the 8th Bead Soup Blog Hop Sign Ups are Coming Soon!

A lot of people have asked if I've felt like having a Bead Soup Blog Party (also known as the BSBP) because my recovery from Lyme disease and a bunch of cross diseases is still underway.

The book that came about because of the parties.

The answer is YES.  However, there will be some changes to make it more streamlined.

I can tell you three important things....

1)  There will only be ONE sign up day.  Only 24 hours.

In the past there have been three days,

but this year will have a strict 24 hours.

2)  Regardless of the size of the party,

there will only be

ONE REVEAL DATE.

3) There will be no Facebook entries this year...

you MUST have a blog.

One of the missions of the BSBP is to get you blogging,

sharing your work, 

and increasing your opportunities

to participate in other blog hops.


I haven't decided if there will be a contest yet

and there are a couple of other things I'm working out.

A Bead Soup I received.

I will be announcing the dates on this page, at www.BeadSoupBlogParty.com, on the Facebook group www.BeadSoupCafe.com, and my personal Facebook.page.  I will also create a Facebook invite.  Now is a good time to check your account and see if you are set up to receive invites (they show up in the right top corner of your Facebook page), and also see if you clicked to receive an email when someone invites you to something.

If you're as excited as I am every year about this party, please feel free to start putting together your soup.  Make sure you're on the right track by reading:

What is a Bead Soup Blog Party?

A Gentle Reminder

What to Send, What Not to Send


Stay tuned!!!!!

Lori Anderson creates jewelry and bead kits as well as collaborative mixed media art with her son, Zack. Visit her shops by clicking on the right side bar of this blog (please and thank you!). She is also the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party® and author of the book "Bead Soup" via Kalmbach Publishing.

7th Bead Soup Blog Party -- FIRST REVEAL!

Welcome to the First Reveal of the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party®!

Below is a list of those participating 

in the First Reveal, March 30th

(there are two more reveals coming!)

Feel free to start at the beginning, 

at the bottom,

the middle,

or dance around the list!

