Lori Anderson invited us to participate in a blog hop in honor of her friend Marianna, who passed away. To read Lori's post about her, click here.
We were to either make something in honor of Marianna or someone close to us. I really wanted to do something for Marianna too. Lori told us that Marianna's favorite color was red. When I started working on the pieces for this post, I thought that since it was the holiday season an ornament would be nice.
I made this ornament with twin beads, crystal tear drops and seed beads.
I knew who I wanted to make my jewelry in honor of right away. My Dad passed away 16 years ago and I miss him every day. He had a great sense of humor, taught me the meaning of sarcasm, got me started on Monty Python and movies like Young Frankenstein, and introduced me to the world of fantasy fiction. He gave me my first Tolkien book, The Hobbit and then the Lord of the Rings not long after. I started reading the Dune series by Frank Herbert because he recommended it. He convinced me that Star Trek really wasn't that bad, and then it wasn't long before I loved it as much as he did. There are so many things that make me think of him. He was a huge Bears fan, but didn't like watching basketball because the squeaking noise the players shoes made on the court drove him crazy. He would watch it with the volume turned down though, I remember that. He always encouraged me to do the best job I could no matter what I was doing.
When I was in 3rd grade, we built a dollhouse together. We picked out paint, wallpaper and furniture and he put it all together. I really loved that dollhouse.
I wasn't sure what to make so I looked up his birthstone. It's aquamarine (March) and I had just gotten a pair of cabs in that color. I had to use yellow too, because when I was little and we lived in Chicago, he painted our whole apartment yellow because it was my Mom's favorite color (except thankfully for my bedroom, because yellow is not my favorite color).
I finally had all the beads I needed and was working with them last weekend. Saturday night I started making dinner. I was using the broiler in our new oven for the first time. The heating element (it's electric) hangs down quite a bit lower than it did in the old oven. I stuck my hand in without a full glove on and hit it on the heating element. I have a pretty bad burn on my right hand, it's healing well but I can't bead right now, using my hand that way really hurts. I will do another post in a week or two with the completed project, but I wanted to at least show you the beads.
Here are the cabs, I'll be making earrings with them. I'm using Nicole's bead backing, it is wonderful and I just love the colors it comes in. These are the other beads I picked out. I need to pick one set of the yellow ones for the top part of the earrings. I can't decide between the tear drops and the rectangles. I'll probably bead both and decide then. The background is the the ultra suede I'll use for the backing, and there are also some of the seed beads I'll be using for the top part of the earrings.
One last thing - I had mentioned the last time my sister and I were in Hobby Lobby together that it made me sad to see the dollhouses and I missed the one Dad and I had made. For Christmas, my family got me this:
It is the same one I did with my Dad, except this one has a porch. I will be working on it after I finish my earrings.
Thank you for stopping by and sharing my memories. Please go and see what everyone else created for this very special blog hop.
Adlinah Kamsir Dream Struck Designs
Aimee Biondolillo Aimee's Jewelry Treasures
Alicia Marinache All the Pretty Things
Andra Marasteanu Handmade by Indra Marasteanu
Andrea Trank Heaven Lane Creations
April Grinaway Brooklyn Bead Goddess
Andra Marasteanu Handmade by Indra Marasteanu
Andrea Trank Heaven Lane Creations
April Grinaway Brooklyn Bead Goddess
Barb Solem Vivi Magoo Presents
Becky Pancake Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Beth Emery Stories by Indigo Heart
Bonnie Coursolle Jasper's Gems
Cassi Paslick Beads: Rolling Downhill
Catherine King Catherine's Musings
Cece Cormier The Beading Yogini
Chandra Leitz Juniper Goods
Christina Hickman Vintage Treasures Jewelry
Chrizette Bayman Bead Soup Mix
Cindy Wilson It's My Sea of Dreams
CJ Bauschka 4 His Glory Creations by CJ
Crystal Thain Here Bead Dragons
Cyndi Lavin Beading Arts
Debbie Rasmussen A little of this, a little of that
Diane Hawkey diane hawkey
Dita Basu ankarshilpa
Donetta Farrington Simply Gorgeous
Dyanne Everett-Cantrell Deeliteful Jewelry Creations
Emma Todd A Polymer Penchant
Erin Kenny beadiful therapy
Erin Prais-Hintz Treasures Found
Gina Hockett Freestyle Elements
Gloria Allen Innovative Dreams Jewelry
Heather Marston CSW Designs
Inge von Roos Inge's Blog
Iveth Caruso Creative Atelier
Jacqueline Marchant Fiddledeedee Jewelry
Jami Shipp Celebrating Life!
Jean Yates Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!
Jessica Murray Whimsical Monkey
Joan Williams lilruby jewelry
Jo-Ann Woolverton It's a Beadiful Creation
Joanne Browne josjewels1
Jodie Marshall Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art
JuLee Wolfe The Polymer Penguin
Julie Bean Blue Pig Blog
Karen Mitchell Over the Moon Designs
Kelly Hosford Patterson The Traveling SideShow
Kim Ballor Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity
Kim Dworak CianciBlue <------------------You are here
Laren Dee Barton Laren Dee Designs
Lea Avroch LA Jewelry Designs
Leanne Loftus First Impression Design
Liddy McLaughlin Liddy McLaughlin Art
Linda Florian Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations
Linda Inhelder Must-Haves Jewelry
Lori Bowring Michaud Artfully Ornamental
Lori Poppe Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean
LouAnn Elwell Southpass Beads
Mandi Effron Craft-o-licious
Marcia DeCoster MadDesigns
Marcia Dunne The Alternative Foundry
Marie Covert Creating Interest
Marjorie Savill Linthwaite bennubirdrising
Marlene Cupo Amazing Designs by Marlene
Martha Aleo Ornamento
Marti Conrad Marti's Buttons -n- Beads
Mary Ellen Parker BeeTree by m.e.
Mary Govaars MLH Jewelry Designs
Mary Lindell Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry
Maureen Connolly Mrs Beadsley's Workshop
Maybeline Tay The Jewelry Larder
Melissa Elgin The Addicted Beader
Melissa Mesara one-eared pig beads
Menka Gupta Menka's Jewelry
Michaela Pabeschitz la mar de bonita
Mischelle Fanucchi Micheladas Musings
Mona Rae Baroody Who Does She Bead She Is?
Nan Emmett Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth
Nancy Pedersen Something Heartfelt by Nancy
Pam Farren re-maker
Pam, the Crazier Sister The Crazy Creative Corner
Rebecca Sirevaag Becca's Place
Robin Kae Reed Artistry HCBD
Rochelle Brisson a creative chelle
Rosa Maria Cuevas Helena de Troya
Sabine Dittrich perlendschungel
Sandi Volpe Sandi Volpe
Sandra McGriff Creative Chaos
Serena Trent All Things Made Jewelry
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections
Sheila Davis Stone Designs
Shelley Graham Turner Fabric of My Life
Sherri Stokey Knot Just Macrame
Sherry Baun Unicorns Jewels
Skylar Bre'z Brising Beads
Stephanie Haussler Pixybug Designs
Tania Spivey Moobie Grace Designs
Terri G. Blooming Ideas
Terry Carter Tapping Flamingo
Terry Matuszyk Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry
Tracy Martin Nutkitten's Jewelry
Zia Parks Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe
Zoe Marcin Beads, Tea and Sweets