Saturday, July 6, 2013

The Seasons blog hop

Lisa Lodge from Grateful Artist is hosting a few blog hops every now and then - she makes packages of beads and sends them out, and you need to create something with what she sent.

Thus the 'Seasons' blog hop came to life, where one can pick a seasons: either a weather-related one or a life 'season'.

I received my package looooooong time ago - beads in a gorgeous shade of purple! Purple, one of my favourite colours!

Seasons :: All Pretty Things

Of course I forgot to take a pictures of everything *before* starting to work on them :) There were a few lovely glass pearls, some silver spacers and bead caps, lovely crystals (one pink, you see it at the bottom), those snail shell-like beads in a gorgeous purple shade, some miniature seed beads (15 I believe), and a gorgeous ceramic 'pillow' bead. I added the 3 large rings you see left-top.

Forced by my own procrastination I added *nothing* from my own stash other than the wire (24ga and 20 ga). Forced by the same procrastination I was staring at the beads just 2 nights ago... and staring...

I had no plans, no ideas, no story :) What season is purple, after all? None or all :) What season of my life is purple? That's easy: pretty much all - since purple is a royal color, a color of power and positive. And that's the story of my life: trust in myself (power, in a sense) and keep positive. That's every day: trust, believe, and make it happen.

I wasn't this way as a young child or adult - I used to question every choice I made, until one day I understood it is only I who can make myself happy. Not in a selfish way, in a positive way: believe you can be happy and you will be happy. So this piece is going to be the representation of my road to happiness and content!

It started with links - in jewelry like in life you need links:

Seasons ~ Road to Happiness: purple, pearls, crystals, glass beads, ceramic, ooak necklace :: All Pretty Things

Wire wrapped crystals, 'shells', bead caps and spacers - to make one happy link after another.

Then it continued with the tiny seed beads 'strung' on 24ga wire... The 3 rings were wrapped together in a special 'bond' and beautified with one of the big pearls. All wrapped together in a free-form 'flower', much like real unplanned life. I decided to add the ceramic pillow as an anchor, to balance the light design and give it some weight. Working on the main part was very interesting, the piece really worked itself into this:

Seasons ~ Road to Happiness: purple, pearls, crystals, glass beads, ceramic, wire wrapping, ooak necklace :: All Pretty Things

It needed only a few more connectors (simple looped shells) and the closure:

Seasons ~ Road to Happiness: purple, pearls, crystals, glass beads, ceramic, wire wrapping, ooak necklace :: All Pretty Things

Thus I present you my Road to Happiness:

Seasons ~ Road to Happiness: purple, pearls, crystals, glass beads, ceramic, wire wrapping, ooak necklace :: All Pretty Things

Seasons ~ Road to Happiness: purple, pearls, crystals, glass beads, ceramic, wire wrapping, ooak necklace :: All Pretty Things

I am unusually happy with this piece, it just presented itself to me and it was easy to listen and follow it where it wanted to go. Another level of self-trust - something I've learned a lot through my other love (trapshooting), the moment when you can let your inner-self come out and take control. Which doesn't mean you are not in control, just the opposite: you are in such a deep level of control it becomes a true joy.

Enough about me and my purple moment :)

Thank you, Lisa, for organizing this beautiful virtual get-together, it's always so much fun to be part of your events!

Thank you all for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on the 'Road to Happiness' - and please make sure you'll visit the other participants, and check their take on a season.

Your Hostess: Lisa Lodge, Grateful Artist

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Cassi Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill
Stephanie Sanner Haussler, PixyBug Designs
Leah Mifflin Tees, My Beady Little Eyes
Karin Slaton, BackStory Beads
Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution
Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design
Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life
Alicia Marinache,  All the Pretty Things <- you are here
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Toltec Jewels, Toltec Jewels for Jewel School Friends
Lennis Carrier, Windbent
Tanya Goodwin, A Work in Progress
Renetha Williams Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts
Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Shirley Jones Moore, Beads and Bread
Charlene Bausinger Jacka, Clay Space
Tara Plote, The Newbie Beader's Blog
Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks
Lori Jean Poppe, Lorillijean Creative Corner
Erin Kenny, Beadifultherapy
Cilla Watkins, Tell Your Girlfriends
Sierra Barrett, Giraffe Can Has
Dawn Horner, Northern Adornments
Miranda Ackerley, Daze and Days

22 comments:

  1. What a beautiful representation of the (often tortuous) path to happiness, Alicia!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such a great story behind your piece Alicia. Love the whole process and design. I often find that my best work comes at the nth hour. I love your outlook, and the positive message of this necklace. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love how you've taken one color and given it such fluid movement, depth and reflection. Words and design - pure artistry!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alicia, I loved your story and your necklace. Trusting in yourself is such a hard lesson to learn. It's so easy to second guess and make ourselves crazy. I am so happy you let the necklace just flow because it is awesome and I love the carefree/open feel on the focal.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What you did with those seed beads is brilliant! And the colors are just lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love purple also. Your story behind your pieces is wonderful. Your piece is also. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is a gorgeous piece. I love the wirework!!! Gorgeous

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow! For not knowing what you were going to do, you came up with something absolutely stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  9. The focal is unique and seems to be a great energy center.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love the colours in your necklace, and what a wonderful focal you've made!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great job, Alicia! Such a beautiful necklace. The focal fits in so perfectly. I enjoyed reading about your creative process also. Thanks again for participating in the hop!

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a creative design! The story fits the piece perfectly.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, what a lovely piece ! It looks like a lovely ice flower to me :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. You have a really beautiful story to go along with your gorgeous necklace. I really love purples so I liked it even before I saw it all finished.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Your necklace is beautiful and so meaningful!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. What an unusual focal. And you made such a pretty, feminine piece with it. Very nice.

    ReplyDelete
  17. My, my, my! No wonder you procrastinate! You clearly work well under pressure! This is amazing and I really love the clear crystals, pale purples, and silver. Your story adds all the more beauty to this piece!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Alicia, I've read and reread your post: visiting the day of our hop, returning yesterday before my granddaughter's 3rd birthday party, again this afternoon when I shared your wonderful thoughts on power, happiness & trapshooting with one of my daughters (she is learning to handle a firearm) & now tonight! lol :)

    I'm happy to finally comment because your post & jewelry is so very generous, and full of grace. The power of your jewelry making -- your process or act of simply *allowing* -- comes through in your work. Your jewelry is elegant, spiritual.

    Your beaded chain and clasp are beautiful, and the tri-circle you created is amazing! The beading within the links makes me think of a dream catcher, channeling and focusing positive dreams. Also, the Triskele -- the triple spirals representing life. I also think of the three aspects of womanhood: maiden, mother, crone.

    Your wisdom and love of life, your connection to joy, has created a gorgeous "season" of very special jewelry art! Thank you for sharing.

    Love,
    Rita

    ReplyDelete
  19. Alicia, What a wonderful & beautiful necklace! Purple is one of my favorite colors too! I like the variety of creativity in the focal & totally agree with you. A person's inner beauty can shine through their "work". You must have a lot of inner beauty! :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Foarte frumoasă combinaţie, foarte frumos rezultatul şi, ca întotdeuna, foarte interesant ce diferenţă face lumina : par a fi două coliere diferite !
    mama.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A comment from my mom: Very beautiful combination, pretty result and, as always, very interesting what a difference the light makes: they seem to be 2 different necklaces! ~ mom

      Delete

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