Flower Bangle Challenge Blog Hop

Here it is! The blog hop for my third challenge! This time round I sent five designers one of my new copper flower bangles, keen to see what they could make with it. Thank you again all of you who entered your name in the draw to take part - I will definitely do a draw again next time (haven't decided what the challenge will be based on next time yet though!) as it seemed the fairest way of working it.

I made two hammered daisy bangles, two with line textured daisies and two with poppies, all oxidised copper. I kept one of the line textured ones for myself and sent the other five out to the people you can see listed a little further down. I kept it on my desk for weeks without really touching it, just moving different piles of beads next to it to see what took my fancy and glancing at it when I was working on other things. And then finally last Sunday I decided what I was going to do - and for once everything worked out exactly how I'd planned and it took me longer to take the photos than it did to actually decorate the bangle! So.... this is what I came up with.....

I gently opened up the hook that fastens around the loop behind the flower and threaded on some big hole beads - three beautifully soft etched lampwork spacer by Beads of Passion and a gorgeous copper patina ceramic heart bead by Starry Road Studio - I'd actually been saving the heart bead for a magazine project, but I guess that I'm just going to have to buy another one now!  In between them, and to stop the beads from sliding all the way down round the bracelet, I wrapped some peanut seed beads on 0.4mm copper wire before closing the hook up again. I decided to leave this wire bright and polished as a contrast to the oxidisation, although it will tarnish and darken over time.

I hope that you like it! This is one piece that I am keeping for me as it looks great with the cropped jeans and tshirts that I seem to spend half my life in during the summer. I'm tempted to make a couple more too, as I bet they'll look great stacked up!

Please do go and visit the other designers taking part in my challenge. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they've made!

Sherri Stokey - Knot Just Macrame

Shannon Chomanczuk - For My SweetDaughter

Jenny - Shyme Design

Keri Lee Sereika - Pink Lemonade

Heidi Post - Ex Post Facto Jewelry

And if you'd like a couple more ideas of what you could make with my flower bangles have a look out for the latest issue of Beads and Beyond magazine, and head back here on Tuesday for a project tutorial using them!

Back again......

I've done it again. It's not as if I don't think about blogging, it's just that at the moment every moment seems to be accounted for - lots of teaching this week, both privately at home and at college, lots of lovely Etsy and NOTHS orders to fill and, of course, family events too. It was Ben's school Sports Day last Monday. It's actually the first one he's had as it was rained off last year. It did seem a bit like organised chaos at first, but it was actually very well thought out with all nearly 300 children involved and enjoying themselves altogether. No photos I'm afraid as a) the school ask us not to as for a couple of child protection reasons and b) I was too busy trying to entertain Jamie and distract him from running out to join his beloved big brother! Yes, running! Well, walking and stumbling really. There's no stopping him now!

Anyway, my main reason for posting so late at night is to remind you that tomorrow is the big reveal for my Flower Bangle Challenge - 6 designers, 6 flower bangles, and 6 hopefully very different designs! I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone has made with their bangles. I've actually written my post already for once and scheduled it ready to go!

I also need to remind you that I will be putting my website and Daisychain Extra etsy shop on holiday as from the end of Sunday. so if you need to stock up on flower bangles or any other goodies for the summer, then now is the time to do it as I'll be away until the start of September. The collage above (I love the new frames and collage feature on Picmonkey!) shows a few of the new pieces I uploaded this week - bunnies, owls, birdies and flowers! If you follow my Facebook page you may already have picked up on where we're going, but I will let you know more about our plans at the start of next week!

Flower Bangle Challenge names!

Thank you so much for all the entries into my Flower Bangle draw! All the names went into the hat this morning and......drum roll please!.......

The Flower bangles will soon be flying off to:

Sherri Stokey - Knot Just Macrame

Shannon Chomanczuk - For My Sweet Daughter

Jenny - Shyme Design

Keri Lee Sereika - Pink Lemonade

Heidi Post - Ex Post Facto Jewelry

Ladies, I will be emailing you later this evening. You have until Saturday 30th June to decorate your bangle  - good luck!

P.S. I've updated the blog hop button as I realised I'd got the wrong date on it - oops!

P.P.S. The Birthday Sale in my Daisychain Extra etsy shop ends tomorrow - use the code "BIRTHDAY" to get 15% off your order!