The Color Orange

A few days ago I told you how I don't like the color orange. Well the very next day a friend of mine posted this on Facebook:

Orange is a power color. It is one of the healing colors. It is said to increase the craving for food. It also stimulates enthusiasm and creativity. Orange means vitality with endurance. People who like orange are usually thoughtful and sincere. Lady luck's color is orange. I have been told that if a change of any kind is needed in life, just burn an orange candle for 7 nights.

Orange Energy:

While red is associated with fiery heat, orange is associated with the benign warmth of the sun. A dynamic color to be sure, orange offers a more thoughtful control than explosive red. Curiosity is a driving characteristic of orange, and with it comes exploration of new things.

Put some orange in your life when you want:
to spice things up when you feel time is dragging
to become more involved in something
to increase creativity
relief from things becoming too serious. 

Who knew....I guess I will be working on that orange curiosity!
Marianne

New Blog Hop

I am participating in a new Blog Hop sponsored by Pine Ridge Treasures.  This one is a little different than the Bead Soup Blog Hop because you actually buy a kit and get sent a Bead Soup that you create a wearable art piece.  This one is called the "The Ocean Blog Hop". So I requested my kit and it arrived and I thought Oh No, not orange....This is probably my least favorite color, ha ha!  However the focal is just great and the beads are unbelievable!  Actually the color is growing on me.  I guess I just never thought that orange goes with the ocean and I was waiting for my wonderful blues and greens to show up, but duh coral....  This is why I love doing these blog hops because you get out of your comfort zone and restart your creativity in a totally new way.  So here is my "Soup".

 So here it is and as you can see there is some beautiful pieces of faux beach glass, these wonderful white barrel beads that have some unusual texture to them, kind of a sandy feel to them some great clear clear crystal daggers, some creamy flat beads and an incredible array of other items.

This focal isn't it just adorable?  The fish has some gorgeous colors of Turquoise and pink and golden  brownish tones.
I will be posting some of my progress as I work through a design for the finished piece.  My reveal date is May 31st so don't miss it.
Marianne

Creative New Year

I can't believe I haven't posted since May.  I unfortunately had loads of health issues last year including my New Year's eve broken arm 2012.  I still have limited feeling in my fingers but I hope within next few months that will clear up.  I am starting on a complete renewal of my creativity, my business and my life.  We will be selling our home this year and I will be quitting my day job!  I will be concentrating on my jewelry business full time as well as enjoying my husband and my life more.
Here is a beautiful sunset last week where we live.

I know it will be hard to leave this beautiful view but it is time to start anew.

I have been working on some new designs in my abstract painted designs.  These will be on my website in the next few weeks but here is a preview of two of them.

I really enjoy painting on glass.  How do you think they turned out?  What kind of necklace would you design for these.  I usually sell them with a chain necklace but I am thinking of embellishing a few of these and maybe wire wrapping some.  I have all different colors and I am experimenting with combined colors and dichroic glass.  I also am attempting to use some copper components I purchased from Wild Hare Design to combine with my glass.  I wasn't able to do much due to my arm so mostly I just burned up a piece while experimenting haha!
Stay tuned for some exciting new work and look for my involvement with Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog party later in the Spring.

I recently participated in an earring blog hop with Whimsical Monkey


My Partner was Cheryl Dunham: www.renaissance-jewelry.blogspot.com Cheryl lives in Main and really likes autumn colors.  I made these earrings for Cheryl :

First pair in coppers and orange with handmade lampwork beads with Swarovski crystals.

These are not exactly the pair because I changed the earrings in the end to blue that have the same top part as these but with a straight lined bottom.  So sorry I didn't have a picture of the final ones that I made but these are close and the same color and still my fused glass.

These are the beautiful pair she made me with gemstones.  Love the colors and the way they dangle

Love these!  They remind me of the cha cha for some reason.  Wire wrapped in sterling with gem stones.

