Ornament Swap Hop!!

The fabulously talented and sweet Sally Russick organized a Holiday Ornament Swap/Blog Hop!  She paired all of us happy participants up and the ornament making commenced.  The only requirement was that the handmade ornament include an art bead of some sort. 

After much internal debate on the direction I would take, I decided to make a Stephanie Lee "PipeDreams" inspired piece. I embedded some metal filigree medallions on each side and then stared at it for a few days before the inspiration decided to hit me! I punched some holes in the bottom and wove some copper wire in a fishnet/lace pattern and attached some pretty red crystals. I took a big metal filigree bead and halved it, somewhat flattened it, then enameled it a Christmas tree green shade, and wired it onto the top with more copper wire and a red crystal.

With the other end of the wire on the top component, I hung several lengths of copper chain that I embellished with a whole load of stuff...czech glass flowers and other beads, a couple of red birds I enameled.  I added some strips of pretty sari ribbon that I got from lovely Barbara Lewis.  I then fashioned a swirly hook out of some steel wire and added a bow of more sari ribbon.

I was totally ready to stop when I remembered the enameled/resined cardinal component I made last year and hadn't known what to use it with!  I had to add it...I know it sent it over the top, but I just had to.

My creative partner is Crafty Hope Smitherman!  We hit it off immediately!  She is a fellow 'Bama girl!  Rooooooollllllllllll, Tide! Roll!  She sent me the sweetest package of goodies, including candy! That is my kind of girl!  A very cool Christmas tree of resin, complete with a gorgeous polymer clay star and pretty green enameled bead is very happily hanging on my tree!  Oh, and the handmade pom-pom garland?  Very clever and Christmasy!  Thanks again Hope!  Here is a sneak peak at what she sent....I loved it!!  To hear more about her creative process, go check out her post!

Go visit the other pairs and check out the lovely ornaments that they made and swapped!  Wow, this really puts me in the Christmas spirit now!  Thank you, Sally, for hosting such a fun, inspirational blog hop!!

Erin Prais-Hintz and Alice Peterson

Sally Russick and Kim Hora

Susan Kennedy and Kathleen Lange Klik

Patty Gasparino and Cindy Wimmer

Hope Smitherman and Melissa Meman

Jennifer L. Justman and Sandi Volpe

Jenny Davies-Reazor and Christine Altimiller

Rebecca Anderson and Jen Velasquez

Jeanette Blix Ryan and Tamara Soper

Holly Westfall and Mallory Hoffman