HBBH 3 - The Reveal

It's time for the first of our Holiday Bling Blog Hop Reveals for 2013.

We partnered gals up and asked them to decide on a holiday that is celebrated during the months of February or March, and gave some suggestions on what they could choose to exchange celebratory gifts.
Now you know when Shelley and I are presented with a list like this, that included the birthdays of Barbie and Big Bird, we had to run with it.

·Ground Hog Day - Feb 2

·Do a Grouch a Favor Day - Feb 16

·International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day - Feb 23

·Barbie's Birthday - March 9

·Big Bird's Birthday - March 20

 

My partner is Marti Conrad. You all can see her fantastic ceramic work at Marti's Buttons-n-Beads, and it speaks for itself. We shared emails about each other, and realized we are both devoted dog lovers, mine are Princess and Pepper, and her's is Millie. So what could be better for us to celebrate than International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day, February 23rd. Then to top it off, found out that it was also Marti's hubby's (Rusty) birthday that same day.

I set to work creating the very first sculpture I have done with a theme, to honor the Birthday Boy and their beloved Japanese Chin, Millie. But then had to include something related to the appreciation of dog biscuits. So they were added, along with the titled I gave it: WHERE ARE YOU?

Marti tells me Rusty got a big kick out of it.

She sent me something a guy could use in return using the same theme. This adorable Dog Biscuit key ring. She is wrong though, it is on my car keys and IT IS STAYING THERE!

Thank you so much, Marti, I have a giggle every time I get in and start my car, and have gotten a few odd looks from others in parking lots, but they have no idea what joy my partnering with you has brought me.

Thanks all for a wonderful response to our blog hop and please visit everyone else to see what holiday they chose to celebrate.

Alicia Marinache  All the Pretty Things
Catherine King Catherine's Musings     
Chris Schlicht Non-blogger HBBH Partners
Cynthia Machata Antiquity Travelers
Dyanne Everett-Cantrell Dee-Liteful Jewelry Creations
Gina Hockett Freestyle Elements
Jennifer Reno Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Laura Reed Non-blogger HBBH Partners
Leanne Loftus First Impression Design
Lennis Carrier Windbent
Lori Bowring Michaud Artfully Ornamental
Marti Conrad Marti C's Clay Blog < My partner
Mary Govaars MLH Jewelry Designs
Renetha Stanziano LamplightCrafts
Rita/ Toltec Jewels Jewel School Friends
Sandra McGriff Creative Chaos
Sarah Goode Pookledo
Sherri Stokey Knot Just Macrame
Sonya Stille Dreamin Of Beads
Tammie Everly TTE Designs
Therese Frank Therese's Treasures
Tiffany Goff Smith Southern Gals Designs
Marlene Cupo Amazing Designs < you are here
Shelley Graham Turner Fabric of My Life

Polymer Clay Goes to the Inauguration

I have to introduce you to a friend of mine, Karonkay Cowger of Spokane, WA. She has been married to David Cowger for 32 years, has 4 children and 10 grandchildren (has me beat). She is also a real animal lover, with 3 cats and a monkey.

She said and I quote: "Have been working with polymer clay for seven years. (my how time flies when you are playing)." Although, she has been beading for almost 35 years. Her first adventure into polymer clay started with an inspiration from Christie Freisen, and she has not looked back since.






After buying every polymer clay book available. she had fun trying new techniques, and especially likes the mica shift technique because she loves shiny and sparkly things. After she happened on The Polymer Clay Tutor, an instruction site by Cindy Lietz, she tried making dogwood flowers that she thought she could make to look like real flowers.

Another quote from Karen: "My mother and I have been avid gardeners for a long time and we both love flowers in all their beautiful color combinations and I usually send mom flowers for her birthday and Mother's Day. I thought she would appreciate everlasting flowers. So I made a branch of dogwoods, calla lilies and roses ( my favorite flower) and a few others. I sent them to my mom. She loved them."





To say her flowers are as close to real as you could ever find, is an understatement!

She sent a picture of the flowers to her sister in Virginia. From there it went to the committee of the AIS (American Indian Society) Inaugural Ball 2013. She was asked to do the bouquets for the tables. It began as a simple request for red, white and blue flowers to celebrate the colors of the flag at the ball, but she could not think of enough blue flowers that would be the right shade of blue. She was told to turn her muse loose and come up with what ever she could think of doing.

Her inspiration was: "The coming together of a great nation, voting on your choice for president, and celebrating after a year of strife and politics as usual in the United States where we sling barbs and untruths at each other hoping that the people will vote for which ever candidate you favor. The inaugural ball is a reuniting of the parties on a joyful occasion ( for most of the US it is celebrating the end of Ads and political warfare). To symbolize the uniting of the fifty states caught up in the election I wanted to take the state flower of each state and put them together in a bouquet. My statement piece was, Though we are all different- together we can make a beautiful bouquet".

So for almost a year Karen spent endless hours creating the State Flower of every one of the 51 states, and created the amazing bouquets you see here.

They graced the tables at the Inaugural Ball this past January, and were photographed so beautifully by Vincent Schilling, of Schilling Media, Inc.

Enjoy!

HBBH 3 ½ - A SURPRISE PARTY!

Hey, we thought Punxsutawney Phil forecast an early spring! So why are so many of us still dealing with all that white fluffy stuff, and temperatures only meant for the inside of a refrigerator/freezer? As if this isn’t bad enough, what makes it even worse is the next major Holiday is still a long way off!

Then, here we are in the midst of waiting for the Reveal of
HBBH 3. What is a beady gal suppose to do with all this time on her hands, especially if it isn’t her birthday celebration time!

OH WAIT! That’s it! 



All rights reserved to the Walt Disney Company

It’s time to have a VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY PARTY via our extra special HBBH 3 ^½ Blog Event!

Yes, we are at it again. Just like the "March Hare", the "White Rabbit", and the "Mad Hatter" invited "Alice" to their party, we are inviting you to ours.

You’re asking how, you say?

Simple, sign up by going to  Marshellswaps and filling out the entry form.

We will assign partners, and you will be notified of their email, so you can contact one another and find out what month you each celebrate your birthday.

Then use this Monthly Birthstone chart to make a piece of Birthday Bling for each other.

 Now don’t get crazy, the chart is for color reference only. You DO NOT have to use the actual gemstone, but what the heck. Let’s just say both of us celebrate in, what month did you say diamonds are the birthstone?

Signups will run from today to March 8, and finished items should be in the mail by March 25. The Reveal will be April 20.

See you at the party! Wear your party hat, but cake and ice cream optional!