Artisan Whimsy Berries & Leaves Challenge

I've never done a mistletoe bead before... But I really like how this one turned out!   I also did a penquin that got stuck in a holly bush., nope I'll let you invision that on your own!  Other entries are here... but you don't get to vote this time, it's a random drawing....

Hurricane Sandy Auction

A group of us are having an auction for USWLoves in aid of Hurricane Sandy victims starting at 10 am EST today.  Check here for info on USWLoves  

Here's the link to where the auction is on FB and there is currently a preview up of what is being auctioned at that link.

My two donations are here......

 A sputnik pendant, with sterling silver endcaps, top one says hope....

A pair of handknit socks... Should fit most women... If you don't win the auction come back and whine I have quite a few pairs!

Don't forget to check out all the other wonderful goodies on Facebook and Bid Often!
Link to the entire auction album.

Bead Table Wednesday (BTW)

I just got my copy of Jean Power's Geometric Beadwork in the mail late last week  this is a combination of her star bead and a triangular bead 'link'. 

Think the rest of the chain should alternate round and triangular  beaded links..... Not sure about colour since I know I don't have nearly enough of the purple beads and I have no clue where I bought them!

Glass Artists helping out Hurricane Sandy Victims

A group of Artists on Artisan Whimsy have banded together to help out Hurrican Sandy Victims. The group we are donating to is UWSLoves (UWS=Upper West Side in NYC)

 UWS  OnFacebook   

UWS  Blog on Wordpress 

 I will be donating 25% of my online sales to UWS from now until the end of November. So why don't you buy yourself a Thanksgiving or early Christmas gift from my etsy store and help out Hurrican Sandy victims. 

Samples of items you can find in my etsy store

I would be happy to make this toggle in any colour (within reason) that you want! I will donate the 25% from all Custom orders that are paid for by Dec 2!

UK inspired Challenge - Isle of Wight

 Well I'm not really sure why I picked the Isle of Wight... maybe because I live on an island?  Or was it because I really like Mozaics.... But with very little research I discovered that the Isle of Wight not only has ancient roman mozaics it has 3 breweries... and since drinking local beers is one of our favorite pastimes as we're traveling... how could I not focus my necklace(s) on BEER! I found a really interesting web site called  Wightwash the Isle of Whytes official CAMRA site  (CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE)  After checking out Wightwash and all the lovely beaches we might have to put the Isle of Wight  on our list of must visit places!   

The Isle of  Wight covers an area of approx 380 sq km... Deer island (where I live)  is just over 100 sq km and we have no Breweries.... not only do we have no Breweries most of our restaurants close in the winter!  We also seem to have very little interesting  history, no Roman mozaics, no ancient ruins and no lovely beaches. We have  what I refer to as intertidal schluck.. It  comes and goes twice a day ( we have 28 foot tides here)

Now your probably asking just what beer has to do with jewellery... A lot in this case!  We spent 2 weeks in NL in Sept and their local Brewery  Quidi Vidi bottles  their beer in slightly different shaped   bottles than the rest of Canada, so we had a couple of left over bottles that needed to have something done with them!  So I made two necklaces out of beer bottles. My husband sawed the ends off  and I cut them up The knotted glass bead necklace is all one bottle the fused neckrings are actually a different bottle as the Newfoundland bottle didn't have much of a neck. The etched beads in the ring necklace are beads I've had forever.. they look old, I think they are etched glass, but might be rock(?), I thought one of my shorebird beads was an appropriate focal for an island with lots of beaches... It also has a marina full of sailboats... but I'm not sure sailing around the Isle of Wight would be any warmer than sailing in the Bay of Fundy?

 Closeup of Beer bottle beads and rings

Not sure about the strings hanging off everywhere,I'm definitely fibre challenged when it comes to making jewellery, I'd love to grab my scissors and cut them off!

What I started with .... after a little bit of sawing and cutting...

For other participants in this challenge
or use the list below!

The HostsLesley Watt Gossiping Goddess

Rebecca Anderson Songbeads

Pippa Chandler Pip's Jewellery

Teresa Hulley Bo Hulley Beads

Natalie McKenna Grubbi

Jo Tinley Daisychain Designs

Dorset

Gale White Bantering Bird on Flickr

Ginger Bishop Lilmummylikes

Cece Cormier The Beading Yogini

Therese Frank Therese’s Treasures

Cilla Watkins Tell Your Girlfriends

Sherry Baun

Kay Toodles and Binks

Edinburgh

Therese Frank Therese’s Treasures

Kashmira Patel Sadafulee

Caroline Dewison Blueberribeads

Pam Sears Crazy Creative Corner

Sherry Baun

Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh

Lucy Haslam

Bath

Cynthia Machata  http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com

Pam Sears Crazy Creative Corner

Sherry Baun

Isle of Wight

Duane Clark Bizzy Bead

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson Sharyl's Jewelry

Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh

Jean Wright Just Beadey

D Lynne Bowland Islandgirl’s Insights

Lisa Lodge Pine Ridge Treasures

Sherry Baun

Liverpool

Jean A. Wells  http://www.jeanawells.blogspot.com

Shalini Austin   Jewellery by Shalini

Doris Stumpf Glaszwerg

Sherry Baun

Lennis C Windbent

Southampton

Sherri Stokey Knot Just Macramé

Sherry Baun

Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh

Kathy Lindemer Bay Moon Design

Sneak peak for the UK Challenge blog hop on Artisan Whimsy

 I chose Isle of Wight as my challenge... and here's a pair of my happy little shore birds wandering along the beach there...  Come back on Monday Nov 12th to see the rest of the necklace(s)

Think this is where you will want to go on Monday to see the submissions?

Wordless wednesday and BTW

Yep this is a stuffed felted rabbit not a bead.... he's not totally sewn up since he's not totally dry... and I think I need to do the face while I can get a hand inside. Bunny needs a name... and I'm still trying to figure out what to use for eyes...... So he is sort of occupying my bead table.... You have to stuff him wet so that he drys in a shape that vaguely resemble a bunny... I'd like to use 4 hole MOP buttons but my button stash seems to have gone into hiding!

This is a pre felting picture....