making jewelry | Bead Happily Ever After

Giveaway – Lavender & Lace Pendant

Posted on September 14, 2009 by crystal

Greetings! Thanks so much for stopping by and welcome to my weekly giveaway. Can you believe we are halfway through September already? I have to keep reminding myself to take a little time to enjoy this change of the seasons. Things can get so busy and before you know it, the days have flown by and you’ve missed some of the beauty and serenity that is autumn. It’s important to stop and smell the roses . . . ummm, I guess I mean the chrysanthemums! 😉

This week I have another beautiful polymer clay pendant by Cheryl Harris to inspire your creative spirit!

~Lavender and Lace Pendant~

If you believe that jewelry can be wearable art, then you will love the work of Cheryl Harris. The girl definitely has a “way with clay”! Each of her pieces is truly a little masterpiece. 🙂

This round, 3-dimensional pendant features a bouquet of flowers and leaves in pink, lavender, lt. brown, and taupe. The pendant is pierced from side to side. The accent beads shown are included. Add your own touches and create something wonderful!

Whether you add beads to make a colorful necklace, or you simply string the pendant all by itself on a purchased piece of leather or silk cord, the compliments will be rolling in!

Material: Polymer Clay
Measurements: Approximately 35 mm

Contest Rules and How To Enter

This week, you will have up to four (4) chances to enter the weekly giveaway.

You can choose any or all of the following 4 ways to enter:

1st Chance:

Leave a comment answering the first weekly question:

Do you remember the first movie that you ever saw in a theater? What was it?

2nd Chance:

Leave a comment answering the second weekly question:

Describe the set of dishes that you use everyday. What color are they? Do they have a design on them? Do you like them?

3rd Chance:

Comment on any other post except this one. You can do it today or another day this week. You do not have to tell me that you left a “comment” on another post. The blog program shows me all of the “comments” as they come in – so I do not miss any of them! 😀

4th Chance:

Suggest a topic for a future blog post!

The Boring Stuff . . .
You must be 18 yrs. old. After the completion of the contest, the name of the winner will be listed here. The winner will also be notified by email. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail.

All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 09/20/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 09/21/09.

Giveaway – Pumpkin Patch Earrings

Posted on September 7, 2009 by crystal

Hi everyone! It’s going to be a busy week so I hope you’ll check back during the next few days to see what’s going on.

Today I have the new weekly contest with something “fall-ish” as the prize! I can hardly believe that it’s already the 44th week of giveaways! Fingers crossed that it’s your turn to win this time. 🙂

If you’re a gal with a bit of a whimsical nature, then these earrings will surely catch your eye! They’re a pair of pumpkins that will look adorable with your fall wardrobe.

These “pumpkins” are actually vintage lucite beads with a rich orange hue. I’ve accented the beads with Swarovski crystals in beautiful olivine green. Textured goldtone beadcaps add a finishing touch, and the earwires are 14k gold plated.

Measurements: Just over 2″ long (including the 14k gold plated earwires).

Contest Rules and How To Enter

This week, you will have up to three (3) chances to enter the weekly giveaway.

You can choose any or all of the following 3 ways to enter:

1st Chance:

Leave a comment answering the first weekly question:

What is your favorite kind of sandwich?

2nd Chance:

Leave a comment answering the second weekly question:

If you could choose one of the following abilities, which would you choose and why . . .

(1.) The ability to predict things before they happen or (2.) The ability to read minds whenever you desire.

3rd Chance:

Comment on any other post except this one. You can do it today or another day this week. You do not have to tell me that you left a “comment” on another post. The blog program shows me all of the “comments” as they come in – so I do not miss any of them! 😀

The Boring Stuff . . .
You must be 18 yrs. old. After the completion of the contest, the name of the winner will be listed here. The winner will also be notified by email. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail.

All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 09/13/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 09/14/09.

Friday Favorites – Pumpkin Pendant

Posted on September 4, 2009 by crystal

It’s Friday and you know what that means . . .

Yep, Friday Favorites! 😀

These are my favorite beads at the moment! (currently available in my shop).

They’re vintage lucite. Don’t they look like little pumpkins?

Of course I just had to make something with them right away, so I made a pair of earrings that will be next week’s giveaway! They’ll be the perfect accent for an autumn outfit.

Next, I made a dangling pendant . . .

Whether it’s worn up high on the neck or worn long – I’m thinking it looks best on a simple black cord.

Hope everyone has an absolutely delightful holiday weekend!

Have fun, relax, and stay safe!

I’ll be taking Labor Day off, but I’ll see you on Tuesday for the new giveaway (pumpkin earrings!) and the new questions! 😀

Rainbow City

Posted on September 3, 2009 by crystal

Well Kids, let me tell ya . . .

It’s been a wild and wooly ride trying to get a picture of this baby! I tried on three different occasions, and I don’t know whether to say, “third time’s the charm”, or “three strikes and you’re out’! 😉

No wonder Tiffany’s pays a fortune for photography! Taking pictures of sparkling stones and crystals is both an art and a science. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever be really good at it.

My first attempt was frustrating. It’s artsy maybe – but not sharp enough, even with photoshop . . .

Next try, a few days later, I was going for a soft “mood lighting” effect, but this was still not quite what I was hoping for . . .

Here’s one I took today. What can I say? This set is so much prettier in person!

Oh well, maybe with all three photos you can get an idea of how striking the bracelet and earrings truly are!

I used glittering Swarovski Aurora Borealis Crystals in multiple shapes and sizes, then added Swarovski “Squaredelles” to enhance the cube shaped crystals. The finished effect is absolutely mesmerizing – especially when the light hits just right.

Recently, I made a similar set for my sister to wear for her son’s wedding (the wedding I mentioned yesterday!). 🙂

OK then, it’s back to the tripod for me. There’s still some good sunlight out there and I need to take more pictures – but not of this set.

Maybe on another day . . . 😉

Giveaway – Falling Leaves Earrings

Posted on August 31, 2009 by crystal

Happy Monday and welcome to the weekly giveaway!

This week, I have a pretty pair of dangle earrings for all those who love gardens and trees and nature in general. 😀

They’re a gorgeous shade of peridot green and do they ever sparkle!

These “Falling Leaves” Earrings feature delicately etched Czech Glass Leaf beads, Vintage Swarovski peridot aurora borealis crystal teardrops, and contemporary Swarovski peridot crystals. Tiny goldtone beadcaps add a finishing touch, and the pretty earwires are 14k gold plated.

Measurements: Approximately 1-7/8″ long, including the earwires.

Contest Rules and How To Enter

This week, you will have up to four (4) chances to enter the weekly giveaway.

You can choose any or all of the following 4 ways to enter:

1st Chance:

Leave a comment answering the first weekly question:

Would you rather have free chocolate for one year or free pizza for life? If neither one, what would you choose instead?

2nd Chance:

Leave a comment answering the second weekly question:

Name a place that you consider to be the dream location to live when you retire!

3rd Chance:

Comment on any other post except this one. You can do it today or another day this week. You do not have to tell me that you left a “comment” on another post. The blog program shows me all of the “comments” as they come in – so I do not miss any of them! 😀

4th Chance:

Suggest a topic for a future blog post!

The Boring Stuff . . .
You must be 18 yrs. old. After the completion of the contest, the name of the winner will be listed here. The winner will also be notified by email. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail.

All entries must be received by 9:00 p.m. EST on 09/06/09, and the winner will be selected on or about 09/07/09.