As Beautiful As a Picture - Beaded Dreams Collection

Meet Chitralekha!

Chitralekha means as beautiful as a picture in Native American, Alaskan, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Mohawk and Miwok.  I thought it absolutely fitting for this beautiful necklace.

She started as a beautiful turquoise stone and a petrified wood bead.  I love the way the browns and turquoise families play with each other.  So fun, so rich and so appealing to the eyes.  I didn't draw her out, I just let the beads tell me when they wanted more embellishments and when they were fit to finish.  The petrified wood fascinates me.  Those beads can be millions of years old!  (I ordered them along with the magnesite at the bottom from Happy Mango Beads).  GREAT selection of unique beads from around the world.  So where those trees were before, what was their story, and how they finally traveled to my hands will always be a mystery.  But the energy and feeling they give off is almost magical!

I also want to give credit for the ceramic beads I used in the chain.  MaryAnn Carroll creates some incredible ceramic focals and beads for her business Artisan Beads Plus on Etsy.  I had been a follower of MaryAnn's blog for some time and wanted to experiment with ceramic beads, but the vision had not yet come to me.  When she had a contest I quickly shared with all my friends because MaryAnn's designs are just special.  Low and behold, I won.  But these precious ceramic beads were so unique I knew they would take a very special piece of jewelry to showcase them properly.  When the creative inspiration arrived, the beads were waiting!  Thanks MaryAnn for these delicious baubles! ♥

Chitralekha told me two wasn't finished, she needed the third focal bead added. For so many reasons, three resonates with me.   Three is an out of the box number.  In recent years, we've seen three used to represent past, present and future.  Taken literally, the number three invokes expression, versatility and the pure joy of creativity.  And for me, this being one of the pieces of my new line, Beaded Dreams, was a pure joy to create.   Three also symbolizes reward and success in most undertakings! ♥

I can't wait to share more from this collection, but you'll have to wait.  Beaded Dreams will be revealed in it's entirety at my debut on April 28th, live in Williams Bay, WI.  It will be a grand event showcasing this entire line.  Named because each piece of beaded art jewelry is allowing all of my dreams to come true ~ one bead at a time.  The love that goes into each piece is truly special and for anyone that will own a piece from this collection I know you'll feel it personally, too!

Have a wonderful weekend!  I'm off to spend time with family at a baby shower today and a birthday party tomorrow!  LOVE IT!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

I'm Speechless - That NEVER Happens!

When I say never... I really mean it.  Dawn always has some witty comeback, or something sincere... but right now I'm so very humbled and grateful.

Yesterday Happy Mango Beads announced the winners of their Bead my Valentine Contest.  It was the first time I had ever stepped outside of my comfort zone and entered my unique jewelry in a contest for my peers to judge.  I was so very nervous, but suppressed those butterflies and the "What if's" and just said whatever will be, will be.  I put my heart into the piece and I find it beautiful and that's good enough for me.

Romance In Bloom

So imagine my surprise yesterday when I saw Happy Mango Beads facebook update that the winners had been announced and I saw the photo of my necklace.  My first thought was no way.  So I clicked over to their blog to read who the winners really were...

What happened next was almost like an out of body experience.

All of a sudden, I'm dancing, squealing, laughing, CRYING, and the dogs are barking like we have an intruder in the house.  The emotions that this simple webpage brought to the surface in me was unbelievable.  I called Chris at work... squealed, and was crying as I told him.  Then I had to call my mom... more crying and squealing.

I feel so incredibly blessed.  I just let my heart and the beads have a conversation... and what they decide to become is really beyond my control.  I'm just the instrument that does the work. 

But the story doesn't end here.  Happy Mango Beads is having a Viewers Choice contest among all of the entries.  I have two very dear friends that have their jewelry entered as well.  Voting runs through midnight February 18th.  Voting is open to anyone.  To vote, go to the Facebook album and designs you like give a "Thumbs Up Like" to.  The photo with the most likes at the end of the week will win a $50 shopping spree from Happy Mango Beads.  Here's the link to their facebook album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=76049058528&aid=327193

By Dawn Horner - Northern Adornments

Can I ask you to consider 'Liking' these two very special pieces?  One of those pieces is the piece I blogged about from my good friend Dawn Horner in Alaska.  I just love the chainmaille bracelet with the really, really sparkly Swarovskis that run down the middle.

