Its Bead Soup Time Again!

It is Bead Soup time again! And Here is what I am serving up! Tje lovely Laurie Vyselaar sent me some delicious ingredients! And I think they made some really good soup! First is a close up of the beautiful stone focal, I choose to wire wrap it to connect it to the necklace, and used copper wire strung with seed beads.

 Here is a photo of the whole necklace....I love the earthy tones Laurie chose for me!

Laurie sent such a generous batch of ingredients I was able to make several pieces! Here is a charm bracelet, made with a piece of chain provided by Laurie, a few of the beads she sent, and a few  from my own stash.

 And here is another bracelet featuring the clasp Laurie sent!

 And here are two pairs of earrings to finish it all off!

It

Valentines Day Bead Soup

  My bead soup came to me on Valentines Day! Laurie spoiled me with a bountiful bead soup! The first pic is of all the beautiful crystals she sent, on her blog post she stated that she chose colors to symbolize the things you might find in real soup, some reddish colored crystals = tomatoes, some milky white ones maybe potatoes, green ones could be any of the green veggies! The second pic shows  the two focals she sent, a beautiful shield shaped stone (I think it is agate of some kind) a pretty heart from BSue some copper chain, and a cool copper toggle clasp!  The third pic is an assortment of different beads, a tube of amber and black E beads, some beautiful tigers eye beads some beads that are black with white centers, not sure if they are glass or ceramic, some black with gold glass beads, a string of black glass disk beads, some cool brown beads that look like they may be made of horn, some mother of pearl cubes, some white faceted cube beads, two sets of either stone or picasso finished rondells, and a few creamy toned stone beads and some gold matte finished spacer beads....now I want to get started planning my project! Its going to be lots of fun!

Bead Soup Partner

My Bead Soup partner contacted me about an hour ago, and she is  Laurie Vyselaar,
she is a new participant to the Bead Soup Party. I really hope what I have blended together for her first bead soup will make it all a pleasing experience for her! The picture above is her soup I don't have a program to pixilate my photos so had to do it this way...I have included several focals and a really large pretty clasp, in antique brass, as well as a nice length of chain  and several other pieces in the same antique brass color. And lots of accent beads in colors to go with the focals. I have so much fun putting my bead soups together, its just hard to know when to call it done.....I started the day of sign ups, and was still adding up till today! I will be sending it all out on Monday. I really hope you like it Laurie! 

PAY IT FORWARD

I recently won a pay it forward give away, on Something To Do With Your Hands blog. Evidently Claire had won  Rebecca Anderson's PIF give away. And so this was Claire's turn ! And now its my turn.....Its very easy to take part, just leave a comment on this post, with a way for me to contact you if you win. And be willing to in turn host a PIF give away on your blog.  The first three commentors will win a small hand made goody  from me easy peasy! To make things more interesting, your mystery gift will come at an undisclosed time some time with in the next 365 days ! good luck!

Serving up some tasty bead soup!

Today is the first revel date for Lori Andersons Bead Soup Blog Party Hop.......and I am in the first reveal!

 This is my first necklace I made, Stepha Stamper my swap partner gave me a beautiful stone fan as part of my soup, along with some lavender fiber optic beads, and some lavender crystal beads, I added some gold luster size 8 seed beads and a copper clasp. And made a choker length necklace.

 My second piece I used the brown foiled focal along with more of the gold luster seed beads, and fresh water pearlsand fall toned crystals. Also an  filigree bead that I flame enameled and an acorn prayer box and various crystals and leaf beads for dangles

  The last necklace I used the beautiful dragonfly focal, some lime green fiber optic beads, some grey ab beads and the beautiful crystal adorned clasp, all provided by Stepha.... I also added some tanzanite crystal drops and some crystal ab fire polish beads to make a beautiful fairy princess necklace!

You can access the other participants blogs from Lori's blog.......http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/2012/06/participants-of-6th-bead-soup-blog.html

My Bead Soup Has Arrived!

 My bead soup has arrived! It was like Christmas in July! My partner Stepha Stamper of Rainy Days Designs, really spoiled me, with not just one but two beautiful bead soups!  A warm color selection, and a cool one! The warm one had two different focals and lots of beautiful beads and antiqued brass findings

 The cool selection has a beautiful silver toned dragonfly focal, a pretty leaf charm, and a beautiful silver toggle with crystal accents, and lots of beads in delicate spring tones.....My mind is spinning with lots of ideas, and I need to get started because I have to be done in time for the first reveal at the end of the month!

Lori Anderson's Give away

Lori Anderson is having an amazing give away! Not just one but five chances to win!
 a wonderful selection of goodies from The Bead and Button Show, a copy of her book Bead soup, a  copy of her ebook, a cute bead shopping tote, and a wonderful mystery bead soup mix! so head on over and check out her blog, Pretty Things!

