Jesse James Beads (April 2022)

Have I mentioned that I was selected to be a Jesse James Beads Design Ambassador? (#JJBAmbassador)


 It was a simple enough process to fill out the form on their website and then wait for the news. After that, I sat on pins and needles to see what they would send me to play with for April. You can watch my Unboxing Video for the unveiling of the above beauties. 


From there, I set to moving the beads and chain around on my desk. Almost immediately, I was ready to create. First, I came up with a pair of simple earrings made with some wire that framed several of the beads. 


I shared the process of making these in a DIY Bead and Wire Earring Tutorial on YouTube. 

Then, working with both the beads Jesse James sent me and some I bought from them, these little beauties just fell together. 
To see how these were made, you can watch the reel I made on Instagram

After that, I turned off the cameras and just set to work creating a bounty of jewelry. 


I really wanted to play with that gunmetal contemporary chain. So I combined it with a few of the beads from the Sunset Goddess mix and created this bracelet.


Most of the beads I received from Jesse James Beads came in even numbers, making them perfect for earrings. So, I HAD to create several more pairs. First were these that also used a few links of some chain I purchased from them.


And, I had to see how well they worked with a few snippets of tin. 


Then, the gunmetal chain drew my eye again!


Finally, I combined some of the beads they sent with some of the beads and chain I bought to create this lovely, delicate butterfly necklace. 


All around, I'm ticked with the results and how fun it is to create with Jesse James Beads. I'm hoping they want to continue to work with me as a Design Ambassador and can't wait to see what they send next to inspire me! Keep your eyes peeled for more.

Thrifty Thursday Haul - Estate Sale

I've been fortunate to discover that in my area, there are two antique stores that each do a big "Estate Sale" once a month in the warehouse portion of their locations. I like that it's not all cramped in someone's house, and I try to make a point of checking them out each month. They used to be held on the same weekend so I could hit them up on the same day, but they've since altered their schedules so they're not stacked on top of each other. In any case, this past weekend was one of the sales, and I made a pretty decent haul!


If you don't want to watch my Thrifty Thursday Haul on YouTube, here's a peek at what I brought home from the estate sale. 

There was this lovely Asian tin. It's a bit faded, but I like it!

I got a variety of bits and bobs for my assemblage-making. Oh, and there are some lobster clasps too. I also got a baggie of buttons, but I had them sorted and put away before I could get the pictures taken. Ooops!


This was the big score though.

I actually did a bit of bargaining to get this lot of vintage photos. That type of bartering isn't usually in my nature. But, I really wanted them, went for it, and was rewarded for my efforts!


Now, I've got to find some room in my over-packed craft room to store all these treasures. Eek!

Have you found any treasures lately?


Assemblage Art on YouTube

I believe I have mentioned before that I'm doing assemblage art as part of The 100 Day Project. You can follow #Assemblage100 on Instagram to get daily updates on my progress. But, I'm also posting many of the completed projects as process videos on YouTube. In case you've missed any of that, here's what I've shared so far.

Assemblage Art - All Ears


Mixed Media Altered Paintbrush

Vintage Flower Brooch Assemblage Art

Those are the just ones I shared in March. There are already another couple of assemblage videos on the CraftyHope YouTube Channel this month if you can't get enough!


Art Journaling in March

 So much of the content that I've been sharing as of late has been either on Instagram or YouTube. I've gone a little video-making crazy. In fact, I'm posting videos on YouTube two-four times a week! So, you'll likely be seeing more of these types of posts that give you a rundown of what you may be missing. For now, here's a peek at some of the art journaling projects I shared last month. 

Junk Journal Spread - I Do Not Care


Compassion Hop - Reminder Tin

Mixed Media Menagerie Art Journal Spread for March

Art Journal Page - Spring Inspired

Junk Journal Page - Let Out a Long Breath

It's been tough lately squeezing in some time for playing in my art journal since I've been consumed with my 100 Day Project. So, I've tried to make the most of each time I do get to play in these journals. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions about art journaling or my process! I can definitely make time for you. 

