ZNETShows Summer Challenge Blog Hop

Back in April I was notified that as part of the ZNETshows Design team I was part of a new challenge. This one was a Summer challenge.  The theme was 'Summer Days and Nights' and focused on their Cultured Sea Glass. We were to go to ZNETshows website and pick out the 2 colors we'd like to design with to design a daytime 'casual' set and a nightime 'dressy' set.  We were also sent a few other colors, beads, findings to go along with the sea glass we chose. I was interested in working with their red and black seaglass, so sent off my choices.  I thought I had a picture of the stash I received, but I can't seem to find it on my compurter. But what I received in the following pieces was the red sea glass, black sea glass and purple tube beads. The other beads I had received from previous ZNETshows challenge.  But these are the beads I used:

For the Dressy set these are the products I used :

Purple barrel nugget beads found here:

Jet Black Barrel beads here:

Glass pearls, Clear crystals and Oval Purple and Black beads (a type of dyed jasper).

For the Daytime set:

Anklet

Sand dollar beads in red, here:

Hourglass beads here

Earrings:

Small concave square here

Fish here:

These were all fun to play with. I hope you like what I made for my Dressy Nighttime set and my Casual Daytime set. 

Daytime (casual): This is 'Fun in the Sun at the Beach'

Nightime (dressy): This is Evening Mystique

Be sure to check out ZNETshows website for great sea glass and other beads, the ZNETshows blog for more about the design team and the other participants and the new ZNETshows magazine that has more about the design challenge and participants also.

Ocean Blog Hop

A while back, Lisa Lodge from A Grateful Artist blog issued a call for an Ocean themed Blog hop. I'm not really an ocean person, but I love walking along the beach searching for seashells and treasures, so this was like some found treasures when I received my beads. We were getting cultured sea glass and other beads. I quickly signed up. As usual I got so excited about the beads when I received them I forgot to take a picture of them. I was a little stumped at first with what to do with the variety. I had some starfish, some crystals, some glass tube beads, some clear glass daggers, off white heishe beads, some unique abstract shapes and a wonderful ceramic pendant. I knew I wanted to add a lot of color, since most of the seaglass was a light green or clear. For some reason, when I think of the beach or ocean I almost always think of macramé, so I also knew I wanted to do a little macramé for at least one of my pieces. So, for my first piece I made a macramé bracelet. I did loose knots around the abstract shaped glass using some of my orange and dark beige macramé cord.  I added some small orange and shades of green seed beads in between the shaped seaglass.  I used one of the starfish as the clasp and at the end made loops of the macramé cord to loop around the starfish as the closure for the bracelet.

Next I made a necklace with the long tube beads. I used long headpins to make them dangles and hung them between a series of green crystals, orange and green seed beads, the clear dagger and off white heishi beads. I also took one of the abstract shapes and wire-wrapped a dangle from one end and wire-wrapped the other end to hang as a dangle from the necklace. And on the other side I strung one of the clear/white starfish into the strand. I had a small link of chain that I attached to the necklace along with the metal circle toggle clasp. I really like the beachy feel to this necklace and the 7 wire-wrapped tube beads/focal. 

Finally I took a the last little short length of chain, divided it in half, wire-wrapped 3 dangles with the crystals, seed beads and daggers to make a pair of earrings to match. I really like the colors in this "Ocean" set and hope you do too.

And a close up of the necklace and earrings.

I'm still working on my piece for the pendant. I'm trying a new technique and haven't quite gotten it finished. So come back later this week and I'm hoping to have it done for you to see.
Don't forget to visit all the other blogs participating in the hop HERE. And don't forget to leave me a comment letting me know what you think of my "Ocean" Set. These will be available shortly in my shop, KayzKreationz, along with my other Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass kreationz for your Home and Garden.

ZNETshows Partner Picks Summer Challenge and Giveaway

Once again, I've been fortunate to be chosen as a designer for ZNETshows. This time it was a little different, though.  We were partnered up and the partner chose beads from a list to send to us and then we were challenged to design something with them. I was partnered with Rachel Baron, who has been nursing a broken hand for the last few weeks. But she's hoping to have something created for the reveal and hop. Please check out her blog RBaronDesigns and see what she created.  I didn't get the memo to her in time though, that I DON'T DO BLUE!  LOL, so as you can see, most of my beads were Blue.  I'm becoming pretty proficient at designing with blue though, since my last several challenges have included Blue.  This is what I received:

 Blue Square Cultured Sea Glass Nuggets, code S45
Khaki Round Glass Pearls, code BDS1618
Labradorite Oval Pendant Grade AAA, code PT513
Meridian Blue Chinese Crystal Rectangle Glass Beads, code RS176
Blue/Turquoise Bay Cultured Sea Glass Conch Shell Beads, code S29
Antique Brass Base Metal Conch Shell charms, code M0078-AB  and
Antique Brass Base Metal Starfish charms, code M0477-AB   Aren't they all great and very Summery and Beachy?  In fact that was the theme for this challenge.  We were to think 'The Beach' for our designs.  So here's what I created. 
First with some freeform Blue Cultured Sea Glass beads I had for another challenge, I created my Beach bracelet, using the Antique Brass Starfish and Conch Shell charms. I think it turned out great.

