OctoberFest or What do you do for Fall?

A while back, Rita/JewelSchoolFriends challenged us all to do something for Fall.  It could be pictures, jewelry, bead-making, recipes, whatever.  Then we were to post it on our blog.  I love fall, so I signed up to participate.  Growing up in the Ozarks of Missouri, I love fall.  I love the colors of fall, the changing of the leaves, the cool, crisp weather (although I'm always cold) because it gives me a chance to wear my sweaters.  However, living here in Texas for the last 37 years, there's not a lot of color change here.  I really miss all the reds, oranges and yellows of the leaves when they change colors.  However, we recently spent a week in New York and guess what?  The trees/leaves were changing.  I loved it.  I thought, what a great addition to my Octoberfest post.  So here's a few of my Fall/Octoberfest photos to delight with. 

I also love to bake cookies, muffins and such in the fall.  Here's a recipe I found that looks delicious. I'm getting ready to try these. They're called Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. They sound wonderful and look wonderful, too.  I love the smell of baking in the fall/winter and especially pumpkin.  So here's the recipe for anyone that wants to try them with me. (These may turn out a little dark, so try lowering the temp to 375)

Ingredients

• • 4 Eggland's Best Eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
  • 1 to 1/2 cups canola oil
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• 1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.
  2. Bake at 400° for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Yield: about 2 dozen muffins.

---

 

Plus, I was able to take a class on fold-forming and enameling recently and love the way these turned out. I call them my Fall Leaves.  I really like the orange/red color from heating with the torch to anneal and then enamel.  I've got a couple of ideas for them and just need to find the right beads and the time to try it.

Plus one last picture.  I love Fall/October for the Mums, too.  I recently saw this great pot of Mums and had to have them for my porch.  They'll go in the ground later, but for now, I'll keep them on my porch.

Hope you enjoy my Fall/Octoberfest post.  Here's a list of all the participants.  Hop by to see what they like about Fall/Octoberfest.
Caroline                                       http:// Carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

Andrea Glick-Zenith                     http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/

Dolores Raml                               http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com/

Karla Morgan                               http://TexasPepperJams.blogspot.com

Susie Harris                                 http://jewelleryjunkie.blogspot.com/

Susan                                          http://libellulajewelry.com

Mischelle                                      http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/

Billi                                               http://billi-rs-rothove.blogspot.com/

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

Jean Yates                                  http://prettykittydogmoonjewelry.blogspot.com/

Kelly Hosford Patterson               http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com

Kathy Lindemer                           http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com

Liz E                                            http://beadcontagion.blogspot.com

Jasvanti Patel                              http://jewelrybyjasvanti.blogspot.com

Christie Murrow                           www.charisdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

Jodie Marshall                             http://marshalljodie.blogspot.com/

Andrea Trank                              http://heavenlanecreations.com/

Dini Bruinsma                              http://angazabychanges.blogspot.nl

Elsie Deliz Fonseca                     http://ladelizchica.blogspot.com/

Pepita                                         www.pepita-handmade.blogspot.com

Karla Morgan                              http://texaspepperjams.blogspot.com/

Kathleen                                     http://99bobotw.blogspot.com/

Vera Lynn                                   http://veradesigns.blogspot.com/

Rana Wilson                               http://ranaleadesigns.blogspot.com/

Catherine King                           http://catherines-musings.blogspot.com/

Lily Vincent                                 http://thecreativeklutz.blogspot.co.uk/

Janice Hidey (Janimar)               http://drawingthelinesomewhere.com/

Cory Tompkins                           http://TealwaterDesigns.blogspot.com

Candida Castleberry                  www.spunsugarbeadworks.blogspot.com

Cynthia Kent Machata                http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com/

Alicia Marinache                         http://www.allprettythings.ca

Linda Anderson                          http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com

Leah Curtis                                 http://beadyeyedbunny.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Reno (JenRen)              http://jenrenjewelry.blogspot.com/

Robin Reed                                 http://willowdragon.blogspot.com/

Tanty Sri Hartanti                        www.tjewellicious.blogspot.com

Lisa Lodge                                  http://gratefulartist.blogspot.com/

Ingrid A.                                      http://lilisgems.wordpress.com/

Judy Turner                                www.silver-rains.blogspot.com

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

Nelly May                                    www.smellynelly.blogspot.com

Tanya McGuire                           http://tanyamcguire.blogspot.com/

Ahowin                                        http://www.blog.ahowinjewelry.com

Sonya Stille                                 http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com

Pam                                            http://www.klassyjoolz.blogspot.com

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

Asri Wahyuningsih                      http://asribeadwork.blogspot.com/

Ginger Bishop                             http://lilmummylikes.blogspot.com

Janine                                         http://www.esfera.me/travel/blog/travel-stories

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

Toltec Jewels (Rita, your hostess)  www.JewelSchoolFriends.com

And if you're looking for Stained Glass, Mosaics or Fused Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden or some of my Wire-wrapped, Beaded Jewelry, check out my shop, KayzKreationz.