Sale in the CraftyHope Etsy Shop

 Somehow I've been sharing it all over other social media, but not here (OOPS!) that there's a sale going on in the CraftyHope Etsy Shop. Everything is 20% off through the weekend. 

Here's a sample of what you'll find in the shop. 

Garden Tassels Earrings

Copper and Aquamarine Necklace

Button Collections Bracelet

Ruffle Ring Earrings

Amethyst Dangle Necklace

In addition to all that jewelry, there are still two variety paper packs available!

Variety Paper Pack

So, what are you waiting for? Click over to the CraftyHope Etsy Shop and score you some deals. 


April Art Challenges and Inspiration

Taking on a challenge is a great way to push your creativity into areas you hadn't thought to tread. I'm always on the lookout for that kind of inspiration. And, I like to share it here with you each month in a quick roundup. Here's what's on the plate for April. 


  • Sarajo at SJ Designs Jewelry has unveiled the photo inspiration for the April Honey Do List. This is a jewelry challenge in which you use the photo that her husband, Eric, has provided as inspiration. The reveal date is set for April 25, but the linky tool is usually open for a month after that, so you have plenty of time to play along. 
  • On the 13th of the month, Tammy of The Tapping Flamingo on YouTube is hosting a Be Creative challenge for any medium. She will offer a creative word or phrase each month for you to use. For April, the phrase is Rain Showers. Her hashtag will change each month. The one for April is #BeCreativeAPRIL2022.
  • Angela of Pirate Pretties Jewelry on YouTube has a monthly challenge. It's a birthstone theme each month with a color, metal, project type, and (optional) fun element. For April, the challenge color is diamond, the metal is silver or gold, the project type is a bracelet, and the fun elements are vintage or cross. The reveal is set for the 15th of each month on YouTube with the hashtag #PiratePrettiesJewelryChallenge and/or you can join her Facebook Group and add your reveal picture in the comments of her reveal photo. 
  • I recently discovered that Ina Solsbery on YouTube also has a monthly challenge collaboration. This is a general mixed media art challenge that she called #4Core because you only need to include the Four Core "ingredients" to play along. This month, those are to create in miniature (smaller than 6x6 inches), include an animal, incorporate two arrows, and submit your completed photo within your hands to show scale. She asks that submission photos be emailed to her by the end of the month so she can include them in the slideshow in her video. Watch her March #4core video to get an idea of how this works and read the details in the description. 
I know there are probably other challenges out there, but these and #The100DayProject are the key ones in my mind at the moment. If there are any other challenges that you think should be included in this list, please don't hesitate to let me know so I can add them to the list. Happy creating!!

March Honey Do List Reveal

As soon as I saw the Honey Do List inspiration photo from Sarajo and Eric of SJ Designs Jewelry, I had an inkling of what I would create. Admittedly, that doesn't always happen. Sometimes Most of the time, I have to study Eric's photographs to zone in on what calls out to me. However, the simplicity of this one put me right in the zone. I wanted to make a cluster of the same-colored beads hanging from a length of chain. So...I did!


It did take me a bit of time to decide on what findings and chain I would use (I kept thinking aged brass would work too.) Oh, let me show you the inspiration photo so you'll know what I'm talking about.


Do you see what I mean? Brass would have worked well to represent the bark. But, I decided to use some of the black-coated findings I have instead. I don't often use them because the coating flakes off. In this case, I thought that worked well to add an organic feel to the earrings.


Most of the beads in my stash were too much of a cherry-red for the berries in the photo, so I went with these more maroon ones that make them look a lot like red grapes. 

Either way, they feel juicy and fruity like the photo. 

Thanks to Sarajo and Eric for the inspiration. I always like a good kick in my pants to get me creating. 

Make sure you head over to SJ Designs Jewelry to see what Sarajo and the other artists made for this berry good challenge!

The 100 Day Project 2024

Yesterday, the 100 Day Project for 2024 started (it's not too late to join in!!) I mentioned last week that I would give you a heads-up ...