Mini Bead Swap and Reveal

since we didn't get to be a part of the bead soup blog hop party this time, Sandy Richardson, Emanda Johnson, Alice Craddick and I had our own little bead swap and challenge..........Today is the reveal day!!! And here is what I made with the bea soup Emanda sent to me!She sent a beautiful enamel focal that was a pretty two tone pink on the front with some inclusions, and a deep burgundy on the back......she also sent numerous stone beads and some pearls and crystals also a cross that she made her self, and a sterling clasp......I chose not to use the clasp, because I thought the beads called out for copper......please check out the other ladies blogs to see what they have made

Michelle Mach's Secret Snow Flake Challenge

 

 A while back on her blog, Michelle Mach invited people to take part in her Secret Snow Flake Challenge .....It looked like fun to me so here I am today for the reveal.....The Secret Snow Flake Challenge  Blog Hop...........
here is the link to the list of participants:

 http://www.michellemach.com/blog/index.php?/archives/400-Secret-Snowflake-Challenge-Participant-List.html

I enjoyed this challenge, I loved the snow flake focal and links.......And Loved the icy blues of all the beads in the kit! The package was lovely all tied up in a pretty ribbon! inside there was lots of sparkly icy themed beads and snow flake sequins......very pretty!
   I made a necklace with the snow flake focal, I wire wrapped it with some crystals, and hung in from a strung necklace of multiply shades of blue crystals and silver beads, I put some crystals on head pins and clustered them on either side of the focal and randomly in other places on the necklace. I also added a bit of the ribbon from the kit to the pendant. I also made a bracelet in matching colors with a center piece of clustered lucite flowers with crystal centers .  And a pair of earrings featuring the snow flake links and crystal drops...
Please go and check out the other participants work at the above link
thank you

confessions of a bead hoarder

This word cloud thing is pretty cool! although there seems to sound a bit greedy to me......a lot of me, my, need, have.......maybe its just a beady thing? we all seem to always want more no matter how many beads we have, or at least from what I read in other beaders blogs when I look at my word cloud, I see... me want some!!!!  MY BEAD!!!  Like I am a bead monster as apposed to a cookie monster.....kind of funny but oh so true....I guess I am a bead hoarder

The Erin Prais Hintz Challenge of Color Blog Hop

Today is the second Challenge of Color Blog Hop, Erin Prais Hintz has organized it...The color I chose was teal, so I was very suprised to find that my color pallet was such a muted suttle one....It was created by Jessica Colaluca of Design seeds,    http://www.designseeds.com/  and chosen for me by Erin , I have to admit, it wasn't a color grouping I would have chosen for my self, but it does work quite well, and the funny thing was I had all these colors in my stash of beads......In fact the two larger beads on each side of my druzy focal have every color in my pallet, I'm not sure what they are but they are quite beautiful!

I chose to make a necklace, with a druzy focal, the two perfect stone beads on each side,  some stick pearls in a pale peachy shade some pale teal fire polish

beads, and some faux chocolate pearls.......you can access the list of participants by going to Erins blog at........http://treasures-found.blogspot.com
I want to thank Erin for hosting such a fun blog hop!!!

Starseed Jewelry: A Struggling Artist -- GIVEAWAY!!!

Starseed Jewelry: A Struggling Artist -- GIVEAWAY!!!


Terri Wlaschin of Starseed Jewelery is having a give away in honor of Laurel Stevens, who is going through some hard times, please go check it out

Jeannie Dukic's Do Over Challenge

Today is the reveal for Jeannie Dukic's Do Over Challenge........the idea was that she would send each participant a piece of her jewelery that she made in the beginning of her jewelery making career to make over how ever we wanted.......We were supposed to take before and after pictures of the piece that she sent us......oops dummy me, I got excited and took it apart before I took a picture...my bad....Any way, what she sent was a really cute necklace and earring set  it had black crystal rounds wire linked chain with a key pendant with an open heat at the top with filigree and three black crystals set in it, my son said that it kind of reminded him of a rosary. The earings had little keys dangling from a black crystal............this is the set I made.....

   So I added a whole bunch of lamp work beads, bead caps and capri blue crystals to one side, and three chains on the other with a link of crystals and a lamp work bead in the middle of the chain, for the focal I added a key hole and dangled the original key, plus one of my own, with the word "life" on it, also a lamp work dangle....To the earrings I added a capri blue crystal and a lamp work bead.......This challenge was lots of fun, I'm just sorry I forgot to take a before pic......here is the list of all the participants, please visit their blogs and check out what they did




Jeannie

http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog



(In addition to my name, please list Shaun, Donna, under my blog link)











Natasha



http://nswhims.blogspot.com



Michelle

http://fireflyvisions.blogspot.com



Sandra

http://ladychaos.blog.com



Andrea

http://www.heavenlanecreations.wordpress.com



Cathie

http://www.cathiecarroll.blogspot.com



Norma

http://moonlitfantaseas.blogspot.com



Dagi

http://kokopellidesign.blogspot.com



Marcy

http://www.StudioMarcy.blogspot.com



Camille

http://craft-a-mamie.blogspot.com

Art Bead Earring Swap Reveal

Today is the reveal day for the art bead earring swap that I am involved in! My Partner is Sarah Elder of My So Called Junky Life.......She sent me a cute pair of earrings with what I think are ceramic beads and some cool rinestone beads...I really like them! here is a picture of them and what they were wrapped in.......And here is the list of all of the participants....please go check out all of the wonderful earrings!










