Margie and Me: The Finals: Time to vote!

Well, It's here!

Thanks to everyone who participated! I've got all your entries with a number and name below each one. If you have a blog link that I know of, or sent me one, I tried to link to your shop/blog.

The voting poll is to the right. Simply choose your favorite number and click it to vote! I'll leave the voting open until Jan.2, so spread the word!

Here we go!

First Color Palette:

Titian the Venetian

The entries:

1. Amy's Beaded Bracelet

2. Kokopelli's Embroidered Pendant

3. Jess's Beaded Necklace

4. Emma's Leather and Beads Bracelet

Second Color Palette:
The Ishtar Gate

5. Jess's Ishtar Wing Necklace

6. Nancy's Beadwoven Beauty

Third Color Palette:
The Lady and the Unicorn

7. Elisabeth's Necklace and Earrings Set

8. Karyn's Beadwoven Necklace

9. Marge's Bead Embroidered Cuff

10. Lody's Beaded Pendant

11. Jess's Embroidered Pendant

Fourth Color Palette:
The Lilies Fresco

12. Jess's Mixed Media Necklace

13. Kristen's Beadwoven Necklace

14. Elisabeth's Ribbon and Beads Necklace

Fifth Color Palette:

The Pink Tablecloth

15. Jess's Mixed Media Necklace

Great job, Ladies! Some beautiful entries and I enjoyed seeing each one.

I chose to work wih the Pink Tablecloth palette. It is one that I had worked with in the past, but did not like what I had created, so I wanted to revisit it to see if I could create something that I did like. Here are the results:

Thanks so much for playing along ladies, it's been such a great and challenging year. We'll definitely be doing this again next year, but I may add a little twist to the challenge!

In the meantime, spread the word about the vote, and I'll leave the polls open until Jan. 2nd!

Thank you guys!

Evergreen

I really like making treasuries. It's a great way to find some amazing artists, and to showcase artists that I've already found to be amazing.
This one is inspired by Pine Trees. We've got bunches of them 'em here in NC.

You can see it better here.

Color, Color, Color....

Pantone's fashion color report is out for 2011 and while you guys know my issues with the illustrations they use in the reports...I still find the colors incredibly inspiring. (Click here to get it and click on Spring 2011 Report.)

Now, let me say this...

While these may be the colors set forth by Pantone, they are not the only colors in the world and I tend to use the colors as more of a suggestion than a guide. I don't think that you should use these colors for everything that you create, but they are kinda nice to have around when you're in a color rut.

That said, I thought I'd show you my favorites...in combination. ;)

First up, Lavender and Beeswax (sounds like a Bath and Body Works fragrance, no?) Now, I've always been a fan of purple, it looks good on people with dark hair and with a punch of this orangey/yellow, it looks great.

Sunflower on a Lilac House

The next one for me is Silver Peony and Silver Cloud. I didn't used to be such a fan of the luster/pearl finishes, but I'm beginning to find that they really have their place when combined the right way.

June Birthstone

I was also attracted to Blue Curacao. I really like it with the Peapod color, but I just couldn't find a good match on Etsy. However, I LOVE the color and the wirework in these gorgeous earrings. I'm so jealous of anyone that can do wirework like this.

Aqua Chalcedony Earrings

What do you think? What's your favorite color or color combo?

Oh, and one more question..."honeysuckle"? I grew up in Alabama and honeysuckles are not fuschia pink.

Okay, last thing, today is the 28th and I'll be accepting Margie and Me entries all day. I'm gonna go to bed tonight with my inbox still open, so if you get your entry to be anytime today, I'll take it, oh and also.....

THANK YOU!

I've been overwhelmed by the response to my sale and consequently so shall be my mailman today! I can't thank you guys enough! New stuff coming on Jan. 1st!

Have a great Tuesday!

It's Snowing...

Unless you've lived in Southeastern NC and spent the past five Christmases in flip flops and capri pants, you cannot understand how excited I am. Now, granted, it's a day late, but I think that's because we had to share the snow with the rest of the country before it could get to us, so Merry White Christmas guys!

picture by netbros

Okay, now down to business....

First of all, I'll bet you'll NEVER guess what I got for Christmas. Yep, that's right bead money, so here's the deal. My sketchbook is FULL of new ideas and new color palettes and I'm looking forward to creating some new designs, but I have got to get this old stuff out of here.

So, I've taken 40% off of everything you see here:

I've never cut my prices this low, but this stuff has gots to go to make room for some new beauties. These prices are only good until Jan. 1, after that, they are gone, gone, gone...

You can visit my sale section here (which now looks like it ate too much pecan pie over the break).

Also, I hope y'all are still hard at work on Margie and Me. I finished mine yesterday and while I'm  not in the running for the grand prize, I really, really likes my creation.

Don't forget...

- get your entry to me by the 28th (anytime that day is fine). Send it to my e-mail: abney_m(at)yahoo.com

- You can blog about your entry anytime after the 30th! It's gonna take me a while to put together the entries, so we'll set the voting date for the 30th.

Finally, enjoy this....

Merry Christmas!

I found myself with some extra time yesterday so I created this treasury to celebrate the season!

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

3 days and counting...

The packages are sent, the custom orders are done, everything is wrapped and under the tree. If you still need a last minute gift, it won't make it for Christmas, but my gift certificates are in .pdf form so if you order one of them, it will arrive in your inbox within 24 hrs. and you can print it off and slip it into and envelope. Last week I reached 200 sales in my Etsy store and I can't thank you enough. If you're reading this, then you've helped me get there and I wish I could thank each and every one of you personally, but I can't so this little Thank You will have to do.

