Summer Blog Hop 2013 hosted by Lisa Lodge

What an awesome privilege it has been to be a part of Lisa Lodge's Seasons Blog Hop.  Lisa sent us a combination of beads in a kit with a theme of one of the four seasons (there was room left for creative interpretation as well). We were instructed to use these beads in conjunction with other beads on our bead table (but to not purchase new beads).  Each participant would then create jewelry that reflected a season of the year, or a "season" in their life (first love, college days, etc). 

I chose to create my sets around Summer.

From this......

To these.....

I added strands of silk laced through chain, shells, metal spacers & charms, pearls, wire, metal findings and a handmade copper clasp.

Visit my Facebook page for close ups of each design.  https://www.facebook.com/lori.poppe1/media_set?set=a.719310674752253.1073741827.100000199826163&type=3

Please check out the other wonderful artists who also joined this grand Blog Hop:

Your Hostess: Lisa Lodge, Grateful Artist 

 

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

 

Cassi Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill

 

Stephanie Sanner Haussler, PixyBug Designs

 

Leah Mifflin Tees, My Beady Little Eyes

 

Karin Slaton, BackStory Beads

 

Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution

 

Lori Jean Poppe, Lorillijean Creative Corner

 

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

 

Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design

 

Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life

 

Alicia Marinache,  All the Pretty Things

 

Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera

 

Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz

 

Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs

 

Toltec Jewels, Toltec Jewels for Jewel School Friends

 

Lennis Carrier, Windbent

 

Erin Kenny, Beadifultherapy

 

Tanya Goodwin, A Work in Progress

 

Cilla Watkins, Tell Your Girlfriends

 

Renetha Williams Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts

 

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

 

Sierra Barrett, Giraffe Can Has

 

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

 

Shirley Jones Moore, Beads and Bread

 

Dawn Horner, Northern Adornments

 

Charlene Bausinger Jacka, Clay Space

 

Tara Plote, The Newbie Beader's Blog

 

Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks

 

Miranda Ackerley, Daze and Days

WOW! I was featured in Bead Chat Magazine!!

How Blessed I feel to have my jewelry published in the Bead Chat Magazine this month. As you know from my last post, I joined the Artisan Whimsy 5x5 Test Show Blog Hop where we were asked to design & create some awesome jewelry using Beach Glass Beads. The glass beads were sent to us from Bill at ZnetShows. 

Please take some time to check out Bead Chat Magazine and see all of the wonderful artists that submit their amazing work. You will find my design on page 62. I would also like to say thank you to the amazing ladies at Artisan Whimsy and Bead Chat Magazine for publishing my jewelry. This is my first item published. YAY!!!

Artisan Whimsy's 5 x 5 Test Group Blog Hop

  Let me tell you how excited I am to be a part of Artisan Whimsy's awesome 5 x 5 Test Group Blog Hop sponsored by ZnetShows. Bill from ZnetShows was gracious to offer to send those of us who were not chosen for the 5x5 Sea Glass Test Group a 5 pack of cultured sea glass to design with. Being rather excited about Beach Sea Glass, I went over to ZnetShow's wholesale site to check out what their Beach Sea Glass is. Please take time to check it out, as their process is a amazing way to recycle glass. 

   After exploring all of their goodies I decided to step up to the plate on this one and agreed to give it a try. Up until now I haven't worked with Beach Glass Beads directly and thought it would be a good challenge. Here are the pieces that I received. 

  And I hate to say that I really had I bit of a hard time coming up with any designs to make them into....designers block completely hit me.  So at the last minute, or should I say the last few days I was finally blessed with the following ideas and here they are.....

  Here I took the fish bone green beads and spaced them with cubed crystals. I wire wrapped two of the big beautiful blue beads and gave them a little twist. Added a few brass spacers, chain and a key the your heart charms. 

    And you just have to have some lovely earrings to go with it...