Family Color Challenge

My daughter-in-law and her mother were here (along with my son and my DIL's father, too) over Thanksgiving.  Karla (the mother) and I were involved in Erin Prais-Hintz' Color Challenge using color palette's made from pictures of various parts of the earth. It was great. For that reveal, click here.  We all got to bead together and have fun. Chelsea, (my DIL) was making a necklace and earrings for  Erin's Toast of the Town challenge that Karla and I had done about a month ago.For that reveal, click here.  Anyway, a couple of weeks later, Karla and I were at a Bead show and decided we'd like to try another color challenge.  So I got on Design-Seeds and found a wonderful palette.  She has the most amazing color palette's.  I'm trying to save my money and buy at least one of her color palette books.  This is the color palette I found.  So, Karla, Chelsea and I are all challenging ourselves to make something with this color palette.  Our goal is to have it done by the 31st of January and then post on my blog and Karla's blog, Texas Pepper Jams what we've created.  Chelsea doesn't have a blog, so I'll post her creation here.  However, we're all supposed to get together the 26th of January in Louisiana for a Grand Funk concert.  So we've decided to try to get our pieces done by then and then all wear them to the concert and see how 3 people interpret the same color palette differently.  It should be a blast.  If you'd like to play along, here's the Color Palette: 

If you do play along, be sure to give credit to Design Seeds for the palette when you post it on your blog.  Our post date is the 31st of January for the challenge.  So keep tuned.
And, if you're looking for some Stained Glass, Mosaics or Fused Glass Kreationz for your Home or Garden, or other Wire-wrapped, Beaded Jewelry for yourself or as a gift, check out my shop, KayzKreationz.

Show Your Colors Book Review.

Kalmbach Books recently sent me a copy of Show Your Colors by Jamie Hogsett and Sara Oehler.  I'd been eyeing this book and was delighted when they sent it to me to review.  It's a wonderful book.  They start out with 'Everything you Need to Know' about Beading Wire, Materials you might need, Wireworking and even the Knitting Spool that Softflex sells. I've been eyeing one of those.  I think one of those would be so much fun to play/experiment with. Especially with the gorgeous colors of Beading wire you can get now. I especially liked/appreciated their thoughts on color and colored beading wire in jewelry today. I sometimes feel like my wire isn't supposed to show, but with the wonderful colors available today, that color just needs to show!  Jamie and Sara present a collection of 30 bracelet, necklace and earring projects that do just that.  And they use so many different techniques in these projects to really help you soar in your jewelry making and the use of color.  After talking about the different diameter's of beading wire, they get into other materials you might need or use. They also describe different beading techniques you'll need and then into those wonderful projects.  There are so many it's hard to just pick one or two as favorites.  Dream Baby on page 46 is one of my favorites. I love all the color and texture in that necklace. It just pops.  And the clasp is gorgeous, showing it off especially well by moving it to the side as part of the design.  Then there's Burlesque on page 54.  This project is done with the Knitting Spool. I love that look and the findings just really help set the whole theme and look.  I know you'll love this book as much as I have.  So click on over to Kalmbach Books and get your copy and make your jewelry POP with color by Showing Your Colors!

Color Challenge

Erin from Treasures Found blog, issued a challenge recently.  It was a Color Challenge.  When we signed up to participate, we told her a color we'd like to use.  She then picked a color palete from Design Seeds.  Jessica at Design Seeds designs wonderful color palettes.  I'm in awe of the colors she puts together and comes up with.  Anyway, Erin picked a color palette for each of us from the color we picked and we're challenged to come up with a piece of jewelry using any or all of those colors.  I picked purple and this is the color palette Erin picked for me.  Isn't it gorgeous?  Autumn Spectrum.   I love it.  I had some beads in my stash that perfectly matched the main colors of this palette and now am in the process of trying to put them together.  There will be a blog hop of all 54 Color Palette Challenge participants on November 30th.  So stay tuned to see what we all come up with from our color palette.  I'm trying to use all 5 of the colors, so we'll see if I can pull that off or not.

found-handmade

found-handmade

Take a look at this cute post about Skittles by Timothy Adams. Too cute.

And while you're at it, take a look at some of my colorful glass items in my Etsy shop or Artfire shop. They make great gifts for yourself or a friend. Items for your home and garden.

Fall Colors, Leaves, Trees and the Shop of the Day

I love Fall. Don't you? All the different colors in the leaves and trees are beautiful. Today's shop has some of that in her items. A great picture of a tree in full fall color. Plus the fall tree pendant to the right. That way you can keep fall with you all year long. Check out http://whimsicalstar.etsy.com/ for these items and more.

And I posted some pictures of fall trees from here in Texas at http://flickr.com/photos/KayzKreationz But don't forget, during the fall and winter months our feathered friends need help, too. So you might want to check out this mosaic birdfeeder at http://kayzkreationz.etsy.com/ http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16120524

And for a little bling in your life check out this newbie http://stringandstones.etsy.com/ This necklace and earring set is gorgeous and has some fall colors http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16230225 Maybe make her day and get this or something else in her shop as a gift for yourself or your loved one.

Your favorite Jasper

Jasper Stone

Jasper means “spotted or speckled stone”. It is an opaque, impure variety of silica and is usually red, yellow or brown in color. It is used for, among other things, as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and used for vases, seals, as well as gemstones. If the colors are in stripes or bands, it is also called striped or banded jasper. It is known to have been a favorite gem in the ancient world. Green jasper is very rare and highly prized, and was used to make bow drills in ancient times. There are many different names for the different types/colors of jasper. Some have been called snakeskin, blood, leopard,picture, or even Egyptian, depending on the banding, flow patterns or color variations. So the next time you wear your jasper necklace, pendant or put your jewelry in your jasper box, think about all the different ways and colors of jasper.
For a unique jasper necklace and earring set check out this listing at

http://STRINGandSTONES.etsy.com
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16239021

Or for this copper wire-wrapped pendant check out this listing at
http://KayzKreationz.etsy.com

Or these jasper earrings at http://kayzkreationz.artfire.com/

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=ViewListing&product_id=3679