The butterfly in her fall colors made me think of swirling new autumn leaves in a sudden breeze. Interlocked concentric circular brick stitch seemed to be the perfect medium for her flight. She's so free!

Stick Lizard Designs' Blog

At first, I was not inspired by the muse, I was inspired by the colors. However, I would not have achieved my initial goal of making the pendant removable if it were not for the muse. I love how the pendant holder echos the butterfly's antenna. I also love the versatility and asymmetry of the piece. I can wear it with my sun bottle cap pendant, with the butterfly, or without either pendant. I utilized all the kit components (although the yarn is no longer recognizable) and I incorporated the beaded bead patterns I'd been saving for that special project.

Christine's Beadworks Blog

I found this particularly challenging as once again it pulled me from my comfort zone. I could just picture the butterfly flitting from flower to flower and wanted in some way to convey this movement in the finished piece. I’ve used copper wire – some of it covered in beads -- to convey the movement and add interest to the necklace. I was able to crochet the length of Swarovski beaded cord and chose to add that next to the clasp for interest at the back of the neck. I used the copper 15s to join the ovals, thus forming the chain.

Beadynoid

See my entry from USE THE MUSE I

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Butterflies are delicate and light, so I wanted to enhance the muse with delicate beaded beads with tiny details on each beaded bead. The crystals indicate the lightness of butterflies and their jeweled wings that sparkle when in flight. I was able to use all the components of the kit, which added to the challenge. The muse was a delight to work with and I hope I gave her a good home.

Arlene's Website

When the kit arrived here in Michigan, the trees were already starting to change and bright colored mums and asters were blooming every where. As soon as I saw the muse I knew that I wanted to make fall flowers for this piece. The dagger flowers are an original idea of my own, using tubular peyote. The flowers and the muse are attached to a tubular RAW strap which is joined to copper chain with the copper links from the kit. I truly enjoyed the entire process of creating this piece with the muse as my inspiration!

This Muse conjured up memories of flowers, gardens, romanticism and Autumnal colours. Using bead embroidery, some newly acquired lace flowers, and learning how to make peyote leaves, I set about creating a romantic Autumnal garden for this “musing” butterfly. A butterfly lights beside us, like a sunbeam ... and for a brief moment it's glory and beauty belong to our world ... but then it flies on again, and although we wish it could have stayed, we are so thankful to have seen it at all. Anon

Maryniky Designs

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When I first saw the muse my first thoughts were flowers. I just had to make a necklace with my favorite flowers: violets. When I was a little girl my next door neighbour was a sweet old lady. I adored her. So every day after school I went to her house to say goodbye. My mother couldn't keep me at home. During the summer her garden was full of violets in all kind of beautiful colours. So they became my favorite flowers. Up until today I have never seen such a beautifull garden. When I see some violets I think of that sweet old lady and my happy childhood. So I wanted to make a simple necklace with the flowers I found in my stash. I used swarovski pearls and freshwater pearls. I used herringbone and stringing to make the necklace.

See my winning design from USE THE MUSE II

The beadwork is circular herringbone stitch w/increasing bead sizes. The edging on their tops I came up w/as an alternative to ending w/ladder stitch. I placed a 6/0 between the 1st & 2nd bead, 3rd & 4th, etc. then sewed back through them all again and added an 8/0 between each set. The spirals are attached to copper rings w/wire then embellished w/twisted wire w/seed beads. The copper link is hammered 6g wire. Inspired by the bare tree limbs of autumn.

When I saw the Use the Muse Kit, I knew that I wanted to emphasize the warm, rich tones of the copper butterfly muse component. I wanted to capture movement and simulate the swirl of autumn leaves and butterfly in flight, so I knew that I wanted to create a dripping, multi-stranded piece. The piece utilizes both symmetry and asymmetry in the design to help achieve this effect. In addition to the beads included in the kit, I used several other Swarovski colors and shapes to further accent the Muse. Almost the entire piece is constructed from wire-wrapping.

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton

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Butterflies are harvesters, going from flower to flower. They flow with the wind and the weather. My bracelet has four stands on one side and three strands opposite. This indicates how a butterfly will go, not orderly or to a drum but with the wind. Some strands go through while one is completely independent yet in harmony with the piece. The strands, like flowers are not the same length or style but are enriched by the presence of the butterfly.

Here Bead Dragons

See my entry from USE THE MUSE I

I knew when I saw the Muse, I wanted to portray the flight of the butterfly. I also knew I wanted to do something on a shirt, my version of wearable art. Being from the simple is better school, I opted to use only a few of the wonderful beads from the kit and show the rambling flight the butterfly had taken. (Think of the clouds left behind from jets)

My inspiration for this piece was fall spreading its wings over the world. The saturated vibrancy of summer slowly fades into the calm copper of fall as graduated clusters of crystals gently transition from bright blue to soft brown. Both the small silver chain and larger copper-and-silver chains were hand-linked in Byzantine pattern. The Muse fits completely flush with the glass opal and setting except for the head and wing tips – which lift up and away as if the butterfly is about to take flight!

