Pretty Things - Bead Soup Blog Party: 2012

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Save the Date!

Save the date for the blog hop of the year!

To learn more about the party, click here.

Share the news!
Grab the button for your blog!

1. Right click on the above photo to save it to your computer.

2. Choose the Photo Gadget and upload the photo.

3. Add the link www.BeadSoupBlogParty.com to the space for HTML.

You may need to click the "Shrink To Fit" box --

experiment with it as your blog borders may be different than mine.

And of course, email me if you need help!

See you next year!

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.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

The 6th Bead Soup Blog Party Pinterest Group~

Take a look!

http://pinterest.com/limamike/6th-bead-soup-blog-party/

Sunday, September 16, 2012

The Bead Soup Book Blog Tour is Coming!

Please join me and the book contributors October 1-8th for reviews of the Bead Soup book and lots of giveaways! Each day there will be several blogs to "hop". Learn about the insights and thoughts from those who made beads or wrote tutorials and comment to win lots of goodies!

Join her at the Facebook group Bead Soup Cafe for bead chat, swaps, challenges, and lots of eye candy!

Saturday, August 25, 2012

The 3rd Reveal of the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party®

I'm so glad you're here!

The Bead Soup Blog Party® has gotten so large over the years that I've had to split it into three reveal dates and change it from a twice yearly event to a once-a-year affair. If you've never participated before, you can read about it by clicking here, and keep your eyes open for the announcement of the new 2013 date, which will be in the Jan/Feb time frame. To give you an idea of how many people are in this particular Bead Soup Blog Party, click here to see the maps split out in detail.

Now without further ado, let me introduce you to my partner and the beads she sent me. My partner for the 3rd reveal is Cece Cormier, otherwise known as The Beading Yogini. I've always admired her micro-macrame abilities and her unique findings. She's also a lampwork artist, among other things!

As a reminder, these are the many things Cece sent me:

Rose quartz, raku ceramic, seed beads, glass, acrylic, paper-coated wood beads .....

Cloisonne, acrylic, pearls, pewter toggles ...

And the biggest challenge -- thread to macrame with! I've always admired micro-macrame and have had the book "Mod Knots" for quite a while, so I knew that at the very least, I was going to try my hand at this new art form.

This, however, is an art form I'm really going to have to work on further, because I am one of those people that needs to SEE things being done and have my hand held. I've said in the past I'm the student in class who always has that deer-in-the-headlights look, and I definitely want to learn more because knotting and weaving reminds me of those comforting days of knitting before Zack was born.

ANYWAY. When things don't quite work out as planned, I call them "organic". Nice spin, right? From Cece's stash, I took the lampwork bead and used the toggle as the top of the pendant. The pendant is a seed-beaded net with little pewter flowers attached.

The necklace portion uses the rose quartz beads Cece sent and more of the seed beads and flowers. This part is basic overhand knotting. I didn't make tight knots on the seed bead triplets, leaving instead a little room for the beads to have space to breath and slide -- airy to match up with the net pendant. Everything connects with the toggle at the pendant top.

I like it -- a sort of fairytale mermaid net.

Next, I took a couple of the cloisonne beads Cece sent and some vintage blue beads I had and made a simple pair of earrings. I love this style because I adore dangles and clusters. It makes simple turn into splendid, don't you think? You'll notice I used heavy gauge wire for the cloisonne, but 24-gauge for the blue beads. I also used brighter brass for both the ear wires and the clusters. I like the subtle mix of shading. Little touches can make a big difference.

Next, I took a right turn at "classic" and pulled in with a screeching wheelie halt at "whimsical". I used the cute bright pink ovals Cece sent and some awesome beads from Yvonne of My Elements and made some seriously Lori-style earrings. LOVE these!

Cece's package was wrapped in absolutely amazing paper. Unwrapped completely, it's in the shape of a kimono, so I'm going to hang one of the pages on my wall. The paper was so cool I really wanted to incorporate it into a piece of jewelry. Asian things have a special place in my heart because of my travels in Korea and Japan. So out came the resin!

