From Kit to Kaboodle - The Lima Beads Challenge Results

I'm so excited that today is the reveal of this jewelry making challenge.  I don't often purchase "kits" of pre-sorted and picked out beads and components.  But when I saw a blog post by Shannon & Lorelei Eurto about the kit they put together with LimaBeads I said GIMME!!!!  And I surfed right over with credit card in hand to get hooked up!

It was my first experience with LimaBeads and it was wonderful. Super fast shipping, great quality stones and beads, well packaged.  So if you're looking for a new bead vendor... check 'em out!

Once I had the hot little kit in my hand, it was up to my muse to show up.  I laid everything out on a cookie sheet, and added some of my own "stash" and played with ideas and moved things around... for 2 weeks!  Then inspiration struck and I saw two distinctly different color patterns that were popping out at me.

Here's the first!

I saw the creamy yellow colors and the soft lavender blending together in a really soft, romantic look.  Once I had the color pallet in mind, putting the necklace together flowed so sweetly.  I used a vintage button that had both the cream and lavendar on it.  Enhanced it with seed beads and the Czech glass gladiola buttons and rondelles that were in the kit.  I also incorporated a few of the freshwater pearls to add a little splash of the cream.  From the focal, I created a drop with the Vintage pendant they included in the kit.  Dangling center I was able to use one of the amethyst teardrop.

The second piece I did was and still feels like buttah (or butter depending on where you live) in my hands.  I had a beautiful focal that was created especially for me from Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati.  It's a double sided pendant from her simple truths collection.  Once side says "Love" the other side says "Focus on What Really Matters" - which is so perfectly Dawn!

So when I saw the beautiful dyed silk ribbon included in the challenge kit, it married so perfectly with the pendant Erin had made me, I knew they needed to be joined in holy bead-trimony.  :o)  But how the heck to I use silk ribbon???? I've never used a fiber in my creations before in my life!  Enter in some oval chain I had in my stash and my great talents as a weaver. (really the talents aren't that great, but it sure sounded important).  From there all the components came together.  For the necklace I actually created something asymmetrical that WORKS for my eyes!  (I'm a little type a not A, just a, and asymmetical is often very hard for me to create)  I brought in some of the purples, this very cool lone abalone bead that came in the kit, turquoise zebra jasper nuggets and Czech FP rounds.  But then I still had the challenge of those funky, beautiful Biwa pearls.  They were top drilled like little tears from the sea, so I had to use them.  I wire-wrapped a chain and created a party fringe!

So thanks for coming to my reveal party!  Please stop over to Lorelei and Shannon's blogs to see their creations and those of other participants.  I had a great time and really was able to grow with such a unique mix.  I still have earrings to make to match the necklaces (because one can't have naked ears), but those are still on my bead table.

Hope your weekend is fill with Love and pumpkin spice!
{Hugs!}
~Dawn

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