8th Bead Soup Blog Partner

We are thrilled to be taking part in our second Bead Soup Swap!  Our partner this year is Jennifer VanBenschoten of VanBeads Jewelry and Design.  Both soups arrived at their destinations and it's full speed ahead! 

This is the soup we sent to Jennifer.

 

Below is the soup we received from Jennifer.  A challenging and colorful collection indeed!  However, that is the point, and we are truely looking forward to broadening the horizons! 

 

Thank you Jennifer, we are looking forward to this, and can't wait to see your beautiful design!

 

Patina Blog Hop

Our thanks to Kathy Lindemer, of Bay Moon Design for such a fun Blog Hop to participate in.

 

When we recieved our Vintaj compass, it pointed straight in the direction of my granddaughter, Catherine.  Cat takes care of customers in our store, and does tons of custom work.  She is very creative and has a wonderful imagination. 

 

This grand adventure begins with air travel.  The compass has been painted with Vintaj patina and used as part of the centerpiece... keeping "en route" on our Steampunk inspired travels.  

 

Hanging from the compass below is the hot air balloon.  This balloon starts with a filigree and a little patina, then layered with paper and a glass cabachon.  The basket is metal with patina and chain to finish the look.  The balloon is attached to the basket with fiber and ready to sail the skies!!!

 

This necklace was attached together with iron and silver wire.  The stones are frosted quartz and faceted agates. 

The lampwork below, made by Jennifer, is hand-pulled gold adventurine.  Such beautiful colors!!!

The handmade metal rectangle was changed to a cloud and is stamped with "to the skies!".  Cat felt it just had to be a cloud!

 

Wire-wrapped oval crystals dangle around the necklace below... adding just a touch of sparkle!

 

A fantasy inspiration and a Vintaj adventure... ready to take you where anything is possible!!!

 

Please visit all of the participants and see what they created.

Hostess:  Kathy Lindemer,  BayMoonDesign 

  Karia Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

 Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Jessica Murray, Whimsical Monkey
 
Tammie Everly, TTE Designs

Kay Thomerson, KayzKreationz Blog

Claire Fabian, Saraccino

Christie Searle Murrow,  Charis Designs

Grow Your Blog Winner

We have a winner!

The winner of the Grow Your Blog hop event, as chosen by random number generator, is #15, Caroline.

Generate a random number between 1 and 62  = 15

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our blog and left such nice comments.  We enjoyed visiting lots of new blogs and meeting new people.  We hope Caroline will enjoy her lampwork headpins.

Grow Your Blog

 

Welcome to the Dry Gulch Beads and Jewelry Blog.  My name is Deborah and I love being involved in our 3-generation, family-owned business with my daughter and granddaughters.  Besides searching for new beads and findings (so much a very fun thing to do), we also create jewelry.  My daughter, Jennifer, runs our store and internet site.  She is also a lampworker and creates wonderful jewelry as seen in this most colorful necklace below.

 

Catherine, my eldest Granddaughter, runs the front of our store and takes great care of our customers and friends.   She also creates beautiful jewelry and loves, loves, LOVES metal and patina!!!!:)

 

 

My other granddaughter, Gianna, knows where EVERYTHING is in the store!!!  She pulls orders and keeps things straight... that is, when she's not creating something fun and unusal as this beautiful wire and button necklace reveals!

 

And then... there's me, I just love it ALL as this necklace below shows!  Everyday is new and inspiring.  There are so many wonderful ideas in jewelry making.  It seems that I hardly have the time to get them all created... simply not enough hours in a day!

 

Our blog has been a great way to show and talk about our customers' projects and creations, and to describe all of the events and happenings in our store.  Our hope is to inspire creativity and bring out the artist in each and every person.  Below, we would love to share these beautiful lampwork headpins made by Jennifer with someone... we will have a drawing and that "someone" will be announced Feb 15th.

 

 

A wholehearted "Thank You", Vicki, for hosting "Grow Your Blog".  It was fun to participate in and I can't wait to visit other blogs.  Thanks to all for stopping by and don't forget to leave a comment to be entered in our drawing on the 15th of Feb.

 

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart" ~ William Wordsworth



AJE Earring Challenge #22 & #23

These playful lampwork beads above made by Jennifer, are lavished in copper petals and finished with leafy lampwork headpins.  A little bit of lampwork and little bit of copper!

These simple little handmade rectangles have been textured and embellished with a flourish and Swarovski crystal on top.  They sparkle as they move!  Check out Artisan Whimsy to see the other entries.