July Monthly Challenge Blog Tour

"My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view."  ~H. Fred Dale

I have a black thumb, not a green one. (Or maybe I have a "bead" one. Ha!)

Flowers and plants seem to laugh at me turn their pretty backs when they see me coming. I water them too much, or not enough. I forget to snip their dead heads off to encourage new ones to grow. Or I pick the wrong plants for the circumstances in my home. I suspect that when the plants see me coming at the nursery they hope I will pass them by so that they may live to see another day in someone else's care. I am not sure that I am learning from my yearly mistakes with plants, but that hasn't deterred me yet. I will try again next year to get it right and hope that I can coax a few blooms to rebound before the first frost.

Despite my propensity for killing every plant that comes to live with me, I am grateful for the ever abundant artisan bead gardeners who create amazing beads and components inspired by the gardens that inhabit paintings like Vuillard's. And I thank the wonderful Art Bead Scene community for growing such marvelous pieces of jewelry so that we can all enjoy the bounty of the July gardens all year long! Come along as we take a stroll through the Art Bead Scene garden, tended with love and attention to every tiny bloomin' detail!

How does your garden grow? And how does Bee Tree by m.e. get these things cranked out so quickly? I notice that she is often one of the very first entries each month (see above). And the thought and complexity of her designs always blows me away. I think that the artisan glass beads coordinate so perfectly with her handmade swirly heart with all the colors of the garden, and that special found object escutcheon (I love that word!) fits in nicely with a secret garden so lovely!

I know a thing or two about hoarding beads, especially glass ones, so I am so glad that this month inspired Pamela of Klassy Jools to let these beautiful beads from a new-to-me bead artist come out to play! Sometimes a handful of lovely art beads needs nothing much to make them all come together in a drool-worthy way like with this bracelet. I don't blame you one bit for keeping this "wrist corsage" to yourself!

The Beading Yogini is seeing red! I love the fanciful mix of colors and textures in this piece. This is one that has such a sense of whimsy and fun, like wildflowers gathered by the handful. I am enamored of the handmade flower button stacked with the bronze flower and the way that it is all connected through color. Delightful!

Karen of Plus Size Bangles created a necklace (above) that would be right at home on my neck and with my wardrobe, but I believe that this is a gift for a friend. What a blessing to have a friend like Karen! The soft muted and earthy palette are so lovely and I love the way the shape of the wood beads mimics the leaf shapes and the beautiful pendant.

Taking her color cue from a bit of broken china, Sandi Volpe created a soldered pendant that reminds me of English tea-time in the garden. I love that this piece of china was from her grandmother's set, so that makes it extra special.

I am always impressed when someone not only makes jewelry but the beads that go into it. It is like singing and playing an instrument. I might be able to do one but not the other. I love that Treasure Island Crafts does both. That is talent! Check out the beads that she created and made the star in a bracelet. So nice!

Tropical Blonde threw a "Garden Party" with her necklace design. I love the soft, vintage-y color palette. It is a dreamy piece. I especially love the little seed bead leaf dangles she created. Great detail!

Janet of Honey from the Bee (above) weaves a wondrous tale of a morning stroll through the garden. I could almost picture myself there, spying secret bunny hideouts and snipping fragrant roses. This organic creation is a lush as the garden in Vuillard's painting. There is a beautiful wildness to it and I am delighted by the unexpected details as you would see along any garden path.

Breaking out of her usual style, Laurel of Rue's Daftique created a charming (get it?) floral necklace with her own hand made polymer clay pieces. I loved reading her analysis of the painting, and especially the focal of the house and how that was her initial focal point but not where her creative garden path led her. Read all about it here.

Creating the fully tactile look of a tapestry, Mary Anne Melo of  Middle Earths Jewelry gives us a beautiful cuff. I just want to reach through my computer screen and touch the soft velvet and the cool glass. I can tell that this would be something to live in. Thanks for sharing!

Wow. Oh, wow! Miss Heather of Aquariart  (above) has the most creative mind. Her creations are so intricate and thought provoking. This month Heather worked her magic with polymer clay and chose to replicate the house in the painting, right down to the shutters on the windows! Her post tells us that she thinks that the house is the focal of the painting, not the garden, and I have to say that I agree with her! So lovely. So amazing!

Challenging herself to use just a few of the colors from the palette, including one that she normally shies away from, Lesley the Gossiping Goddess of THEAJewellery made a bracelet that is fresh and lively. She found a way to use a color that is not normally in her palette by pairing it with a color that is. What a great way to step outside your comfort zone!

Beth and Evie of EB Bead And Metal Works have done it again! This team proves that two heads are definitely better than one when it comes to a challenge. The colors of the pretty pendant are echoed in the pretty glass beads that Beth created just for this piece. I love the focus on the tree from the garden!

Ooh! Pretty! I love the special pendant that Lynda Moseley of DivaDesigns created for this challenge. Her Rose Mallow necklace (above) combines a detailed floral image transfer on the transluscent clay in a scroll-like pendant with her hand crafted aged rose beads giving  it an old-world feeling as if plucked from a sepia-toned photograph. It makes me think of the secrets that are contained in the garden walls.

Miss Mallory of For The Love of Beads has been away from her torch, but with good reason. She didn't let that little glitch keep her from creating and entering the challenge this month! Mallory broke out the polymer clay to create a bracelet she calls "Sweet Morning."

I am completely in awe of the gorgeous flowers that RockyBeads of The Clayin' Mommy created for her necklace. The colors, the details, the finish... all so lovely! Like gathering a tremendous bouquet from your own cutting garden. Thank you for sharing your garden creation with us!

Welcome to Kathy of Catherine's Dreams! She pulled together a bouquet of lovely lampwork beads for her beautiful necklace (above). She tried to pull the colors from the painting and place them in the same position on her necklace. This would be a great design style to use up all those orphan beads that you might have. Sweet posies!



A "Charming Garden" is what Lucinda of Belvedere Beads gives us with her challenge piece. Lucinda makes her own glass headpins in her studio and wired them all to an estate sale find bracelet base. I love that! The colors are so juicy and filled with life.

Elizabeth of Beads for Busy Gals made it just under the wire! I am so impressed that not only did this busy lady make something really beautiful but pretty much all the beads were made by her! I love the soft soothing colors.

Last, but certainly not least, is the sweet earrings (above) from Cilla Tell Your Girlfriends. I have to apologize to her in neglecting her fine creations the last two hops (an oversight on my part). I feel like such a clod (dirt clod, get it? Do I crack myself up, or what?)! I love the soft swirling colors in these earrings that remind me of impressionistic painting techinques paired with the lovely damask inspired bronze clay components. Sometimes simple is best!

I wanted to write about my own bracelet design, but we had another huge storm rage through last night bringing floods and drenching rains, plus it knocked out our internet, so I just couldn't finish until this morning. But I am so very glad that all of you have continued to play with all of us at Art Bead Scene! Check back in a few days for the next challenge and keep those ideas and beautiful creations coming!

If I have forgotten to add you, please contact me (email below) and I will fix it! Thank you!

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.