Shirley Moore                                          http://beadsandbread.blogspot.com/
Kristen Stevens                                        http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com

Marybeth Rich                                         http://forestofjewels.blogspot.com
Jael Thorp                                                http://jaelsjewels.blogspot.com/
Melissa Trudinger                                     http://Beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Andrea Glick                                            http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/
Nan Smith                                                http://wirednan.blogspot.com

Blanca Medina                                         www.peru-medesigns.com
 Shai Williams                                            http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com
Carolyn Lawson                                       http://Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Rana Wilson                                             http://Ranaleadesigns.blogspot.com
Robin Reed                                              http://willowdragon.blogspot.com

Robin Showstack                                     http://heartsdesiresjewelryforyou.blogspot.com/

Sheila Prosterman                                     http://catswithbeads.blogspot.com

Karla Morgan                                          http://Texaspepperjams.blogspot.com

Kari Asbury                                             http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com

Kelly Rodgers                                          https://www.facebook.com/BeadinBlackBlue

Jayne Capps                                            https://mamasgottodoodle.blogspot.com/

Mischelle Andrade Fanucchi                    https://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/

Heather Richter                                       http://desertjewelrydesigns.blogspot.com

Chris Eisenberg                                       www.wanderware.blogspot.com

Kathleen Breeding                                            http://www.zibbet.com/99BottlesofBeadsontheWall
Linda Landig                                           http://lindalandig.wordpress.com

Crystal Thain                                           http://beaddragons.blogspot.com/
Cheri Reed                                              http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com
Heather d-Entremont                               http://frugalmadougall.wordpress.com/

Dini Bruinsma                                          http://angazabychanges.blogspot.com/
Lori Schneider                                         http://www.beadaddicted.blogspot.com/

Tammy Adams                                        http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog.html

Melinda Orr                                            http://bandanagirl.indiemade.com/blog

Lennis Carrier                                         http://windbent.wordpress.com/

Cynthia Machata                                     http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com

Elizabeth Hodges                                    http://thewhisperingseas.blogspot.com

Debbie Rasmussen                                  http://kepirasmussen.blogspot.com/

Tanya McGuire                                       http://tanyamcguire.blogspot.com/

Charlie Jacka                                          http://clay-space.com/blog/
Ev Shelby                                               http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson                        http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com/


Jasvanti Patel                                        http://jewelrybyjasvanti.blogspot.com

30 comments:

  1. monotones are the best way to go, when you are faced wit ha color that does nothing for you and I think you did great in the end with the viking knit

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  2. Nice work. I like your color scheme and I think that green wire in the viking knit is just perfect.

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  3. I love the monochromatic palette! The knit is exquisite!

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  4. What luck to have that perfect piece of green viking knit just hanging around. It was obviously waiting for the chicklet to show up

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  5. Hi Nan,
    Your bracelet is beautiful and you did a wonderful job with the Viking knit.
    Therese

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  6. oh now that is stunning! green is my favorite color, and I absolutely love the color of your chicklet (isn't if funny how for one person the colors just pop, and for another not so much). But to use this with the viking knit - that is just sheer genius .... LOVE it. I would wear that everyday

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  7. Great bracelet. The wire with the stones and the glass bead is perfect.

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  8. The Viking knit is absolutely perfect, they were meant to be together. Beautiful colors and simple but stunning design!

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  9. Isn't is great when inspiration finally hits?! This worked out really well.

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  10. It really worked out that you kept with it because your bracelet is lovely. I love the chicklet color, and the wire is perfect with it. Nice job. It's always satisfying to make things work in the end!

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  11. WOW! way for that muse to come back just in time and with the perfect design! beautiful work. you should be very pleased with yourself :)

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  12. Your quote: "I did not fail the challenge"...

    (-: Noooooo (-: You designed something special! How great is that, coming from no inspiration and ending with this piece! What a perfect colour combination ♥ great job!

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  13. Your muse was just on vacation and she came back with some great inspirations. I just love this bracelet and I have to admit that I am rather partial to the color but then I love greens.

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  14. LOVE the Viking Knit! Great colors in this piece!

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  15. All I can say is that this is a fantastic bracelet - the Viking wire and azurite work well with the Chicklet.
    ~cryssT

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  16. Cool! I have a knitting spool I want to try out... I am not brave enough yet to try wire! The colors work well, and you nailed challenge! WooHoo! :)

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  17. I like Viking knit when other people make it! Love that silver peeking out of it. I'm glad you found the spool of wire, it turned out great!

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  18. Congratulations on such a GREAT piece! You overcame and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the bracelet!

    Linda A.
    http://cherryOnTopDesign.co
    http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com

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  19. Sometimes inspiration comes quickly, and sometimes at the last minute! It was interesting to hear what all you considered but decided against. What you created though, looks inspired to me! Glad it all worked out so beautifully in the end! :-) ~Sharyl

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  20. Well, you know, greens not one of my favs either, however, I sort of like the shade of the one you received..and definitely like what you did with it! ...well thought out design that showcases the bead to the max...Well done!...:)

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  21. What a great piece! I loved reading about your creative process for creating this. It reminds me of Ireland. I hope you keep making pieces with the viking knit.

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  22. I never tried viking knit, but seeing your piece, I will have to give it a try. Thanks for the inspitation!!

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  23. I know I left a comment the other day, but since I don't see it, I'm gonna try again. Of course, I don't remember what I wrote, but I do remember loving how the color of the wire goes so well with the chicklet. And how fortuitous it was that you had just happened to use that color as your practice for another piece and still have it around. Beautiful combination.

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  24. Beautiful! I love the green colors and viking knit....excellent job!

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  25. Nan, I LOVE this bracelet! The thunderstorm green is my very favorite color! I love it, and waiting for the right inspiration, until all fell into place, was ingenious because it is so beautiful. This year, I made a new commitment to creating jewelry on a finer scale, more towards traditional rather than art jewelry styles, and it is really hard! I'm working to create very wearable, elegant pieces. Well, you've created elegance here! Viking knit is so perfect in the green, and I love how sophisticated your colorway is with the silver and stormy greens of the lampwork & azurite. I'd wear this in a heartbeat! In fact, it so goes with my wardrobe -- which is full of grey-greens from light shades to darks :) Beautiful! Brilliant xxoo
    Thank you always for sharing your talents, your wire working gifts.
    Happy Hopping! Rita

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  26. Oh wow! The crocheted wired is beautiful. That's really beautiful. http://clay-space.com

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  27. Hi Nan your viking knit accents Sue's chicklet really well. I have been wanting to learn viking knit and I was lucky enough to sign someone up to teach it at my bead group for next year. Yeah.Your design is beautiful.

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  28. How elegant your bracelet is! Your viking knit is perfectly executed. I really must give this a try. It is so pretty. Love your color scheme! Green is one of my favorite colors! :)

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  29. This is one of a kind bracelet Nan! Love your work! I wish I could make the same bracelet of my own!

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  30. Cool bracelet! After all your struggles with what to pair it with you came up with a winning combination!

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Thank you for all your lovely comments! I love to read them and they really make my day.