Alicia Marinache	All The Pretty Things
Amber Dawn Goldish	Inventive Soul
Barb Solem	Vivi Magoo Presents
Bev Breisinger	Country Frog Creations
Birgitta Lejonklou	Create With Spirit
Breana Fry	Vault 31
Brenda Sue Lansdowne	B'Sue Boutiques
Carol Dee Myers	Carol DeeZigns
Carolyn Chenault	Carolyn Chenault
Cassi Paslick	Beads:  Rolling Downhill
Cece Cormier	The Beading Yogini
Cheryl McCloud	One Thing Leads to Another
Cindy Wilson	It's My Sea of Dreams
Crystal Thain	Here Bead Dragons
Cynthia Riggs	Cynth's Blog
Dana Hickey	Wind Dancer Studios
Dana James	Dana's Jewelry Designs
Darlene Fortier	Delicious Rejuvenations
Deanna Cox	Agape Creations
Deb Brooks	From the Heart Creations
Denielle Hagerman	Some Beads and Other Things I Like
Denise McCabe	Cabewoman
Diana Frey	Tattered Adornments
Diana Welte	Lilyweeds
Dini Bruinsma	Angaza by Changes
DiYana Alcalde	Agape Creations
Dolores Raml	CraftyD's Creations
Donna Millard	Donna Millard Art Glass
Dot Lewallwn	Speedie Beadie
Duane Clark	dc'z bizzy bead adventures
Dyanne Cantrell	Dee-Liteful Jewelry Creations
Eleanor Burian-Mohr	The Charmed Life
Elisabeth Auld	Beads for Busy Gals
Elizabeth Owens Dwy	1996 Shabby Lane
Emily Greer	Gaia Copia
Enikö Fabian	Perl-eni
Erin Grant	Erin's Jewelry Creations
Eva Kovacs	Ewa Gyongyos Vilaga
Eva Sherman	Eva Sherman Designs
Gina Hockett	Freestyle Elements
Grace Rotenberg	Rivka's Mom
Gretchen Nation	Art Food Lodging
Hannah Rosner	Good River Gallery
Heather Davis	Blissful Garden Beads
Heather Marston	CSW Designs
Heather Powers	Humblebeads
Ingrid McCue	Wrapped in Silver
Jacqueline Marchant	FiddleDeeDee Jewelry
Jan Petek	Pepper Tree Designs
Janeen Sorensen	Wild Vanilla Designs
Jane-Michael Stallings	Craft Vacuum
Jasvanti Patel	Jewelry by Jasvanti
Jayashree Paramesh	Nchantme
Jayne Capps	Mama's Gotta Doodle
Jean Yates	Snap out of it Jean, There's beading to do!
Jennifer Cameron	Glass Addictions | by Jen Cameron
Jennifer LaVite	Dry Gulch Beads & Jewelry
Joan Williams	lilruby jewelry
Jodie Marshall	Jodie Marshall
Judy Riggs	Rigglettes
Julie Anne Leggett	The Peaceful Bead
Kat Barron Miller	Midnight Kat Productions
Kathy Lindemer	Bay Moon Design
Kim Hora	KimmyKats
Kim Houston	The Pink Martini Boutique
Krafty Max	Krafty Max Originals
Kris Lanae Binsfeld	Cherish Designs
Kristen Stevens	My Bead Journey
Kristi Harrison	It's a New Day
Kumi Fisher	Malie Kai Designs
Laren Dee Barton	Laren Dee Designs
Laura Bracken	Laura Bracken Designs
Laura Demoya	The Bead Therapist
Laurie Hanna	Laurie's Jewelry Box
Laurie Keefe-Cecere	Tree of Life
Lea Avroch	lajewelrydesigns
Leanne Loftus	First Impression Design
Lee Anne Messerschmidt	Adventures in Jewelry
Leslie Schenkel	Twisted Chicken
Linda Anderson	From the Bead Board
Linda Djokic	Lutka and Co.
Linda Sadler	Ida Louise Jewelry
Lisa Liddy	Metal Me This
Lisa Suver	Fanceethat
Liz DeLuca	Creative Arty Facts
Liz Engriser	Bead Contagion
Lola Surwillo	Bead Lola Bead
Loretta Carstensen	Designs by Loretta
Lori Anderson	Pretty Things
Lori Bergmann	Lori Bergmann Design
Lori Bowring Michaud	Artfully Ornamental
Lori Poppe	Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean
Lori Schneider	Bead Addict
Lyn Foley	Lyn Foley
Maddison Langford	Maddy's Stitching Corner
Magdalena Sikora	Poranna Gazeta
Mallory Hoffman	For the Love of Beads
Marcella Austenfeld	Good to Go Jewelry
Marcy Lamberson	Studio Marcy
Maria Clark	Sweet Willow Designs
Maria Rosa Sharrow	Willow Street Shops
Marianna Boylan	Star Girl Shop
Marti Conrad	Marti's Clay Blog
Mary Ellen Merrigan	Mary Ellen Beads
Mary Harding	Mary Harding Jewelry Bead Blog
Molly Alexander	Beautifully Broken Me
Nan Emmett	Spirit Rattles :: Spirited Earth
Niky Sayers	Silver Nik Nats
Pam Chesbro	A Fortunate Soul
Pam Farren	Re-maker
Pam Sandy	Pam's Eclectic Stuff
Pam Traub	Klassy Joolz
Pamela Gangler	She Always Loved Pink
Patricia Buchanan	Bracelets Too
Patricia Johnson	Patricia L. Johnson Glass Art
Paula Hisel	Simply Stated
Peggy Gabrielson	Georgia Mountain Arts
Rachel Baron	R. Baron Designs
Rachel Stanley	Catching Hummingbirds
Rain Hannah	Honey & Ollie
Rana Wilson	Rana Lea Designs
Renetha Stanziano	Lamplight Crafts
Robin Reed	Artistry HCBD
Rochelle Brisson	A Creative Chelle
Rose Rushbrooke	The Art of Rose Rushbrooke
Ruth Szapa	New Things
Sally Russick	The Studio Sublime
Sandi Volpe	Sandi Volpe
Sandra Pendragon	Pendragon Jewelry
Sandy Richardson	Sandy's Coloring Box
Sarah Small	blog by salla
Shannon Hicks	falling into the sky
Shari Replogle	Plays With Paper
Sheila Daniels	Cheeky Magpie
Sheila Davis	Stone Designs
Shiraz Biggie	Secret Song Designs
Shirley Moore	Beads and Bread
Skylar Bre'z	Brising Beads
Staci Smith	Staci Louise Originals
Stacy Pomerleau	Craft En Ville
Stephanie Weiss	Uniquely Me - Beads, Wire, and Desire
Sumi Rani	Hundred Colors
Susan Sheehan	Susan Sheehan, Strands of Thought
Suzette Bentley	Ellie's Bijoux
Tamera Norris	Beads and Things
Tracy Choy	BumbleBeads Designs
Tracy Stillman	Tracy Stillman Designs
Valerie Norton	Hot Art
Vicki Holliday	Flop Cat Design

 

UPDATED -- Follow this blog in several ways (and translate it, too!)