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The Muse butterfly is drifting in a garden of lace and velvet flowers. The velvet flowers are made from hand dyed velvet with crystals and seed beads. The garden is adorned with various seed beads, crystals and glass beads. The butterfly rests in a nest of golden threads. Silk cord weaves through the piece and services as the trellis and vine for the garden.

The triangle beads spoke to me for this piece-I've used them for cuffs before so without knowing the Muse component I still knew what to make. I'm also participating in a Fall Colors-themed challenge swap through the Beading Daily forums, and the kit contained some lovely Lucite and glass leaves which worked perfectly into the design once I saw the Muse. I used the crystals, seed beads & copper components to create stylized sprays of flowers, some of them framed in the copper ovals. I also fabricated the toggle clasp, inspired by a tutorial from my friend Popnicute.

Jeni Smathers Artisan Studio

See my winning design from USE THE MUSE I

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At first the muse didn't speak to me. Then I decided that she was lonely and needed a garden. So I made her one, and she became my friend. As I beaded the Russian leaves and flowers, I thought about the butterfly gardens I saw in Costa Rica, but the colors were much more that of Alaska in the fall. I put everything together on a spiral rope studded with crystals and pearls.

See my entry from USE THE MUSE I

See my entry from USE THE MUSE II

When I saw the muse, I knew instantly that it would be the focal piece of a necklace. The color obviously draws inspiration to copper, so I incorporated a beautifully intricate copper soldered necklace to enhance the piece. I’ve been taking beading classes to learn the vast array of techniques out there and this contest was the perfect way to incorporate many of them. Using peyote stitch and wire wrapping techniques, I was able to add many delicate pieces to make one stunning piece.

Una Tia Especial - Handmade Jewelry and Crafts

When I first looked at the muse the only thing that popped into my head was a butterfly bush. I wasn't sure how to even go about making a butterfly bush since I had only seen one briefly at my Mother's house. So I started looking at images online and decided I would teach myself how to make something that looked like a butterfly bush flower. This was definitely a learning experience. I used a regular hanger, cut and reshaped it and learned how to do a coraling technique. I am happy with the results.

See my entry from USE THE MUSE I

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This necklace was inspired as I watched the leaves starting to turn their beautiful colors and fall into my yard. The beautiful “Butterfly Muse” was the same shade of red that I was seeing. I wanted this necklace to reflect the end of summer as it slowly fades away into winter. I was working on a herringbone rope when my kit came and the components just fit and flowed into this piece. I used most of the kit’s components and added my own Delica 11o’s Transparent Luster Gold Dark Red and Miyuki 15o’s in Transparent Rainbow Dark Gold.

Dorrie's Site

Butterflies have always been an important symbol for me. So when I opened the kit and saw the copper butterfly it just spoke to me. I pulled a few items out of my stash and set to work. I had no idea or direction that I wanted to take; the piece actually created itself. It was as if it knew what it wanted to be and just needed my hands to do the work

Mad Chiwawa Designs

See my entry from USE THE MUSE I

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I started this project on a decided course but, as Muses do, she led me down a different road. Initially, I pictured an entirely woven necklace; instead I weaved a few playful peyote tubes using the triangle beads. They are strung together using copper Mettallics soft flex wire. The pearls, crystals and gemstones are scattered throughout in an illusion style necklace. It all seems whimsical to me. The pendant is attached with a hand formed filigree component. It looks like the butterfly is attached to a twig just after its come out of its cocoon.

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Autumn arrived in my hometown of Taos as I began my entry. After a particularly rainy season the greens and sages turned bronze and gold, and the butterflies grew fat and lazy in the afternoon sunshine. I was thrilled by the lovely copper butterfly and the colors Scarlett chose. I was equally excited that the muse fit perfectly on a green turquoise cab, and coordinated with some pyrex cabs I’d finished. This piece combines embroidery, netting, and peyote. The central section is a variation of Jeannette Cook’s Third Eye Pendant.

You can also see more of my work on my blog.

See my winning design from USE THE MUSE II

At first sight, I knew I had to design an autumn colored necklace with flowers using a variety of stitches. Peyote stitch strips connect to the strands and form the closure comprised of a copper frame and an embellished peyote stitch toggle. At the base of a spiral weave strand, I created a circular right angle weave embellished flower using copper and lime crystals and faceted carnelian rounds with tiny bead picots as filler. The outer strand has kit beads on copper headpins connected with bronze right angle weave chains, ending with the focal point, the butterfly muse. Contact for information: Karen_floralart@yahoo.com.

Fall is my favorite time of the year and I found all of the colors in the kit appealing. I decided to diverge from the colors of the kit just a bit as I was inspired by the teal blue and bright green together and how it complemented the Muse. I enjoy working with wire and was inspired to make this copper chain. I thought the simplicity of the copper and the brightness of the teal and green were just made for each other. I had a lot of fun making this necklace and will enjoy wearing it for years to come.

