Back In Time Blog Hop...Cave Girl Chic

My life has been a total crazy mess lately.  Too many commitments, too many responsibilities, WAY too much stress, and far too little time to deal with all of it.  But you are not here to hear about all of that!  This is a challenge continuing throughout the year, and it is hosted by Lindsay Starr and Sherry Stokey.

When I was working on my concept, I really wasn't sure which direction to go.  Our theme for this round was "Early Human".  Thank goodness, the Omaha Bead Affair hit at just the perfect time for purchasing the ingredients for this design.  A great amount of my details came from Darcy Horn, The Jade Dog. 

Handmade Polymer from Darcy Horn, The Jade Dog

Darcy is one of my favorite vendors and artists, as her funky style speaks to my artistic tastes!  So I purchased a bunch of these amazing spikes from Darcy (made by her!), some tiny sea urchin spines, and some very pretty Picasso finished size 8 seed beads.  To this mix I added spikes of tumbled picture jasper, Czech glass thorn beads, and some cool snakeskin finish Chinese crystals.  I wanted to make this huge complicated piece, but I just didn't have time and went with the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) design philosophy.  Here is what I came up with and I just LOVE it!  I made a matching pair of funky earrings with natural wood beads and of course every Cave Girl's favorite, Swarovski crystals!  No matter what era we live in, we all need to SPARKLE!

Me wearing my creation, bringing out my Inner Cave Girl

The set

the earrings

Details!

Here are the rest of the participants!  Hope you enjoy the Hop!

Lindsay Starr, Phantasm Creations: http://phantasmcreation.blogspot.com/…/beading-back-in-time…

Sherri Stokey, Knot Just Macrame: http://www.knotjustmacrame.com/…/beading-back-in-time-revea…

Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads: http://suebeads.blogspot.com/…/beading-back-in-time-blog-ho…
Stephanie Sanner Haussler, Pixybug Designs: http://www.pixybugdesigns.blogspot.com/ (not post specific link)
Jean Wells: http://jeanawells.indiemade.com/…/beading-back-time-install…
Jenny Davies-Reazor, http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/…/beading_back_time_blog_hop_r…
Michelle Ann McCarthy, Firefly Design Studio: http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com/

Back In Time Blog Hop - Episode 1

Hi!  Long time no blog posts!  We have been busy with college visits, taxes, scholarships, and prom  dress shopping.  Time goes by way too quickly and there are always way to many things to accomplish! 

Speaking of time, I (and Chris helped too) am participating in the Back in Time Blog Hop through a group I was honored to be invited to join.  The group is headed up by Lindsay Starr of Phantasm Creations, and Sherri Stokey of Knot Just Macrame.  They are amazing artists and this was a fun challenge to participate in.

The theme: Back in Time, Pre-Human.  Hopefully, my piece fits that theme!  I started with a piece of this:

source

Chris and I purchased a couple of the very smooth stones last summer in Lincoln at the Haymarket Farmers Market from the Lincoln Rock Shop.  I loved the shape and texture and the bits of fossil in the texture.  I thought I would use it in bead embroidery, but this was the PERFECT challenge for the piece.  I was originally going to wire wrap it, but while the front side looked great, the back was a mess from trying to anchor it on the smooth texture of the stone.  So I channeled one of my favorite artists, Darcy Horn (The Jade Dog), who does amazing things with free form peyote.

Here is my creation:

When I started, Mina suggested I use greens, which I hadn't considered but which worked very well against the smooth gray.  I varied, matte forest green, opaque olive, opaque seafoam lined topaz, matte seafoam ab, and matte metallic gray.  Because we all liked the designs on both sides of the stone, I made the piece reversible.  Side one shows off the fossil design quite nicely near the circle and the back side has interesting designs with the bead work.  I finished the piece with a gorgeous hand dyed cord using kumihimo, and finishing bead cones and a clasp in gunmetal black.

Want to see all the other amazing designs?  Here is the list!

Co-hostess: Lindsay Starr of Phantasm Creations http://phantasmcreation.blogspot.com/
Co-hostess: Sherri Stokey of Knot Just Macrame
http://www.knotjustmacrame.com/2015/01/beading-back-in-time-blog-hop-big-reveal.html
Kelly Rodgers of Beadin' Black & Blue http://beadinblacknblue.blogspot.com/
Michelle McCarthy of Firefly Design Studio http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com/2015/01/beading-back- in-time.html
Caroline Dewison of Blueberribeads http://blueberribeads.co.uk/
Melissa Trudinger of Boho Bird Jewellery https://beadrecipes.wordpress.com/
Sue Kennedy of SueBeads http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com/
Stephanie and Chris Haussler of Pixybug Designs You Are Here
Jen Cameron of Glass Addictions www.glassaddictions.com/blog
Jean Wells of Jean A. Wells Artisan Jewelry http://jeanawells.blogspot.com/