Dark Bloom Challenge

Today's post will have very little to do with Kazakhstan.  Don't worry, though--I'm sure I'll have more (mis)adventures soon to write about.  Today's post has to do with BEADS which I think must be nearly as fun anyway.

While we were still in the United States, Andrew Thornton announced his Dark Bloom Challenge.  Andrew has created many of these fun challenges in the past.  In essence, he creates a limited number of kits which include a good number of beads in a certain color palette, finding(s), stringing material, and a mystery component.  The mystery component this time was a lovely purple polymer clay coin pendant, which you can see here.  Each participant can use as much or as little of the kit as they want, and then everyone who wants to shares their creations.

When Andrew announced this kit, I loved the fact that he included so much purple.  Also, I thought I could use a distraction from the stress of an international move.  This was true up to a point.  As anyone who has ever moved anywhere knows, almost everything takes longer than you think it will.  As a result, I wasn't able to put as much thought into the planning of my creation as I would have liked.  I'm very pleased with the end result, but I didn't incorporate as many beads from the kit as I would have liked.  When Andrew emailed me and the other participants about an "extension" for our projects, I thought I might be able to remedy that by creating a second piece.  I came up with an idea in my mind for a beautiful bracelet, which I was really excited to make.  But--wouldn't you know it--the beads from my own stash that I needed to complete it turned out to be in a box that hasn't arrived yet.  Interestingly, there seems to be very little correlation between shipping dates and arrival dates for my boxes.  We shipped over a two week period; the last box I shipped arrived yesterday, whereas the first one is apparently still traveling the world or chilling in the customs office.

I made a necklace for my creation.  I started by beading a length of spiral rope stitch using vintage purple and gray seed beads from my collection.  I then made a sort of two-hole beaded bead using peyote stitch to divide the beaded rope into two sections and create a u-shaped space to hang the polymer clay mystery component.  After than, I created a beaded bail for the mystery component.  Finally, I attached the clasp (which came from the kit), and embellished the beaded rope using small glass beads from the kit and some of my own seed beads.

Here are a couple of pictures.  I apologize that the picture quality isn't great.  The light box which I would normally use to take pictures of my jewelry is currently in my childhood bedroom.  It's rather large, even when folded up, but I may try to fit it into a bag and bring it back here with me when I'm home next.  I took pictures on my windowsill, hoping that the natural light would help, but, well, you'll see...

My necklace!

Close-up of the mystery component polymer clay pendant

Update:  I didn't have this information yesterday due to the time difference between the US and Kazakhstan, but here are the links for the other participants:

Karin Grosset Grange http://www.ginkgoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr/

Carolyn Lawsom http://www.carolynscreations.blogspot.com/

Holly Baldwin http://www.trickoflightstudios.com/

Jeanne Steck http://www.gemsbyjeannemarie.blogspot.com/

Ann Schroeder http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com/

Kari Asbury http://www.hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com/

Andrew Thornton, Laurel Ross, Alison Herrington, Geri Colgrove, Crystal Lombardo Farrell http://www.andrew-thornton.blogspot.com/