It has been a very hot summer here in NYC!  On those days where the heat was just too unbearable I stayed close to home and reacquainted myself with my bead collection.  The hot summers reminded me of growing up in the city.

As a youth and a teen I attended camp at the Lenox Hill Neighborhood Association on the upper east side in Manhattan.  I always looked forward to every summer at Lenox Hill because kids from all over went to camp there.  Each summer you would meet kids from all the 5 boroughs. 

When I was a youth, and the heat would be too much for the camp counselors to take us out, we would be presented with several activities which we could participate in right inside our camp building.  I usually took all the crafty ones and enjoyed making things for my mom and to hang in my room. 

One craft I remember vividly was called "Ojo de Dios" or God's Eye. 
It wasn't until this summer that I learned the history of this craft project. 
According to several websites "Ojo de Dios" is an ancient symbol made by the Huichol Indians of Mexico and the Aymara Indians of Bolivia. 

They would start by making the center eye when a child was born and then every year a little more thread was added until it was completed when the child turned age 5. 

I always loved the look of these and would use brightly colored yarn to create them.  They looked wonderful hung from the ceiling in my bedroom as a child.   If you would like to make these with your kids you can find directions at http://www.allfreecrafts.com/nature/ojo-de-dios.shtml

So this summer when I was indoors during our hottest days I decided I would make some earrings which resembled "Ojo de Dios."

I mostly used a brickstitch to create these earrings and I am pleased with the results.

 

These Ojo earrings bought back so many happy childhood memories! 
To see the entire collections please visit my etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/feithhodgecreations

Last week, as I told some of you, one of my pieces was published in Bead Trends August 2012 issue.  This made my whole week!  I was so excited about seeing my piece appear in that magazine.  During the winter months I had created a pattern using Tila beads and wanted to see if I could get it in one of the popular beading publications.  I got a lot of rejection at first, but then I received a letter from Bead Trends telling me they would like to publish an article on my piece for their August issue!

I was excited and scared all at the same time!!! I had to send the piece for a photoshoot, and I also had to write directions on how to make the piece.  Well, I had never written directions on how to make any bead piece I make.  My creative process happens in my head.  I usually draw out what I want and then figure out how to make it my making several drawings, so writing it out was an adventure in itself!

Here is how it came out....