Green With Love... A Stringing Blog Hop and Giveaway

As a contributor in the fall issue of Stringing magazine, I was invited with other contributors to participate in the Stringing blog hop. As part of the hop we will be blogging about what inspired our featured designs along with links to the other participants. And there are prizes too boot! So here is my story... and I'm sticking with it!

Summer is almost over and I am beginning to feel the long summer days growing shorter as we head into fall. It's amazing how fast time is going. It seems like just yesterday I sent in my submissions for the fall 2010 issue of Stringing magazine. In reality it was earlier this year. Because magazines don't just materialize the day they are due, and are planned well in advance, you are required to consider seasons that are not the one you are living at that moment. For that reason, getting in the mood for the season you are not currently in can take a bit of mind tricking especially when all I wanted to do was think about springs light and airy textures and colors. I can remember sitting in the kitchen looking out at our giant California live oak and thinking "Fall. Fall. Fall." to get myself in the mood. When that didn't work, I ended up going through my big supply box and pulling out a few of the silk cords that I've been hoarding for the last few years in colors that seemed fallish to me. The infinite heart pendant used in the project has been a favorite of mine and has been hanging around the studio for some time. It needed to, as Rachel Zoe says, "Have a moment."

For myself, having almost all of my beads and supplies out and visible helps me put things together, much to my tolerant husbands chagrin. I tend to "monopolize every surface!" with my beads. What? you don't like looking at them 24/7? What do you mean they are getting in your food? Eat around them I say! Eat around them! When the design muse is around to play, who am I to say "pack it in"?

Being a lover of blue and brown, the teal silk begged to be next to the copper chain and who am I to argue? Copper in general reminds me of fall and it is a budget friendly metal which I am all about! The trickiest part was getting the cord ends even and not having one side longer than the other. I was sure the cord was going to get snagged. Luckily it didn't and if I'd been thinking about it properly instead of just jumping in with my excited eyes closed, I would have thought to measure the length of the chain and the length of the cord and found the middle of each to know when to stop threading it! Well now we know!

My favorite part of putting something together is having that light bulb moment when the colors, shapes and textures come together and just feel right! Yum!

I hope you get a chance to check out the other designers blogs and remember to leave a comment because each comment (one per blog) is worth a chance to win the prizes! The prizes are a new Connected Heart pendant with matching beads, the fall issue of Stringing, and a goodie pack of filigree, gemstones & other findings from Rings & Things! If you are curious, the rules are posted on here on Michelle Mach's blog. BONUS! Leave a comment here and you will be entered to win one of the new connected hearts!  Link to this blog post from yours and double your chances to win! Just leave a comment with your link! Enjoy and good luck!

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

Sharon Palac

Anne Perry

Lisa Petrillo

Erin Prais-Hintz

Molly Schaller

Erin Strother

Heather Trudeau

Jennifer Judd Velasquez

Jennifer Zeiger