Challenge Second Week Tallies, Continued

Who's been participating in the August Challenge? There's still time to join. The tallies for last week and the rules are here. This post is to show off all the newbies...

Petersite Statement Choker Necklace by Bead Fashion Designs

Labradorite Silver Earrings by Bead Fashion Designs

Green malachite lavender lampwork copper earrings by cserpent Designs

Quilted Rescue Dog Zippered Pouch by anniekdesigns

Quilted Rescue/Adopt Dog Zippered Pouch by anniekdesigns

Teal Sea Foam Sterling Earrings by NansGlam

Bluebird of Happiness Scrabble Pendant by IndyAndCleo

Hellooo Out There

In an effort to find different shops to feature here, I thought I'd check the Team Check In thread to see who's still saying hello. And I found only eight of us have checked in for March.

via GIPHY

Hmmm...

Right, so that makes this really, really easy.

I do love the bling, and this necklace caught my eye...

Heliotrope Crystal Rivoli Necklace by Love Your Bling

As did this one. Pretty.

Brown Boulder Opal and Sterling Silver Necklace by cserpent designs

I don't wear too many bracelets, but this one just might need a second look...

Lapis Lazuli Freshwater Pearls Iolite Sterling Silver Bracelet by Falling Star Lane

If you're looking for a little art, look no further...

Lady B by Crystal Mist Cottages

Or how about a colorful sock monkey?

Handmade Sock Monkey Doll by Indy and Cleo

And since summer-type temperatures keep popping up, perhaps it's time for the summer-type attire...

Crochet Bikini Top by Chewsy By Design

That'll do it for me this week. Did you remember to check in? 

The Dog Days of Summer

While trying to come up with a theme for this week's post, I Googled "dog days of summer". From Fact Monster, I got this answer:

Dog Days is the name for the most sultry period of summer, from about July 3 to Aug. 11. Named in early times by observers in countries bordering the Mediterranean, the period was reckoned as extending from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction of Sirius (the dog star) and the sun.

Which means they're just about over. So, to celebrate their end, I asked for dog-themed items from the team. (If you wish to be featured in one of these posts, keep an eye out for my announcements on the team message board.)

Victorian DOGS on sterling silver by Allie's Adornments

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Brooch Set by Indy & Cleo

Paw Print Pendant by Vision Quest

Love My Dog Squiggle Bookmark by cserpent designs

Ceramic Mug by Maid of Clay

Set of 3 Dog Potholders by annie k designs

Purple Pug Wallet by Emo Seal Creations

Designer Chihuahua dog bamboo knitting needles by Designs by Tami

Handmade Knit Wrist Cuff by ohmay

Modern orange and Wiener dog print toddler dress by 100 Acre Co

New Year, New You

The first post of a new year needs a fitting theme. So I challenged the team to find something that says "new year" and/or "new you". Here's what they gave me...

From NansGlam:

Gray Pearl Dangle Earrings

sunclassixx says:

This top represents the new year by the fresh look of the rose blooms...

Rose Bloom Halter Top

Babywear by Babs says that these mittens represent: 

1. This year I am expanding my shop inventory into more mittens
2. This year I am planning on using lots of bright colors in all my new inventory
3. This year I am planning on expanding into selling .pdf patterns and this mitten pattern is going to be the first - coming soon.
4. This new year is clear and cold and these mittens are perfect for this type of weather

Long Cuff Ski Mittens

The Lady Horologist says:

New year. New moon. New blossoms. This item helps remind me of the cyclical nature of the world. What was once new could be new again, and things won't always be tough.

Full Moon Blooms

From Knit2Create:

Newborn Baby Boo Hat

cserpent Designs says:

New me - new pictures! Santa brought me a new photo setup and I can get true purple with no photo edits. Here is my first new design with photos from my new setup! 

Royal Purple Amethyst Lampwork and Sterling Earrings

Live Plush says: 

New Year is like a new start to life
Vibrant green depicts early delicate life of a plant that needs nurturing, but as the plant matures it will in turn be very rewarding
Our homes just like plants need a little inexpensive nurturing with curtains and they will provide us with comfort and a place like a sanctuary where we can relax and unwind.

Curtains in Magnolia Emory Lime Green

Happy New Year.