I used two pieces from the wrapping paper, a faux Asian coin, and a bezel from Nunn Design and used my very new resin skills. This time I followed instructions from the book "Explore, Create, Resinate" and sealed the paper with packing tape, and then touched up the edges with Modge Podge. I'm going to add another layer of resin in a few days to dome it up nicely, but I am tickled with how this turned out!

Now a switch from pretty pink to rustic raku. I loved the raku ceramic nuggets Cece sent and I have to admit, the end product is NOTHING like what I'd planned -- and I LOVE how it turned out. Sometimes it's good to let go of the blueprint and just let your mind wander and have its own way.

I made tiny bronze love knots (three jump rings linked together) to act as spacers between the raku beads and seed beads I received and then strung them on heavy-gauge copper wire. The moment of truth came when it was time to twist and coil that wire -- I had no plan. I had drawn nothing out. I just winged it. And I love the result. (Boy, did I get lucky!)

I added some texture by wrapping 22-gauge wire around parts of the 16-gauge, but I decided not to hammer anything because I didn't want to compete with the raku beads. What do you think? The right decision?

Switching back to pink, I picked the rose quartz flower focal and picked up the thread again to try macrame once again. Before I started this project, I only knew one macrame stitch, and just learned this one, the basic square knot. It's sturdy -- so sturdy I decided to make a key chain.

I used the briolettes from Cece's soup along with the focal to make (what I think) is a feminine and flirty key chain. Like?

And now my last piece. The paper-covered wood beads are chunky but lightweight, and the Lucite bell flowers are also light as air. You know my love of dangles and clusters, so I trotted that skill set out again and used the seed beads and pale green acrylic beads from her stash to make tons of charms. The top of the necklace is made with translucent pink beads from Cece and pewter flowers from my own stash.

Once again, I mixed my metals, using silver even though the green beads have a gold crackle effect. I think if I'd used all gold, the necklace would have been too formal and not as sweet.

I'd used the clasp Cece sent in my first necklace, so decided to go for a fancy lobster claw I just got from Etsy. I really love those pewter flower charms I have, so I added a few of those around the back of the necklace to give it a little texture and continue the flower theme.

So there you have it! My bead soup creations for the third and final reveal! Below is what I sent to Cece, and I can't wait to see what she made.

This is the largest reveal of the Bead Soup Blog Party, and the last one for the year, so I hope you'll take some time to look around and comment on all the talent out there! You can visit my partner at http://www.thebeadingyogini.com. The rest of the participants are below.

Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Agi Kiss, Moonsafari Beads
Alice Peterson, Alice Dreaming

Alison Sachs, Beads by Earthtones

Amanda Dittloff, Passion Smashin'

Andra Marasteanu, Bijoux de Monanage

Angie Szlovak, SweetBeads

Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

Ann Sherwood, Ann's Blog

Arlene Dean, A Glass Bash

Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution

Barb Solem, Vivi Magoo Presents

Barbara Blaszczyk, laboratorim Flory

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Beth Emery, Stories by Indigo Heart

Bianca Odenthal, Zydies Glasperlen

Birgit Klughardt, GitesBeads
Bobbie Rafferty, Beadsong Jewelry
Bonnie Coursolle, Jasper Gems
Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini
Charlene Jacka, Clay Space

Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're
Cheryl Foiles, Get Your Bead On
Christie Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Christina Miles, Wings n Scales
Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design
Cindy Cima Edwards, Live to Design
CJ Bauschka, 4 His Glory Creations
Claire Smith, Embergrass Jewelry
Cynthia Riggs, Cynth's Blog
Dana Fowler, Trunk Full of Treasure

Dawn Pierro, Turtle Moon Designs
Dee Elgie, Cherry Obsidia
Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous
Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie

Eileen Snyder, Dorset Hill Beads
Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads
Eva Kovacs, Ewa gyongyos vilaga!
Evelyn Duberry, Sheba Makeda
Fay Wolfenden, Torch Fairy
Fen Li, Bead Flora Jewels
Gail Zwang, Angel Moose Enterprises
Geneva Collins, Torque Story
Grace Dorsey, Fan of the Flame
Gretchen Nation, Art Food Lodging
Hannah Annear, Squintessential

