Brave Angel Challenge Reveal

This is a special challenge hosted by Andrew Thornton of Allegory Gallery.  It is all about the fight against breast cancer....celebrating the women who have won the battle and never forgetting the women who lost the battle.  Pink is the color representing the hope of a cure one day soon.

I took a wonderful wire choker class from Staci Louise Smith at Bead Fest in August.  She is always encouraging her students to continue to use her design after the class is over, so I did just that for this challenge.  I used 16g silver plate wire to make the base of the choker.  There are 9 hand formed loops to dangle the beads from the kit off of.  I only altered 2 things this time...a second hole in Andrew's mystery component pendant and the multi tone pink ceramic spike that I made.

I am really happy with this statement piece.  It is 17" long, but with the fabulous middle focal dangle, that part hits at 24" long.  Put on a plain pink or white t-shirt, and get ready for the compliments to fly!  I will be auctioning this necklace to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation next Tuesday and Wednesday in the Facebook Group, Art Beads.  I will be announcing that on my own Facebook page if you follow me there.  Please take a few minutes to hop around the other designers blogs to see their Brave Angel reveals. You can find the links at the bottom of Andrew's post at www.andrew-thornton.blogspot.com.   Michelle McCarthy from Firefly Design Studio

Danse Macabre Blog Hop

I am late on this reveal....so sorry to our hostess, Lee Koopman!   Danse Macabre is.... the Dance of Death, the dance we all must make through life on our way to the grave for we all must come to the same end, rich man, poor man, begger man, thief, priest and pope.  It’s the same end for everyone.  What we do with our lives is more important than what we have or acquire so we should all celebrate life by laughing at death and the fears of “things that go bump in the night”.   

I am late because of a fantastic weekend with my husband in Key West, Florida.  Key West is rich with the spirits of pirates and sunken treasure, with history of famous writers and politicians, with alcohol flowing in the streets (and it still does) all the way to a very haunted doll who is housed in a very secure glass vault.  The town celebrates Halloween with Fantasy Fest, a very grown up costume party or lack of costume as body paint usually does the trick!

I am a ceramic bead artist so I made the sugar skull pendant and three 12mm round black beads.  I wire wrapped red, white, black and clear seed beads on jangle findings.  These have so much movement and add fullness to my design.  I used red waxed linen to knot between the matte black crystals.  This 18" necklace closes with an antique silver toggle.  I can't wait to wear it!

 Please hop around to the other designers blogs to see what they made for their danse macabe!

Lee Koopman                           Strega Jewellry

Sam Waghorn                           Pale Moon Creations

Dini Bruinsma                            Angaza by Changes

Mowse Doyle                              Mouse Made This

Robin Showstack                        The Crazy Bead Hoarder

Amy Jorgensen                           Hoarders Corner

Nan Smith                                    Wired Nan

Tammy Adams                             Paisley Lizard

Catherine King                              Catherine’s Musings

Michelle McCarthy                         Firefly Designs Studio

Betony Maiden                             Beadwenches Blog

Becca White                                  Morgana Fey Creations

Kim Dworak                                   Cianci Blue

Tami Norris                                   Tamis Creative Spot

Inge Von Roos                               Inge’s Blog

Terry Jeanette Carter                    Tapping Flamingo

Deb Fortin                                       Mhoti Studio

Melissa Trudinger                           Bead Recipes