August Monthly Blog Tour

The vibrant colors, the chalky texture, the images of the three people, the fantastic story of the re-discovery of this painting, all make this a dynamic choice for the hottest days of summer. Tres Personajes  by Rufino Tamayo gave us a lot of inspiration this month. Join me on the tour!

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What is the story of the three people in this painting? That is the question that Mary Ellen asks. What an intriguing question! Obviously, Miss Mary Ellen sees this as a love story. Read more of her inspiration on her blog, beetree by m.e 

With such a saturated color palette, Kathy chose to keep her design simple. This pretty necklace inspires me with a reminder that sometimes less is more. Read more about it on her blog, Bay Moon Designs.

Susan created a forest at sunset for her response to the artwork. I can feel the heat of the colors in this quiet forest. Read more about it on her blog, Lady Flowers by Susan.

Shaiha shares that she has been struggling with her Muse lately. But this month the Tres Personajes painting wowed her and inspired her to create this lovely necklace. Read more about it on her blog, Shaiha's Ramblings.

Imagine a family of three on a big city street at sunset. That is the image that Ann sees when she looks at this painting. Read more about it on her blog, Bead Love.

Janel Dudley makes some lovely glass beads. She was inspired by the painting to make these pretty earrings. Visit her blog, Janel Dudley Beads.

I am smitten by the way that Miss Kate (hello, Miss Kate! We have missed you!) has deconstructed all the elements of the painting and created art beads for each section. So much thought went into each piece. You really must read more about it on her blog Organic Odysseys.

I find it wonderful serendipity when I happen to have the very thing in my stash that represent the painting. Miss Karin all the way over in France has been amassing quite a wonderful hoard of art beads and had these beauties and that perfect shade of purple leather cord just lurking around! Read more on her blog, Gingko et Coquelicot.

Beads with a graphic punch and a bright palette are all that is needed for this pretty bracelet from Miss Katherine. Read more on her blog, Catherine's Dreams.

The painting this month with its knockout colors inspired Miss Vera to try her hand at a new skill. Read more about it on her blog, Designed by Vera.

I am a fan of fiber arts, mostly because it involves skills that I don't possess. Miss Jen crafted not one, but two soft cuff bracelets as the perfect backdrop for some pretty art beads. Read more on her blog, Purple Fish Studio.

I am in awe of those who create magnificently complex polymer clay canes. I simply don't have the patience or the vision for that! I love the journey that Miss Cate shows us of her process. You really should go read it on her blog, Fulgorine.

I like the way the three dots on these yummy glass beads represent the three people in the painting. Read more of Miss Pam's inspiration on her blog Klassy Joolz.

The abstract figures in the painting reminded Miss Beth and her mom Miss Evie of space invaders! They created this remarkable focal from the actual images in the painting and show us their sketches that turned into reality on their blog, EB Bead & Metal Works.

Okay. I admit that I am cheating a bit as I didn't get the chance to finish my piece inspired by the painting. For this month's painting inspiration I created my first Stroppel Cane inspired by the colors and the strong linear lines. These were sent to my Simple Truths Sampler Club members and I also have them in my Etsy shop as well. I will eventually get to making something from this - I have all the beads out and in a bowl ready for the moment to whip them up! -  but I am so proud of this new skill that I wanted to share!

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Thanks to all who played along with us!
I know I have mentioned this before, but it would really be a nice thing if everyone would add their exact URL to the description in Flickr. I love reading your blogs, but when I am doing this for a few days, and really reading your posts, it sure helps me out to not have to search for it!
I am thinking of a new way to do the blog hop and will see if I can make that happen next month. Time to shake things up a bit!

Stay tuned for the September challenge!

June Monthly Blog Tour

 “Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen.
We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more
if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds.” 

~L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Oh, how I long for a vacation in a little cottage on the edge of the sea! In my minds' eye it would be in a quaint little village not unlike the Jackknife Village of our painting this month, with the gentle waves lapping the shore and the salty air tickling my nose. I would bask in the warmth of the sun and delight in the ever changing vista before me, light and shadow racing across the sky ending in a glorious sunset. But since I cannot play at tourist, I can dream of what this scene must be like and allow my beady friends to take me on virtual tour transporting me to another time and place.

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Let's kick things off with a design by our own ABS Adminstrator, Heather Powers! This necklace (above) has the perfect blend of beachy themed beads like urchins and shells along with a summer palette of teals and tans and a sweet little house bead tucked right in!

Welcome to Miss Catherine of Meadowland Designs (above)! The gently swaying grasses on the edge of the rugged landscape is the focal for this lovely necklace. I enjoyed reading about how Miss Brandi's palettes inspired her color choices and how she came to the colors she ultimately used. Read about it here.  We look forward to having you join in again!

I love the laid-back easy feel of this necklace (above). The rope reminds me of boat riggings, the jagged stones look like the island and the rocks and the wee little house makes me wish I were right there on the edge of the sea. Read more of the inspiration for this necklace by Leah at Beady Eyed Bunny.

