Saturday, June 30, 2012

Big Hole Challenge - blog hop


The second challenge I participated in today was Kristi Bowman's Big Hole Challenge. I was fortunate to be chosen and I received a gorgeous clasp / pendant / focal made by Kristi from copper... with a big hole - hence the name of the challenge.

I was looking forward to receive my component - from the pictures I could only fall in love with Kristi's work!

Unfortunately, the copper focal did not arrive before I left for vacation and this week was a bit crazy - so I basically had a few moments yesterday to complete the challenge... Fortunately, I also knew what I wanted to make. Something completely new for me, but I had this idea and I wanted to implement it.

So here I am, with a gorgeous copper focal in my hand... I don't have much copper - I work almost exclusively in silver - but Tina send me a few copper findings back for our April swap, so I borrowed 2 of the copper beads from there. Luckily for me, I had some other copper findings (a few eye pins, a few jump rings, and a pretty long chain. Plus some 28 ga wire I bought long time ago, which came in really really handy :) I already had freshwater pearls in a fine pinkish-ivory shade, they look splendid with copper. I needed one more thing - which I also had. What else can you call this but fate? Months ago I saw this hand-dyed silk ribbon at our local store, they had lots of colours and completely inexplicably I bought 2 yards of this copper-green ribbon. They had turquoise, they had blue, red, yellow, green - everything. What did I buy? Copper! Why? Because fate knew in a few months' time I will participate in this challenge and I will need copper ribbon!

This is what become of this eclectic combination (with elements from 6 different sources):


Big Hole Challenge (copper, hand-dyed silk ribbon, freshwater pearls) :: All Pretty Things

It is a lariat - I folded the silk ribbon in 3, so it's about 24" long, wrapped along the copper chain, 'sewed' in the freshwater pearls (on copper wire), wrapped everything once through the copper focal, made a cute tassel - using one end of the ribbon, and 4 lengths of chain - with the 2 copper beads as the 'weights' and freshwater pearls wrapped on the wire.

Below you'll find more pictures of it - I love the way the silk wraps around the wire, and the freshwater pearls are so delicate and fragile looking - it makes for such a romantic piece!

Big Hole Challenge (copper, hand-dyed silk ribbon, freshwater pearls) :: All Pretty Things

Big Hole Challenge (copper, hand-dyed silk ribbon, freshwater pearls) :: All Pretty Things

I have to make a confession: I *love* the lariat - I finished it yesterday evening and I've been wearing it since (with a brief pause to take pictures!)

Please make sure you visit the other talented participants - thank you for visiting with me today!

KristiBowmanDesign - our wonderful host

43 comments:

  1. Very pretty!! It's a wonderful piece. :)

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  2. I just adore the warm feeling of copper and you made it also feel so delicate yet strong. And yeah I would say romantic. Great job!

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  3. Oh my, This is marvelous! Love the combination of the copper and the silks. I wouldn't take it off either!!!

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    1. Thanks, Marlene - I wanted for a long time to use that silk :) I am happy I had the opportunity to pair it with Kristi's focal

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  4. Wow Alicia, that's so pretty!! I love all the elements you included here that make my Copper component look so good!! I'm so happy you love it and enjoyed making it. Thanks so much for joinin my hop!

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    1. Thank you, Kristi - it was a very enjoyable adventure, indeed! Although this is my first time working in copper, I was never worried, I had the picture in mind - and the result was my picture :)
      Thank you for the opportunity to play!

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  5. Oh, Jeannie, you're very sweet - glad you like it!

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  6. Alicia - Are you kidding me? You made that awesome of a necklace in one day , after your vacation? You rock! (And so does this necklace)! Very cool.

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    1. :) Thank you... it was even shorter than one day, what helped was having *everything* on hand, and knowing *exactly* what I want ;)

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  7. Alicia - I can't believe we both made lariats. I love them too. Yours is beautiful. I love the warm coppers together and the ribbon - yes, fate knows her business doesn't she. You really made your vision come alive. Great job.

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    1. Thanks, Jean - I was thinking the same; and yours is lovely too!

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  8. I have trouble doing longer pieces myself, but you did great on this! Love the textures you have going on.

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    1. Thank you, Staci - I had lots of fun making it, that's for sure :)

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  9. Alicia what a beautiful piece! I can see why you haven't taken it off :D

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  10. Wow, with so little time to create, this came out wonderfully! The colors are gorgeous and I love that you made it into a lariat. I love the silk in your piece. When I try to use it things look like a rats nest.

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    1. Thanks, Alice - it just draped itself quite nicely, I was very happy :)

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  11. Yep I am in awe! That necklace in one day! Awesome!

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  12. Pretty! Isn't it wonderful when it all comes together? It looks like this would be fun to wear.

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    1. Thanks, Karen - yes, it was a wonderful experience. I already planned for more pieces in copper, I like how it feels and looks like!

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  13. Foarte frumos ! deşi nu mă omor după panglici, ai reuşit o combinaţie excelentă cu arama, care imi place foarte mult .
    Succes !
    mama

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    1. My mom doesn't stand ribbons - however she likes the combination of my silk ribbon with copper (she loves copper!) - so all-in-all she *loves* my Copper Dream :)
      Thanks, mom!

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  14. Gorgeous! I love lariats and they are my best seller. If you aren't careful, someone will try to buy it off your neck ;-)

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    1. Hehe, thanks, Jennifer - it'll be a hard battle to fight, because I love it so much :)

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  15. Who would have ever guessed you were in a time crunch?! This is GORGEOUS! I love how so many of us didn't have much copper and stretched out our designing for this challenge!

    I LOVE the cord with the pendant it's just PERFECT! I love all of the dangles as well. This is such an elegant design!

    xo Genea

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    1. Thank you, Genea - that's what a challenge is about, isn't it? :) So happy you (and so many others) like it!

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  16. Yeesh, if I tried to do something in a day, I doubt I would ever come up with something THAT nice! You had a big larger-hole version of the same style component that I had, and we made such different creations. Great job! --Diane

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    1. Thank you, Diane - I was thinking the same, looking at all the other creations: we all started with same component and look at the diversity of our designs. Lovely!

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  17. Oooh! LOVE it! I love lariats, and this one has the prettiest ribbon, so I love it even more :)

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    1. Thanks, Kashmira :) I love lariats too and wanted one for a long time... I am so happy that my vision became reality :)

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  18. Absolutely love it. It's so ethereal.

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  19. Very pretty! I love all the different textures.

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  20. I love the variety of strands you used!

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  21. What a beautiful necklace! I can see why you started wearing it right away! I love the look of the silk, it totally complements the donut.

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate and love to read your comments!