 Chunky bracelets are so awesome when they contain cool blue water chunky beads with a little copper and white mother of pearl shell beads. Reminds me of warm summer days at the beach....

     With the shell shaped beads I decided to pair

them up with gold tones and soft mother of pearl....

                                                                                                                                                                             

         

    I love adding just a little floral to my designs so next we have light blue flowers and dangling glass rectangles...... 

                                                        

 and I mixed Mother of pearl frames, the green rectangle beach glass with a Artistic Silver wrapped Lucite & crystal center flower. The free flowing silver wire adds a little whimsy....

Thank you for joining me on the blog hop and a very big THANK YOU  to Bill from ZnetShows for giving me the opportunity to work with this awesome product.  Please click on the link below to visit the other awesome artists that joined me in this challenge.

http://artisanwhimsy.com/group/5-x-5-test-group

Body Define System Combination (includes Support Bar)

With the exercise season in full swing now to get our bodies looking good for summer, may I suggest that you all take a look at Playaway Toy Company's new in home fitness system. With just five pieces of equipment that work with each other and a open door or hallway you can get into shape right at home. The standard attachments included with the Body Define™ allow for unlimited versatility of body weight resistance and home exercises.   Body Define System Combination (includes Support Bar)

30 Day Squat Challenge ~~~~~ Day 7 ~~~~~~

Wow! we are up to 80 squats today and I have to say it is getting more and more easier to do. I also noticed that my body is not hurting as much either. YAY!!! I hope all of you are doing great with also. Please remember to drink lots of water so that those muscles aren't cramping up on you too.

So....i got to thinking today as a was picking up a pair of work boots for my husband that this would be the greatest time to invest in a new pair of walking/running shoes. I have been needing to get a new pair for a while now and the shoe store just happened to be having a sale. BONUS!! Now mind you that finding a good pair of athletic shoes is very hard for me as I have a high arch and need good support. So happy to say that I found just the right pair that feels great. They are New Balance 840s and I really like them. The price was right too.

Have a wonderful day and remember that tomorrow is rest day. 

30 Day Squat Challenge ~~~~~ 6 ~~~~~

So today we are up to 75 awesome giggle fighting squats and I got through with just a little break again at around 60. My legs started to cramp up pretty good so I just slowed down and counted to ten them finished the last 15 with no problem. I do this because I have problems with my muscles tensing up and then staying like that for way to long.  It makes life a little bit of a challenge but I am finding out that if I stretch while I am doing my reps I can get my muscles to relax and not hurt so bad for days. Just a little food for thought if you have the same issues. Tomorrow is 80 woo hoo!!!

Keep going everyone....You are all so wonderful and I know you can do this!!!

30 Day Squat Challenge ~~~~~~DAY 5 ~~~~~~

Welcome back to day 5 of our 30 Day Squat Challenge. Today we were to do 70 squats and all though it was a little hard at first I successfully completed them with a little break in between.  My legs started to cramp up so I just slowed down and took a 5 min break and then finished them right up. Hubby says it looks like I lost a bit of weight from behind and that makes me really happy cuase I know it's working.
Keep up all the great work on you challenge and if it gets a little hard just take a breathe, slow down and be faithful.

See all of you tomorrow for 75!!!

30 Day Squat Challenge ~~~~~~ Day 4 ~~~~~~

Hello Everyone,

Lets give a great big hurrah for our first REST day in our 30 Day Squat Challenge.  I don't know about you but my legs still feel sore. I have to admit though that they are getting better. I can alos feel it in my stomach and now in my but. YAY!!!!

30 Day Squat Challenge ~~~~~~ Day 3 ~~~~~~

Wow 60 squats today done and am I feeling the pain in my legs. I haven't used least muscles in while and now I know why there's a jiggle in my wiggle. Glad tomorrow is a rest day but looking forward to getting back to the challenge on Saturday with 70 squats because I know the result will be awesome.

How did you do today with your squat challenge???