When I do have the rare occasion to go on vacation, I like to look for trinkets to remember my time well spent. This bracelet looks like a collection of all the beach houses you might have stayed in over a length of time, like a festive little neighborhood block party for your wrist! Check it out at Ahowin.

Kathy of Bay Moon Designs (above) was inspired by the sky and the sea with her soft, ethereal color palette. The mix of shapes and multi-strand design give this a refined edge while the art bead pendant lends it a bohemian feel. Such a soothing design!

A most ingenious design! The way the bugle beads are strung gives an illusion to me of a picket fence surrounding the quaint little cottage above the cliffs along the sea shore! Clever use of materials. Read about the design at Just Beadey.

Monique of A Half-Baked Notion (above) was inspired to create this mult-faceted design as a tribute to her fisherman family roots. From the craggy rocks and the soft swirling seascape to the houses hugging each other for protection, she did a great job of interpreting this painting.

Okay, seriously? The best part of reading about what Beth and Evie create each time is hearing their process. And this time we are treated to a sketch of the pendant! I totally love the collaborative spirit of these two. And the colors in this necklace just scream summer at the beach to me! Check it out at EB Bead & Metal Works.

There is a very sea-creature sort of vibe in this lovely bracelet by Fulgorine (above). The twists and turns of the bead work act like waves gently caressing a seashell worn by time and perpetual motion to the beach of this sleepy little town.

Jen of Purple Fish Studios (above) finds that there is a great similarity with seaside towns no matter where they are. Her necklace features a rare basalt heart stone added to a pretty array of wired stones and a handmade clay and wire coiled clasp. This is truly a memory of a fine vacation along the coast!

To 'live in the sunshine' (as the message on the reverse of the pendant states) would be to experience life at it's finest. And where better to do that than on the while picking up shells on the beach! The beautiful lampwork reminds me of the setting sun and did you notice the weaving of the blue silk through the chain? Much like the waves along the shore. Read more of Karin's inspiration at Gingko et Coquelicot.

These sweet earrings (above) make me want to don some flip flops, a jaunty hat and a flowy sundress and live at the beach! Their vibrant hues are an amped up version of the palette and I just love them as it reminds me of time spent on the beaches of Jamaica and Mexico with the bright blue of the Caribbean sea. Read more about this design at Fresh Baked Designs.

This necklace is island living at it's finest... a lazy day filled with sun and heat makes you want to pare down to the bare essentials. It is incredible how deep you can get with a handful of treasured beads and some simple leather cord! I love the abstract quality of these beads and how they relate to the painting... the houses, the sea, the sky. Read more of this design by Ann at Bead Love.

Lampwork beads fascinate me. I am not sure how those artists and wrangle a flame and spears of glass into gorgeous landscapes, but I am so glad they do! There is some serious magic happening in this bead that SaraJo Wentling found. Look! There is a whole world inside of it! And a world that lives at the beach is my kind of world! Check it out at SJ Designs Jewelry.

Wow. There is nothing that I can say to top these delightful earrings! Miss Lynda (above) makes the most incredible polymer clay creations look so easy, when I know that they are far more intricate than you would think. Her use of color and pattern and texture is truly masterful. These look like the striations of stone on the craggy rocks where this little town is perched. And the mosaic reminds me of how these houses are likely built of the stone on which they rest. So wonderful. Read all about it at SC Diva.

I want to live in a house with a polka-dottie door. A place where the sea meets the sky and the wind dances along the shoreline twisting my hair in knots. I want to walk along a path that takes me to the edge of the water to dip my toes in. That is what I see when I look at this charming necklace by M is the Word.

The sea is the sea is the sea. It doesn't seem to matter much if it is along the coast of Canada or Western United States, I think that anyone that has actually been to a seashore can relate to this pretty painting. Shaiha finds the time to join us again and take us on a beach excursion with her pretty necklace. Read more at her blog Shaiha's Ramblings.

Pam of Klassy Joolz (above) made the most delightful bracelet for the challenge. The soft white clouds meeting the swirling blue sea are so soothing. And the unexpected delight is that wee little fish dangle that makes me smile!

Doing what you love to do can be a sort of vacation when you can't find the time to take a real one. Mary Ellen of Bee Tree by m.e. (above) shares her creative vacation with some faux beach stones she created paired with actual sea glass from a beachy foray.  Wearing this pretty sea-inspired necklace would help me to escape!

And I know that it is not a finished piece of jewelry, so I am sort of breaking the ABS rules, but I wanted you to see the bead I worked on all month inspired by this painting (seriously. All. Month. Long.). I took my {very} new-found skills at making polymer clay canes learned from Heather Powers at her Garden Party Beads retreat in May and turned that into a seascape that I hope would make Franklin Carmichael proud! If you can't detect the scene on the bead, I chose to focus on the left third of the canvas. (Squint a bit if you can't quite make it out! ;-) 'Painting' with polymer was a new technique for me and these beads are on their way (very late!) to the Simple Truths Sampler Club members for June. Watch for the extras to pop into my shop next week. (Notice the sweet little skeleton key cane that Miss Heather made for me based on my logo. So stinkin' cute!) I am the sponsor of the giveaway for this month, and one option the winner has is a three month spot in my Sampler Club for July-August-September, all inspired by the challenge paintings for the month.Who knows what I will be making for those months?

