Fall in New York

Fall has finally come to New York.  It was as if almost overnight the temperatures started to descend and the cool breezes began!

One of my most favorite things to do during the Fall is to take long evening walks on Madison and 5th avenue with my husband.

We usually go a few times a week and I just love spending time with him and the feel of the city at night!

Heading down Madison we usually stop at our favorite gelato place, Ciao Bella.  We love this place!!! My husband usually has to have 4 samples before he can decide on one flavor....I on the other hand already know what I want before I go in. I usually choose between blood orange or grapefruit!

 

Lately on these walks my focus has been the store windows. Since I have been building my Etsy store, I have been paying close attention to this Fall's color choices in fashion.  I am noticing a lot of burnt orange and mustard yellow, as well as the typical colors of Fall, such as beige and brown and even some rust colors as well.  A lot of dark teal's and blue and red with orange are also emerging in this Fall's color palate.

 

 

I am especially looking forward to working with the colors red, yellow and orange. These are colors I usually don't create with too often.  Last week I even worked on a piece that was made with red and transparent yellow beads. I really like how bright and Fall it looks to me!

 

You can find this piece in my etsy store at feithhodgecreations.etsy.com.

HAPPY FALL!!!!







Labor Day weekend was really relaxing for me and my husband.  We took a one day trip to the east end of Long Island, for a little relaxation and to visit friends. 

We stopped by Sag Harbor where I really enjoyed looking out at the boats on the water.

I even got to get a good pic of a Swan (even though I kept calling it a duck...lol!).

 

 

We then drove into Southampton where my friend Kelly owns a store called Therapy.  If you are ever in Southampton please go visit her.  She sells one of a kind pieces and my daughter and I just love her!!!!!

 

Anyway when we got there she had a surprise for me.  I had sold one of my jewelry pieces in her store!!!!  I occasionally put pieces in her store and so far I have done pretty good.  This summer was slow, but what a welcome surprise to have made a little money while having some down time!

 

Below is the design which sold, they are for sale in my Etsy store at feithhodgecreations.etsy.com

 



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....

Last week I showed you the beads I would be working with to create a new necklace, sort of my ode to Coopers beach.  I finally finished the necklace and love how it came out!  The mix is perfect and captures the ocean colors perfectly as well.  Let me know your thoughts.

This necklace will be on my Etsy page FeithHodgeCreations.etsy.com

Most of my friends who know me know that I love the beach.  Even closer friends know that I am talking one beach in particular....Coopers Beach in Southampton. I think it was last year that it was rated the top beach in the country with Main Beach in East Hampton coming in 5th.  I love this beach because it is so clean and it smells like salt water.  The sand is extremely clean to walk on and the water is so blue.....I recommend this beach for a nice summer day with the family, or if your playing hookey from work....you won't be disappointed.  In fact in the pic below that is my daughter Maya standing in front of the ocean at Coopers Beach! 

I wanted to capture some of the colors I saw in that picture so I got out all of my blue beads and found a lovely hank of beads appropriately titled ocean mix.  It will be my ode to Coopers Beach!

Lets see what I come up with!

Well, this is my first blog post.....I know, a lot of my friends out there have been telling me for years to start on a blog, but I was reluctant to do so.  A lot of you may not believe it but I am shy.  My daughter Maya has been consistently trying to convince me to start one, so this is for her!  As most of you know I love beads!!!  I don't know if its there sparkle or all the different colors, but when I go through my bead collection ( and it's a big one!) it always makes me smile :-)!  I have tried many forms of beading but the one I find most calming is net weaving!  It just totally relaxes me.  Each creation has a process and I would love to share that with you through this blog.