Fall "Stringing" Blog Hop

Welcome to the first ever (at least, I think it's the first ever) "Stringing" magazine Blog Hop. A big group of the magazine's contributors have banded together to take you on a journey through the blog-o-sphere.

As you travel through the Blog Hop, you'll get to learn more about your favorite "Stringing" contributors, see more beads and jewelry (and what's not to love about THAT?), and even participate in a contest.

Here are the details on the contest:

1. There are three great prizes: a copy of the fall issue of "Stringing" magazine, a handmade porcelain pendant and coordinating beads by Gaea, and a small goodie pack of filigree, gemstones & other findings from Rings & Things.

2. How it works: Basically, leave one comment on one or more of the blogs and you will be entered into the random drawing. Each comment on a different designer's page is another chance to win. (Multiple comments on a single designer's page counts only as one chance to win.) Giveaway closes on the 23rd and winners will be announced the 24th.

3. More detailed explanation of the rules can be found on the Blog Hop organizer, Michelle Mach's, blog.

Now that you know a little bit more about the contest, here's some info about me (for those who don't already know me).

Back in 7th grade, I failed art. I know, you'd think it wouldn't be possible to fail an art class, but I managed to do it. Then, my parents stepped in and said "no more artsy fartsy stuff - it's ruining your GPA." They had the best of intentions (graduation, college, a good job), but it did kind of blight my image of myself as "artistic."

Skip forward about seven years and I was home on break and looking for something to do when I found this store that sold porcelain figurines that you could paint yourself. Well, it wouldn't affect my GPA and heck, it wasn't really "art" anyway...more like just being able to color inside the lines. So, I did that for a while.

Then came the whole t-shirt/sweatshirt/fabric paint craze - hey, I can trace an outline with a squeeze tube of paint. Again, not "art" - just tracing.

After that, a friend taught me how to cross stitch and I became obsessed with all different forms of needlework. Not "art" - color-by-numbers only with thread. Also, my first experience with beads - added a few as embellishment to stitched designs.

Later, I found "The Carol Duvall" show on TV - which introduced me to the wonderful world of rubber stamping. Wait - you mean all I have to do is color in designs that someone else already drew? I'm IN!

And then one day, a fellow stamping buddy mentioned this magazine called "Bead & Button" and adding beads to stamped designs as embellishments. We met for lunch and to try a beginner project at a bead store.

That was more than 10 years ago and I've never looked back. Along the way, I managed to aquire a kid, lose a husband, change jobs a couple of times, but making jewelry and playing with beads has remained a constant creative outlet for me. My bead stash has grown from a couple of small boxes to several multi-drawer towers, part of a bookcase and a dresser. It's possible that it's planning a coup to take over the rest of the house, but I'm not sure about that yet.

I've been thrilled to finally see some of my designs be published in "Bead Trends" in 2009, and now in "Stringing" - both the summer and fall issues - in 2010.

This issue features three of my designs:

"Turqoise Sari" earrings - inspired by the lovely colors and gold embroidery of Indian saris.

"Cliff's Nest" bracelet - this was inspired by a story I read about young boys climbing rocky cliffs to search for the nests of seabirds.

My last design is called "Bronze Lotus" and features a beautiful pendant cast in bronze clay and paired with Swarovski crystals and vintage glass beads. Pick up a copy of the Fall, 2010, issue of "Stringing" magazine to see it.

In addition to achieving my goal this year of being published, I have also opened up two shops on Etsy. One, SilverParrot, features my original jewelry designs. The other, BeResinable, has my handcrafted resin art beads and pendants for sale. Don't know what a resin art bead is? Here are a few of examples:

I try to keep this blog updated, fun and fresh. I have kind of a crazy life so you never know what ridiculous story you'll find here where I invite you to laugh with me and and follow my adventures (because if I don't laugh at all this insanity, I'd have to cry and I just hate when my mascara smears).

Every Friday I feature a delicious selection of "bead porn" to show off the ways in which my bead shopping addiction and my ever-growing bead stash have formed a partnership to take over first my house and then...the WORLD!

So, I'd love to have you along for the ride - click the "Follower" button and come join in the fun!

See below for the list of the rest of the "hop" participants - be sure to check them out and enjoy all the great beaded artwork they have to offer! Oh, and don't forget to leave comments for your chance to win the prizes mentioned above!

Thanks for visiting Silver Parrot!!

Kristy Abner

Kelly Angeley

Marianne Baxter

Ruby Bayan

Carrie Beckwith

Melanie Brooks

Gaea Cannaday

Lorelei Eurto

Amy Haftkowycz

Beth Hemmila

Tari Kahrs

Stephanie LaRosa

Michelle Mach

Denise Yezbak Moore

Kelly Morgan (you are here)

Sharon Palac

Anne Perry

Lisa Petrillo

Erin Prais-Hintz

Molly Schaller

Erin Strother

Heather Trudeau

Jennifer Judd Velasquez

Jennifer Zeiger