August Monthly Challenge Blog Tour

"Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world."

~Grant Petersen

Such a lovely inspiration this month! The colors, the motifs, the lines, the textures. There is so much here from the moon, the lilies, the trees, the filigree and the flowing locks. What inspired you in this challenge? You all did a marvelous job of interpreting this beautiful poster. We have a great feast for your eyes with this August Monthly Challenge. On with the show!

I actually managed to create something for this month. But don't worry... not only am I an editor of Art Bead Scene, but I am a sponsor for this month, so I can't win anything, but I just like to see if I can challenge myself. You can check out my multi-tasking creation and the post about my inspiration here.

Welcome Miss Hillary! Hillary Frye of Frye Style is new to our Art Bead Scene challenges, but is a wonderful designer with a great eye for detail. Hillary created a eye-popping palette of warm summery tones mixed with layers of filigree and chain. You just have to check out the penny farthing she used in her clasp. Brilliant! We hope to see you back again!

There never seems to be a lack of inspiration for Miss Heather of Aquariart. She always takes the challenge very seriously and comes up with the most lovely interpretations. Her piece this month is overflowing with imagery from the poster including the fair maiden, her auburn tresses and the bicycle. Check it out!

Beth and Evie McCord of EB Bead and Metalwork make enameling look so easy! They agreed this time around on a design featuring the girl with the flowing hair in an enameled piece that will stun you with it's gorgeousness. I love that Beth is also a lampwork artist and can whip up beads in the exact shade to go with the palette. Nice work, ladies!

That Jen Judd (above) is just so clever! She took a copper bangle that she picked up on the clearance rack at Chico's (I want to go shopping with you, girlfriend!) and wired and undulating pattern of chunky funky glass beads in the fall colos of this palette. I am all about mixing metals, and this is such a great use of both copper and steel. Really stunning design!

Kathy created her special necklace while on the way to visit a friend in the hospital. The focal and coordinating beads is a great interpretation of the palette and looks infinitely wearable! Check out Kathy's design at Catherines Dreams.

A hearty welcome to the world of blogging to T-Rose Leigh of Glory Hound Designs! She made a beautiful lily choker necklace with a focal featuring the lovely lady of the painting. We look forward to having you join us for future challenges. Check out her work here.

Taking her cues from the crescent moon, Cece Vineeta, a.k.a. the Beading Yogini, cut tin in a beautiful floral to complement her clay moons (see above). I think that the arrangement as well as the pattern on the tin is very Asian and is a wonderful twist to this inspiration. Very Zen! Check out her process here.

Sometimes the Muse walks out on us in the middle of something. That is what happened to Keenya of The Cranberry Studio. Luckily, she enticed the Muse out of her hiding place just in time to finish this lovely and rustic necklace and earring set out of polymer clay. And congratulations on opening your Etsy shop!

I love the way that Miss Molly Alexander of Beautifully Broken Me views her materials. She uses materials that some might not think of, but yields great results. But more and more people are gravitating to the untraditional metals, like copper and doing amazing things. This month, Miss Molly worked her etching magic on copper and pulled in the colors of teal, sienna, lichen and gold. The chain that she made is just divine and such a great touch. Check it out!

Don't you love it when you have the perfect start to your design in your stash? Angela Lund-Logan started with an artful pendant her husband bought for her from a Renaissance Faire paired with beautiful russet leather threaded through chain, like the links in a bicycle. See her lovely design here.

Lynda of Diva Designs knows how to draw from her inspiration. She placed a copy of this poster image in a layered filigree setting perfectly calling to mind the ornate logo of the Cresent Bicycle company. The rich brass tones play so well with the deep hush of the fall colors for a marvel of design, way more than just okay!

I swear to you that everything that Karyn of Plus Sized Bangles creates, I want. She seems to know my exact tastes ;-) I love that she used an Eathenwood Studios pendant paired with pears she picked up at a local store and stones from online retailers. This proves that an art bead will jazz up just about anything you can find!

If you really look at the inspiration piece you will see that what looks like black is actually a deep and mysterious purple. Island Girl pulled together a harmonious palette of soft purples, yellows, creams and green for her interpretation and a stunning focal that she created that was inspired by the wind blown trees on the horizon! Check it out!

