
Right: Working with lace and vines at the workbench.
WOW – Here it is folks. One Giant leap for woman-kind! Well this woman anyhow. I – Teresa Schurter – resident designer at TreeZS. Treazurs – am announcing to the world (anyone reading this blog and my facebook posts) that I am a part of the B’Sue Boutique’s Build-A-Line Challenge. With the help of my family & strength from the Lord I’m leaping into designing a new line of jewelry. You are now seeing my first step and sharing in my small part in the Build-A-Line Challenge. What challenge is that you’re asking?

Center: Resin paper and grape leaves.
Right: Other brass parts.
It is a master class, where Brenda Sue Lansdowne and her design team at B’Sue Boutique will be taking dozens of eager jewelry designers on a three month journey through the process of designing, making and promoting our own line of assemblage jewelry and accessories. Brenda Sue has challenged us to develop a collection that shows a cohesive style recognizable as our own. My hope is that I can expresses the sentiments of a woman with something to say about her walk in life, a Joyful walk of Faith, that will help her blossom and shine as a woman with something to say.

As we journey through this challenge, we will each share our progress with you, in a special series of blog hops every month. That’s when we will slowly reveal our individual pieces. On the third, and final blog, you will see the entire collection- five specially made pieces- designed just for this challenge. Each participant has a unique theme, so don’t miss a single one.
The theme is what sets us apart, and gives voice to our inner thoughts and inspirations. I’ve always been a story-teller in my life and art. When I became a woman of faith as well, the need to express my joy in life and His Word just grew. I want to draw people to that joy. I want to quietly shout that there is great joy in being a woman of faith. I want to

tell stories in tiny little pictures you can wear, instead of on a big clunky t-shirt, that will make you and your audience think, “I know that verse.” or “I’ve heard that song.” Each piece I craft will make you take a second look, to see if you can “guess my line” or “name that tune” and find all the hidden secrets designed to make you smile inside and out.
My first pieces for this theme come from two of my favorite portions of scripture. My role as as that of a branch, abiding in the vine so my joy is complete. I’ll be executing this with some really great grape-vine themed brass from B’Sue Boutiques. http://www.bsueboutiques.com I’m adding some awesome Czech glass beads in rich jewel tones and a polymer “opal,” like some of those used by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The second is a riot of color based on the “Fruit of the Spirit.” This will have colored brass flowers, flourishes, stems & leaves (from guess who) and glass Czech fruit & flowers as well.

Most of my working life- pre-marriage, I was a professional seamstress. Art was a passion I had to sideline, & for years all the “making” I had time to do was designing dresses for my little girls & collecting what I hoped to work on some day. I planned on sewing professionally again, for children this time, and only dabble in beading. However, I was too busy lately designing & sewing LARP costumes & making wigs for those costumes, so I made only a few strung projects for my girls.
I don’t remember when, I became fascinated with jewelry. I never actually tried to make any until recently, but I always loved costume jewelry. I started buying a few beads to decorate this or that outfit, and the obsession just kind of grew. I was only stringing, not doing any “real” beadwork, but I was hooked. I “thought” I only wanted to add custom jewelry to go with the clothing I made. At about the same time, I started hearing about polymer clay too. I’d been making drawings and planning paintings and “collages” for years,

Top Right: Leopard spot jasper with rhodonite second stringing project – assembled the butterflies on the stones.
Center: Copper wire crocheted hair piece with hammered skewer – my first wire and bead piece.
Bottom Left: Purse Front – fused, felted & embroidered – unfotunatly I lost the chain mail wire strap so I will be making a new one
when I heard of this thing called “steampunk.” “That’s what I’ve been doing!” I thought. So, I started buying old brass. Piles of it. Then one day in November, after breaking my leg, I was sitting in bed watching youtube videos when I came across B’Sue Boutiques channel. B’Sue Lansdowne taught me how to combine it all! Physically full scale sewing wasn’t going to work anymore, but she has shown me something I’m learning to love even more! This challenge to Build-A-Line has motivated me to grow and learn as an artist at a time when I thought I’d have to give it all up.

Below you’ll find the rest of the designers joining us in this challenge. Please visit as many of the blogs written by the other participating members in the B’Sue Build-A-Line Challenge as you can. These are written by gifted designers who are taking part in this Build-A-Line Challenge. They all have unique and beautiful pieces to share with you, just click on the name and you’ll get there!
Brenda Sue Lansdowne, B’sue Boutiques
Jewelry Making Outside the Box
Marcia Tuzzolino
Jann Tague
Judy King
Linzi Alford
Magpie in the Sky, Spoil Heap Tales
Cynthia Wainscott
Carole Carlson
Lynn Stinten
Marica Zammit
Catherine Shattuck
Michaele Collie
Mary Craig
Lee Koopman
Erin Whitacre
Monica Casady
Leila West
Cindy Peterson
Leila Belcher
Gloria Allen
Pamela Anger
Tammy Adams
Lynda O’Mara
Elizabeth Hildreth
Dana Hickey
Janet Calardo
Maria Clark
Lori Beekman
Jennifer Kroeger
Amy Jorgensen
Robin Reed
Artistry: Handcrafted Bead Designs
Ingrid Anderson
Louise O’Shields
Susan Killam
Mary Katherine Deis
The Rose Sword: Artisan and Vintage Collectible Jewelry
Nike Bottalico
Susan Bowerman
Kristy Le
Kristy Le Trendy Jewelry Designs
Jan Peters
Mitzie Crider
Needful Luxuries Occasional Blog
Gina Hockett
Linda Anderson
Alexandra Sefton
Imaginary Jewelry and Altered Art
Melida Boman
The Journey of Pens and Things
Teresa Shurter
Melissa Latimer
Renee Hong
Fine and Dandy Jewelry and Art
Nadine Edris
Lori Meyer
Jennifer Merrill Williams
Denise Lussier Poirier
Renee Allen
Autumn Adams
Elizabeth Owens
Kat BarronMiller
Midnight Kat Productions Art Jewelry
Sandra Ballard
Coral Law