A Gentle Reminder :: What the Bead Soup Blog Party is all about.

This is the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party® and I am so thrilled to experience the excitement this event brings.  It's always a thrill to wonder what will show up in your mail box to create with.


That being said, every now and then I like to stop and make sure we're all on the same page.  It's been a while since I've done that so I thought I would talk about some things and make sure I'm still presenting the BSBP as it was intended to be.

Earrings I made in BSBP6 with lampworked head pins I was sent.

First, please know that I have no control over what your partner chooses to send.  I lay out the rules and photo examples in many places -- here, in the Bead Soup Cafe, in the "here is your partner email", and of course, at sign up.   When I pair people, there are many things I take into consideration first:

1. Where the person lives
2. Where the person wants to swap (overseas, etc)
3. What reveal a person wants
4. If the person is a seed beader, if they want to swap with a seed beader
5. If the person makes beads, I try not to pair them with someone who makes the same thing.
6. I try not to match anyone with someone they've had before, not just in the BSBP, but in other swaps I've hosted.

From BSBP5 -- I chose just one bead from the Bead Soup I received and used beads and chain from my own stash to create the rest of the necklace.  From this soup, I made many pieces.

Something I've learned in life is never, ever to judge a book by its cover.  While some people start their blogs just to do the party, others are long-time bloggers.  That doesn't mean that one or the other is a "better" swapper.  A person may have an enormous stash or make exquisite beads but not send  what you might think they would.  On the other hand, a person who is just starting out beading may send the most amazing Bead Soup you've ever seen.


There is flat out no way of knowing what you will get.  And that is something you have to be prepared for.  

From BSBP6.  I do not normally work with earthtones.  I chose a piece of copper to back up the gemstone pendant (don't forget about layering, adding extra beads, and the like as ways to enhance a focal).  In the bottom picture, I used polymer clay beads from my own stash to complete the look.  The ceramic diamond cubes and the Czech glass was part of the soup I received.

If you receive beads and don't know what to do with them, try to look at them in an entirely different way.  If you work in, say, vintage and are given wildly colorful, funky lampwork beads, embrace the challenge.  Don't be upset you didn't get a vintage soup!  I tell people to make up their soups before they get their partners for a reason -- I WANT you to work outside your comfort zone.  This is when you can really pull out your "I'm an ARTIST!" name tag and show you can work with anything.

From BSBP6.  I created a pendant with the wrapping paper my soup came in. 

If you are stumped, by all means, email me with a photo.  I have yet to meet a soup I couldn't figure out something.  Remember:

• You MUST use the focal and the clasp. 
• However, you do not have to use them in the same piece (you can make one piece or thirty -- it's up to you).
• Dig into your own stash to add your own flavor to the soup you got.  Add salt and pepper, so to speak.   
• You don't have to make jewelry!  In the past, people have made fan pulls, purses, and other pieces of art.

From BSBP6.  I made a keychain with a focal.  My soup also included the glass teardrops and the cording.

Let this blog hop help you grow in some way, be it in design, color theory, photography, or blogging.   Don't forget to get to know your partner a bit along the way, and that there is a Facebook group you can join -- it's a great place to share and learn!



And finally, you are allowed to do what you wish with your piece -- keep it, sell it, donate it, or present it to a magazine for a tutorial.


As always, let me know if I can help.

Lori Anderson creates jewelry and bead kits as well as collaborative mixed media art with her son, Zack.  Visit her shops by clicking here.  She is also the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party®   and author of the book Bead Soup.