Hajer Waheed, My Beaded World
Heather Goldsmith, As I Bead It
Heather Otto, The Craft Hopper
Heidi Kingman, My Bead Therapy
Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
Isolina Perez, Isolina Perez
Jacqueline Keller, CreARTelier
Jane Haag, Did You Make Something Today?
Janeen Sorensen, Wild Vanilla Designs
Jean Peter, Jean P. Designs
Jennifer Judd, Jen Judd Rocks
Jennifer L Justman, Soul's Fire Designs
Joanna Matuszczyk, Bizuteria z filcu
Joanne Brown, Jo's Jewels

Joanne Lockwood, Jo Bunkum
Joyce Becker, Joyce's Joyful Gems
Judy Riley, Three Red Beads
Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design
Karen Williams, Baublicious
Karin von Hoeren, Creative Ideen
Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Kashmira Patel, Sadafule .. always in bloom!
Kate Richbourg, We Can Make That at Home
Katrin Lembke, AllesPerle
Kathy Combs, Torched in Texas

Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Kelley Fogle, My Life, One Bead at at Time
Kelly Hosford Patterson, Traveling Side Show
Klaudette Koon, Only Road
Lara Lutrick, Lampwork Beads by Lara
Laura Guenther, Blue Antiquities
Laurie Lalonde, Simply Mod Jewelry
Lilik Kristiani, Soul of My Embodiment
Linda Younkman, Lindy's Designs
Lisa Chapman, Beach Cat Beads
Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures

Loretta Carstensen, Designs by Loretta
Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design
Lori Dorrington, Lori's Adventures in Etsy Land
Lupe Meter, Gem's PC Corner
Lynn Davis, LLYYNN
Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin
Mandi Effron, Craft-o-licious
Mandy Williamson, Mimi's Beading
Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter
Maria Rosa Sharrow, Willow Street Shops

Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry
Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre
Marjolein Trewavas, Room for Change
Marelene Cupo, Amazing Designs
Marsha Neal, Marsha Neal Studio
Marta Kaczerowska, uhuhu
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry Blog
Michelle Burnett, Reverie and Revival
Michelle Escano-Caballero, The Cabby Crafter
Miko Wiropati, Uniquely Yunikua
Milla Hope, LB Creative Arts and Crafts

Mimi Gardner, Other Curiosities
Miranda Ackerley, MirandackArts
Natalie McKenna, grubbi
Noemi Baena, fuego, metal, y color
Pam Ferrari, Ferrari Originals
Pam Sears, Crazy Creative Corner
Penny Neville, Copper Penny
Rachel Baron, R. Baron Designs
Rachel Myers, Rockabead Jewelry
Rana Wilson, Definitive Designs by R. Wilson
Rebecca Anderson, Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place
Riki Schumacher, Riki Jewelry
Rose Binoya, Ahtee's Blog

Rossana De Gaspari, Rdegas Blog
Sandi James, Do Be Do Bead Do
Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe
Sandra Wollberg, City of Brass Stories
Sarah Goode, Pookledo
Sarah Small, blog by salla
Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings
Shawn Mills, Shawn Marie Designs with Bent Wire
Sheila Davis, Stone Designs by Sheila
Sheryl Stephens, Babble Bead
Shiraz Biggie, Secret Song Designs
Solange Collin, Ahowin Handcrafted Jewelry
Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads

Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads
Susan Sheehan, Strands of Thought
Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria
Sweet Freedom, Sweet Freedom Designs
Tabatha Dinger, Modernly Created
Tania Hagen, Pelima Jewellery Design
Tanya Boden, Fusion Muse
Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas
Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo
Tracy Stillman, Tracy Stillman Designs

Join her at the Facebook group Bead Soup Cafe for bead chat, swaps, challenges, and lots of eye candy!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Meet Me at the Baltimore Bead Society!

I'm thrilled to announce I'll be the guest speaker Wednesday September 11th at the Baltimore Bead Society! I'll be discussing beading challenges, how they can help you with social media, and the Bead Soup Blog Party.

Admission is free, but please RSVP to info@baltimorebead.org.

I'll be presenting a slide show with my talk,

and will have lots of Bead Soup Kits to sell.