Please hop on over to the other participant sites:

Blogs:

Inge von Roos: ingetraud.wordpress.com

Nancy Smith: wirednan.blogspot.ca 

Marianne Baxter: http://www.simplyseablimejewelry.blogspot.com/

Leah Tees:  mybeadylittleeyes.blogspot.ca  

Andrea Trank:  www.heavenlanecreations.com

Miranda Ackerley: http://blog.mirandack.com/

Cheri Mitchell-Reed: http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/

Susan Kennedy: http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com/

Michele Dotson: http://star-jewels.blogspot.com/

Deanna Cox: www.deannaaki.WordPress.com

Shelley Graham Turner: www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com

Ingrid McCue: www.wrappedinsilver.com

Lennis Carrier:  http://windbent.wordpress.com

Ginger Davis Allman: http://thebluebottletree.com/

Mary Anne Flesch: www.handcraftedserenity.blogspot.com

Nicole Valentine Rimmer: www.nvalentine.blogspot.com

Stephanie Weiss:  uniquelymebwd.blogspot.com/

Silvia Sernicola: http://pipa-the-latest.blogspot.it/

Karla Morgan: www.TexasPepperJams.blogspot.com

Kay Thomerson:  http://KayzKreationz.blogspot.com

Paula Hisel: http://simplybeadiful.weebly.com/simply-stated.html

Carol Dillman:  http://dillmansdallies.blogspot.com/

Spun Sugar Beadworks: Spunsugarbeadworks.blogspot.com

Tara Plote:  http://newbiebeader.blogspot.com/

Rachel Baron: http://rbarondesigns.blogspot.com/

Laurie Keefe:  http://treeofliferootedinmysoul.blogspot.com/

Kashmira Patel: http://sadafulee.blogspot.com

Gina Hockett: http://www.freestyleelements.blogspot.com

Shellie Grindy: http://www.creativeeclectica.com/

Shai Williams: http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

Dyanne Cantrell: http://deelitefuljewelrycreations.blogspot.com

Mimi Gardner: www.OtherCuriosities.blogspot.com

Jessica McMullen: http://pheonixgatedesigns.blogspot.com/

Jennifer LaVite: www.drygulchbeadsandjewelry.blogspot.com

Laura Medeiros: http://zoeowyn.blogspot.com/

Alenka Obid: www.pepita-handmade.blogspot.com

Elsie Fonseca: http://www.ladelizchica.blogspot.com/
Cheryl Dunham: www.renaissance-jewelry.blogspot.com

Sandra McGriff: http://skyescreativechaos.blogspot.ca

                                         Tania Spivey: http://moobiegrace.blogspot.com/

7th Bead Soup Blog Reveal

Shhh....  I have scheduled mine a little early to reveal (late Friday night) because I won't be around to do it later...
So here goes, my 7th Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal!
First the photo of what I received from my partner Jenny Kyrlach.  A wonderful array of so many things to play with.  So many in fact I couldn't use them all yet, but trust me I will! You can see the green flower which is the focal and the leaf clasp.  I loved using the brass filigree cones and the brass floral stampings.  These are not items I have ever used and it was really fun and challenging.

 So here is a few of the earrings I made:

1st a simple dangle pair using brass leaves Jenny sent and Lilac Stone.  I have never heard of this stone but it is really pretty and smooth.  Jenny said these were some of the first beads she ever bought :)  I am glad she shared them with me.

 2nd pair is a simple dangle with glass pearls and Lilac Stone and some gold spacers that I added to the mix.  These are all on brass findings.

 3rd This pair is my favorite because they look like flowers and go with the necklace.  What Jenny sent just burst with spring colors!  These are the brass filigree cones with glass pearls and cats eye beads.

 Here is the bracelet I created using all the different kinds of beads and I stacked the brass floral stamping to make a focal for the bracelet.  The focal is just laying on top right now because of my broken arm it was hard to get it wired on there right.  When my hand is better I will attach it.

 The final is the necklace I made using the focal and some more of the brass filigree cones, and a beautiful gold leaf clasp.  I used a modified amoeba stitch and added more top beads to it so it looks more like flowers about to burst out for spring.

 This is a close-up of the stitch. Pattern is on Fusion Beads site and I modified it for this necklace.

Don't forget to leave a comment on what you thought..I would appreciate it and then please go and see what my partner Jenny Kyrlach did with what I sent her.  I can't wait to see!!  Also be sure and click on the Bead Soup icon to the right and you will go over to Lori Anderson's site.  She is the beader who started Bead Soup Blog Party and she has a list of all 500 blogs and you can see what everyone else created with their Soup.

7th Bead Soup Blog Party- First Reveal

Here are the first group of artistic reveals.  Check it out!  Remember to come on back here for mine and my partner's reveal which will take place on April 13th... Marianne

First Reveal Bead Soup Blog Party