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Friday, May 20, 2016

Wedding Gift Tag


These are my latest tag cards.  I sprayed manila tags with a base color then oversprayed using a mask.  I used a tiny attacher for the lace and layered lots of flowers.  I cut the oval message with my Cameo and foiled the sentiment with gold foil.  I layered the back with another tag to cover the staples. 


Thursday, May 19, 2016

New Distress Goodness


 I was excited to see the new Distress Ink colors at Hobby Lobby this week.  I keep a list with me on my phone so I always know which ones I have.  I love the bright new colors.  I have not tried the new Distress crayons yet, but I'm sure Tim has a video somewhere to show me how to use them.



Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Mandala Madness Part 7


I am slowly but surely catching up with the Mandala project.  Week 7 had bobble stitches that you have to stitch from the other side.  This week was a challenge, for sure.  I am still not quite caught up, but I have started on week 8.Stay tuned for the next installment.  For more information about this project, visit the Crystals and Crochet blog.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Making Colorful Backgrounds


I needed to create a batch of tags that had lots of bright color and texture.  This assembly line process really doesn't take much more time than making just one tag.  I started by spraying manilla tags from Ranger with Dylusions spray ink, Heidi Swapp Color Shine spray and Distress spray stains.  Each one is different with the Dylusions being the brightest.  The Color Shine has a pearlescent sheen.


 Next, I places a stencil mask over the tags and then oversprayed them with another color.  You can use the same spray color for a subtle pattern.  They are looking pretty bright at this point.

The next step was adding a bit of torn paper to the side of each tag.  I chose papers with small patterns and coordinating colors.  I also inked the edges of the torn paper with distress ink.


Once the colorful backgrounds were ready, I added flowers, lace and gem stickers.  These made great Mother's Day tags.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Dotted Lampwork Leaves


Here is another fun batch of lampwork headpins fresh out of the kiln.  These leaves are being made into earrings and are headed to Posh Alley in Rogers, AR.  These leaves are larger than my usual pins and they make great earrings.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Mandala Madness Part 6


I finally finished week 6 of the Mandala Madness crochet-a-long project.  I am still a little behind, but I have a ball winder now, so it should go a little faster.  At least I won't have to fight with the yarn anymore.  Now, if I could just find a few extra hours in each day.

Friday, May 13, 2016

My Latest Crochet Hat


This is my latest hat crocheted with Tangiers yarn.  I love the beautiful colors of this yarn as well as the texture.  I love this pattern, called Bonita.  It is a simple pattern using mostly double crochet and chain stitches.  This is a great pattern for beginners.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Even More New Necklaces from Dry Gulch


I have been busy creating new necklaces for our shows and our stores.  You can find our jewelry at Posh Alley in Rogers, AR and Picadilly Frilly in Bentonville, AR. 

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Feather Necklaces


Check out these boho feather necklaces made by the Dry Gulch gals.  Our cool feathers have all been hand painted by Catherine and each one represents a specific bird.  The first necklace is a road runner feather.  LOVE!

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

New Fingerless Gloves



These new fingerless gloves are a new design for me.  These happen to be child-sized - they fit my 9 year-old perfectly.  There is even a perfect little thumb hole in the side.  I enjoyed this pattern so I plan to do more.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Lampwork Leaf Earrings


These are some of my leaf earrings made from our very own headpins.  Victoria made these particular headpins.  They have a fantastic glittery shimmer coating and the pic does not do them justice.  The spacer at the top of the leaf is a woven seed bead ring. 

Sunday, May 8, 2016

New Necklaces





Here are some of my latest necklace creations using pendants that we make here at Dry Gulch.  The bead and chain have been wire wrapped together and they are all different lengths.  The wing necklace even features handmade lampwork bumpy beads, made by me. 

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Mandala Madness - Part 5



Here is my Mandala after week 5.  The colors look a little washed out.  It is definitely prettier in person.  I have already started working on part 6.  At this stage, my mandala measures about 20 inches across.  I have decided that I can no longer live without a ball winder.  Hopefully, I will be able to post part 6 soon. 

Friday, May 6, 2016

Soldered Components



These are components I created with half lampwork beads.  First the metal is cutout, then the bezel strip is soldered together to fit around the bead.  Then the bezel wire is soldered to the base and the bead is burnished into the setting.  I then textured the metal to give a more decorative look.  Most of these components do not have holes yet.  They could be pendants or links.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Mandala Madness - Part 4







I recently completed part 4 of the Mandala Madness crochet-a-long.  I took a little time off while I waited for new colors of yarn to arrive.  I am glad I waited!  I have a lot of catching up to do.  I am still learning new stitches and I love the dimension the post stitches create.  Thanks to Helen and her amazing pattern.  Stay tuned for the next round.


Wednesday, May 4, 2016

New Dragonfly Pendants




We have a whole new batch of dragonfly pendants in our Etsy store.  We love the fresh, new colors and we are excited about our new dragonfly, the steampunk design.  Catch these dragonflies before they fly away!

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

May Color Design Challenge

 
Design with color and inspire your creativity!

Welcome to the
Dry Gulch Color Design Challenge!

Every month Dry Gulch Beads and Jewelry will be hosting a challenge for creative artisans everywhere.  Be inspired and unleash your creative talents!  What will you create?

Vintage Poppies
Use our colors to inspire your creativity!  Post your project using the color palette above.  Your design will be eligible to win either a $50 gift certificate or a $25 gift certificate to Dry Gulch Beads.
 
Anything can be created for this challenge, including;  finished jewelry pieces, headbands, wearable pendants/pins, handmade cards, lampwork beads, seed-bead art, sewing design, metal-smithing/art, paper crafting, clothing/fiber art, leather work, painting, even your favorite culinary delights (like cupcakes), etc.  Your project must be created newly and specifically for our current monthly challenge.  Your project must include all the colors shown in the palette. The project may have other colors in it, but the official palette should be the main focus.  The sky is the limit!  Show us how creative you are with our color palette.
 
For this challenge, Dry Gulch is offering a $50 gift certificate to the Winner and a $25 gift certificate prize to the Runner-up.  The judges will be looking for adherence to the color palette, creativity of the project’s design and effort.  You may purchase and use Dry Gulch components in your project, but that is not a requirement to win.
 
Your judges (4 judges) will be the 3 generations of women who create at Dry Gulch Beads and Jewelry.  The judges may create and post their own visions of the monthly color palette also, but for inspiration and presentation only.

We’ll publish each created work on Facebook and on our challenge page Add your photo in the comments on our Color Design Challenge Facebook Event or email us your photo to custserv@drygulch.com.  When uploading, you may add a description of your work.  If also Facebooking and/or blogging your Dry Gulch Color Design project, please add a link to the Challenge on your page.  You may also use our official Color Challenge blog badge, which can be found on the right side of our blog.

 
Entries for the Dry Gulch Color Design Challenge may be turned in from now until midnight CST, Tuesday, May 31st, 2016.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Ozark Regional Craft Fair

 


Dry Gulch will be at the Ozark Regional Craft Fair in Springdale, Arkansas this coming weekend.  We are excited to be a part of this event.  We will have boho handbags, tattered flower brooches, shabby flower hats, boot bling and of course, lots of handmade jewelry. There will be tons of other handmade artists as well.  If you are in the area, stop by and say hello!