Plus, you can pre-order a book

and have me autograph a book plate for you!

Baltimore Bead Society
Howard County Center for the Arts
8510 High Ridge Road
Ellicott City, MD 21043

Wednesday, September 11th

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Talk to begin around 8:00 pm

Bring your creations to show and share!

Web Site

Join her at the Facebook group Bead Soup Cafe for bead chat, swaps, challenges, and lots of eye candy!

Saturday, August 11, 2012

6th Bead Soup Blog Party® , 2nd Reveal!

I'm so glad you're here!

The Bead Soup Blog Party® has gotten so large over the years that I've had to split it into three reveal dates and change it from a twice yearly event to a once-a-year affair. If you've never participated before, you can read about it by clicking here, and keep your eyes open for the announcement of the new 2013 date, which will be in the Jan/Feb time frame.

To give you an idea of how many people are in this particular Bead Soup Blog Party, take a look at the overall map: click for a larger view, and click here to see the maps split out in detail.

Now without further ado, let me introduce you to my partner for this reveal and the beads she sent me!

Marcia Dunne has a completely different style of jewelry than I do, and I love that. Her shop is one of my favorites and I love what she can do. She describes her style as bohemian, gothic, steampunk, Art Nouveau, and vintage, and I love all of those things but fail miserably at them. I thought with her as a partner, I'd really be pushed and I wasn't wrong.

To remind you, this is what she sent me:

Silk ribbon, an Asian fan assemblage she painted, a handmade copper clasp, VERY cool dark agate with pattern, natural howlite, and vintage Lucite. In her note, she wrote that she was thinking of Katharine Hepburn in the "African Queen", a tribal, Edwardian theme. I actually rented the movie and watched it, and while I loved Hepburn and Bogart, I realized I am one of those people who isn't inspired by anything. And that makes me so sad! I envy people who say they're inspired by nature, or books, or movies, or what have you -- but I just don't have that creativity and just let the beads talk to me. And sometimes, they don't talk very loudly, so I have to ask them "Would you please repeat that?"

The main thing that challenged me with this bead soup was its neutral palette. If you look at my blog header, you see I'm all about color. I thought for a while about instilling color into all these beads, but realized I wanted a challenge, darn it. So here we go!

First, I chose the fan focal. I thought of Katharine Hepburn and her elegant bone structure. So I tried to go elegant, but quietly unique. I used a combination of lampwork beads, enamel beads, pearls, and Czech glass.

I made a tassel with antiqued brass chain lengths and two beads I made -- one lampwork and one enamel. For the bail, I made a heavy-gauge bronze jump ring and wrapped it with thinner gauge and tweaked on link up to hold the loops. I added two dangles on the corners out of green cultured pearls. I'm not sure if those pearls are a "go" or not. What do you think?

I used a combination of antiqued brass and natural, more golden bronze, to give a subtle tonal texture. I added two large golden pewter beads to balance the bottom of the necklace, and then narrowed the profile with handmade glass and links of pearls and short double strands of chain. I linked all the loops together with small bronze links in a love knot configuration (it's all about details, you know?).

I used 22-gauge bronze wire for the pearls, and since that gauge was thinner than that I'd used for the other beads, AND I didn't want the links to look too chintzy, I made double wrapped loops. Makes for a stronger loop, and a subtle design touch.

So that's "Katharine".

For my main piece, (which you'll see last!) I made wrapped links with all the remaining beads, but when I started to put the necklace together, I realized the howlite dagger beads just weren't going to work. So I made what turned out to be a delicate tribal piece. The daggers aren't overpowering, and I found some very coolly textured Czech glass beads in my stash to mix with them, added a bit of ribbon at the back of the necklace, and here you go.

I think I need to show that worn to give it its due. But it will hopefully appeal to someone who likes the tribal look but doesn't want to wear a full-fledged neckpiece.

Now I decided to tackle the ribbon. I am NOT good with ribbon other than using it like I did in the above necklace, but I was bound and determined to use it this time. A friend told me to try braiding it, and at first I thought I'd use it, again, at the back of a necklace, but no -- that would be expected. So I made a strand of large pearls, all wire wrapped, and used that as one of the strands for the braid. I used a clasp by Keirsten Giles and I hope I did it justice.

