And More Bracelets.

The bracelet binge continues!!!!!  

I guess when on a role you just have to run with it.  

More lovelies with  Angel Whisperer focals and one fun one with Scorched Earth Components.

Harvest Moon is set with an Angel Whisperer focal....love you Birgitta!  Woven with peanut beads, Czech Glass, AA Sunstone, Lampwork from Bokamo and sweet little Ginko leaf charm.

Purchase Harvest Moon Bracelet Here.

I do love peachy blush pink.  It is one of the soft pastel colors that I like to make jewelry with.  Another lovely Tree Of Life focal by Angel Whisperer.  Drop is by Scorched Earth, gorgeous lampwork by Studio Juls, Czech Glass and by the way......swoon over those blush pink rondelles.  I do love stone so I had to add this peachy pink quartz.

Purchase Tree of Life Bracelet Here.

Mother Earth Bracelet with another great focal from Birgitta!  Lampwork by Jeff Plath from tfbeadstore on Etsy, Scorched Earth as part of the clasp, Turquoise, Chrysoprase and Swarovski Crystals for a little bling.

Purchase Mother Earth Bracelet Here.

Swooning over this Art Nouveau Cuff by Angel Whisperer.  Set with Czech Glass, Lampwork by Jeff Plath, Jade and Swarovski Crystals.  This one sold immediately.

Grassy Green Bracelet with some fun primitive components from Scorched Earth on Etsy.  Set with Lampwork by Juli Cannon of StudioJuls, Green Garnet, Czech Glass and a sweet little Trinity Brass Bird in Flight.

Purchase Grassy Green Bracelet Here.

I am hoping to get to some necklaces shortly but a few bracelets might slip into the mix!!!

Bead Trends Designer Highlight April 2013

Bead Trends Designer Highlight April 2013

Marie - Noel Voyer - Cramp - On Cover Early Night Sky

It has been a whirlwind of a year.  Those that know me and have followed my blogs know that 2012 was a bitter & sweet year.  I am still grieving the loss of my mother and miss her dearly.  One of the reasons this has taken me so long to give this honor its proper attention. 

Last year was my first publication and 6 months later Tatia from Bead Trends asked me if I would be willing to hold the honor of being featured for their designer highlight for April 2013.  The answer to that one was pretty easy. 

YES

I sent her pictures and she nicely responded and said to me “Kristin you don’t need to send us pictures we like your work”  I love creative freedom in all things so I ran with that.

The first piece I made was called Beach Urchin, I love to comb beaches.  I could dig for hours on the beach.  This necklace was made with a pendant shell, Kyanite Sticks, Natural Bamboo, Fossil Shell, Swarovski and Howlite.  I thought the spikey Kyanite sticks looked like a Sea Urchin and the little Howlite beads looked like fish eggs.  This is one of my favorite of the necklaces that I made.  I buy many of my stone beads at Dakota Stones, love their high quality and interesting cuts.

I also made these earrings to match Beach Urchin.

The second necklace I made I called Oceans Oracle.  I like to play with weights in necklaces, unexpected.  I did question this one as the weightiness of one side is a little stronger than the other.  This was made with a Madagascar Ammonite.  It is lovely with it’s pinks and mossy greens.  I paired it with some chunky Czech Glass, Rhodochrosonite,  Canadian Jade, Rose Quartz, Lampwork and Seed Beads.  This one was all tied with waxed linen.  Stones were once again from Dakota Stones.  I also made earrings to match.  I am a bit simplistic in my earring designs and that is mostly because I love - love  - love to make necklaces.

The third necklace I made I called Beatnik Baby.  I like to think of these necklaces as my Earthy Urban Chic line.  I love assymetry and again playing with the chunky weightiness of the beads.  I love the Faux Beach Glass from my friend Jeff Plath from TF Bead Store.  I am in love with Greek Mykonos, everything.  I use these donuts in many of my designs.  Also paired with some Fire Agate and wood beads.

Dream Weaver was really fun to make.  I bought the patina’d link from Stacy Klinginger Smith.  I really just started to play with it and started to randomly wrap the Waxed linen and went from their.  This bracelet is reminiscent of a dream catcher.  It is double strand with 2 lobster claws to attach to the ring on either side.  I paired this with ceramic, Chrysoprase, Yellow Jasper, Swarovski, Fossil Shell, Lampwork and Honey Flourite.