Next, I used the Blue Square Nugget Cultured Sea Glass, the Meridian Blue Chinese Crystal and the Khaki Glass Pearls to string 3 strands. Then I used some Silver Plated chain I had, took it apart and made links to attach links of the Blue Chinese Crystal and Khaki beads and the Blue Sea Glass and Khaki beads. I also used the Labradorite Pendant as an extra focal in between all the chain and strung a long necklace. 

 Finally I used some Wine cooler bottle caps I had that seemed very beachy to me with the Palm trees on them and hung a Blue Conch Shell bead along with a Starfish and Conch Shell charm from them to make some fun Beach earrings. 

I still have a few beads left and will be creating more beach item with them later.  Hope you like my Kreationz.  Be sure to check out ZNETshows.com for their great wholesale beads. 
And now for the GIVEAWAY!  Run to ZNETshows blog to see all the participants on Saturday, July 6th and to enter the contest for some of their beads so you can make your own Beach Kreationz.
If you're looking for these pieces or more of my Wire-wrapped, Bead jewelry or Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass Kreationz for your Home and Garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz.

Another ZNETshows Challenge-Artisan Whimsy 5x5 challenge

About a month ago, Artisan Whimsy had a post about a challenge for 5 people.  After you signed up, if you were picked you received a 5 piece set of ZNETshows Cultured Beach Sea Glass beads to design with.  I wasn't picked in the first round, but then Bill Zhang of ZNET decided to send a pack to everyone that had signed up whether they were picked or not. WooHoo!  In case you can't tell, I love their Cultured Sea Glass beads.  Anyway, this is the pack I received. (Yes, I actually remembered to take a picture before I started creating this time. LOL)  If you've read my blog posts before you remember I don't usually work with Blue.  But these freeform blue seaglass beads just seemed to cry out to be a bracelet.  It's a very simple design, but I like the look of it and the beachy sea critter dangles (also from ZNETshows) to make a fun, summery, beachy bracelet.  I did a simple copper wire wrap/loop in each bead, connected them all with some bronze jump rings I had, (I love mixing metals), used a copper ring I had for the toggle and made my own copper S-clasp for a closure.  Then I dangled 2 bronze starfish and 2 bronze conch shell dangles from each jump ring in between the seaglass beads.  Next, I took the 2 green rectangular beads and the 2 white square beads and layered them. I used some small green beads I had and wire-wrapped/wove them around the jump ring that attached them to the earwires and finished off with a spiral with the copper wire.  Finally I took the green fishbone beads and the small green beads that were in between them on the strand, along with some light green faceted beads I'd gotten from ZNET in an earlier design challenge and strung them with some copper bead caps and copper shell beads. In the center I added a bronze pendant bale. I then strung the 2 green conch shell beads on some copper chain along with 2 of the small green beads and one light green beads with copper bead caps on copper wire and made the focal for the necklace. I had this funky copper chain and attached the sea glass beaded centerpiece to the chain and used the simple copper clasp that came with it to finish it off.  All in all I am very happy with the way all three pieces turned out. I'm still working on a pair of fishbone earrings to match the necklace, but ran out of time.  Hope you enjoy my designs.  ZNETshows mainly offers wholesale beads, but you can also buy retail, so if you're looking for your own Cultured Sea Glass or other beads (like the starfish and conch shell metal beads in my bracelet) check out their site, ZNETshows.

 

 Looking for more of my Wire-wrapped, Beaded Jewelry or Stained Glass, Mosaics or Fused Glass Kreationz for you Home and Garden?  Check out my shop, KayzKreationz.

Blog hop starts Monday with the inlinkz links you see below.

