How to use a button as a clasp

Hi guys!  I quick tutorial for you on how I used a lampwork button in a non-traditional way to make a clasp.  I'm lousy at making a seed beaded loop, so I came up with another way.


Click here to go to the article!  In the article, you can see how I used the beads from this Bead Soup in a necklace, but tore it apart and made something new that I wear all the time.  Never be afraid of the do-over!

Lampwork beads by Manuela's Glass Art

Fringed chain from AD/Adornments

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.

Pinterest boards for the Bead Soup Blog Party AND for the Bead Soup Cafe

Just sent this email out to all the BSBP8 participants, but it also applies to anyone who belongs to the Bead Soup Cafe, www.BeadSoupCafe.com, a Facebook group.  Currently, the Facebook group is set to Private, which means you click and it sends me a note that you want in.  I then check to make sure the person doesn't look like a spammer (we've been hit with a few who were promptly banned).  It takes me a day or so sometimes, but you can also message me at my personal page telling me about yourself so I know.

Here's the content of the email I sent:

Ghislaine Kruse van Erp gave me the splendid idea to create a button the pinterest board, and she ALSO graciously made it and pinned it. If you want to join the 8BSBP boad AND/OR the entire group's board (I'll put a button there soon), just click the large pink "ADD ME" button on the board, and when I see it/an coherent, I'll add you, delete your name, and all should be well.

Go to the 8BSBP board here: http://www.pinterest.com/limamike/8th-bead-soup-blog-party/

and comment on the ADD ME pin and I'll get to it as soon as I can. You can do likewise for the general group board

http://www.pinterest.com/limamike/bead-soup-cafe-facebook-group/

Thanks!

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.

Please join Bead Soup Cafe while during the party...

I know some of you don't do Facebook, but if you do, PLEASE join www.beadsoupcafe.com so you don't miss things.  (You'll need to be approved so we keep out the rash of spammers, so please be patient).


Right now I'm adding people to the 8th Bead Soup Blog Party Pinterest board, and if for some reason you haven't followed me or I haven't followed you on Pinterest, we have to jointly follow so I can add you.  If you're in the Facebook group, I can @ your name and you get alerted.


Otherwise, stay tuned, and when I'm done with the ten pages of names, I'll put a list out here of who is NOT connected, and you can THEN tell me what your Pinterest info is.  Please don't post it here, as I still have four more pages to go through.  I'll be back.

original art by Barbara Bechtel

she may have some for sale if you ask her!

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.

Bead Soup Update

Hi guys.  Quick post while I can.  I haven't been able to do email so if there is an issue, please private message me on Facebook.


I'm encouraged to see the Soup photos...it seems most people are quite happy and challenged in the right way.  If you get a soup that has you scratching your head for whatever reason, please send me a picture and I'll help.  Another set of eyes can sometimes help.


I know you're probably as sick of hearing "I'm sick" as I am of telling you, but I'm having an extra-difficult time right now and have been told to just lay low so I don't make things worse.  I'm horribly disappointed that I have to cancel my big spring show...$600 booth fee down the drain and thousands in revenue, but.....there's a reason behind everything, I guess, right?  But it's fair to say that with the weather, reduced pain meds, and new antibiotics and supplements recently, I'm a bit worse than I've been in a while.  Yet this is a good thing!  It means Lyme toxins are being attacked, which is what we want.  It just hurts.


Anyway!


Some of you have already received Pinterest invites to the 8th BSBP pin board.  I am at www.Pinterest.com/limamike.  You can post photos of your soups, but no pictures of finished pieces until reveal day, please.  I'll continue to add people, hopefully this week.


When I'm able, I do read over the Cafe, and do not feel afraid to message me, Lisa Liddy, or my husband Rick (Richard on Facebook) if I don't answer quickly enough.


I'm so proud of this group.....things are brewing, people are helping each other, and excitement is palpable.


One last thing....I'll update the partner list soon as there have been some changes, and then will add the official blog list (your name and blog link, no partner) and that will be the list you can link people to on reveal day.  More on that later; just a heads up.


Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts.  Love to all, and a little funny bit so you know my sense of humor is still with me.  ;-)

The Final and Complete Partner List WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW

Hello everyone!  I am happy to say that tomorrow afternoon, I will be posting the COMPLETE and FINAL list of partners.

::  The list will be in first name alphabetical order, but will be changed to "when you signed up order" a few weeks after I post the list.  I want to make it easy for you to find your name.


::  IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to let me know if your blog link is not active or is linked incorrectly.  Sometimes blogger does this screwy thing where, depending upon how you enter a blog address, it throws extra characters in.  PLEASE DO THIS FOR ME.... eternally grateful, I'll be.


:: There are some very new bloggers here, and a decent amount of new-to-the-Soup folks.  Whenever possible, I paired them with a mentor, someone who has done the party before and I thought would be a kind, informative partner.  Please don't think that just because a blog is new or the person doesn't blog much that this is a bad partner.  One of my favorite lampwork bead artists is internationally renowned, sells jewelry in the hundreds to thousands of dollars, yet rarely blogs.


::  If there is a mistake, and there will be, there always are, please email me or message me on Facebook as quickly as possible.  Every change in the spreadsheet at this point creates a ripple effect.


I want to thank you all VERY much for the delay, but we are really right on target with our timeline.  I'll be posting hints, tips, ideas, and other things during the "making my stuff" time, so please come back to this page often!

one of my Bead Soup creations

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.