I wanted to show you the very last gifts that I created for my sisters. In case you're wondering, I have three sisters, hence the endless sister gifts!

This first was inspired by a necklace that I saw in Bead Trends, and I'm pretty sure that it was by Erin Prais-Hintz, but I'm not completely sure. I just have this image in my mind of this pretty little sparkly necklace with one of Heather's manuscript beads. Erin if you're out there, please tell me that this was your idea!

You know me though, I had to find a way to put seed beads in the finished product. I bead embroidered the "C" and hung a bunch of little glass rounds and an ocean jasper drop from the bottom. I chose to use antique brass as my sister isn't really much a gold-wearer.

Bobby pins for my youngest sister who's grown her bangs out and needs something to keep them out of her face.

A headband for the same sister. I am in LOVE with this striped embroidered thing and you will definitely be seeing a bracelet done like this in the very near future.

I played around with the bead sizes a little to make the lower stripes.

Okay, the last two color palettes for the Margie and Me finals are ones that we've done before, so if you want to see them, you can follow the links below to the old posts:

#46 Winged Lions of the Ishtar Gate

and

#64 Titian the Venetian

I am getting so excited about the Finals!! I hope you are as well, remember e-mail me, abney_m(at)yahoo.com, by the 28th with your entries and if you have any other questions shoot them my way!

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas! It's looking like this may be the first Christmas since we moved to NC that we won't have to wear flip flops and shorts on Christmas day....

Christmas gifts and a Lady and a Unicorn

My fingers and I have been working to finish up the little list of Christmas presents that I have for this year. This first is a pendant that I created for my sister. I know the colors seem a little drab for my normal, but it was made to accompany a sweater that she has.

My other sister wanted barrettes. So, I created one in some colors that I know she wears and I really love creating this plaid pattern out of beadwork.

This one is for my mother. One day as I was surfin' the net I came across these gorgemous leaves on Etsy and my mom thought they were beautiful.

Well, I bought her the maple leaf when she wasn't looking and then created some little beaded beads to go with the leaf. Strung the whole thing on this intense purple/fuschia silk ribbon and ta-da!

This last one I'm putting in my Etsy shop. It'll be the last thing to go in there before Christmas. (Can you guess what stone that is?!) I'm calling it Forest Floor, the name came to me after I took this picture. It's in my shop here.

Tomorrow will be the last day for shipping in my shop, and if you get something, be sure to buy the priority mail upgrade and I'll send it so it'll get to you.
Also, if you need a super last minute gift, I've still got gift certificates and I might be having a gigantic after-Christmas sale to get rid of this year's stuff. (But that was a secret, so don't tell anyone)

Okay, finally, we're getting close to Margie and Me: The Finals, so it's time to talk about the Lady and the Unicorn. I actually studied this group of tapestries in Art History and was as blown away by the colors and images then as I am now. This actual tapestry was the sixth in a line of tapestries that now hang in the Musee du Moyen Age. They were created in the middle ages and while there's a lot of speculation as to why they were created, most scholars agree that the first five represent the five senses with the sixth as a possible renunciation of the feelings of passion that the other senses create.

It's neat to think about why and for who they were created. Some of the artistic elements that I take from them are the gorgeous tight floral patterns in the background, on the tent, and even the pattern on the penant. There are also an abundance of shapes in this painting, the cones of the trees, the square pennants, the triangle in the tent. Here's the color palette again:

Okay, finally, Artbeads.com is GIVING AWAY gift certificates to friends and family! Click on the picture to find out more about this great offer!

Have a great Monday!

Lilies Fresco #42

I promised you guys a little more info about each one of our inspiration color palettes, and today is the Lilies Fresco #42 from Margie's book.

I chose this one because it's so much softer than some of the other palettes, almost calming.

The chosen palette comes from the ruins on Akrotiri, one of the Greek islands.

The fresco that I chose above is just one of quite a few that have been found among these ancient ruins from the Minoan civilization. Previously buried under mounds of volcanic rubble, the ruins are still in the process of being excavated.

Here is the map of where Akrotiri is located among the Greek isles. When I was in Greece earlier this year, we stayed in Athens, so no Greek island hopping for me, but apparently the islands are the best part of Greece.

One reason that I chose this palette (other than the amazing colors) was the natural inspiration of the fresco. This is definitely what I would consider a "Spring" palette with colors and themes that focus more on new growth and budding flowers. This may be the color palette that you need to get you out of a little winter slump!

Okay, finally, I've had a few people ask me about doing more than one entry and I've thought long and hard about it and come to the conclusion that if you have the time, the beads, and the energy, then go for it! Just be sure that you send me both entries by the 28th. Also, when you send me your entry, give me a little blurb about how you were inspired by the painting, I think that it would be cool to read what everyone has to say.

Okay, finally, here are the items that are on sale for today in my shop:

Northern Star Beadwoven Necklace. I don't know why, but this particular necklace strikes me as being perfect for a younger girl or teenager.

And finally, The Lady's Bead Embroidered Brooch which doubles as a pendant. This one is much more sophisticated, shall we say.

I also created a Priority Mail Upgrade listing and if you purchase that, I'll make sure that your jewelry reaches you by Christmas.
Have a great one guys!