Echo Creative Club Reveal

Welcome to my reveal for the Echo Creative Club July Blog Hop.  I was so excited when I opened the package from Jeannie Dukic (Jewelry by Jeannie) and saw this beautiful polymer clay sand dollar.

I recently moved to Maryland from Maine - when I lived in Maine I lived near the ocean - mostly just minutes away - and to say I miss it is an understatement.  I enjoyed walks along the beach scouting for sea glass, unique shells and of course sand dollars.  When I opened the package and saw this sand dollar I knew I wanted to create a piece of jewelry that spoke of all that - and was summery and light.  I played with beads and fibers, leather and wire and just about everything I had in my stash - and remembered some pretty aqua sea glass beads I had purchased last time I was in Maine.

I domed some small copper washers to use as bead caps and wrapped (using the "messy wrap which was a serious challenge for my OCD!) each of them in copper wire. I also had some pretty little faceted aquamarine rondelles which I paired with some crystal spacers (to mimic the shape of the sea glass beads), which I also wrapped in copper wire.

 I used some copper washers (which I etched with random shapes) in between each set of aquamarines.

 I wanted the sand dollar to shine as the star of the piece, but wanted to highlight it somehow, so I created a copper hanger for it.

A handcrafted copper clasp to finish it off.

A big thank you to Jeannie Dukic for the beautiful sand dollar and the chance to be part of the Echo Creative Club July Blog Hop. 

 Please check out the other blogs that are taking part in this blog hop:

Alicia Marinache  http://www.allprettythings.ca/

Charlie Jacka  http://clay-space.com/

Jeannie K Dukic  http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog

Kristen Stevens  http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com/

Patti Vanderbloemen  http://www.myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com/

Echo Creative Club - July

This is my month of participation in the Echo Creative Club.  The piece that I make will be revealed on July 25th - but until then I wanted to show you the gorgeous creation by Jeannie Dukic (Jewelry by Jeannie) that I will be using in my piece.

First I have to say I was blown away by the packaging she used.........her tagline is "Be brave enough to live your life creatively" and judging by what I received in the mail, she does!

And now on to the charm - it's a lovely sand dollar - polymer clay and oh-so-perfect for a summer piece of jewelry.  I have to admit that it has been sitting front and center on my bench - every time I get an idea I lay the beads and wire/fiber/cord next to it..................in my mind it has been made twenty times over.  

I am not going to spoil it....................(although I ALWAYS read the last page of a book and ask for the ending of movies just 'cuz......)and I am not going to even hint at what I will be using for beads/wire/etc.......but I will ask you - what would you do with this?

Come back and visit me on the 25th for the reveal - and until then check out Jeannie's work on her website - it's fantastic!