Friday, March 2, 2012

It's Finally Here! Bead Soup Blog Party Time!

First of all, I can't believe it is March already...I mean, what happened to January and February?  Anyway, the moon and stars must have aligned when Lori Anderson's randomizer picked me as one of the lucky participants in her Bead Soup Blog Party - her fifth and largest party to date!  This is my first time participating, and I was matched with the talented Natasha Lutes of N's Whims.  Here is a recap of what Natasha sent me:


Gorgeous semi-precious gemstones, including turquoise (my personal all-time favorite!)


A beautiful dichroic glass focal, which is quite large, with gorgeous hues of blues, yellows, and brown. The mix also included a few extra glass beads that coordinated with the colors of the focal.


Pearls and glass rondelles.

And last....but not least...a huge mix of Vintaj components!  Look at that star!  Focal perhaps? 


The Vintaj mix also included 2 clasp choices.

I have never used Vintaj components, or dichroic glass.  This is not to say that I don't have any Vintaj in my stash....I just have never used it before!  This was a challenge ... the whole point of this soup!  I was so excited to receive this very generous soup from Natasha....thank you!

I mulled over my design for days.  I was stumped on how to use the dichroic glass.  I had other brass filigrees and tried to wrap it, making the focal into a pendant.  That failed (in my mind).  I happened to have a large filigree that I thought would make a good back drop for the focal.  So, I combined the two...

Instead of just joining the chain to the focal, which just was not interesting to me, I wire wrapped the vintaj star component, some of the beads, and the vintaj filigree bead to the chain.  The toggle clasps on the side....not the back of the necklace. 

I was happy with this design, as the eye travels around the necklace - instead of just focusing on the pendant.  I used extra beads and the small, vintaj star charm and made a dangle that sits on top of the dichroic and filigree focal. 

Since I don't like soup leftovers, I also made a bracelet and two pair of earrings.


I love multi-strand bracelets - and I wanted to use this clasp!



Here is a picture of everything I made -

My niece has already claimed everything I made...thank you Rachel!   

Thank you for stopping by, and your comments mean so much to me!

  Please visit all of the participants by following the links below.


Hostess, Lori Anderson


Special Book Sneak Peeks, Cindy Wimmer
1.  Adlinah Kamsir (Singapore) and Hajer Waheed (Kingdom of Bahrain)
2. Adrienn Lukacs (Hungary) and Agata Grygiel (Poland)
3.  Agi Kiss (Hungary) and Carolien Muller-Genger (the Netherlands)
4.  Agnes Asztalos (Hungary) and B.R. Kuhlman
7.  Alicia Marinache (Canada) and Dita Basu
15.  Bonnie Coursolle (Canada) and Fay Wolfenden (Canada)
16.  Carmel McGinley (Australia) and Tracy Stillman (Australia)

21.  Cheryl Brown (Canada) and Diana Ptaszynski
22.  Christina Stofmeel (the Netherlands) and Eva Kovacs (Hungary)
24.  Cilla Watkins (Canada) and Elaine Robitaille (Canada)
25.  Sabrina Straub (Switzerland) and Kathy Combs
32.  Dee Elgie (UK) and Joanne Lockwood (UK)
33.  Dian Hierschel (Germany) and Eniko Fabian (Austria)
37.  Doris Stumpf (Germany) and Eszter Czibulyas (Hungary)
39.  Elke Leonhardt-Rath (Germany) and Marjolein Trewavas (UK)
41.  Erika Nooteboom (the Netherlands) and Giorgia Rossini (Italy)
43.  Evelyn Duberry (Canada) and Gaea Cannaday
45.  Ginger Bishop (military, Okinawa) and Martina Nagele (Germany)
48.  Helene Goldberg (Australia) and Karen Vincent
54.  Joanna Matuszczyk (Poland) and Julianna Kis (Hungary)
55.  Joanne Tinley (UK) and Michaela Pabeschitz (Austria)
65.  Kristina Johansson (Sweden) and Penny Neville (Canada)
66.  Krisztina Erlaki-Toth (Hungary) and Nicole Keller (Germany)
76.  Lori Finney (Canada) and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp (Canada)
78.  Marta Kaczerowska (Poland) and Milla Starchik (Canada)
83.  Michelle Jensen and Sandra Young (Canada)
86.  Natasha Lutes and Patti Vanderbloemen You are here!
92.  Rosa Maria Cuevas (Mexico) and Tejae Floyde
93.  Sabine Dittrich (Germany) and Sally Russick
95.  Shanti Johnson and Tracy Mok (Canada)
97.  Sonya Stille and Traci Zeller (Canada)
98.  Stefanie Teufel (Germany) and Tania Hagen (New Zealand)