Diana Ptaszynski http://www.suburbangirlstudio.com



Jenny Davies-Reazor http://www.jendaviesreazor.com



Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp http://www.skyejewels.blogspot.com



Lisa Petrillo http://www.lucidmoonstudio.com



Patty Chaban Gasparino http://www.mylifeunderthebus.typepad.com



Susan Kennedy http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com



Shannon Iko Chomanczuk http://www.formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com



Cilla Watkins http://www.tellyourgirlfriends.com



Diane Hawkey http://www.dianehawkey.blogspot.com



Pam Ferrari http://www.ferrarioriginalsyahoocom.blogspot.com



Lori Bowring Michaud http://www.artfullyornamental.blogspot.com



Stacey M. Curry http://www.starhitchedwagon.blogspot.com



Linda Landig http://www.lindasbeadblog.com



Norma Turvey http://www.moonlitfantaseas.blogspot.com



Melinda Orr http://www.orrtec.blogspot.com



Holly Westfall http://www.silverrosedesigns.blogspot.com



Rosemarie Cowit http://www.gemrosedesigns.blogspot.com



Staci L. Smith http://www.stacilouise.blogspot.com



Sarah Elder http://www.mysocalledjunkylife.blogspot.com



this has been a fun swap!

Soups On!

this is my beautiful focal!

here are the matching earrings and bracelet, and mt stick pearls

here are my steam punk accents

Chris White sent me a very tasty fall colored bead soup, a lovely Paris themed focal, some beautiful stone beads, that I think might be fire agate some antique brass chain, and chocolate colored ribbon and a gold tone clasp.....I added a key and key hole, some cogs and stick pearls in a pretty bronze color and some gold toned crystal rondels....I kind of went in a steam punk direction with my piece, which is a totally new direction for me........I was amazed at how fast and easy this project was, the components practically told me what they wanted to be! So here it is my Autumn in Paris  steam punk  collection! to see all the other participants  bead soups go to :  http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/

under construction

I'm still waiting to get my beading space back, the foundation repair om my poor old house is taking a lot longer  than expected, and costing a lot more too......I thin my guys may have bitten off more than they can chew.....I am having beading with drawls.....I  recently won a beading kit from  Zaney May, and I received the beads for it yesterday!   It is a very simple right angle weave bracelet, amazingly enough called  "simple bracelet" I chose a blue green color combination....I dug out my ottlite magnifier last night and a  good lamp and sat down at my computer table, and with some difficulty, made the bracelet, the difficulty being that I am pretty much blind with out my industrial strength mag light, it had nothing to do with Zaney May's instructions, they were easy enough.....the bracelet turned out nice, even though it is a real simple design, it would be perfect for a beginner......

  I need to get started on my August challenge piece, that I am doing with Andrew Thornton, but I need better lighting and magnification in order to do it, and red has never been "my color" so it will be a bit more difficult for me than the July challenge

my studio is a mess......

early this morning I had to clear off my work space, (my work space is a work box station designed for scrapbooking, but I have adapted it for jewelery making and beading...it is an armoire that it 7 feet wide when fully extended) any way to make a long story a little shorted, the foundation at the back of my house is sinking and my work area was situated across the sunken end, so we had to move all the heavier stuff to the front of the room, so we can get it fixed......so no beading for me for a few days........I can't just pick up my stuff and bead any where, because I am going blind, and have to work with a lot of light, and an industrial mag light on top of that, I won't even go into what I have to do to thread a beading needle...........We did find a treasure trove of lost beads, and ear plugs behind the armoire.........I use ear plugs to sleep, and my cats love them, so I am constantly having to replace them, because they love to hide them from me, and who wants to use soggy ear plugs any way.......eeeewwww

  I'm really glad my bead soup beads spoke to me so well, and my soup is all finished!  other wise I would be chomping at the bit wanting to work on it now!

give away winner

I had my hubby draw a name for my give away this morning.........And the winner is Pineridgetreasures........Please contact me with your mailing address, color preference, and preference of either a bracelet or a necklace, and measurement for your choice..........thank you to all that entered!

finished my bead soup, and it was good!

I was so excited to get my bead soup today, I got pictures of it right away, because in the past I forgot to do that, in the excitement of playing with the new beads! Well I had to go to the bead store for some antique brass crimp beads, and of course found other things I absolutely had to have, but I only spent 15.00.......Which is pretty amazing for me! I came back home and went to work........I had some steam punk cogs and wheels I had gotten last week, along with some brass key and lock plates, I thought they went well with my soup, I added a few crystals and some stick pearls, and in the end, I had a necklace, a bracelet and a pair of earrings! I'm really happy with what I made, and its totally different from all my other bead soup projects! no bead weaving this time, so it went pretty fast......Now I have a long wait for the reveal.........and still have some beads left..........hmmmm.....

wrapped cord bracelet

Here is a pic of the wrapped cord bracelet I mentioned in an earlier post today, sorry the pic is a bit fuzzy