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)

One Lovely Blog Award!

  

You know, there really are some charming and delightful people in the world, and I've had the pleasure of "meeting" many of them online.  Sometimes, if you're really lucky, you get to meet your online friends in person.  Sometimes, if you're really, really lucky, they say nice things even after they've met you in real life.

So it is with the wonderful Karin of Backstory Beads, who recently nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award.

In return, I'm asked to:

1. Thank the nominee and link back to them in the post.
2. Share 7 random facts about myself.
3. Nominate 15 (or so) bloggers I admire.
4. Contact them to let them know they have been nominated.

(Full disclosure here-- a few months ago, I was incredibly fortunate to be recognized with a Kreativ Blogger award, which had several of the same requirements.  Not because I think I'm fascinating enough that you'll want to read a few more random facts about me, but because you really should treat yourself to the other blogs I cited there, here's the link to that post)

Okay, so now to get even more random about myself:

1. I adore beadweaving, but I would rather smack myself in the face with a flounder than hem a pair of pants.  Just goes to show that not all activities involving a needle and thread are created equal.
2. I enjoy those reality television shows that involve creativity and/or performance of some sort.  So you'll see me raptly watching Project Runway and even The Voice, but I'd rather hem a pair of pants than watch Real Housewives, regardless of where they live.
3. Monty Python?  Yes, please.  John Cleese can make me laugh just by being on camera (see also: Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda).  I also love Craig Ferguson.  Apparently I am a sucker for a man with a wicked sense of humor and an accent.
4. Currently I'm deep into the third book of the Game of Thrones series. I blame my son for addicting me to them.
5. My children are in their 20's, yet I'm not sure I've figured out what I want to be when I grow up.
6. I was a member of my college's modern dance club for exactly one day.  The coach (bless her heart) invited me to join, I went to the two-hour rehearsal, and literally crawled back across campus afterward, desperately grateful that it was too dark for anyone to see me.  My brief, not terribly glorious dance career was thus ended.
7. I have an evil sweet tooth.  While it's usually under control, do not let me near your chocolate. Or your caramel.  And don't even try to get between me and a Snickers bar.  I'll even hem a pair of pants if I get paid in Snicker's bars.

And whose blog do I want to share with you?  Besides the previously mentioned Backstory Beads and those I recognized in this post, here are some that deserve your attention (yes, I know some of them have also been named One Lovely Blog, but trust me when I say that you should visit them if you haven't already)  They're listed alphabetically, and all images shown are from the blog.

 

ArtAnnyR - Bead weaving? Check.  Soutache?  Check.  Fabulous color combinations?  Check.  Truly wonderful eye candy that makes me wish my grandparents had taught me Polish when I was little.

Aurus - another blog in Polish, but with soutache jewelry this luscious, understanding the language is not necessary.  Seriously -- go, look, be amazed.







Beads for Brains 365 - A fascinating journey where Mandy takes us along on her quest to master a new bead stitch, technique, or pattern each day for a year.  Along the way, she's discovered some really fabulous sources for patterns and tutorials, and demonstrated how unlimited one's creativity can be. 

The Cerebral Dilettante - I discovered this blog during the most recent Bead Soup hops.  Currently, Keirsten is challenging herself to use only what she has in her bead stash, and she is creating some fabulous pieces.  It's an inspiration to dig into the dark, forgotten corners of your bead storage and make something with the treasures you've been hoading.

Designs by Dawn Marie - A beadweaver with an awesome eye for color and a bold approach to combining elements.  Her pieces are grand, beautiful, and elegant.

KJ's Beadacious Beads - KJ sets design challenges for herself, and then takes us along for the ride as she completes them, sharing with us the frustrations and discoveries along the way.  And she creates some darned beautiful pieces, too!





Jewelry, Art and Life - You probably know Jen from all of her bead-related work online, but her blog is a special glimpse into her creative mind.  She shares her inspirations, her frustrations, her family adventures, and her heart in this blog.   It's a great combination of beading and real life.

One Kiss Creations - Christine is one of the master minds behind the Time To Stitch challenges.  Add that to the fact that she's a sweetheart who makes some lovely jewelry, and you've got a blog that's a pleasure to visit regularly.





Therese's Treasures - Therese is one of the friendliest and most generous bloggers out there.  In addition to creating some jaw-droppingly beautiful beadwork, she never fails to leave a comment (always encouraging, always positive) when she visits your blog.  Not only that, but we discovered early on that I knew her brother when I used to live in Alabama.  Small world, eh?



Again, thank you to Karin for selecting me for this award, and I hope you get as much inspiration from these other bloggers as I have!