May Monthly Challenge Blog Tour... and a Grand Prize Winner!

"When I go out into the countryside and see the sun and the green and everything flowering, I say to myself Yes indeed, all that belongs to me!"  ~Henri Rousseau

This month we visited the countryside, as envisioned by Berthe Morisot. This pastoral scene shows the rolling hills, the village in the distance, a loving mother playing with her daughter around a small tree and just a hint of blue peeking through the cashmere clouds in the sky. Our ABS friends have been hard at work taking the cue from the abundance of greens and golds, the stark white and black of the dresses, the wee houses on the horizon and the small dash of red blooms in the tree. 

May I ask a favor? To make it easier on me to do the round up of all these fabulous blog posts, and because it seems that most people are doing this anyway, please put your exact blog post link in your comments with your picture on the Flickr site (please put the specific link so that I don't have to wade through all your posts to find the right one!). That is where I have to grab the pictures from and that would save me an extra step. Thanks. ;-)

Now on with the show!

Lesley of The Gossiping Goddess (above) found this painting pushed her outside her comfort zone. But with a sweet little bird bead and a beautiful lampwork glass square paired with some soft colors of silk and bead, I think that she rose to the challenge...which is really what it is all about. Well done, Lesley!

You have to go and check out what Grubbi made! She did it all! from the wonderful detail on the etched blossom bracelet bar and the two very cute etched house and umbrella charms to a rainbow of polymer clay beads from the color palette. I am so impressed that she did it all... that is true talent!

Using a hand made focal in a lovely shade of olive green with a ruffly lampwork bead that totally reminds me of the dresses and umbrella, Birgitta of Create with Spirit created a bracelet that is sure to get noticed in her unmistakeable style!

Molly Alexander of Beautifully Broken Me chose to focus on the red of the blooms in the tree and the rusty roofs to create this fashion forward bangle (above) with lovely lampwork beads from Firebabies and Gardanne.

Loads of interest with special hand made charms populate the necklace from Intuitive Spark. She used vintage sheet music, a faux Chinese coin, a lucite leaf, a tiny mixed media charm with watch parts and a swirly green lampwork bead. Such a layered look that brings that color palette to life!

Welcome to the challenge, Hazel! Hazel, of Continuum Designs, tells us that this is the first time that she entered the ABS challenge using her own polymer clay beads in a lovely and fresh bracelet design. We are so glad to have you!

Eleanore of EBS Jewelry shares that her process for this piece was often filled with doubt...whether it would be green enough or reference the themes in the painting like "woman with an umbrella"... I find that very comforting to read! I had some similar feelings (and I bet you did too!). I think that Eleanor made a bold and inspired choice to have the mustard-colored cording anchoring the whole bracelet (above).

Keenya of The Cranberry Studio made the polymer clay beads and focal in her entry. The colors make me feel of soft breezes in the countryside. Beautiful pastel palette!

Pamela of Klassy Jools pulled all the wispy and soft greens from the painting for a lush interpretation of the palette. This looks like a bracelet that would feel really beautiful to wear with so much to look at and hold your interest.

Mary Harding (above) not only makes some very pretty nature inspired ceramic components, but I learned that she also felted the earthy wool to make the necklace and used some tutorials from both Heather Powers and Cindy Wimmer to make some wire components in her striking necklace that perfectly embodies this pastoral scene.

Creating a very modern and clean look, Malin de Koning of Sweden used some Round Rabbit porcelain rings with some very green and soft suede for a bracelet that is sure to be worn a lot!

I know that the red flower that Kristi of Dreamsome Designs used in her stunning and multi-faceted necklace was something that Mary Harding created in response to the March ABS challenge....but it totally works here! I love that this one red flower could have so many different interpretations.

The talented twosome of Beth and her mother Evie of EB Bead and Metal Works focused their artistic eyes on the parasol held by the lovely young lady in this necklace (above). This duo cut, sawed, enameled and strung up a truly outstanding piece of wearable art! You have to go over and see it!

Sally Russick of Wireworked proves that simple is sometimes best! She let the single painted polymer clay bead take center stage in this infinitely wearable design.  

I had to chuckle when I read the process that Bee Tree by m.e. goes through with designing... dumping out all the right color beads in a pile and sorting through what she calls 'creative chaos' sounds a lot like me! The result of her chaos, from the links to the hand made flower to the silk, looks like the perfect piece to wear when she celebrates her anniversary next month! Congratulations!

Another hearty ABS welcome goes out to Honey from the Bee and her beautiful interpretation featuring a Lisa Peters heart and a very cool vintage button showing a cherub with an umbrella! I love how she keyed in on the white of the dresses with her choice of beads. We hope you will come back to play with us again!

Tropical Blonde worked through her aversion to green and found that she had a lot of different shades in her stash! I love the decision to weave the three green sari silks together that remind me of the grasses in the field waving in the wind.

Susie of Jewellery Junkie used the ABS Challenge to showcase her very first art bead made of silver clap. I love soft tones she used to make her bead the star. Well done!

For my own inspiration, I am in love with the little houses in the background of the painting. I call this bracelet "Finding My Home" as I was on a quest to find any little house bead in my collection! I also made a necklace using a Mary Harding toggle. Come on over and check it out!

*Update*


Sorry I missed these blog posts!

Cilla of Tell Your Girlfriends just started her new blog out. It is a pretty place where she shares her beautiful jewelry including the two pieces that she entered this month. One is very pastel and the other is more earthy yet both bracelets perfectly embody the color palette for the challenge.
Maryanne Melo of MiddleEarths shares that she never really appreciated black and white in jewelry and struggled to find a balance to add them to her bracelet. Filled with soft flowing fiber and deep bewitching greens, this bracelet is so beautiful! So glad that you shared it with us.

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And I know that you can't wait to know who won all the beady goodness from the Beads 2011 Celebration post. We had a record number of comments - 481- and I did indeed read them all. More than once! We are completely humbled by the outpouring of love from all of you, our circle of Art Bead Scene friends that continues to grow (1989 at last count!). I plan to write a post that will recap some of our favorite comments soon.


Without further ado... the random winner of the entire kit and kaboodle of beads and components from the featured Beads 2011 issue is........................................................................................................

Carol!

Carol's winning entry was that she posted on Facebook. Thank you for sharing the love. 

And coincidentally, Carol's birthday is today, May 31st, so this is one heck of a grand birthday present. Congratulations and Happiest of Birthdays, Carol! (Cue the confetti and fireworks!) Are you inviting us all over for cupcakes? ;-)


Please email me at enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com to make arrangements for me to ship all this loot to you, before I get tempted to keep it all for myself! ;-)

We hope that this package bursting with art beadiness will inspire you to create beautiful things, and perhaps enter a few of the upcoming Art Bead Scene monthly challenges!

Erin Prais-Hintz writes about all things that inspire her at Treasures Found::Inspiration Is Everywhere. Her jewelry designs are one-of-a-kind made one-at-a-time. She collects quotes and dust and invites you to send her your favorite (quote - not dust!) to enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com.