Hey, It's Almost the 4th of July!

Going to a barbeque? Going to a fireworks show? What are you doing for the 4th?

Our teammates have some happy memories of the 4th of July...

The Crafty Nana says:

We had a group called the Big $(4 ladies that graduated from nursing school in the 60s together and their spouses and eventually children) would get together on July 4th for a barbeque and have a softball game at a local diamond. Who ever was pregnant was the umpire. My parents would also join us some years.

Cowboy Boot Booties

Sun Hat

reVetro says:

I remember when I use to live in La Jolla, and my youngest son, Gabe (five-years-old at the time) and I walked to The Cove and found a patch of grass in the park amongst all the crowds of people. I laid on my back, and he laid on top of me with our faces looking towards the sky. With the local radio station simultaneously playing music from a band shell while fireworks set off above the water into clear, dark skies. The reflection of the fireworks could be seen in the one residential high-rise next to the park that was on the coastline.

Red Recycled Pewter Charm Necklace

cserpent designs says:

I always loved playing with sparklers! I still wish we could play with them - but no fireworks for sale in San Diego. I remember running around in the yard in Oahu (Navy brat!). In 3rd grade, in our bare feet, lighting up the yard with sparklers. I didn't get to play with them again until I spent a 4th of July with my hubby's family in Ridgecrest, CA. Since they lived in the desert with very little to burn you could still get fireworks! Hubby bought some pinwheel thing, I just got sparklers!!! My sparklers were fun but his pinwheel turned sideways and started shooting rockets across the ground! We were all hopping all over the place to avoid them - LOL! But now the in-laws are in Santa Rosa so no more sparklers :(

Red, White, & Blue Star, Pearl, and Sterling Earrings

This and That Crafter says:

My favorite memory of the 4th of July is the fun of all the fireworks... I loved the pinwheel when I was a kid. I remember nailing it to a tree and watching it till it faded away. Also, watching the fireworks from the beach with my kids was a wonderful memory. Fireworks are no longer legal in my city but I make up for it by making things in all the colors of the 4th. One of the items I make is rag wreaths and I am now teaching my granddaughter to make them.

Red, White, and Blue Rag Wreath

annie k designs says:

It was an overcast July 4th along the coast in New Jersey. The tall ships were going to sail past Liberty Island and I wanted to see them. So a bunch of us had an all day picnic. At the end of the day, we watched the fireworks with a backdrop of the Statue of Liberty. It was magnificent!

Patriotic Potholders

BobblesByCarol says:

My favorite memory of the 4th of July is all the years as a young girl, the whole family: aunts, uncles, cousins, grandma Trewett, parents would gather at one house that had the biggest yard... We would BBQ with my daddy and his brother in charge of cooking the burgers. Everyone brought something... And there would always be homemade ice cream... We would eat till we popped... Usually it would be sunny and hot and we would all get a slight sunburn... Back before we knew it was bad for us, lol... When night fell dads were in charge of the fireworks show... A small one and we were happy with that... After, the 5 of us girls would dance around with sparklers.... Those were the good ole days !

Patriotic Earrings

Such great stories. What is your favorite 4th of July memory?

Give Me a B...

If you have a blog, you've heard of the A to Z Challenge. For the rest of you, the idea is to blog for 26 days in April (Sundays off) using each letter of the alphabet.

I don't have the wherewithal to do that here, but I thought we could make use of the theme. Today, the 2nd is the B day. And here are some lovely B items from our team...

From cserpent Designs:

Big, bold, baby blue balls for your ears! Lightweight earrings since the beads are hollow, blown glass. Wonderful for your spring and summer wardrobes!

Baby Blue Swirls

And some other B items...

Blue Baby Booties by ohmay designs

Blue Beach House Furniture by Pink Pianos

Blue Bird Buttons by Olde Tyme Notions

From Jeanine Designs:

Just listed this and I want to do at least one of these for Mother's Day. I hope you will like and share! Thank you!

BABY!

And one last image...

Indigo Butterfly, digital download by Crystal Mist Cottages

Make sure to check all these lovely Bs out...

Artist Profile: cserpentDesigns

Happy December everyone!