I still had silk left, so decided to make a less girly, more substantial bracelet. I thought Katharine Hepburn could have used these collaged hex nuts (from the Industrial Chic line) for fixing the African Queen! And I have no idea why, when I knotted the silk together, just the black showed through. I obviously have a lot to learn.

And now for the grand finale!

I used almost every single bead in my creations and only added a few of my own. I knew this long necklace was going to be chunky, so I wrapped the lovely handmade clasp Marcia made me with oxidized copper so I wouldn't ruin it.

The result is a long, very substantial necklace featuring a bit of Africa, a bit of Asia, and a lot of wire wrapping!

Some details:

Here's where I wrapped the clasp. I left the original metal unoxidized and oxidized the wrapping. I like that mix of metals -- it's subtle when worn and catches the light in a way you wouldn't think it would.

Front and center is one of the enamel beads I made, and then some wood beads in mahogany and natural I added from my stash. I added some wavy copper spacers to the plain jasper beads, and you can see one of the large Asian beads I got from an estate sale goodie basket.

Here you can see one of my favorite beads, the carved jasper (?) rounds and the black-and-cream beads with a glossy finish. I mixed in the cream howlite and Lucite to lighten up the deeper colors.

Another view of the bleached and mahogany wood I used with the longer piece of darker wood Marcia sent me, and details of the cool carved Lucite tube beads.

And finally, I framed the plain black beads with copper to give them some character. I linked all the beads together with doublets of small bronze jump rings.

And there you have it! I think you'll agree these pieces really challenged me as the beads were very cool but nothing I would have thought of using, and this challenge is EXACTLY what I love about the Bead Soup Blog Party!

This is what I sent Marcia, and I can't wait to see what she made -- so please visit her at http://thealternativefoundry.blogspot.com

And now the rest of the 2nd reveal of the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party!

Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Adlinah Kamsir, Dream Struck Designs

Adrienn Lukacs, Raszputyin Designs

Agata Grygiel, Cytherea Bijoux

Alenka Obid, Pepita Handmade

Amy Dickerson, Damyjo Designs

Amy Schmidt, Amy's Treasure

Amy Severino, Amy Beads

Ana Krepel, Cat's Pajamas, Dog's Tuxedos

Andra Weber, Andra's Joyful Journey

Andrea Trank, Heaven Lane Creations

Anke Humpert, Anart Island Studios

Ann Rishell, My Critical Eye

April Grinaway, Brooklyn Bead Goddess

Ashley Bunting, Miss Ashely Kate

Astrid Boyce, Astrid Boyce Beads

B.R. Kuhlman, Mixed Mayhem Studios

Barb Fernald, Barbara S. Fernald Jewelry

Barbe Saint John, Saints and Sinners

Beata Benkone Meggyesi, Beahobbi

Brandy McNair, Bella Vita Handmade Jewelry

Bryna Lumb, Bryna's Bead Box

Carmen Lau, Little Maketto

Cate van Alphen, Fulgorine

Cathie Carroll, Cathie Carroll's Studio

Cathy Khoury, Touch Jewelry

Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads

Collette Collins, Fire Fly Myst Artisan Jewelry

Courtney Breul, Beads by Breul

Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons

Cynthia Abner, Created Treasures

Deana Hager, Just Deez'Art & Life

Debbie Davis, Natural Treasures by Deb

Debbie Phenes, Deb Joy Sing

Debbie Rasmussen, A Little of This, A Little of That

Dhea Powers, Java Bead

Diana Welte, Lilyweeds

Dita Basu, alankarshilpa

Dorota Zeranska, gdymamczas

Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie

Eleanor Snare, The Magic Square Foundation

Elisabeth Auld, Beads For Busy Gals

Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

Emma Todd, A Polymer Penchant

Eva Sherman, Eva Sherman Designs

Evie and Beth McCord, EB Bead and Metal Works

Francy Inman, Francy's Studio

Ginger Bishop, lilmummy likes...