The filigree of the flower that Klassy Jools (above) used really evokes this art nouveau style. The color of the floral lampwork bead is so perfect for this month's palette. Such a rich, ornate and interesting design that looks as if it was right at home on the neck of some refined Victorian lady.

Birgitta of Create with Spirit used some lovely glass wheel shapes to make some cute and swingy earrings. Using glass, metal and fiber, these earrings would look great flowing in the breeze on a countryside bike ride, don't you think?

Do you remember the freedom you felt when you rode your bike from dawn until dusk, all over your town or countryside as a child? That is the image that this month's challenge evoked forJanet of Honey from the Bee. She pulled the most delightful Kerri Fuhr lampwork glass bead from her stash that is perfect for the color inspiration and added swirls to further evoke the freewheeling motion of being on your bike. Makes me want to yank my bike down from the garage ceiling and go for a spin!

The details on the pretty porcelain focal that Kym Hunter of Creatively Kym used for this month's challenge are so stunning. They really mimic the filigree of the company logo and the colors are perfect. Read all about the inspiration here.

Sheila of Stone Designs had a lot of fun making the glass beads for this month's art challenge inspired by the swirls of the young lady's hair. The rich earthy colors paired with a melange of metal tones is perfect for the different hues found in the inspiration.

What do you get when you combine elegance and edginess with a touch of steampunk? Stop over at Mackin Art to find out! Her crescent moon shaped mixed media necklace features nods to the bicycles that are so prevalent on her Mackinac Island home. So beautiful and so glad you decided to not skip this month!

I have never thought to make scented beads. What a novel idea! Marlene of Amazing Designs created this long necklace in two strands with lemon peel which gives it a slight lemon scent. Fresh!

I love these earrings by Miss Tari of Pearl And Pebble (above). The glass beads in these rich amber colors are getting my mind wrapped around the idea that fall is coming. I love the styling, too, shot so simply out of doors on a branch. Lovely!

This color palette was a challenge for Laurel of Rue's Daftque. She mixed clay but wasn't happy with the colors. I am glad that she persevered because the flower that she created from polymer clay is beautiful. Even when the design doesn't turn out the best thing you ever made, it feels good to know that you finished the challenge, doesn't it?

Inspired by the lush and earthy color palette as well as the movement of the challenge painting, Tracy of The Bead Junkie let the beautiful swirls in the glass focal she chose guide her design.

Lyn Foley is a masterful glass artist (above). She decided to multi-task this month with not one but two necklaces inspired by this month's palette for an upcoming show that she is participating in. I love that she is not so literal in her interpretations but rather uses this art as a springboard. And is that a toggle clasp/signature tag that I spy? That is brilliant!

Imagining herself as the lady in the painting, bee tree by m.e. heard the siren song of these swishy copper chain dangles calling her name! The swirls in these beads evoke movement of the wheels and the flowing tresses of this lovely young girl. She says that she felt like playing dress up with these earrings that she made, and suggests that you can make jewelry to create your mood. Sounds like fun!

Treasure Island Crafts created a long 31" necklace of polymer clay in the varied colors of this challenge painting. The coming fall hues were her palette and the textures on her handmade beads are beautiful. Please stop by and check out her design.

Special thanks to Karen at The Crafty Portal who wrote a nice post promoting the Art Bead Scene monthly challenges. We welcome your readers to join in the fun! Check out The Crafty Portal for some great tips, links and articles.

Don't forget our latest addition... Miss Jo of Daisychain Jewellery in the UK. This is her first time participating in the challenge. She didn't think she would have the time or the right beads to play along, but lo and behold! There were some great swirly glass beads in her stash and she made some dynamite copper flowers to the bracelet that looks good no matter which way it spins. We hope to see more from you, Miss Jo!

But wait! Just one more! Miss Mary Ann Melo of Middle Earths has the most amazing sense of color and texture. She found this spectacular hand carved crescent moon (my favorite kind!) and created a lush necklace just dripping with color. Like an amulet or talisman to guard against evil, this piece has a look of history and mystery.
Thank you to all of you for taking the time to enter our challenges here at Art Bead Scene each month. Just a reminder that if you do have a blog and you write a post specific to your entry, please leave that EXACT link in either the comments of thee challenge post or with your picture description in the Flickr group. I am without a computer this week, so it seemed to take twice as long. I really do go and read each and every blog post. Please make it easy on me! If I have forgotten your link, please let me know in the comments here or email me directly at enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com. Thanks!