I first got a glimpse of Susan's work over on our Facebook page and was hooked.  I had to learn more about this artist and these beautiful pieces.  If you're near  San Diego county you can check out her pieces in person at the Fallbrook Art Center right now! (more on that below)

Without anymore delay, let me introduce to you Susan of cserpentDesigns 

Describe your shop:
At cserpentDesigns you'll find one of a kind jewelry designs handmade by me, Susan Estrada. In my designs I use precious and semi-precious gemstones, precious metals, artisan glass beads and any other sparkly, beautiful thing that would look beautiful in a design. 

How would you describe your style?
Until I asked my hubby I would have said my style was all over the map. He said my style was circular and loopy :) As he noticed I tend to use or create circles, swirls, loops and round objects in my designs. I'm just not into hard, straight edges! I really love making designs that feel organic and earthy but I certainly don't limit myself to that.

When did you learn to do what you do?
I started designing jewelry in 2003 (I think). A fellow soccer teammate talked me into going to a wire wrapping class when we had a 4 hour break between games at a soccer tournament. I had a blast in the class so I took more classes at bead stores and at one of our local community colleges. I've also learned quite a few things by reading books and through online tutorials. I still continue to learn (silver casting is next on my list) so I can continue to improve and expand my design knowledge.

What are your favorite pieces to make?
Earrings are very satisfying to make because I can finish them quickly. But from a design perspective my 2 favorites are wire wrap intensive bracelets with lots of dangles and metal forged designs of any kind. I love doing the wire wrap bracelets because I can combine so many different beads, colors and textures into a gorgeous and dangly design. I love metal work because I start with the basics of a piece of wire or sheet metal and through hammering, melting and soldering I created something unique and beautiful.

What inspires you?
I get inspired all over the place - at the mall, walking through my neighborhood, shopping in a store. I tend to get color ideas from the outside world and then I pull out beads and stones in those colors and let the beads inspire me. I am often amazed when the beads themselves talk to me! I really do get some design ideas from the beads themselves. Sometimes it can take them years to talk to me, but when they do the design is just perfect!

Where would you like your shop to be 5 years from now?
My next great adventure is selling through my own website. My Etsy (cserpent.etsy.com) and ArtFire (cserpent.artfire.com) shops work for me now - but I would love to be able to promote my own website at some point in the future. 

What does your work space look like?
I swings between a mess and a totally cleaned up space. When I'm in the throes of design I have wire, sheet metal, bead boxes and tools scattered all over my desk, the floor and any other nearby flat surface. Once I finish up one or several designs I can't stand the mess and have to put everything away so I can start new designs with a clean slate. 

What is your favorite thing to have for breakfast?

I rarely have this but I do splurge once in a while and have a cinnamon or chocolate roll with coffee. On a daily basis I really do enjoy my bran flakes sprinkled with raisins and strawberries (when they're in season) - and, of course, coffee!

How do you spend your time when you're not creating?
I am a software designer in the integrated circuit design industry where we design those microprocessors in your cell phones, DVRs and many other places. I also play soccer, hang with my hubby and dogs and play in my garden (though I do that less as I've started designing more jewelry).


Where else can we find your work (online an in person)? 
You can connect to all my sales sites from my website (www.cserpentDesigns.com). On my website I have links to my Etsy (cserpent.etsy.com) and ArtFire (cserpent.artfire.com) shops. I also have links to the jewelry for sale at Gili Anna's in La Jolla, California and at the Bead and Glass Boutique in Pitman, New Jersey

Are you doing any craft fairs this year?
I did several this year and right now I have designs available at the Fallbrook Art Center Art of the Holiday (www.fallbrookartcenter.org) show. I update my website (www.cserpentDesigns.com) regularly with information about new designs and upcoming events.

Where can we learn more about you? 
My website (www.cserpentDesigns.com) has links and information to every place I'm available online. You can also read my blog (cserpentDesigns.blogspot.com) to see what's going on in my jewelry life and personal life. I'll be updating it almost daily when I'm shopping for new gemstones and meeting new (and old) friends at the Tucson Gem Show in February!


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So that, ladies and Gentlemen, is the wonderful Susan. Make sure to visit her shop, tell your friends and your neighbors too. I might just have to gift myself a new pair of earrings this year.