Saturday, September 22, 2012

Blog 5 (Plus 1) Hop

Y'all, I need to go buy a lottery ticket -- I have had such good fortune the past couple of days, there must be a lucky star hanging over my head...

The latest?  I was honored to be recognized by two of the bloggers involved in the Blog 5 Hop.  And I'm gobsmacked.


Here's the deal:  the lovely Cynthia of Antiquity Travelers and six other bloggers have identified bloggers that they each feel best represent the categories above, and I was one of the lucky ones Cynthia chose.  Along the way, the equally lovely Christine of One Kiss Creations decided that my madness humor didn't quite fit in any established category, so she created a Humor category, complete with a naughty gnome (the badge here is the original gnome's more innocent brother).

So here are my choices for these categories.  I've tried to take this opportunity to highlight some blogs that I haven't had a chance to mention here or here...

There are two blogs that I can consistently rely on for both beautiful jewelry and great learning opportunities. The first, Eva Maria Keiser Designs, is a wonderful compilation of Eva Maria's original designs (check out the awesome beadwoven chess pieces in her banner), palettes drawn from her own and others' work, and videos of tutorials, fashion shows, and other things that will inspire you.  Her blog's tagline is "look, learn, share, inspire."  Yep, she gets all of that done, every time.

The other blogger who's generous with instruction and inspiration is Brandi of Brandi Girl Blog.  She also regularly has beautiful palettes inspired by gorgeous photos, but also provides great tutorials and other hints on how to make your photos and yourself look your best online and in various social media forums.


I think one of  the hardest categories to narrow down is the "Artistic" category, because there is jaw-dropping talent out there in BlogLand.  But here are a couple whose artistry consistently makes me catch my breath in awe and admiration.  First up is Gwen Beads.  Self-described as "artist, mathematician, teacher, and learner," Gwen always makes me wish I had retained more from my high school geometry classes.  Don't let works with titles like "Infinity Cube" and "Three Intersecting Rectangles for the Math Nerd In You" throw you off -- these are some seriously beautiful creations .  She makes beads behave in ways you can hardly believe.  

And I always get a smile of anticipation when I see that there's a new post from Joan Babcock on My Life in Knots.  A master of micro macrame, color combinations, and elegantly combining fiber, beads, and metal, Joan 's work is unique and beautiful.  She could singlehandedly make you forget any unfortunate macrame plant hanger incidents you may have in your past.  This ain't your grandma's knotting.

Journalistic bloggers are, to me, those who interweave pieces of their non-beady lives in their blogs. Without a doubt, I have to salute Lori Anderson, whose stories of her own bead and life journey, adventures with the adorable and brilliant Zack, and personality that has made her bead swaps a global phenomenon, brings you into her world with warmth, humor, and a big ol' piece of pie.  It was her bead swaps that made me want to blog, so I could play along.

A relatively new find for me is Skylar at Brising Beads.  Her beadwork is bold and beautiful, but her "other life" as a professor of Women's Studies informs her perspective on life and creativity.  Her posts are always thought provoking and insightful.

Want to discover someone new to blogging (less than a year), but who deserves to have lots and lots of people paying attention to them?  Check out Kepi's work on A Little of This, A Little of That.  I first found her blog during the Summer Lovin' blog hop, and I always enjoy seeing what beauties she's created with each new post.


And now for the 5+1, the Humor Award, which has a special place in my heart.  Among beady bloggers, my unquestioned top choice would be Julia Cannon of JulsBeads.  The woman's post titles will make you laugh out loud.  Her writing makes me happy.  Her beads make me happy.  Her blog makes me happy.

Another blog that makes me giggle on a daily basis (no beads involved) is Cake Wrecks.  Seriously silly fun.  It will make you want to haunt your local bakeries with camera in hand.  You'll never look at a sheet cake the same way again...


So there you have it.  Hope you've enjoyed it!  I sure have!

And here are the "rules" for this hop, pulled directly from Antiquity Travelers: THE BLOG HOP RULES: there are no rules, but we do have some suggestions. These awards were designed to point out some of the great blogs out there. And you can choose to pass on your award to as few, or as many as you like. So if you've been tapped on the shoulder and given one of these awards, we would love to see you display it proudly on your blog. Join the blog hop and show off that lovely blog of yours. We would, of course, love to hear why you like to blog, and why you chose a fellow blogger for an award. So let's get hopping!
  This is a Blog Hop!


1. Antiquity Trave


2. OneKissCreation

3. AllPrettyThings

4. Sadafulee

5. Bikbik & Roro

6. NewEndStudio

7. Thereses Treas

8. Beadsong


You are next... Click here to enter
This list will close in 100 days, 4 hrs, 45 min (12/31/2012 11:59 PM North America - Eastern Standard Time)

5 comments:

Christine Altmiller said...

I went around to your favorite blogs before bed. I will look much closer in the morning, but I did love Skylar right away. And I certainly want to look into JulsBeads more because several people have suggested I follow her site...I better start listening! But my last stop before bed was certainly GnomeWorthy. Cake Wrecks. I wrecked myself laughing so hard! I am so tired and I cannot stop laughing at the absurdity and stupidity and hilarity~Thank You for the workout...I think I lost a pound or two from the hysterical laughter :-D
You put together a real nice list, Bobbie...thanks for passing the love around :-)

Karin Slaton said...

Bobbie, you certainly deserve your own category! You infuse your blog and your art with YOU, and always leave me inspired and smiling! Loved your list, and added several new blogs to my reader.

AntiquityTravelers said...

Awesome list!! I am so enjoying myself with this hop :) You've mentioned a few favorites, and a few new ones ... yeah - new places to explore. Thank you for that! and thanks for playing ... will be using the term 'gnome worthy' from now on!

Therese's Treasures said...

Hi Bobbie, Congratulations once again on your awards. You my friend are well deserving of all the awards that you have received. I enjoyed reading about your picks and will be checking the ones I do not already follow out.
Therese

Honey from the Bee said...

You introduced me to some great new (for me!) blogs! Thank you. So glad Christine tagged you as your work is beautiful but your humor brings a laugh that is always needed.