I loooooove challenges - cause I am still finding my way, my style, my thing - so challenges help me make stuff out of my usual lane (the "stuff I would wear" lane).  What's great about La Bella Joya's Margie and Me challenge is that is usually involves an exotic locale to really spark the imagination.  This week's challenge location was somewhere in the past - a serene lady with an unusual pet.


Rich and classic isn't she?  I started with a couple ideas but definitely wanted that rich, classic look with a patina of age.  I had some blue beads that matched PERFECTLY but they were cubes and just didn't feel right.  I am usually a silver gal but this called for gold.  As I was digging through my treasures I dumped out a box that always sits on my desk and never fails to add something to whatever I am working on - it was a "cup of bead soup" give away from a couple months ago, and it had two gold disks and a small locket that needed to be included, as well as a cream fossil stone focal (guessing on the name).  I then added 4 chunky faceted garnets that my beading BFF gave me in a post buying frenzy trade off and a string of off set drilled creamy-gold fresh water pearls that I think I bought that same day.  I used all the pearls I had and didn't want to add any other beads, so it came out more of a choker length.  In the picture the beads look more pink, but actually match the focal far better than it appears.



Now here is the "times two"!  I had an idea and all the materials together for the previous Margie and Me challenge, but time got away from me (did I have it to start with?) and what a fantasy location - Tuscany.  I got to take an ever so brief trip there with Greg and the kids and our good friends the Millers (Andy, Sandy and Jackson on the left, Michael getting a fill up, Emma the red blur on the far right, Greg behind the camera). 


The combined age of the three kids on the trip was less than five so not quite a romantic vacation - still many good memories.  See - I told you that these challenges always lead to day dreaming!  So here was the actual inspiration image and here is the result. 



The pendant I bought a couple months ago from NaBoRow, an awesome company that specializes in findings from Bali and Thailand.  That's where I also bought this clasp that is a project awaiting completion.  The associated palette didn't include the purple red color of the small garnet beads that I used (a gift from an estate appraiser), but I needed something to keep it from being too beige.  The yellow brown tear drops are from A Bead Circus in Tucson and the yellow brown rounds are from Michael's and were labeled "dark red aventurine"...hmmmm...

Hope your fall weekend is as beautiful as ours - we're off to pick out pumpkins - Lorelei Challenge gets revealed tomorrow!



5 Comments

  1. These are great Elisabeth! It's so good to see you finding these challenges as inspiring as I am! Thanks so much for participating and I'm glad you were able to make something to remind you of your trip!

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  2. Very pretty!!! I love seeing everyone's interpretations and style for this color challenge!

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  3. Wow both of these pieces came together beautifully. I especially love your Tuscany piece - that pendant is gorgeous!

    Karyn

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  4. Your necklace is one that I could see gracing the neck of the lady in the painting! It is so cool that you could use the contest to make a remembrance piece from a journey there! Awesome.

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  5. Wow you really nailed both of those challenges! I love your pieces!

    Hugs

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