March Monthly Blog Tour

Is March going out like a lion or a lamb where you are? Here in Wisconsin we started out abnormally mild with temperatures in the upper 70s for the first half. But since the vernal equinox we have been back to the blustery days that usually mark this month. I can’t say that I wish for the cold dreariness that we normally have, but I have to wonder what is up with all this crazy weather! I think that March will slink out less like the king of the animals and more like an alley cat yowling in the wind.

The painting inspiration for this month reminds me of how the weather should be. The skies should be overcast and gray with threatening tufts of clouds signaling cold biting wind. That is what I think of when I look at this picture.

{le moulin au poivre by vincent van gogh}

I have to admit that I had never seen this painting of Van Gogh’s before. I love the whimsical windmills and the linear fenceposts, the bare branches no doubt shivering in the brisk wind and the gaily colored flags flapping at attention. As always, you gave us quite a varied interpretation of the monthly challenge…and we love that!

Cece Cormier of The Beading Yogini (above) created a sweet little double sided pendant with images from a vintage French primer teaching “when the sky is gray” on one side and a delightful windmill on the other. The pretty flash of blue in those labradorite really make me think of the blue that might be peeking behind those clouds. C’est la vie!

Jenna of Honey Bijou hung out with her Van Gogh finger puppet and crafted a very detailed pendant from multiple transfers onto polymer clay. Truly an amazing process!

Kim Idalski of Kimi’s Jewelry from the Heart wanted to evoke the party like atmosphere that seems to be with those bright colors in the painting and made these special little ruffle beads that remind me of party balloons. This is one festive and fun piece of jewelry!

I really like the bohemian flair of the earrings from Donna Cruz (above) of Crazy Notions.These polymer clay earrings are made by Donna using filigree and other readily available pieces to create something truly unique and beautiful that call to mind the windmills dotting the landscape.

Neena Shilvock of Caprilicious Jewellery made a very organic looking necklace for her submission entitled “Midnight Tango.” The petals or leaf shapes actually make me think of butterfly wings ready to fly. This is so very unique!

Katherine of Catherines Dreams picked up on the dots of color in this street scene from the vendors and the windmills and added those bright cheery colors as a foil to the more softer and muted background and sky colors.

Stefanie of Stefaniessammelsurium  (above) brightened up the gray skies with a multi-layered wrap bracelet that warms my heart to see it. I love the way she weaves the textures and the colors together, especially the frayed bits of sari silk. You can’t help but be happy when you wear something like this!

You simply  must go and check out the polymer clay cane that  Lupe Meter  of Gem’s PC Corner created in response to one of the palettes that Editor Brandi Hussey created for this month’s challenge painting. I love that she was able to translate the palette into such an adorable piece of jewelry. The pinwheel is my favorite!

I am just blown away by the creativity that I see when I go to the Flickr site and read your blog posts. I am totally crushing on the amazing glass bead that Island Girl created with elements of the painting in it. That is talent, I tell you! The tree branches against the gray sky, the enameled pinwheel and even an enameled French flag – such great attention to detail in this necklace! Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

Miss Molly Alexander of Beautifully Broken Me (above) went the opposite direction of Miss Stefanie by focusing on the cool blues with the earthy hues. Isn’t it cool how two totally different color schemes can come from one inspiration? I love the way that Molly wrapped the beads, so much more interesting. These special little details really raise this design up to art.

I really like the way that The Bead Junkie,  a.k.a. Tracy, thinks things through. She picked up on the couple walking arm in arm down the boulevard and created a love story for them represented in her pretty necklace. I would want to wear this pretty bauble all summer long it looks so light and fresh!

The bangle that Miss Sally Russick of The Studio Sublime created is a symphony of color and harmony. I love the playful use of color with the colorful wire wrapped beads and especially the different sizes and textures of the art beads that make up the focal. This is such a fun design!

Lucky Miss Rebecca of Songbead (above) has the good fortune to live in Europe just a hop, skip and a jump from France, and coincidentally she has just returned from a holiday exploring the beauty of the French countryside. Rebecca makes really pretty bracelets, and she pulled out a classic blue and red of the flag (and many other flags around the world as she points out!) for this piece that reminds me that sunnier days are just around the corner!

Vera of Designed by Vera tells us that she almost let this month slide by until she happened upon this perfect pin at a yard sale of a pair of riders on a bicycle built for two. So glad that you got inspired!

Kiwibeads picked up on the flags waving in the wind and took her strong palette from there. The bracelet looks fun and fresh and would be right at home strolling down the avenue on a spring day in France! Viva la France!

Miss Cilla of Tell Your Girlfriends really internalized every aspect of this painting, from the small size of the beads to represent the children, to the sari silk billowing in the breeze to represent the flags and the fine stripes on the etched jump rings calling to mind the slats on the fence to the swirl clasp nodding to the twirling windmills. Very lovely interpretation!

When I say that ABSer’s creativity knows no bounds, I truly mean that! I am really amazed at what Jill Palumbo of Palumbo Jewlery created in response to this month’s challenge painting. I know that it isn’t jewelry, but she was inspired by one of Brandi’s palettes to turn a tired rolling cart with glass shelves into a completely new work of art! She was inspired by the colors and the shapes, creating what she calls beads (those pod shapes are crafted from polymer clay!) to add dimension to the cart. You really should go and check it out!

Miss Malin of Beading by Malin De Koning treats us to a very patriotic design with her earrings of red, white and blue, like the French flag flapping in the breeze. These are playful and fun!

I love it when you can take a part of the painting and use that to create a focal. That is exactly what Pam of Klassy Joolz did. She created a resin pendant using just one of the brightly colored windmills as her muse. I love the blend of the soft and the hard in this piece with the sari silk and the hard metal and glass beads.

I actually got my own creative mojo going this month and created a pair of earrings inspired by the windmills in this painting. The best part about this design is that the windmills actually move! I wrote about this on our sister blog, Earrings Everyday, and we would love to have you join us over there for a dose daily inspiration.

I love the stories we create to go with our pieces. Miss Mary Ellen of bee tree by m.e. did just that. She envisioned that those two strolling through the streets of Montmarte are an older couple secure in their love and reliving their romance. Mary Ellen had this perfect cotton ribbon printed with French love letters that worked perfectly with her breezy creation.

Last but surely not least, Miss Sharyl of Sharyl’s Jewelry snuck her post in at the last possible second! Her pretty necklace has all the colors of the painting but with a more modern twist. I love all the details that keep my eye moving on this necklace and wanting to see more!