See my entry from USE THE MUSE II

I wanted something light and airy when I made my muse piece. I used wire wrapping & hammering, peyote, herringbone stitch, and stringing to create my piece. I wanted to make links out of beads and use crystals so I used a technique I had see used to make toggle clasps then added crystals. My inspiration was to create something to represent what a caterpillar would daydream about as he was "asleep" in his cocoon. You can contact Kelly Rodgers by emailing her here @ LYILHA@gmail.com.

One of my last memories of our beloved cat Zane was her playing with the butterflies in our yard. So when I saw the muse I knew this was her necklace. I used a Cat bead I have had for awhile and used spiral stitch, added some brass chain and a crystal "halo" and the necklace came together. Thanks for the inspiration.

See my entry from USE THE MUSE I

The muse and the colors reminded me of a Kansas meadow during the monarch butterfly’s migration. Sunflowers, waving grasses and coppery autumn sunsets greet the monarchs on their long journey to their winter home in the Mexican mountains. I created a fabric necklace using yarns, ribbons and strings of beads. The kumihimo technique creates a braided base to add the peyote sunflower and, of course, the butterfly muse. I also made little copper cups of polymer clay that I sewed on as embellishment. The clasp is a peyote toggle and ring echoing the colors used in the kumihimo braid.

Ann's blog

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The design of this necklace echoes the movement of fluttering butterfly wings. As the necklace moves, the little wings flutter around while the beaded circles that envelop the Muse create the illusion of a gentle flurry of butterfly’s wings hovering above the ground. The stunning autumn colors of the beads accent the gleaming copper of the muse and echo the beauty of an October day in the sun. Two stands of copper beading wire were strung thru the copper heishi spacers and turned backwards in a moveable circle to hold the wings in place throughout the necklace.

See my entry from USE THE MUSE II

The beautiful colors and copper components were such an inspiration to me, evoking the thought of changes that occur during Autumn. A butterfly undergoes several changes during its life cycle which I tried to convey in this piece: eggs on a leaf, a caterpillar, a cocoon, the Muse itself, and finally a flower, a butterfly's fuel. Since I don't weave or work with seed beads much, I chose spiral rope which I know and love to create a lariat-style necklace.

Autumn Splendor was inspired by the changing colors of autumn leaves, green, yellow, rust and brown. The MUSE inspired me to try to use all of the kit components and to use several different beading techniques - beaded bead, kumihimo, linked chain, wire wrapping and regular stringing. The butterfly is connected via copper chain so that it can take flight and move in the necklace.

See my entry from USE THE MUSE II

I love to create in copper because its warmth and shimmer provides the design versatility to go from earthy to elegant. Since the lines of the butterfly muse are both earthy and elegant, I combined the muse with an amber Swarovski briolette and a deep green jasper which has a pattern reminiscent of mottled shadows on a forest floor. The tattered wings of the butterfly are the perfect counterpoint to the graceful coils in the wire, while the olive green pearls and the copper seed beads along the edges provide a paisley effect, accentuating the juxtaposition of earthiness and elegance.

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See my entry from USE THE MUSE II

I was fortunate to have the dual inspirations of The Muse and the gorgeous fall colors outside for this lariat. To play against the organic shape of the butterfly I created a very geometric garden, and then a jewel-toned vine to serve as a bridge between the two. Happy Fall!

Order of The Bronze Butterfly A ribbon to be awarded for Excellence in Nature Conservation. The earthy tones symbolize the earth and the butterflies symbolize achievement in Nature Conservation. One/one Peyote was used to create the ribbon. The ribbon if folded to the back in the traditional award manner and the butterfly on ring is attached in the back by 3 fan shaped beaded lines. It pins on by 2 hidden punch and lug pins on the top back. Inspiration for this piece came to me while handling my husband's awards and ribbons! My focus was to make a perfect rendering of traditional award ribbons. One we would all wear with pride.

Rosita's Etsy shop Crownrose Gems

I love the rustic color of the muse. It reminded me of fall and a butterfly landing on a pile of autumn leaves. I chose to make this project using free-form peyote to lend a more fluid look to the piece. The colors blend and change like the colors of autumn, flowing from one to the next.

NLP Bead Design

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The forest of Caparina is alive with the splendor of an autumn palette. Netted wings take flight, retrieving crystals and pearls to adorn her kingdom, and weaving them among the flora. She sits upon her ndebele throne and delights in the jewels that formed from the magma, for they are her nectar. Techniques: Ndebele, netting, RAW

See my entry from USE THE MUSE II

When I see Butterflies flutter by I always smile and feel a glow in my heart. Living in Santa Barbara CA for a few years I had the wonderful experiece of standing in a Eucalyptus grove,over a hundred years old, during the migration of the Monarch Butterfies. What a magical moment as they landed on me. The muse brought these memories back and selfishly I wanted to create a piece I could see while I wore it. Thus the copper, hammered cuff. Butterfly has been brushed and 6 small Swarovski crysals wired with copper wire added around the neck.

Unlike most of my jewelry designs this one took a long time to make. Not because it was difficult,but because i just could not figure out what i wanted to make. I worked on it piece by piece, and believe the end result is what it should have been. Also I love the way that the muse is attached to the rest of the necklace...

See my entry from USE THE MUSE II