Summertime Creations

The challenge this month from Artbeads was to create something with a summertime theme using glass beads, charms or pendants. My first thought was to do a charm bracelet with some shell or boating themed charms. However, I wanted to do a little something different.

I fell in love with the simplicity of the sand dollar sterling silver pendant. Artbeads has a great selection of pendants to choose from. Normally that is where I start with an idea for a necklace, with the pendant, because it is the focal point in the design. I liked the shades of green and blue in the glass pearls and added some Swarovski crystal for a little sparkle.


My favorite colors right now are orange, red and yellow. I like vibrant colors during the summer. In browsing the selection of glass beads it was hard to narrow it down! I selected a strand of big bright flower beads as they were not something I would ordinarily pick and I thought they might be fun to try. I combined them with some lemon yellow swirled beads I had in my inventory and thought they made a good combination. This is a fun piece to wear on a hot summer day!


My final piece uses one of my very favorite design elements - furnace glass beads. I just love these! I picked the bright citrus package with random beads, some solid and some striped. I really wanted the solid orange bead to stand out so I put in some big bold silver beads. The pinstripes on the other beads remind me of candy. I really like this bracelet!


As always, I really enjoy these challenges as they allow me to think outside my normal style and have have a lot of fun with it!

Disclosure: The sand dollar pendant and glass beads were kindly provided free of charge by Artbeads.com as part of their blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post represents the personal opinion of the blog author.

The Beauty of Spring Challenge

Lately everything I have created has a spring theme to it! I am taking photos of bulbs coming up, creating greeting cards in shades of pinks and lime green, and creating jewelry with the same inspiration. Even though fall is my favorite season, nothing beats the anticipation of spring!


I recently received this gorgeous selection of beads from Artbeads. What inspiration! I fell in love with floral glass pendant first, then selected other beads I thought would complement the pendant. When I received my order, I was not disappointed!

Here are some pics of my final creations. First I created the necklace using the floral bead as my focal point/pendant. I added some Swarovski peridot bicones to hold it in place on the decorative headpin. The necklace was created with 4mm faceted glass rondelles in pink and olivine and matte glass beads in white.



I created some coordinating earrings from some pink and white swirled glass bellflower beads, peridot Swarovski crystal and a decorative headpin. They are finished with fleur de lis motif leverbacks. I think this makes a nice set.




Disclosure: The Kalera floral glass focal bead, peridot Swarovski crystal, pink glass bellflower beads and the 4mm pink and olivine glass faceted beads were kindly provided free of charge by Artbeads.com, as part of the Artbeads.com blogging program. The author of this blog has not received any payment from above-mentioned company. The post above represents only personal opinion of the blog author.

To see more selections from Artbeads you can click on these links: lampwork glass beads and pressed Czech glass beads .

My Latest Designs

While everyone else in the world was watching the Super Bowl, I was in the basement working in my studio. This is a custom order for a friend who wanted to surprise his wife after their daughter was born. And the colors are nice for Valentine's Day too.


The chocolate brown jasper "chicklets" work well with the link pink Rhodonite nuggets and light rose Swarovski crystals. I hope she loves it!


And since Valentine's day is right around the corner here is the "My Michele" necklace inspired by a friend that spotted these cool hearts at a bead show in Louisville. I made the heart into a pendant and used faceted garnet rondelles and onyx. I made a similar version for myself, as she bought me a heart too.

Bracelet from WhimsyBeading

I am the very proud owner of this shiny metallic multi-colored bracelet created just for me by my team members and friends Kelly & Joey Graves of Whimsy Beading. Each time I am around them, they are nonstop, constantly creating new things while at the same time socialing with those around them. They certainly know how to be productive and get more time out of their day!

I fell in love with this bracelet and had to have it! I picked out the button after seeing the beads in September and Joey was able to attach it and custom fit it to my wrist at our last team meeting.

Isn't it lovely and unique?

Check out their beadweaving jewelry creations at the WhimsyBeading etsy shop.

The Shop at the Brown

I am tickled pink to announce that my jewelry can be found at the Shop at the Brown, in the historic Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky!

It's a wonderful shop and now that I've discovered it, I am sure many of my gifts will be purchased there. I bought some old fashioned glasses that say "Just add Bourbon" for my inlaws.

Great selection of Kentucky themed items and lots of other pretties - check it out.

New Sparkly Creations!

Visit my etsy shop to see my new creations!

Gift Giving Ideas for the Holidays

If you need ideas for the holidays, please visit my etsy shop for the perfect gift!

Most items are priced under $20.

Beginning today through Cyber Monday 11/30, I will offer a free gift with each purchase.

Click here to visit my Creative Eye Studio shop! And thanks for looking!

Happy Holidays!

Team Bluegrass Treasury & Holiday Earrings

I just joined a new etsy street team called B.E.S.T (Bluegrass etsy street team). This team features the work of artists throughout Kentucky. Our work was featured in a treasury today. My fleur de lis earrings are featured on the third row. How cool! To see artwork from Ky artisans, go to www.etsy.com and enter "teambluegrass" as your search term for tags.

I've had a productive morning and have posted four new items in my esty shop. I know it's early to be thinking about Christmas, but I have signed up for three holiday shows and I am making them now so I'll be ready! Visit my shop at www.creativeeyestudio.etsy.com.

Stretching Myself Creatively

This was another recent project for a friend of mine. She needed a birthday gift for her neighbor who had a really nice new ring with a shell like finish to it. My friend wanted to have something designed to compliment that ring. I sent her some shell bead images to see what might work. She selected a pink shell from Artbeads that was described as "freeform." (i.e. no two pieces are the same shape or size)

This seemed like it could be a challenge as I am used to beads being pretty uniform. The shell beads were lovely but needed to be assembled like a puzzle. And what would I put with them? The photo below shows some of my ideas which I again asked people which they liked. And like before with the bronze and ivory pearl bracelets, I always got a different answer from each person I asked.



The sample on the top row had roundish ivory fresh water pearls, the center piece has flat purple fresh water pearls and the bottom piece uses stick pearls, one of my favorite beads ever.

My friend selected the version with the stick pearls and here is the finished piece. The light pink color looks so pretty when held up to your wrist. I sprinkled some sand out of the sand dollar for the last image!

It's Good to Have Choices

I love creating jewelry for people, especially when there is a special occasion or a special person to celebrate.

My friend recently needed a bridal shower gift for an out of town friend. She found a design she liked online and sent me the picture. It had bronze and ivory round pearls which I did not have on hand, but she said the shape was not important. So we improvised with beautiful Swarovski asymetrical pearls, Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearls. I used bronze, powdered almond and white pearls for the three versions. I used Colorado topaz, golden shadow and clear crystals. I made three different versions, because everyone likes having choices, right? I then took a quick survey asking people which they preferred. And I learned something interesting in the process. Even though the design and style of the bracelets were very similar, everyone had a different selection as their favorite!


This shows the three ideas before any were finished.


This is the bracelet that my friend selected with powdered almond pearls and golden shadow crystals. (this was option B)



This bronze and topaz bracelet will be listed at my esty shop later this week. (this was option A)



And last but not least, this was option C with the white and powdered almond pearls and the clear crystals. I will also list this at etsy soon.

So, do you have a favorite? :)