Hoops Challenge Reveal Day!

Hope you are all safe and sound following our run in with Superstorm Sandy.  So far so good here, just on sump pump detail all day today and probably the next few to keep our furnace from being underwater.

Thanks to Lorelei Eurto and Karen Totten for making this challenge possible.  Lorelei put the challenge together and Karen from Starry Road Studio made the gorgeous hoops we got to work with for the challenge.  Be sure to visit Karen's store and nab some of these lovelies for yourself, I am putting in an order for more because I had far more ideas than hoops :), the exact colors we used are not in stock at this time but there are many others to choose from.  Also visit Lorelei's blog so you can find out how to get her great book Bohemian Inspired and also check out her shops.

So here is a collage of some of the possibilities I was playing with, I was looking to do a necklace because these seemed a little large for bracelets or earrings to me. 



I liked the idea of the copper disc in the center and could have enameled them in complimentary colors, but wasn't entirely sure how I would attach the discs in the center.  The 3 in a row arrangement I had considered attaching with waxed linen and doing some micro macrame, I am really loving working with waxed linen.  Did you know you can get lots of fab colors in waxed linen at one of Lorelei's stores?

Ok, on to the reveal then...

I opted for the off kilterish arrangement, and now looking back at Lorelei's blog post about this challenge I realize she had the hoops in a very similar arrangement.  The hoops had endless possibilities but I liked the idea of embellishing them some by using them as kind of a bead frame.  Still need to improve my wire taming skills a bit, some of it isn't laying as flat as I would like.  Aren't these hoop colors just yummy?  I'm calling it Wheels in the Sky, sorta like the Journey song but in honor of our October hurricane that was like a wheel in the sky that just kept turning.

To finish the necklace off I decided to try my hand at flat spiral weave.  I think it works pretty well here.  I used metal rounds and glass seed beads.  Getting back into beadweaving as a means to use up some of my stash and a great way to finish off my enamel and lampwork pieces.

Here are a few other shots, including some rings I made to match.  If I had more of the beads left I would have made a matching bracelet too.  Guess I will have to shop for more beads (bummer) to make the bracelet.

Here is the list of the other challenge participants, can't wait to see what everyone made with their fab hoops!

Barbara S Fernald jewelry

Elliesbijoux blog

Sue Beads

Deborah's Journal

Lorelei's Blog

Must Haves Jewelry