Giorgia Rossini, Jo in Wonderland

Ine Vande Cappelle, Jewels by Ine

Iveth Caruso, Creative Atelier

JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions

Jackie Ryan, Kydo Jewellery

Jeannie Dukic, Jeannie's Blog

Jelveh Jaferian, Jelveh Designs

Jenna Tomalka, Twin Birch Studio

Jenni Connolly, Jenni's Beads

Jennifer Van Horn, Jennifers Jewels and Junk

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Johanna Rhodes-Nash, Fire Phoenix Creations

Joyce Blair, Bent Wire West Coast

JuLee Wolfe, The Polymer Penguin

Karen Vincent, Swallow Tail Jewellery

Karin Slaton, Backstory Beads

Kayla Potega, The Eclectic Element

Kim Dworak, CianciBlue

Krafty Max, Krafty Max Originals

Kris Lanae Binsfeld, Cherish Designs by Kris Lanae

Kristen Latimer, MJM Jewelry Designs

Kumi Fisher, Malie Kai Designs

Kym Hunter, Kym Hunter Designs

Lennis Carrier, Windbent

Leslie Wayment, AA Beads & More

Linda Florian, Lilys of the Valley Jewelry Creations

Linda Murphy, Bonita Bead

Lisa Johnson, Whimsey Wonders

Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures

Lisa Sittniewski, Love, Yesterdays

Lois Moon, Que Onda, Q'Town?

Lola Surwillo, Bead Lola Bead

Lorelei Eurto, Lorelei's Blog

Lori Bowring Michaud, Artfully Ornamental

Lori Callahan, Dancing Wire and Beads by Lori

Lori Finney, Using My Beads

Marcia Dunne, The Alternative Foundry

Margareta Saari, Mags-koruja

Maria Horvath, Horimarika Beads

Marian Hertzog, M's Place

Mary Ellen Parker, BeeTree by m.e.

Mary K McGraw, MK's Creative Musings

MaryLou Holvenstot, time2cre8

Martha Aleo, Ornamento

Maybeline Tay, The Jewelry Larder

Megan Collins, Churchy and Her Sailor

Melissa Meman, Art. Life. Love.

Melissa Mesara, One-Eared Pig Beads

Melissa Muir, Kelsi's Closet Jewelbox

Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

Pam DeBoer, Purple Notes from the Studio

Pam Farren, re-maker

Pam Hurst, Pam Hurst Designs

Patricia Handschuh, The Color of Dreams

Patty Miller, CabariBeads

Penney Klapoth, Faerie Acres

Regina Santerre, Regina's Writings

Rhea Freitag, starrgazer creates

Rochelle Brisson, A Creative Chelle

Sabine Dittrich, PerlenDschungel

Sandra McGriff, Creative Chaos

Sandra Neights, Petalo Azul

Sandra Young, It's a Bead Life!

Sara Oehler, SoftFlex Girl

Saturday Sequins, Saturday Sequins

Shanti Johnson, Sunshine Bliss

Shari Replogle, Plays With Paper

Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads

Stefanie Teufel, Stefanies Sammelsurium

Tammie Everly, TTE Designs

Tania Spivey, Moobie Grace Designs

Tanya Wiles, Tenebrous Hollow Studio

Therese Frank, Therese's Treasures

Tina Holden, Polymer Clay Bytes!

Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Tracey Nanstad, A Beadiful Mess

Tracy Choy, BumbleBeads Designs

Valerie Norton, Hot Art

Join me on August 25th for the final reveal!

Join her at the Facebook group Bead Soup Cafe for bead chat, swaps, challenges, and lots of eye candy!

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

6th Bead Soup Blog Party®, 1st Reveal

I'm so happy you're here!

So what is the Bead Soup Blog Party? It's a huge blog hop and beading challenge that has grown into so much more than I ever expected. There's now a Facebook group for bead and jewelry designers and this October, a book! To say I'm honored by everyone's participation is a supreme understatement (click here to see the maps!).

As with all my BSBP reveals, this is long, but I hope it's worth it! Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and experience my pit falls, ah-ha moments, and be sure to visit the links to the many talented bead artists my partner sent me!

