Summer Lovin with a Twist of Heavy Metal

Metallic finishes are everywhere right now... from faux finishes on jeans to shoes and other accessories, not to mention the metal surrounding the 2012 Olympics (gold, silver and bronze).  The metallic finishes I'm not so fond of are the kind in my teeth commonly called fillings - but we won't discuss that here.

Behold Your Inner Strength

This design challenge excited me when I saw the kit that Amy Severino of Amybeads put together.  I've had the intention of creating something in metallics for a long time and just never had the inspiration on where or what that piece would be.  Enter Amy's challenge kit and voila... then a plan and a design were born.

I loved the tree pendant Amy included in the kit.  To me, it spoke of being rooted in something bigger than ourselves, of staying connected to our spirit guides, faith and the universe.  As leaves on a tree change colors going from summer to fall, then drifting slowly to the ground, becoming one with the earth that we too are to leave a piece of ourselves wherever we go making it a better place than it was before we got there.

I posted this sign on my FB page the other day.  

It struck me in that we shouldn't just leave (EXIT), rather we should do something while we're here in order to leave a legacy! EXIST!

That's a feeling, an energy I embodied while creating this necklace.  The copper leaves slowly cascade from the pendant and rustle like the pile of leaves we used to play in as kids playing in the yard.  I pulled in shades of pewter, silver, brass, bronze, gold and copper to embody all the precious metals.  This too reminding us how precious our life is and how truly fleeting it can be.

Root ~ Stay Connected ~ Do Something Wonderful ~ Pass it On

This piece came together over several months.  As time went on and I watched my design grow, it took on a life of it's own, literally.  I could see it blossoming into something bigger.  I could see more components being added.  In the end, this piece is the perfect depiction of a life well lived... it's beautiful while it's here and continues to spread beauty for generations to come!

Thanks for stopping by!  Now here's all of the participants in the Summer Lovin' Challenge that Amybeads so graciously put together!  Hope you feel more inspired after stopping by!
{Hugs!} ~ Dawn

Renetha LampLightCrafts

Kepi   A little of this, a little of that...

Shannon Falling Into the Sky

Maryanne Zingala's Workshop

Shirley Beads and Bread

You are HERE  ---> Dawn Designs by Dawn Marie 

Therese Therese's Treasures 

Vimala The Bead Diaries

Ginger lilmummy likes...

Linda Lindy's Designs

Kristen My Bead Journey

Lois ¿Que Onda Q'town?
Debbie Beechy Beetique
Tanya A Work in Progress
Audrey Dreams of Absolution
Sandra Stories from the City of Brass
Mary MLH Jewelry Designs
Lori B.
Lucy K.

An Eye for Color Comes in Handy

Welcome Home Greg Doucette!

So when my dear, little brother (who towers over me at 6' tall) sends me an e-mail with color swatches of Tweety Bird Yellow, Blaze Orange and Electric Blue saying these are the colors he thinks would look best in his new house the color wheel in my head started spinning, then smoke started coming out my ears and then I volunteered to help paint.

Yes, that's the events of last week that led to a very busy weekend and a few achy muscles - but those weren't too bad and the result is so worth it.

The Original Color was a peach with wayyyy too much pink for Greg.

On Friday, my brother purchased his first home.  It's a well-built solid ranch with 3 bedrooms, a full, finished basement, a 2 car garage all on a nice mature lot in the small town of Brooklyn, WI.  The home was a fore-closure, so he got it for the right price knowing he'd need to put in a bit of elbow grease before he moved in and plopped down in front of the playstation.  The good news is the majority of the work is all cosmetic.

The home was dirty, so Greg's home inspectors said "Just use a little Dawn, it'll clean this place right up for you."  To which Greg responded, "Great, I'll call her right now."  (Yep, no sense of humor here... no sireee!)

After seeing his thoughts on paint colors, then talking with him about how he wanted his rooms to feel when he comes in from work, or sits down to enjoy a weekend the "Wants" were very different than the colors he thought he wanted.  He wanted a warm, cozy feel that allowed him to relax.  But he really likes orange (Note: Blaze Orange was NOT painted in the kitchen)

What Greg didn't realize that I was able to help share with him is that you can get "orange" in a whole host of colors that can still give you the warm, cozy feel you are looking for.

So thus far, we got the kitchen painted (2 coats) from top to bottom - ceilings are the worst part of painting.  We've got the paint for the living room and are playing with options for the color of the master bedroom.  While I painted, mom cleaned and my dad with the brother-in-laws helped Greg install 2 new toilets and tear up stinky, icky carpet from the basement.

It's awesome to see the progress and even more awesome to share in one of the biggest moments of Greg's life!  He's come such a long way in 8 years and I'm a beaming big sister right now!
{Hugs!}

Love how Mulling Spice brings out the warm coloring in the floors and trim!

For Sapphire Lovers - Sparkly Dangle Earrings

Are you a September Baby - or are you just classy enough to love sapphires?

As I'm walking through stores this summer, I've been looking at color trends.  Two distinct trends keep popping up... there's a shade of mango that seems to be everywhere from throw pillows, to patio place settings to clothing and accessories!

The other color that is all over the places is that rich shade of cobalt or sapphire blue!  I know we've seen red, white & blue color palettes in place every summer as people love the marine theme.  But this year cobalt blue has taken center stage all on it's own.

When my sister picked cobalt blue and silver as her wedding colors for a June wedding I thought "What??? A jewel tone in the summer???"  Then as the wedding got closer, I started seeing cobalt blue everywhere.  It's a bright pop of bold among the tradition summery orange, turquoise and lime shades.

To bring in that touch of sapphire as an accessory I created these artisan beaded earrings, Don't Cry for September.  Each earring features a genuine paua shell in the center surrounded by sparkly crystals and tiny seed beads. There's something so magical about looking at the iridescent lining of a shell.  These Paua shells are no different.  They display vivid shades of blue transitioning to green and grey even.  Depending on the lighting you'll see that magical rainbow dancing in the middle of these earrings. Dangling off the bottom of the earring is a beautiful glass teardrop in a sapphire shade. 

These earrings aren't just for September babies (like myself) but for anybody that loves that elegant shade of cobalt blue.  The earwires are an antique silver creating a vintage inspired, chic design.

One-of-a-Kind Artisan Earrings Created by Lake Geneva, WI Jewelry Artisan

Don't Cry for September

These are truly one-of-a-kind for the woman that likes to be fashionable and still have flexibility in her accessories!  If you are interested, use the Buy it Now button above or e-mail me dawn@designsbydawnmarie.com and I would be happy to arrange delivery of these beautiful earrings to your home.

Each piece of custom jewelry I create is special and comes from my heart.  If you would like to have a piece of custom artisan jewelry designed just for you, contact me.  I'd be happy to collaborate on your vision and turn it into a piece of artisan jewelry you can pass down to your future heirs.

Have a fabulous day!
{Hugs!}
Dawn