Reveal Day for AJA Blog Hop Challenge

I was chosen to be a guest participant for this months Art Jewelry Elements blog hop challenge. Each month one member of the AJE team  makes components to share for a blog hop challenge. They also choose guest participants and I am SO happy to have been chosen to receive a gorgeous copper sunflower made with precious metal clay  by Melissa Meman. Just look at these!

She also made these which were sent to the other participants. All gorgeous!!

So, I have had my beautiful flower for a few weeks but didn't know the exact date of the reveal. Silly me and also too many hours at the day job. But I had started designing it and finished the necklace tonight. Well, to start with I have misplaced my favorite needle nose pliers. I used a file to score one side of it  so I can be sure to make loops all the same size when making a piece of jewelry. Shoot! It's ok though, I have another pair but not scored.  So, I decided to use this lovely ceramic bird

 made by Gaea Handmade . I had been totally stumped as to what to use it for but I paired it with the copper sunflower, a copper circle with leaves wrapping around it  and I love them together. I added some wound copper wire to make it look nesty which I also used to connect all the components.

I then needed the necklace part. I wanted to use chain and I chose an oval link chain from my stash  but I didn't feel that it was enough by itself. So I  picked out some African turquoise heishi. I  LOVE African turquoise.  And some larger bronzite heishi as I felt they complimented each other and blended with the colors of the other components. I made a beaded chain linked together with 20 gauge antiqued copper wire. I used 5 turquoise heishi in each section. For the bronzite I felt three was too much and two pieces too little so I did three then two so it wouldn't overwhelm the turquoise.I think I will antique the clasp still.

And this is the final result. I hope you like it.

Thank you, Melissa,  for choosing me to participate. I absolutely love this sunflower pendant and will treasure it.

Below is the list of the artists in this months challenge. Be sure to check them out. :o)

AJE team: 

Jennifer Cameron 

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Susan Kennedy 

Melissa Meman
Rebekah Payne

Lindsay Starr 

Kristen Stevens

Francesca Watson

Lesley Watt    

Guest Participants:

Michelle Mach

Patty Miller

Divya N

A New Blog Hop! Art Jewelry Elements (AJA) components!

Well, I have to tell you that I am excited. I have watched the fabulous artists in the Art Jewelry Elements  group for  a long time and have drooled over some of the components offered to participants. The  components are made by a member of this talented group each month.
Well, this month I am a guest participant!!!

Here is a photo of the metal clay components made by Melissa Meman. Totally drool worthy! I received one of the beautiful sunflowers in the second photo. I was SO excited when it arrived. Tomorrow March 28th  is the hop so come back and see what everyone has made with these fab art pieces. I will post a list with links of everyone participating. Now back to work. :o)

The Art of Awareness Blog Hop

Well, Lori Anderson is having another blog hop. This one is specifically for Awareness. Of what? For me I am getting a bean ( bead ) that says ...breathe.  I stay so busy with my job, my metal etching, my lampworking, jewelry design, my Etsy shop, then I have my dogs and cats and of course the most important part of my life - my sweet daughter. I do my best to find time for her daily.  Then me?  Ha ha. No energy or time left. lol. I KNOW alot of you know what I am talking about there.

Heather Millican makes these sweet polymer clay beads with fabulous focus words on each one. Check them out here and get ready to blog hop on May 16th to see all the fabulous jewelry everyone participating has made. I plan to make a piece for my self as that is my focus word. Stop and b r e a t h e, Patty.   :o)

I Have Been Following........

a blog written by a  wonderful woman who I think is full of kindness and wisdom. She struggles with Lyme disease but still holds  seminars to help other people. She writes and cooks and bakes. Honestly, she totally amazes me. I have a hard time doing all that and I don't have Lyme! She is lucky to have good supportive husband and friends as well as a good doctor who accepts her holistic help with treating her own disease.

Today she blogged about something simple but powerful. The 30 Second Power Pause. It sounds silly but the premise is very good and really spoke to me. You know how our inner dialog can sometimes turn negative towards ourselves or we can get frustrated or hit a wall? Well, she suggests a short breather you can do anywhere. Read more about it here:
http://cauldronsandcupcakes.com/2015/02/15/the-thirty-second-power-pause/

I am going to try it as my mind sometimes runs too fast and won't shut up! lolol  I follow her blog and get so many positive ideas from her. Check her blog post out!

I am using a picture she shared . it is wonderfully serene.