Sunday 20 January 2013

Bead Soup Blog Party 2013




If you didn't already know, sign-ups for Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party are next weekend. There will only be 1 BSBP this year, so don't forget to throw your name into the hat if you want a chance to play. You can bet I'll be signing up for it. I thoroughly enjoyed the two times I got to play in the BSBP, and even when I wasn't a participant, I still had a fantastic time visiting the blogs and drooling over the amazing jewellery creations. 

Thank you!

I want to thank everyone who visited and read my Memories and Thanks Blog Hop post. I especially want to say a huge 'thank you' to those of you who took the time to leave a comment (some of which made me tear up). I'm still making my way through the participants list - and if I haven't commented on your post, I sincerely apologise. I'll get  to it as soon as I can. 

Saturday 12 January 2013

Memories and Thanks Blog Hop

When I first read about the Memories and Thanks Blog Hop on Lori Anderson's blog Pretty Things, I was certain I wanted to participate. Her post on why she was holding the Blog Hop, which you can read here, moved me. Briefly, this Blog Hop honours both Lori's friend, Marianna, and all those people in our lives (alive, or otherwise) who mean a lot to us.

I knew from the start that I wanted to create a piece of jewellery to honour the memory of my mother, whom I lost much too early in life. One of my greatest sorrows is that I never had a chance to really know her as a person; as an individual with all her idiosyncracies. She was always just 'mummy' to me. She checked my homework, she attended my school's Sports Days, she took me shopping.

This much, however, I do know. My mother took pride in her appearance and until she got too sick, almost always wore a slick of lipstick whenever she went out - even if it was just to the corner shop. She loved her sweets. I remember her making coconut candy and, towards the end, she always had a roll of Werther's Butterscotch candies with her. She also loved to read, especially paperback Mills & Boon romances. More than anything else, though, she loved the movies. Old Hollywood films and classic MGM musicals were her favourites. I suspect she enjoyed the glamour and spectacle that were common in movies of that period (I say this because she was also fascinated by the English royal family).   
 
Nothing says Old Hollywood to me more than the colours black and white, even though the movies my mother watched were usually in Technicolor. So when it came to making my jewellery piece, I turned to several polka-dotted black & white vintage beads I picked up on my last holiday. I didn't have enough beads for a necklace so I made a bracelet instead,  closing it with a pretty heart toggle. 


And because my mother thought Rock Hudson was da bomb (I often wonder what she would have made of the fact that he was, as it turned out, gay), I made a double-sided charm with images of Rock on one side and the movie Giant on the other. I was in a rush when I made the charm, so it's decidedly wonky. The paper images are raggedy and the resin is smeared on one side. But since I made it removable, I can always replace it later. 


So there you have it: my Black & White Bracelet. 


Thank you for staying the course and reading through my post. My thanks also to the fabulous Lori for coordinating this Hop. And it goes without saying that I am forever and always thankful to my mother. For handing down to me her love of books and movies (both of which have given me much pleasure over the years), for teaching me that being helpful, kind and hardworking is more important than being an A-student (although that's a bonus!) and - in the short time she had with me - for helping me to be the the person I am today. 

The other participants of this special Hop are listed below. I hope you'll find some time to visit each one of these awesome individuals. 