Loves Entwine was born out of frustration really.  I wanted to do this prong challenge that the Artisan Whimsey Group was having and I didn’t have the supplies.  The question in my mind was how could I cage a bead with out knowing how to solder etc.  I just happened to grab this mesh and a Basalt heart and started to play.  When I realized this would work I ripped it apart and started with a plan.  The tying and macrame is what is holding the heart to the mesh.  I have since used this technique to do this with other beads.

The last necklace called Mindspring was made with a lovely pendant from Angel Whisperer on Etsy.  I bought this long skeleton key at the Junk Bonanza, I randomly wrapped it with Swarovski crystals to attatch it to the pendant.  Tied it with some of my favorite beads and colors.  I think you are beginning to see a theme in my color choices.  I do love watery colors.  
The patina’d clasp was made by Melinda Orr.

Some of my other favorite designs were from - See Below

Cherrie Fick -  Rushing Spring River

Jean Wells -  Little Bird In A Big Pond

Suzette Bentley - Chocolate

I have a ton of personal friends in this issue that I met on Facebook and to many to credit here.  

I feel privilege to be amongst such talent!

Thank you Bead Trends!

Get To Know Me on Fabric of My Life by Shelly Graham Turner

I made a new friend in the beading world lets just say its a good thing we don't live near each other....because it would be Trouble with a capital T.  She is earthy, sarcastic and whitty and I love people like that.  She is always making me laugh on my new favorite beading group, Creative Bead Chat on Facebook.

Well she was so kind to feature me on her BFF Beading Friend Friday and I am so honored. So if you want to check out my interview by her check out the following link!!!!

http://www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com/2012/07/bff-beading-friend-friday-kristin-oppold.html

Her shop is also on etsy, so please check her out.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/torisophia

Creative Bead Chat - Sun & Sea Challenge Reveal

It is amazing to me how many hats artists have to wear today!!!!  Here is my technology hat...the blog!  Not perfect but it is perfectly imperfect as I am.  Thanks Marla for helping me get this up and running for the CBC Sun & Sea Challenge & Reveal.

Marla and I exchanged messages during this challenge....she was probably wondering who this ditsy jewelry artist was and why did we pick her.

You see when I first started this challenge I was trying to get all the beads into one piece!!!!

3 HOURS later I was frustrated and ready to throw into the towel....so of course the last case scenario when all else fails ASK!

So I messaged Marla and she says no rules!  I post to CBC and Melinda Orr says no rules!  What is a natural born rule follower suppose to do.  No Guidelines, No Rules.  YIPPEE! Okay I have to be honest I really am not a rule follower but I do my best to conform as much as I can.  Yeh right!

If I cheated at all and didn't follow the rules it was on this last set. Oh yeh there were no rules!  I tried with all my heart to make those oval Mother of Pearl beads fit into the above necklace but alas I just couldn't make it happen.

The one thing I have learned about jewelry design is to trust my vision and instincts. This last jewelry set has only Melinda Orr's Artisan pieces and beads in it.  I really love how it turned out.  I love the octopi legs creeping around on the Green Girl ring.  Thought it paired nicely with Melinda Orr's ring...love the sun and moon feel it gave while adding a little sea with the beach pebbles and mother of pearl beads.

This was a memorable challenge for me and it couldn't of come at a better time.  My mother was dying of Pancreatic Cancer at the time.  It gave me something to focus on other than my mom dying and gave me permission to be happy. She has since passed on June 3rd in the arms of her family. I wasn't really able to tell her about what I was doing towards the end as her mind was on the task of dying.  I know she is at peace in her heavenly body and in my heart I hear her saying how proud she is of me. Love you mom!!!!!

To see the other Jewelry Artists designs in this challenge go to the following blogs.
http://www.cswdesignsbyhehe.blogspot.com/
http://www.alice-dreaming.blogspot.com
http://www.blog.aimeesjewelrytreasures.com/
http://www.higginsdesignstudio.blogspot.com

You ladies ROCK!!!!!

Thanks to the following for their donation of supplies for this challenge and the priviledge to work with them.

Marla's James - http://www.etsy.com/shop/marlasmud
Melinda Orr - http://www.etsy.com/shop/ORRTEC
J-Lynn Jewels - http://www.etsy.com/shop/JLynnJewels
Karen Totten - http://www.etsy.com/shop/ktotten
Kathleen Robinson - Young - http://www.etsy.com/shop/UglyDucklingBeads
Karyn Lewis Bonfiglio - http://www.etsy.com/shop/plussizebangles