30 Day Squat Challenge ~~~~~ Day 2 ~~~~~

Happy Wednesday everyone......

What a beautiful day it is with the sun shining and my 55 squats done and behind me. I have to say that waking up this morning I was a bit sore.  I haven't been using all of those muscles for a while and I had just spent the last two days working at our Elementary walking from class room to class room with the kids. I actually thought it might be a bit hard to get to the 55 with these sore muscles but it was no problem. I really didn't even feel the real hurt until I reached 46 so that not bad.

It is so amazing how just one exercise can motivate us to do so many other things. So with this challenge I hope that each of you are encouraged to do more to help get your body in shape. A few ideas would be to start walking, make sure you are eating healthy, give your body what it needs to heal. My family personally takes much needed vitamins and minerals and also incorporates doTERRA Essential Oils to support our bodies natural healing process. If you would like to know more please visit my Essentially Creative page above.

Have fun everyone today and be good to your body......it's the only one you have.

Hugs n Love
Lori Jean

30 Day Squat Challenge ~~~~~ DAY 1~~~~~

Good Morning Everyone,

I saw this very interesting challenge on Facebook yesterday and thought I would except the challenge and extend it out o my friends to join me.  Please feel free to challenge any & everyone you know to get the JIGGLE out of your WIGGLE.  Below is the chart for you to follow.

We will be starting today April 23, 2013 and going until May 22, 2013. 

~~~~~~~7th BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY....The First Reveal!!!

                                                         http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/


So today is the day that we all reveal what we made with the awesome bead soups we received from our partners. I want to take a few minutes to thank Lori Anderson for all of hard work she put into these Blog Parties. She is a true inspiration and so deserves more than just a piece of pie.....BIG HUGS LORI.....You are so AWESOME!!! 

My partner is the AMAZING Lori Schneider and she sent me some beautiful lampwork beads, one of which was an amber and silver hollow focal bead, crystal studded black beads, many Czech crystal beads and gold tone findings. I usually don not work with a lot of gold or gold tone metals so this was a great change for me. 

I love to make mixed media jewelry so I thought mixing silks, chain, dangles and a bit of macrame would make it really fun.....and lot of fun I had. Thank you Lori for sending such awesome beads and goodies..

So here they are..........I hope you all like them

Please check out Lori's page to see what she created from the bead soup I sent her.                        Here is the link......www.beadaddicted.blogspot.com

Thank you all for stopping by and  joining us. Please take a few moments to visit all the other wonderful artists that participated in the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party. Just click on the link at the top of the page for a list of everyone's blog page. Have FUN!!!

My 7th Bead Soup Blog Party Partner is.......

Hello Everyone,

I am very happy to tell you all that I am participating in Lori Anderson's 7th Bead Soup Blog Party, with the first reveal set for March 30, 2013. As I as in the first reveal I would love to take a few moment to share with you my wonderful and talented partner.......

Lori Shneider. Lori is a dedicated RN with a beautiful family and very giving heart. She dabbles in many areas of creativity which include the following:  sewing, quilting, needlework wheel throwing pottery, knitting scrap booking and now beading/jewelry making. In her spare time she makes beautiful purple beaded jewelry the she sells to donate for Alzheimer's awareness. 

Here is the awesome bead soup that she sent me for the BSBP Swap.....

And here is the bead soup that I sent her......

I am so excited to see what we turn these awesome beads and findings into......Please come come back on March 30th to see the reveal.

Memories & Thanks Blog Hop

I am once again excited to be apart of something very Awesome sponsored by Lori Anderson.  Lori brings the Memories and Thanks Blog Hop to us as a way to say thank you and remember all the wonderful things someone special in our live has done for us. We are to tell this story of how this person has touched our lives in a wonderful piece of jewelry.
I have chosen to make something special that will tell you all about my father, Lawrence Donald Peterson. Although he is no longer with us, his memory lives in my heart and in all that I create.  Please come back on January 12, 2013 so that I can share his story with you.