Whatever Happened To?

Remember early this past spring when I was working with Laurie of Glassbead on the etsyBEAD and Creative Glass Guild of Etsy (CGGE) creative collaboration challenge? So, whatever happened to "Spring Reflections," the necklace I created using Laurie's gorgeous lampwork beads? Well, it is available for sale in the HOST (Helping Others Street Team) shop on Etsy - wish I could afford it :-)) but hey, would LOVE to see it go to a "good home" :-)). You can check it out, along with some other wonderful listings at the HOST shop - all proceeds are used to help Etsy sellers in need, a terrific mission.

While you're surfing, be sure to stop by and check out Laurie's shop, Glassbead - beautiful artisan beads - what talent!

PICK YOUR FAVORITE ~ WIN A PRIZE!

Today's the day! Don't forget to stop by the Creative Minds for Charity site for the "poll link" and vote for your favorite design (I know - it's so hard to pick just one - they're all so gorgeous!!)....all the pics are there (and there are more pics of the designs if you need to see more available at the CMC Flickr Pool). Once you vote, you'll need to enter either your Etsy ID or your email address (no worries - this is ONLY to contact if you are the winner of a great prize - no email addresses will be sold or shared & no one will be contacting you for any reason after the challenge is completed :-)).

The poll is open until 11:59 PM EST TODAY ONLY so don't delay - vote now! You could be the winner of a terrific prize donated by etsyBEAD, CGGE (Creative Glass Guild of Etsy), and HOST (Helping Others Street Team)! See a design you'd like to purchase? Be sure to check back with the HOST shop to see when the items are listed (some are already available!) as they are currently being added with ALL proceeds going to the mission of HOST (be sure to check the shop profile about the great work this team does!).

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!....And...more SOCCER Pics!

Yes! It's finally almost time for the Creative Minds for Charity Challenge ~ so mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 23rd, when the polls will be open ALL DAY for YOU to vote for your favorite collaboration piece (and get a chance to win a prize basket full of goodies, too! whatta deal!). You can see ALL of the gorgeous pieces right now at the CMC website, but remember the link to the poll will not be open until Wednesday so be sure to check back then and cast your vote! Every item will then be available for purchase in the Etsy HOST shop with all monies donated to the HOST mission (see the HOST shop profile for more details - a great cause!). Naturally, I'm partial to the "Spring Reflections" creation, but you can see that your decision on Wednesday will be difficult choice - everyone's pieces are truly OOAK and absolutely stunning! What a talented group of artisans! :-)

And, of course, spring soccer has begun ~ whatever the weather! Here are some favorite pics from our first few games...

"Spring Reflections" CMC Submission

You may recall that a couple of months ago I mentioned a collaboration activity I was going to participate in ~ Creative Minds for Charity ~ artisans from CGGE (Creative Glass Guild of Etsy) and etsyBEAD (one of my groups) partnering to support HOST (Helping Others Street Team of Etsy).

I was so fortunate to be paired with the very talented lampwork artist, Laurie, of Glassbead (Isinglass Design) who donated these beautiful blues for me to work with and the "playing with beads" began...

The finished piece, called "Spring Reflections," is double-strand elegance in blues and creamy white. The artisan lampwork focals by Glassbead are accented with Swarovski pearls in white and Tahitian blue and Swarovski crystals in capri blue, Indian sapphire, and white opal. Sterling silver rounds and spacers throughout add beautiful light-catching highlights.

Beading is done on professional grade stringing wire and all findings, including the toggle closure, are sterling silver. Necklace is approx. 23" in length.

This necklace will soon be available for purchase, along with the other beautiful CMC submissions, in the HOST Etsy shop, with ALL proceeds going toward the mission of HOST ~ as described by one HOST member "Our goal is to give unconditional support to any fellow Estian in their time of need - Support being prayers, thoughts, hugs; a shoulder to cry and lean on; money; sales. We only care about the person, not their race, religion, or nationality... We are a community here of caring hand made artisans who just want to extend a helping hand all year long." (You can read more about HOST on their shop profile page and their blog.)

AND...there's MORE! YOU can also vote for your favorite CMC piece and win a terrific prize - watch for details on the Creative Minds for Charity blog - this will be coming up SOON (I'll be sure to update you here as well!).

Want to see more pics of "Spring Reflections"? Check out all the pics at flickr (CMC Submission Set). And again, many, many thanks to Laurie of Glassbead for sharing her inspirational and beautiful "blues" with me! :-)