Some months ago, Lisa Lodge announced another one of her fun challenges and blog hops, the Summer Color Surprise Blog Hop. Lisa’s challenges involve purchasing a kit from her, containing a selection of beads for creating something. In this challenge, we didn’t get to pick the colour of the bead selection, hence the surprise.
The bead kit I received was green. It contained a round Marsha Neal Studio pendant with a spiral design in a pretty shade of green, a handful of large round yellow turquoise beads and some tiny olivine Swarovski bicones.
While I was tempted to keep to greens alone, I decided the beads needed a pop of colour to pull the three shades of green together, I added some green and orange bi-coloured glass nuggets and some oval antiqued copper chain. Apparently I’m on a long necklace kick at the moment, because this one is about 30 inches long.
With some of the left-over Swarovski crystals and a couple more of the bi-coloured nuggets, I whipped up a pair of earrings too.
Thanks for the opportunity to create something with these beautiful beads Lisa! I’m looking forward to the next challenge in November. Now, go and check out what other people have made. We all got different packs, so there’ll be a great variety!
Your Hostess: Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
Chris Eisenberg, Wander Ware Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes <– You are here!
Monique Urquhart, A Half-Baked Notion
Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool
Charlene Bausinger Jacka, Clay Space
Tara Plote, The Newbie Beader’s Blog
Renetha Williams Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts
Leah Mifflin Tees, My Beady Little Eyes
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Toltec Jewels, Toltec Jewels for Jewel School Friends
Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me
Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things
Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry
Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life
Julie Lockhart, Copar Aingeal
Dolores Rami, CraftyD’s Creations
Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads
Mowse Doyle, Mowse Made This
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Candida Elkins Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks
Shaiha Williams, Shaiha’s Ramblings
Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry
Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations
beadrecipes 
Great pieces Melissa! Love the colors!
Wow, Melissa! I love this color combo. I would wear those earrings all the time. That pendant is perfect for the long necklace. Thanks for being in the hop!
Love the necklace.. It has an autumn feel too it.. great job.
My goodness, adding those bicolour nuggets made for an amazing look, Melissa… and those large copper chain links: genius!
Those nuggets are the perfect “bridge”- love how the whole thing turned out, and the earrings are the finishing touch! Christie
Very lovely design! The copper and greens really work well together.
I really love the longer style beaded necklace – I’d so wear this!
Great use of that focal, and I like your wire work. But the earrings are my favorite. Such luscious colors swirling in there!
I’m a big fan of green and of Marsha Neal, and I love how you brought all of the elements together. Beautiful job!
I just love longer necklaces and this piece is great!
The copper and the orange-y beads complement the greens wonderfully!
Great pieces. The orange and copper is just what they needed.
I think the length of your finished piece works perfectly with the size of the spiral focal and the chunky copper chain compliments and integrates all the other elements beautifully. Excellent work Melissa!!!
Oh, my, such a beautiful combination, Melissa – adding the by-color nuggets makes the set absolutely stunning! Love it – including the opera length, I’d sure wear something like this everywhere 🙂
I absolutely am in LOVE with this necklace! It is GORGEOUS!! Great work!
I love how you added that touch of orange with the beautiful green beads. Great earrings too.
Beautiful! Lucky you received an art bead and created fab jewelry. Your colorway is summery and warm, like melon and cantaloupe. Gorgeous! Love the coppers and greens.
I’ve been on a super long necklace kick too. Though this is so long, you still kept it super simple. It’s really lovely.