By Regina Santarre - Sundance Gems

My friend Regina of Sundance Gems won her category with her bracelet, Roses for my Sweetheart!  It's a beautiful bracelet that really has a soft, romantic feel.

Thanks to everybody for encouraging me to step out of my box.  I never expected the view to be so wonderful.  More contests and new adventures are in the works!  Can't wait to share with you!

Hope your day is absolutely amazing!
{Hugs & Blessings!}
~Dawn

How's This for A Contest Piece?

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was going to step out of my comfort zone in 2011.  Well, I'm happy to announce I've finished a piece to enter in the Happy Mango Beads - Bead My Valentine contest.

In looking at all the themes and categories in which contest entries will be judged, I chose "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue - FLOWERS!!!"  Yes, flowers speak to me.  If you've seen some of my jewelry over the summer months, you'll notice I use lots of flower as props.  From Zinnias to Morning Glories and BOATLOADS of daylilies I just love how they provide a rainbow of color and happiness. 
So for me, the theme of flowers was perfect!

I used a handpainted ceramic bead that I had been hoarding as a focal.  Using a circular brick stich, I created petals in a mix of delicas with small pink crystals forming the petals.  For the necklace I stitched 2 leaves using the same mix of delicas.  I added a few pearls and fire polished czech glass beads for a bit more color & sparkle and kept the rest of the chain simple. 

The necklace wears beautifully flat against your collar bones and makes a statement without being heavy.  It's actually very lightweight!  So while I'm still trying to get the "perfect" photo to e-mail in, I'll leave you with a few that really do show the detail and coloring!

Thanks so much for all your encouragement to step outside of my box.  I did, I'll continue to and I look forward to growing!  Hope you all have a WONDERFUL Superbowl Sunday!

Stepping Out of my Comfort Zone

Old shoes, favorite jeans, mac & cheese, fleece blankets ... all provide so much comfort and if you're like me, you could live in the Land of Comfort and not look back!  BUT, as an artisan, I know it's imperative to step out of the L.o.C. once in a while in order to grow.

This being said, I'm going to bare my soul to you all right now... I have a very, very hard time with rejection.  I love peace and happiness, and I like it when everything is going along beautifully.  The word that I have still not overcome in my life is hearing the word "No."

In some respects I know that's a good thing.  Don't tell me I can't do something because I will prove you wrong.  But when it comes to the pieces of jewelry I design, those pieces come from my heart.  So when I put them out there for the world to see, there's always that moment of "what if someone doesn't like it!"  gasp  While the logical, intelligent side of me knows that everybody has different tastes and you can't please everybody, the soft tender soul in me just wants everybody to feel all happy and inspired when they see, feel, wear a Designs by Dawn Marie original.

Why do I spill... well, I'm putting it out there that my goal for 2011 is to be more "active" in the bead community.  This involves putting my designs up for gasp votes and critique from the public!  Yikes!  I could crawl back in bed with a bowl of ice cream as I type this!  Yes, I have never entered my jewelry in any sort of contest or tried to be published in a magazine.  While it's a tremendous goal of mine to find my name in print somewhere (preferably not the speeding tickets in our local paper) in order to get there I have to take that HUGE step of submitting a Designs by Dawn Marie original piece.

Just the other day, I saw my friend Regina with Sundance Gems post on her blog about a contest through Happy Mango Beads.  Happy Mango is so generous, anybody can enter regardless of who supplies your beads and supplies.  The theme of this contest is Be(ad) My Valentine!  Since I love LOVE I have deemed this the perfect contest to enter to help me through my self-imposed "rejection therapy!"

So there you have it... one of my biggest fears laid out there for you.  I know we are always our own worst critics, but I know I can't possibly be the only one!  Who knows... maybe once I submit an entry to this contest, I'll find the courage to submit a piece to a printed publication... it remains to be seen!

Thanks for being in my corner (and for reading this whole darn post!)  You inspire me and I can't wait to share what I create for this contest!

Make it a terrific day! {Hugs!}
~ Dawn