ZNETshows Baby Conch beads and Challenge

I love ZNETshows Cultured Sea Glass. I've participated in several of their challenges and design contests. This time around, they sent a few of us some of their new Baby Conch shell beads. these are adorable.  And as usual, I forgot to take a picture of the conch shells before my muse decided to start creating with them. I am running a little behind though, because I was in the middle of a big job on our small Texas ranch. (See the post before this one)  And I'm actually still working on that. Have several things still to do. But I did get 2 projects done with my Baby Conch shells.  Here's a picture of the 3 I have left. I used 3 just like this, in a light pink, light purple and pale yellow/orange in my brooch and 2 gorgeous dark orange conch shells in the earrings I created. I dug through my stash and found some coordinating beads that I thought would set off the Orange shells great.  I wanted lots of dangles to go along with the Conch shells.  And I've been wanting to create another pin/brooch for a while, so I got this Kilt pin out with the three loops, got one of each of the 3 other colors ZNET sent me and set to work finding coordinating beads for the brooch to create lots of dangles to go with the shell beads. I think they turned out great. What do you think?  Does it feel summery/beachy enough and show off the Conch shells well?  Be sure to check out ZNETshows website. They offer wholesale beads, but do retail also.  They also carry tons of other beads besides their Cultured Sea Glass. But I'm in love with their seaglass.  Without further ado, here's my pieces.  First, the rest of the shells they sent me. (I have 3 left to create another piece):

 Then, the earrings and the pin I created with the shells.

For any of my Beaded, Wire-wrapped jewelry or my Stained Glass, Mosaics or Fused Glass Kreationz for your home or garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz. Thanks.

My Designs Head to Tucson!

Yay!  Heard from Bill at ZNETSHOWS late Sunday and they picked 3 of my 4 designs to take to Tucson for the Bead show with them.  They'll be displaying them in their booth and offering them for sale.  More than anything else, I'm just pleased and honored at being asked to be part of their design team and having them decide they liked 3 of my designs well enough to take with them to Tucson. Here's the pieces they wanted to take with them.  Hope they do well in Tucson.  I'm still working on a couple of ideas/designs for the rest of the Cultured Sea Glass they sent me.  I've got some great daggers I want to use in a necklace and a couple of pieces already wire-wrapped, just waiting for dangles to be attached for earrings.  The pieces will be for sale, either in my Etsy shop, here on my blog or on my facebook page, KayzKreationzGlassKreationz after they're returned to me from Tucson.
If you're looking for Stained Glass, Mosaics or Fused Glass items for your Home or Garden or some of my other Wire-wrapped, copper jewelry or my Mom's jewelry be sure to check out my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz.

To see all of my designs go to this POST

I'm on the Design Team for ZNETSHOWS

About 3 weeks ago, Bill from ZNETSHOWS contacted me, saying he really liked my blog and my jewelry 'kreationz'.  He was getting ready for the Tucson Gem Mall and he said, although they make great 'sea glass' items they don't design very well.  So he was looking for some designers to send a sample box of their sea glass and crystal components.  In exchange, we would design jewelry with the pieces, send him our pictures, and if our designs were chosen, they would pay for us to ship the jewelry to them and they would display it at the Tucson Gem Mall show.  We would also need to send a business card or two and have ID tags on our jewelry to identify it as ours.  This sounded like a great opportunity and so much fun, so I agreed.  I eagerly awaited my package and here it is.  It contained some clear faceted crystal beads, some light green faceted beads, etched and smooth 'sea glass' pendants, some light teal dagger beads and chips, some light green oval beads and some silver heart and square components.  Aren't they great?

I started thinking about what I could do with them and immediately came up with the idea for my Romance Dangle Earrings.  I checked out a couple of color palettes and really liked the pink with the light green for these earrings.  Then I got the idea of using some silk/nylon ribbons I had just made and squishing them together in between some of the glass beads and the silver square beads for this Romance Bracelet.  I checked another color palette and loved the oranges with the light greens. It reminded me of Autumn, so out came Sweet Autumn necklace with the small orange agate beads from my stash, the light green faceted beads, the clear faceted crystal beads and the silver hearts.  I had 3 silver/pewter leaves that I color/patina'd with some patina inks I've been playing with and attached them.  Then I had this remnant of this great ruffly ribbon that just seemed to call out to be in this necklace. I was actually only going to use a small piece of it and attach a heart toggle clasp I had, but I think it like it long like this. It will slip right over your head. Finally, I had 3 more light green large beads/pendants and decided to wrap them with copper and add the orange agate beads for another fall/autumn themed bracelet. It also has 3 little dangles on the lobster claw clasp.  It's call All Wrapped Up. 

So I've sent my pictures in and hopefully, my designs will be chosen and taken to Tucson for display. I can't wait to hear whether they're good enough.  When they're returned to me, they'll be available either in my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz, here on my blog or on my facebook page, KayzKreationzGlassKreationz.  So be sure to check back.  Do you like them? And if you're looking for some great Cultured Sea Glass Beads to design with be sure to check out ZNETSHOWS.  And be sure to check out the other design team members HERE.