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As always, it is such an honor for me to share all of these amazing designs with all of you. I truly enjoy reading the inspirations, the color choices, the reminiscences and the deep meanings of all the projects that you share with us. I look forward to seeing what you will do with July's inspiration!

Erin Prais-Hintz invites you to go on a journey of inspiration at her blog Treasures Found :: Inspiration is Everywhere. You can view a gallery of her work at http://www.tesoritrovati.com/ or purchase her popular line of 'Simple Truths' in her Etsy shop.

May Monthly Challenge Blog Tour

I was delighted to find this painting Flower Vase in a Window Niche by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder for the May challenge. Why I chose this: The realism of the flowers and insects and shells in Bosschaert the Elder’s still life painting is remarkable. On the first look it seems like a pleasing arrangement of flowers, but on closer examination there is a very symbolic representation of the subject. The leaves on the flowers appear to be eaten. The petals are starting to fade. The flowers themselves are not ones that would be in bloom at the same time hinting to the transience of beauty and the passing of time. Including insects like caterpillars and butterflies hint at transformations, while flies and spiders hint at the inevitability of death. In the Flower Vase in a Window Niche, I like the arch of window and the view. The blue sky and puffs of clouds. In the distance there appears to be a castle in a pastoral setting. It is all very romantic, very lush, teeming with life and vibrancy while also showing a sensitivity to a fleeting moment in time.

All of the entries this month were so wonderful! From the color palette to the shapes of various flowers and the tiniest details, you really nailed this painting!

We will start out the tour with a new participant. Welcome DiLuna! Our painting challenged her to push her creative boundaries. She made a polymer clay pendant in the deep swirling colors of the flowers (above). There is even a hint of the bright blue sky. Wonderful entry! We look forward to seeing your designs in the future!

I always love hearing the stories of how the mother-daughter team of Beth & Evie McCord (above) come up with their designs. This month marks the return of the dynamic duo who work so well in tandem - this month they even strung the each half of the design together, making their bead choices on the fly! This bold bloom is hand sawn and enameled and makes quite the statement.

Picking up on the warm saturated tones of the painting, Just Beadey (above) found a home for some beads that she won in a previous monthly challenge! That is pure serendipity and this design is timeless.

I am totally crushing on this necklace from Backstory Beads (above). There is a lush quality to this that echoes the jam-packed vase of flowers in Bosschaert's still life. The colors blend so well with the subtle gradation, and the fringe makes me want to reach out and touch it! I also loved reading about the special memory that this painting evoked. Check it out!

Miss Angela Lund-Logan (above) got super inspired this month and created two great pieces inspired by the painting! Flowers take center stage with both of her creations. This one has the feel of the vase in those barrel beads and allow the beauty of that one solitary bloom to be extra special.

Learning about how a piece comes together is just as important to me as seeing the finished product. Miss Sarajo Wentling (above) gravitated to the finer details in the painting. She focused on the tiny bugs and insects and chose to turn the vase of flowers on it's head. You should go and read about her thought process at SJ Designs Jewelry.

A lot of thought went into this stunningly beautiful design by Jewels of Sayuri (above). She chose to use epoxy clay as her medium to create a bouquet of flowers in various stages of bloom. This necklace encircles the wearer with a ring of blooms. Ingenious styling! Welcome to the Art Bead Scene challenges. We look forward to your future participation!

This painting has a great many details in it that lend itself perfectly to a collage of components. That is what inspired Purple Fish Studios (above) while creating. The focal is a filigree wrapped piece of broken china! Each detail keeps my eye roaming over this pretty necklace and adds to the story of the whole.

Fulgorine (above) is busy being a new mommy so hasn't had as much time to play in our challenges, but we are so happy that she did for this month! A pendant she made b.b. (before baby) with a stylized flower in polymer clay embellished with sequins for a little pop of color really suited this month's painting inspiration well. We are happy to have your creative voice among us, Fulgorine. Go give that sweet baby a kiss on the head for letting you play!

I love it when a design can bring together a whole world full of art beads. That is exactly what the Beady Eyed Bunny (above) gives us. How wonderful that so many different artists are represented in this pretty bracelet!

So much richness and detail abound in this necklace by Gingko et Coquelicot (above). From the blooms and the bird to the leaves and the tiny hidden insects, this necklace is a feast for the eyes! And her blog name - literally Gingko & Poppy - is perfect for this challenge as well!

I enjoy seeing what element of the inspiration paintings will spark the creativity of our readers. Miss Mary Ellen of bee tree by m.e. (above) selected that frilly, showy bloom to bring to life. The details in her polymer clay focal are really remarkable.

Thank you to one and all for adding your special touch to this month's challenge inspiration. We look forward to seeing what you do with the June monthly challenge. Come back here on Tuesday, June 4 to see the reveal!