Use your stash - Art Elements [January theme]

The theme of the January challenge at Art Elements Lindsay gave us was: Use your stash! On one hand a simple challenge but at the same time the hardest at all. I mean no excuse to get new beads or other material to play with, or even get new tools!

Moreover, there are unused items in ones stash for a reason: Pure treasure - never to be used! / never got complimentary beads / hole is too big or small / there is a perfect idea in my head with no idea how to realize this and so one and on....

January is also a month where there is a little bit of "new year" energy but that drop down really fast because work and the greyness of winter get a hard grip on that. So I made it a little bit easier for myself and set my goal to finish some UFOs that were...nearly finished. And hey, they were in my stash, no?!

The bottlecaps were already shaped and I even had the holes cut and filed. So all I had to do is add the dangling beads and some ear wires with a single bead as accent. I used to make a lot of these kind of earrings and I still love them! But honestly I got tired of making them. I think this will be the last ones for a long time.

We have a secret santa every year at the Art Elements Team. I got from my secret santa for christmas 2016 these wonderful bone pieces. I drilled some holes in them, stamped them and added a protective layer of epoxy. 

The dangles of these shoulder-duster earrings add such wonderful movement but... I cant capture it in a photo so you just have to take my word for it. Even though they are really long, they are light weighted and nice to wear.

My bead table and stash would never be complete without numinosity components (from Kimberly Rogers). Her organic style speaks to me and fits so wonderful in my own tribal, organic, and weird creations. I added some thread (also under the wire, adds just subtle texture), wire and freshwater pearls. I think there is a nice balance contrast where no part overwhelms the other.

I didn't finish all. I have another pair of these bone game pieces drilled and wrapped with a little bit of old paper waiting for their bead dangles. Also this finished single earring that is missing a partner, I have a very small bone game piece left, maybe I will go for assymetrical earrings... or I may change this piece to a pendant or ornament. 

Any idea or suggestion would be welcome!

And just look how the light comes through the glass, I so love czech glass beads.

Thank you for joining us and please have a look what everyone made!

Guests:

Kelly Rodgers

Sarajo Wentling

Samantha Wescott

Kathy Lindemer

Patty Miller

Linda Landig

Renetha Stanziano

Art Elements:

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Jen Cameron

Claire Fabian (you are here)

Sue Kennedy

Niky Sayers

Lindsay Starr