Some people are having trouble with the email subscriptions, so I've added two more ways to keep abreast of the Bead Soup happenings.  Over on the right side, you can choose to Follow the blog, and you can also choose your favorite blog reader to capture the RSS feed.

I've also added the Blogger Gadget "Translate" -- if you have a blog, I'd highly recommend it!

And why not end this post with some food for thought, especially if you're stressing over what to make for the Bead Soup Blog Party®?

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.

 

 

"Bead Soup Blog Party" is a registered trademark.

Get your Bead Soup cooking now! (And what should you send?)

Yesterday I posted about the Bead Soup Blog Party® sign ups being THIS WEEKEND!  But you know what?  You don't have to wait for your partner announcement to start cooking up your Bead Soup now! 

Each Bead Soup must contain:

 :: One focal ::

 ::  One special clasp (not a lobster claw) ::
::  Some coordinating beads (no need to send a million) ::

You don't need to know who your partner is to make a soup!  Why?  Because that's the entire point of the party -- to send a mix of quality beads, NOT to send beads in your partner's favorite color or current style.  The majority of people receive beads they have either never used before or don't have access to, and that helps expand your design power.  When you get your Bead Soup from your partner, dig into your own stash and start seeing what ELSE you may have that works with it, and embrace the challenge.

If you are a seed beader, you will have a choice at sign up to choose to be paired with another seed beader.  Why?  Because seed beading is a skill and art that is almost impossible for a person who has never touched a seed bead or needle to master for a challenge.  You can absolutely send a seed beaded pendant, beaded bead, and other awesomeness of that sort.

If you are a seed beader who also strings, uses wire, etc, and has the stash to send that sort of Bead Soup,  then you can choose to have a non-seed bead partner.

Basically, please do not send seed beads 

to a person who is NOT a seed beader.

Bead Soup sent to me by Jennifer Cameron.

Some people like to make up pretty packaging for their Bead Soup.  That's not necessary, but feel free to show your creativity that way if you like.  

I'm not terribly creative with paper so I use my jewelry boxes -- still pretty!

DO label what you're sending -- what is it made of, who made it (if it's handmade), even where you got it if you know.

What do I mean by a special clasp?  Something unique.  Something that isn't a lobster claw or spring clasp.  Here are some I've used in my own jewelry:

Sterling silver, handmade silver by me, handmade ceramic by Earthenwood Studio, and a pewter toggle.  There are so many things you can choose, in any type of metal or composition.   

What do I mean by a focal?  Well, to most people, it translates as something meant to be used as a pendant.  The vast majority of pieces made for past Parties were necklaces.  However, you can send a large bead that is special and let your partner know THIS is the focal, and I was thinking it could work for a necklace OR a bracelet.

If you get a focal that is not screaming "PENDANT!" to you, try what I've done in some of my jewelry creations:

Lampwork tube bead from bead soup sent by Rebecca Anderson 

that I chose to use in a bracelet.

Carved wood bead I forgot I had.

And lastly, you are NOT expected to go out and buy beads for this challenge, but if you would like to, you're of course welcome to.  You want to send a quality packet of beads.  That doesn't mean send a million, but ones that are special and something you would send your best friend.  

Yeah, I'm sorry, but there has to be one.  I'm not disparaging these materials, and have even used most of them, but for THIS blog hop, please do not send:

:: Metalized plastic ::

:: Seed beads (unless you are sending to a seed beader) ::

:: Plastic beads (exceptions -- quality vintage beads in new condition) ::

:: Anything you have considered throwing away ::


and per the request of this large, worldwide group,
no religious, political, or similar beads.

(Have a question?  Just email me.)

That's it!

I hope to see you at sign ups this weekend!

 

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.

Bead Soup Blog Party ® mentioned in BeadWork magazine

Thanks to Michelle Mach's writing, the Bead Soup Blog Party got a lovely write-up in the June 2011 edition of Super BeadWork magazine.

The article in Bead Buzz talks about the upcoming Bead Soup Blog Party, with sign-ups August 1-3, and features a necklace made by Heather Pyle from a Bead Soup sent to her from Emanda Johnson.

I'm so thrilled to see the excitement of the Bead Soup Blog Party get out to an even wider audience and I'm hoping this next party will be even more festive than ever before!  I have plans in place to create an easier way for blog hoppers to navigate and get a quick glimpse of the jewelry before clicking to each blog -- if things work out the way they should, this not only make for less stress but will also give a permanent place, here, in this section of the Pretty Things blog, for everyone's creation.

Until then, visit the post below, grab the blog hop button for your own blog, and get those creative ideas going!

(Bead Soup Blog Party ® is a registered trademark  and protected as such.)