Sunday Funday - Creative Week in Review

Starting today, each Sunday I will write about my creations for the week.  If you follow my Facebook page, you will likely have seen some pieces in advance, but I will also be posting different things here.  Possibly a color palette, a tray of components, a work-in-progress, art, non-beadwork, or maybe a pile of folded clean clothes with a cat in the middle...you won't know unless you check it out!

Week of 10/13/14-10/19/14, Mid-October:

I'm including the end of last week in this post, since I hadn't started this series yet.   Last week's creations include two pieces that I've already blogged about, so I'll just post a picture and you can click the link if you would like to read more about the necklace.

Facebook Freeform Peyote Beading group challenge.

Operation Tackle That Bead Stash blog challenge.

Did you know I was one of the lucky people chosen to receive the component of the month from the Art Jewelry Elements blog October challenge (read more here)?  I'm really excited for the big reveal at the end of the month.  My piece is already done, my blog post is already done...just have to wait for the days to pass now!  Here's a sneak preview!!!

I can't wait to show you more!  Well, ok, if you want to you can see the pictures on my Facebook page...but you'll have to wait for the post with all the details!

After working with the component of the month, I thought I might try a similar thing on some raku donuts I've had for ever.  This featherweight necklace was the result, and it is already listed on Etsy

And while I had the raku palette out I also made a freeform peyote bracelet featuring a raku scarab I've had even longer than the donuts!  I think I bought the scarab during my first visit to Embellishment, and the donuts the next year - they are by the same artist, but sadly, I don't remember who that person was.  

At this point, I was on a freeform peyote roll.  I slightly tweaked the raku palette to work with these awesome ceramic charms from Diana at Suburban Girl Studios.  Earrings are a challenge for me...it's a hard to bead so teeny!  But I love how these turned out (look for them in my Etsy shop tomorrow), and they weigh next to nothing.

Well, I had so much fun making these, and they turned out so well...I decided to make another pair...

Festive, no?  I almost never bead with red, so this palette was a fun challenge...one I enjoyed so much that I decided to make a matching necklace with the rustic donuts (also from Suburban Girl).

I love that this palette is festive yet earthy and organic.  I might get into using more red!  This set will be listed on Etsy later this week.

My friend Sherri (of KnotJustMacrame on Etsy) and I are working on a neat swap.  We have each sent the other person a few UFO's, to be incorporated into a finished piece of jewelry by the recipient, then returned to the originator when complete.  Well, she is getting a head start on me (see it here).  My package just arrived last night, but earlier in the week while we were chatting I asked her to give me an assignment to keep me occupied until the package arrived.  She said to try beading a sugar skull, or some other homage to the Latin American holiday Dia de los Muertos.  I've been wanting to try something like this for a while now...I spent that evening pinning ideas on Pinterest, and got this beauty finished yesterday:

I even used cord for the strap, since Sherri is the knot and cord master!  I think I still have a little bit of work to do on this piece.  I'm not entirely happy with the skull, but I'm pretty sure of how to fix that.  I'm also having issues with the button hole in the center of the red flower...I'll probably fix that by adding a row of 15/0's in the center.  

I've also made some components this week...

Feathers!  Not sure when/where/how these will be used yet, but I'm loving them!  I keep making more out of each new palette I've got out for other projects.

Flowers!  These are destined for another, much smaller, sugar skull necklace.  I just couldn't put away this happy palette yet.  

I have been a busy beader this week, that's for sure!  I also wrote several blog posts and Etsy listings that will be active during the first part of the week.  Gigi is recovering from an ear infection, so she's been taking it easy, and the apartment is clean...for 5 minutes!  What have you been beading this week?  What should I blog about next?  Do you have a beading assignment for me?  Please let me know by commenting on this post - I would love to from you!  As always you can keep up with me on my Facebook page, or shop on Etsy.  Thanks for looking!