Nice Surprises

Happy 4th, y'all!  Everyone be safe and avoid saying things like, "Hold my beer and watch this!"   Don't drink and play with fire, people!  ;)

I had a couple of really fun surprises this week that I wanted to share.  One of the fabulous artists from our B'Sue Creative Group on Facebook, Marit Meijer, shared a beautiful piece she just finished.  She was inspired by all those cork pics I've been blogging about and decided to bling up a champagne cork.  Check it out!! 

I've been perusing Marit's blog and man oh man, does she have some gorgeous creations.   She blogs about her jewelry, scrapbooking, collage and all sorts of beautiful crafts.  She also makes a material list under each of the projects.  How cool is that?   Marit, I LOVE this necklace and you've taken the humble cork to an entirely new level.  Nice job!  And thank you for the shout out, I really appreciate it.  -r xoxo

The other nice surprise is in the form of a beautifully produced E-zine called Bead Chat, developed by Melinda Orr and Artisan Whimsy.   I'm featured, along with several of the talented members of the B'Sue Creative Group, on pages 43-44 with our chatelaine challenge and some of the kitchen sink pieces that we all love.  

Terry Endebrock, Joan Williams of lilruby and Catherine Shattuck of Cate's Emporium have their beautiful pieces featured as well!  Good job, ladies! 

I love the beachy creations that are featured in this month's issue and thank Brenda Sue for being so kind in submitting some of my work.  You are the best, Miss B'Sue! 

Click to view July 2013 BEAD Chat Magazine by Artisan Whimsy on GLOSSI.COM

Color Combos: French Green, Gold and White

Hi all,  

I thought I would write about what influenced my color choice for the piece I designed in the B'Sue Creative Group design challenge for June.   Our group is working on making chatelaines.  What are those?  Let Brenda Sue Lansdowne, owner of B'Sue Boutiques, explain. 

So... had the challenge, bought some fabulous Russian Gold Plated finished brass from Brenda and had seen a wonderful interior color combo on a recent trip that caught my eye.  

Big Spring, Texas is home to the fabulous and recently-restored Hotel Settles and the Grand Ballroom is one of its jewels.   Here are a couple of shots I took while we were guests.

Hotel Settles Grand Ballroom - Big Spring, Texas

French green walls, gold ormolu detail and rounded out in crisp white.  

I realized that I had seen this combo before very recently.  Check out the drawing room in Downton Abbey.  :) 

Wonder what the Dowager Countess was thinking here.....  LOL!

Hmmmm... color combo looks familiar.... 

Hey, it's even used on my favorite line of candles complete with frilly filigree! (although this a bit more blue than green, I suppose).... .  Check it out: 

So there you have it.   I designed my chatelaine with this color combo in mind:  a light green that has a lot of yellow in it, luscious and rich Russian Gold plated brass and creamy white pearls.  Apart from the bee that is encased in Ice Resin, it has a very vintage and old-fashioned look to it.  The pearl pin attached by a chain is repurposed and has not been altered from its original state.   Hope you like it and thanks for reading.  -r xoxo

Chatelaine in French Green, Gold and White