Choose your words carefully -- don't be rude.

Part of the fun of the Bead Soup Blog Party® is you have NO idea what you are going to get. But that can also be a source of disappointment in some cases.  I would be lying if I said everyone is going to love what they get.  That's a complete impossibility. 

Here is how I'd like you to try to manage any disappointment.

First, don't be rude in public.  If you want to vent to me or your friends in private, that's what friends are for.  But when you write your blog post or make comments on someone else's soup, please be careful how you word things.  Words like "ugly" should never even come out of your keyboard for the public to see.


Second, you are all artists.  YES, you are!  And I am positive that you can make something beautiful or unique out of whatever you received.  It might be more difficult than usual, but you can do it!  If you're stumped, send me a photo.  We can brain storm.  There is rarely anything that can't be made beautiful and interesting.

Approach designing with the open-minded abandonment of a child.

Reminder - you only have to use the focal and the clasp, and not even in the same piece, if you want to make more than one piece.  You also have your own stash to pull things together as well!   And you can also make something that isn't jewelry.  I've seen purses, journals, clip boards, key chains, fan pulls, mixed media art for the walls -- there are so many things you can do, if you put your mind to it.


Lastly, when you write about your soup, there's nothing wrong with talking about how you were challenged.  Just be tactful.  Some examples of what you can say:

"I normally don't work in earth tones...."

"I've never worked with beads this size before..."

"I usually work in a vintage style...."

But please don't say:

"I didn't like the beads I got...."

"The colors were garish...."

"I don't like to work with cheap beads...."

Of course, this doesn't mean you can't send me a photo of what you got and say, "Is this right?", because sometimes things happen and people don't read the rules, or forgot to send a clasp (I did that once!), or you just really didn't hit it off.   Just please keep in mind:

Your idea of beautiful 

and your partner's idea of beautiful

can vary widely.

Your partner's stash and funds 

can be completely different from yours.

I know it's not fun to be disappointed, and there's a lot of "Soup Envy" going on when we see what other people got.  I totally get that.  But embrace this challenge for what it is -- a chance to work outside your box.  

As always, please email me if you have questions.

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.