Designer Spotlight - Lorelei Eurto

Super talented Lorelei Eurto designed these two pieces using my Poppy Beads. I love how she put together this necklace in a horizontal design using the two-holed bead. It's a great mix of textures with the cord, glass, brass and wood.

 And here she is modeling her creation.

She whipped up an edgy primitive design using the poppy bead, wood and some bright pops of color.  I could see this one on the pages of a fashion magazine.  Mixing wood with bright colors is so spot on for fall designs.

Thanks for sharing your work with my readers Lorelei, your work is always an inspiration!

I've added a few new beads to my etsy shop, including these Moss Poppy beads, be sure to stop by and check them out!

Treats, we want treats!!!

Happy Halloween!

Here are a few answers to some questions about the challenge:

1. You can enter more than one submission for each challenge - for fun, but only one entry per day is put into the drawing.

2. You don't have to make a piece of jewelry for each assignement to enter. You can do one or as many as you'd like.  Each day you can enter and that gives you more chances to win.

3. If you have an older piece of jewelry that you made and it fits in the challenge, you can enter it.

Have fun, you now have until Nov. 6th to complete your assignments.  I love what I'm seeing so far.

And if you haven't entered to win a free subscription to Stringing magazine, click the magazine photo on the right to enter!

Fun with Focals - Day 5

The inspiration: Cynthia Thornton's Seek Wisdom Lariat from the Winter 2007 issue of Stringing.

My Version: This one really had my muse jumping up and down.  I choose to work with findings in an unusual way to create a focal element.  I filled 3 Vintaj bead pod toggle clasps with pearls and wire-wrapped them together to create a modern, sculptural element.  I also used a square toggle clasp as part of the pendant along with a leaf and bird from Vintaj.  I completed the focal with a 3-hole spacer bead in my branch design and finished the necklace with keishi pearls in cream and coffee bean brown. 

The assignment: Use a finding in an usual way to create a focal element.  (Designs with clasps in the front would count!)

You have until Nov. 6th to add a link to this post with your version of today's challenge.

The grand prize is a $50 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com!

Read the full details for the contest here and a chance to win a year's subscription to Stringing magazine.

I'm looking forward to seeing your creations and hope you have been inspired to play along!

Fun with Focals - Day 4

The Inspiration: Silvija and Taya Koschnick's Chained Labradorite pendant from the Fall 2008 issue of Stringing.

My Version: I love this technique and have wanted to give it a try for a while now.  I pulled out the gunmetal chain for my design.  I chained up a faux beach glass bead, added in a chain tassel, a Humblebead branch lentil and strung this long elegant pendant on 3 different strands of chain for texture and interest.  What you can't see it that I used chain to create a bail for this pendant.  (The chain on the focal bead is only on one side.)

The Assignment: Chain up your focal bead!  This works great for stones, ceramic or glass that have flat sides and large plain surfaces.

You have until Nov. 6th to add a link to this post with your version of today's challenge.

The grand prize is a $50 gift certificate to Humblebeads.com!

Read the full details for the contest here and a chance to win a year's subscription to Stringing magazine.

Fun with Focals Flickr Group

Your wish is granted!  I created a flickr group for our Fun with Focals Challenge pieces.  You'll still need to add your link to the comments for the assignement day that inspired your creation.  For example: if you did a horizontal pendant, you'll need to add the link to the Day 1 comments, etc.

Can't wait to see what you create!