My partner for the first reveal was Patti Vanderbloemen. Patti sent me two royal helpings of soup...

After the giddiness wore off, I thought I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do, and even ordered some extra beads for my plan. But as best laid plans often do, the plan changed.

I knew the blue Bead Soup would be my easiest, so I started on the black, red, and white one first. I knew I didn't want to mix Donna Millard's lampwork with Marsha Neal's focal, and that focal was my first stumbling point. I sat there at the table, beads everywhere, and idly picked up a bronze headpin, bronze bead cap by Lesley Watt, and a gold Swarovski crystal pearl from Bead Soup #2. And guess what? Brilliant.

I sat with the pendant for a few days and tried to figure out what else to do. I ended up mixing part of Bead Soup #1 with Bead Soup #2 -- the clasp by Leann Weih became the focal ABOVE the focal, and I pulled out my newest favorite, bronze wire from Objects and Elements, to wrap around an olive green Lucite bead from my own stash. I also wrapped the link that goes through the clasp with 22-gauge wire for a more substantial and interesting link.

I had bought that wonderful mother of pearl bead at the Bead and Button Show this year and it seemed destined for this piece -- but for some reason, I HAD to use the extra headpin and decided to drill a hole in it to make a link to the (poorly) wrapped Lucite bead. And remember the gold tangle beads in Soup #2? They were too bright for this necklace, so I did a QUICK dunk in Jax Brown, praying I wasn't going to ruin them. I left them in a rustic state because that seemed to work for this necklace.

I wanted to add some color to the necklace, so used multi-faceted dyed red jade from LimaBeads from my stash and square Czech glass beads, also from my stash. I made a couple of bronze wire cages and stuffed one with white sari silk and captured a jade bead in the other. I've been super-interested in texture in jewelry lately, so that's what drove the decision.

And here's the finished necklace...

NOT the best photo, but it was 105 degrees outside when I took it and that just had to be that! I'm rather fond of this.

So that was the first piece, and it made me feel I could actually DO something!

On to the second piece, with Donna Millard's distinctively patterned lampwork beads. When working with beads that have a strong pattern, it's important to let the beads do the talking and not have too many other conversations going on in the background.

I made a pendant for this one with a piece of etched copper from an old project (I save EVERYTHING) and a larger piece of nickle silver. I stacked a few metal spacers between the two pieces for depth, and riveted some random things in. The funny thing? I made this pendant a month before my soup arrived, yet it's perfect with those red beads!

I decorated the links of the red lampwork bead links with tiny copper beads... see them up there?

Then I let the beads do the talking and made a simple linked necklace. I hope the relative simplicity and modernity of the pendant worked well with Donna's lampwork. What do you think?

Since I had plans for the clasp Patti sent, I made my own using one of the sterling silver beads I was sent and a lot of wire....

I had one more bead left from Donna's lampwork and the silver beads, and I wanted to see if I could use as much of the bead soups as I could, so I made a two-strand bracelet with bead clusters from the seed beads Patti sent and onyx from my stash. Here's where I used the silver toggle Patti sent (made by Lesley Watt.)

Then there were the two sets of headpins Patti sent! I made one pair into a kind of Gothic style:

And the second set is made with some vintage rhinestone beads and photographed against my first wedding cabinet card (I collect cabinet cards, but never had a wedding one!). It seemed fitting.

So that took care of Bead Soup #1 and part of #2!

The second soup, the blue soup, I was giddy over because I LOVE fat, chubby lampwork beads. These are gorgeous substantial beads made by Lea Avroch. I also love blue, and really need a blue necklace. I knew I wanted to incorporate my favorite things (dangles!) but I really wanted it LUSH.

I happened to have a charm by Lesley Watt arrive on my doorstep a couple of days before I started work on the necklace, and since I'd already used the bronze clasp in the earlier necklace, I found another toggle from Lesley and went to town.

And the final piece, which took about three hours of intense wire wrapping.

I managed to use almost everything Patti sent me. I only had a few red seed beads, six cultured pearls, a bead cap, and a few Swarovski crystal pearls left over, and I think that's all!

Here's what I sent to Patti, and you can click here to see what SHE made!