12/29/2018

Art Elements Design Challenge and Blog Hop - White

White. Claire's topic for December's design challenge at Art Elements was white. I'm not very good with white. I don't wear white, I don't have white walls (only ceilings), I don't own white furniture. If there's a choice, I'll never pick white.
Thinking back I also haven't made much jewelry in white. There was a choker, a silver tree on a white rock, and there's the white Petcat, but that's different because I love white cats.




Our first cat, Dude (actually White Dude, there's a story behind that name, but that would lead too far now) was white with a blue and a yellow eye.



White. My first thought was winter and snow. That reminded me of a link a friend of mine had shared just recently, a snowglobe ornament design by Cheri Carlson on Artbeads, done in brick stitch. My friend knows I love looming shaped pieces from beads and indeed it was the perfect inspiration.
Of course I wouldn't copy the snowman, but choose something more typical for me. What's typical for me? Well, cats of course. Cat. Snow. SnowCat!

This was one of the very first HeatherCats, the picture shows my friend Heather's original painting and my take on it.



So how about combining the idea of SnowCat and a snowglobe and making it a small tribute to the cat that was practically responsible for my life never again being without cat hair since 1991?
And how about trying to use just white and grey tones for it? Yeah, that was being too ambitious, it didn't work out, not with the beads that I had in my stash. There may have been some light cursing when I ripped it out again.

What a shame. That meant it had to be a night sky after all. I can't help it, I love night scenes, and "you don’t need to work monochromatic, just take white as inspiration either literally or figuratively." There.

After a very short digression to a different project that will need more planning, though, I wove in the last threads, and here we go. Snow Dude in his snowglobe.
He could be worn as a pendant or used as an ornament.




Please also visit all the other blog hoppers!
 
Guests

Alysen - Anita - Beth - Cat (that's me!) - Divya - Elaine - Hope - Jill - Karin - Kathy - Rozantia - Sarajo - Susan - Tammy

AE Team

Caroline - Cathy - Claire - Laney - Lesley - Marsha - Susan

37 comments:

  1. Oh White Dude was so handsome, I love Snow Dude in his snow globe, I don't know how you have the patience for those tiny beads!!

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    1. Dude was what I like to call a gentlecat, he should have been called Lord Dude or Sir Dude. I fell in love with him the second I met him in my friends back garden in California and knew I had to take him home, no matter what effort and cost.

      Thank you! That's pretty much one of the only things that I do have patience for these days! ;-)

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  2. Hey, I dislike white generally but love white cats as well. Dude is super handsome and appreciate your patience in using tiny seed beads.

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  3. So very cute! My first cat was white too! Love your snowglobe pendant!

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    1. Thank you!
      Afterwards the black cats took over ;-)

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  4. I LOVE everything about it! The shape, the whimsy, the colors. Brings a smile to this face :)) . Al

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  5. I love how you thought through this piece so thoroughly to come up with something that's distinctly yours. And, I hate that you had some trouble making it, but it turned out so cool! I do love me a snow globe, and a kitty in one is even better (especially when it's a special kitty!)

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    1. Thank you!
      I think it was my "punishment" for leaving it until the last moment again that the first attempt didn't work out :-P The result is what counts, though.

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  6. So adorable. One of my cats is white and I was tempted to share his photo for this challenge and then forgot.

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    1. Shame on you! I hope he'll bite your ankle when you're asleep ;-)

      Seriously, though ... thank you.

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  7. That's a gorgeous design and a gorgeous white cat... love his name!

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  8. Fabulous - I love the working progress of how the snow globe and kitty came about. The pendant is whimsical and fun!

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    1. Thank you :-)
      I wish it had photographed a little better, but I am happy with it.

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  9. This is wonderful - I love the cats! We had a white cat and she was a bit of a grump (only liked my husband and would bite everyone else). I love your bead work!

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    1. Thank you!
      When Dude came from California with us, he was very much my cat at first, but after a while he turned to my ex, probably because they had the same couch routine ;-)

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  10. I love your snow dude. Placing the white cat in a snow globe was clever and cute! Great job on the bead weaving. I love white kitties and have had several. All strangely unique but loveable.

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    1. Thank you very much!
      I love how cats are so very unique and part of them is always independent.

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  11. I know what you mean about cat fur, I have had multiple cats for decades. I love your snow globe kitty. He is really handsome set against the navy blue.

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    1. I once read in a funny cat book "when we ate out, we always brought our own cat hair to make it taste like home" :-D
      Thank you, Kathy.

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  12. Fabulous! Love the plop of snow on his head :)

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  13. Love your whimsical designs - kitties for the win every time.

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  14. That's a super-cute tribute to the insanely handsome White Dude! I love it. (I can't speak for cats, but I'm guessing he does too.)

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    1. Thank you! It doesn't really do him justice, but the best I could do in such a small space ;-)

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  15. Oh, all of the designs made me smile! Especially how you incorporated Dude's different eye colors in the beaded snow cat! And wow, Dude was so gorgeous! I miss having cats in my life but my husband is highly allergic and he tolerated my cats when we began our relationship because he knew how much they meant to me... so after my little ones died, we never had cats again (okay... to be honest, I also want my cats back... still... after all these years, I miss them deeply). But being a scientist, I follow the latest research for years just to see where the new treatment developments are ;) Thank you so much for participating in this month's theme challenge!

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    1. Thank you!
      I wouldn't know what to do without my cats (although there was a whole menagerie over the years). What a pity that your husband is so allergic to them.

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  16. Heavens! Snow Cat is adorable! You had me laughing with the pet hair comments. So true! Thank you for joining us this month!

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    1. Thank you, Jenny!
      I suppose a lot of us have those hair problems no hairdresser can help with! ;-)

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  17. Snow Dude is absolutely charming! Your post is so humorous, it made me laugh :)

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    1. Thank you!
      I really have to give credit to my friend Heather for the little snow "hat", such a cute idea.

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  18. Dude was quite the handsome guy! I love your Snow Dude snow globe pendant!

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    1. He was. His German vet couldn't even believe he was 10 years old already! He had been living more or less on the street for 1 1/2 years, you could tell the fights from his ears.

      Thank you very much :-)

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