Hostess, Lori Anderson       Pretty Things
 Adlinah Kamsir                   Dream Struck Designs
 Aimee Biondolillo               Aimee's Jewelry Treasures
 Alicia Marinache                 All the Pretty Things 
 Andra Marasteanu               Handmade by Indra Marasteanu 
 Andrea Trank                      Heaven Lane Creations
 April Grinaway                   Brooklyn Bead Goddess
Barb Solem                         Vivi Magoo Presents
Becky Pancake                    Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Beth Emery                         Stories by Indigo Heart
Bonnie Coursolle                Jasper's Gems
Cassi Paslick                       Beads: Rolling Downhill
Catherine King                    Catherine's Musings
Cece Cormier                      The Beading Yogini
Chandra Leitz                     Juniper Goods
Charissa Nesler                   FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka                       Clay Space
Christina Hickman              Vintage Treasures Jewelry
Christine Murrow               Charis Designs Jewelry
Christine Stonefield            Sweet Girl Design
Chrizette Bayman               Bead Soup Mix
Cindy Wilson                      It's My Sea of Dreams
CJ Bauschka                       4 His Glory Creations by CJ
Crystal Thain                      Here Bead Dragons
Cyndi Lavin                        Beading Arts
Debbie Rasmussen             A little of this, a little of that
Denielle Hagerman             Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez                  Arte y Poemas
Diane Hawkey                    diane hawkey
Dita Basu                            ankarshilpa
Donetta Farrington             Simply Gorgeous
Dyanne Everett-Cantrell     Deeliteful Jewelry Creations
Emma Todd                        A Polymer Penchant
Erin Kenny                         beadiful therapy
Erin Prais-Hintz                  Treasures Found
Gina Hockett                      Freestyle Elements
Gloria Allen                        Innovative Dreams Jewelry
Heather Marston                 CSW Designs
Inge von Roos                    Inge's Blog
Iveth Caruso                       Creative Atelier
Jacqueline Marchant          Fiddledeedee Jewelry
Jami Shipp                         Celebrating Life!
Jean Yates                          Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!
Jennifer Reno                     Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo                   Peppa's Dream
Jennifer VanBenschoten    Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren                  Cellar Door Jewelry
Jessica Murray                   Whimsical Monkey
Joan Williams                     lilruby jewelry
Jo-Ann Woolverton            It's a Beadiful Creation
Joanne Browne                   josjewels1
Jodie Marshall                    Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art
Johanna Rhodes                 Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen                 Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC
JuLee Wolfe                       The Polymer Penguin
Julie Bean                           Blue Pig Blog
Karen Mitchell                   Over the Moon Designs
Karin King                         The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton                       Backstory Beads
Kat Douglas                       Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton                        Toodles and Binks
Kelly Hosford Patterson     The Traveling SideShow
Kim Ballor                          Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity
Kim Dworak                       CianciBlue
Kim Houston                       The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter                         Kym Hunter Designs
Laren Dee Barton                Laren Dee Designs
Lea Avroch                          LA Jewelry Designs
Leanne Loftus                      First Impression Design
Liddy McLaughlin               Liddy McLaughlin Art
Linda Florian                       Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations
Linda Inhelder                     Must-Haves Jewelry
Lisa Hamilton                      Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver                            Fancee That
Lori Bowring Michaud        Artfully Ornamental
Lori Poppe                           Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean
LouAnn Elwell                    Southpass Beads
Mandi Effron                       Craft-o-licious
Marcia DeCoster                 MadDesigns
Marcia Dunne                     The Alternative Foundry
Marie Covert                      Creating Interest
Marjorie Savill Linthwaite     bennubirdrising
Marlene Cupo                        Amazing Designs by Marlene
Martha Aleo                           Ornamento
Marti Conrad                          Marti's Buttons -n- Beads
Mary Ellen Parker                  BeeTree by m.e.
Mary Govaars                        MLH Jewelry Designs
Mary Lindell                          Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry
Maureen Connolly                 Mrs Beadsley's Workshop
Maybeline Tay                       The Jewelry Larder
Melissa Elgin                         The Addicted Beader
Melissa Mesara                      one-eared pig beads
Menka Gupta                         Menka's Jewelry
Michaela Pabeschitz              la mar de bonita
Mischelle Fanucchi               Micheladas Musings
Mona Rae Baroody               Who Does She Bead She Is?
Nan Emmett                          Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth
Nancy Pedersen                    Something Heartfelt by Nancy
Natalie Davidson                  NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas                      Bead It and Weep
Pam Farren                           re-maker
Pam, the Crazier Sister        The Crazy Creative Corner
Pam Traub                            Klassy Joolz
Priya Krish                           Hellopalz  
Rebecca Anderson               Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag                 Becca's Place
Robin Kae Reed                   Artistry HCBD
Rochelle Brisson                  a creative chelle
Rosa Maria Cuevas              Helena de Troya
Sabine Dittrich                     perlendschungel
Sandi Volpe                          Sandi Volpe
Sandra McGriff                    Creative Chaos
Sarah Goode                         Pookledo
Sarah Singer                         String a Song of Sixpence
Serena Trent                         All Things Made Jewelry
Shai Williams                       Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac                        Sharon's Jewelry Garden
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson    Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections
Sheila Davis                         Stone Designs
Shelley Graham Turner        Fabric of My Life
Sherri Stokey                       Knot Just Macrame
Sherry Baun                         Unicorns Jewels
Skylar Bre'z                         Brising Beads
Stephanie Haussler              Pixybug Designs
Tania Spivey                        Moobie Grace Designs
Terri G.                                Blooming Ideas
Terry Carter                         Tapping Flamingo
Terry Matuszyk                    Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry
Toltec Jewels                       Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse                         Goldkisses Art
Tracy Martin                        Nutkitten's Jewelry
Zia Parks                              Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe
Zoe Marcin                          Beads, Tea and Sweets


Tuesday 1 January 2013

Happy New Year to One and All!


Happy 2013 everyone! To those of you who visited, read and commented on my blog in 2012 - thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope you continue to drop by my little corner of the blogosphere. And to the newcomers - welcome! I hope you enjoy the few minutes (or seconds) you spend here. I'm signed up for a couple of upcoming blog hops, so pop by again soon, k? 

Till then, here's to a year of good health, much joy and endless possibilities for one and all.