Saturday, July 28, 2012

The 6th Bead Soup Blog Party - Reveal!


Yay!  It's gonna be a busy weekend!  Today is the first reveal date for Lori Anderson's wonderful Bead Soup Blog Party!  I had so much fun at the last party!  But this time, I had Lori herself as my partner! For this, I am truly grateful!  I would like to thank random.org (or whatever method of choice she used) for this blessing!  Lori gifted me with this wonderful, abundant assortment of beady goodness:

I will tell you - I do not use fiber (except, recently, I have made many, many bracelets using fiber and seed beads, thanks to the tutorial posted by the lovely and talented Lesley Watt--find the easy-peasy tut here)! That is not to say that I don't have tons of fiber in my stash..... I tried SO HARD to use the red faux suede, the natural colored waxed cotton, and the gorgeous purple cording, but I failed! I am sorry Lori!  BUT, I did have some turquoise colored waxed cotton cording that I did use in one of my final pieces.

Since there are so many other blogs to visit, here goes:

Click on the pictures for a larger view:
I made a handmade, balled-silver head pin, which I wired through 3 of the small, pewter clasps that Lori gifted me (this focal is stunning!)  I attached the 3-pewter rings to a sterling silver curved tube - it made a nice bail, I think.

Lori's handmade (yes...she made them-I am so honored to receive them) turquoise lampwork beads, along with the focal by Juls Cannon match PERFECTLY to lampwork beads I happen to have on hand, made by the uber-talented Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens (GlassBeadArt on Etsy).  It was a match made in heaven, I tell you!  I was also able to use two of the pewter connectors that Lori sent - I punched one hole in them to attach the strand of beads, and the focal.

Lori also made this awesome, clasp - with her bead!  I wanted to "match" the wire work, so I fashioned a clasp - AND, here is where I used the waxed linen cord!  I hurt my head figuring out how to do this, but I think it works!  Here is the entire necklace:

I had two of Lori's lampwork beads left, so I played around with some very heavy gauge silver, some solder, a little wire work, and made these matching earrings (I LOVE this look!):


Next, I used the Czech glass beads, the natural wooden beads, more pewter connectors, and the pewter clasp (love the size of this clasp, by the way) to make a bracelet:


I really love the dangles!  The purple leaves really pull out the purple in the Czech glass:


Finally, I made fun and funky pair of earrings, which I know my niece Rachel will scarf up!


These are quite long, and Rachel looks so good in this style of earring!


So this is everything I made!  I almost used everything...and I learned that I MUST WORK ON MY FIBER TECHNIQUES! 


A HUGE thank you to Lori for hosting this event!  I cannot even begin to imagine the administrative nightmare that must come with her hosting duties!

Thank you so much for stopping by, and your comments are truly appreciated!  Here is a list of the other participants for this leg of the hop!

Hostess, Lori Anderson, PrettyThingsBlog.com


Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles
Alicia Marinache, All The Pretty Things
Amanda Tibbetts, Amanda Made
Amber Dawn Goldish, Inventive Soul
Annita Wilson, AW Jewelry
Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool
Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit
Candida Castleberry, Spinning Spun Sugar
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations


Cassie Donlen, Glass Beadle
Cheryl Roe, BeadRoe
Christina Hickman, Vintage Treasures Jewelry
Christine Hendrickson, Clamworks
Cilla Watkins, Tell Your Girlfriends
Cindy Wilson, Mommy's Dream
Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio
Cory Celaya, Art With Moxie


Cory Tompkins, Tealwater Designs
Cris Peacock, Cris' Page
Cynthia Deis, Shiny Little Things
Cynthia Machata, Antiquity Travelers
Cynthia Wainscott, Exotic Peru
Dana Hickey, Magpie Approved
Denielle Hagerman, Some Beads and Other Things


Diane Valasek, Dragonfly Close
Doris Stumpf, Glaszwerg
Dyanne Everett-Cantrell, Dee-Liteful Jewelry Creations
Elaine Robitaille, Too Aquarius
Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life
Enikö Fabian, Perl-eni
Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found
Heather Davis, Blissful Garden Beads


Hilary Frye, FryeStyle
Inge von Roos, Inge's Blog
Jami Shipp, Celebrating Life
Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle
Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions
Jennifer Pottner, Rock Candy Beads
Jennifer VanBenschoten, Jewelry, Art and Life


Jenny Davies-Reazor, Jenny Davies-Reazor
Jenny Vidberg, Shyme Design
Jessica Dickens, My Jewelry, My Life, Me
Jessica Klaaren, Beadful-Things by Jessica
Joan Williams, Lilruby Jewelry
Judith Johnston, Judith Johnston
Judy Riggs, Rigglettes
Judy Turner, Silver Rains


Julie Anne Leggett, The Peaceful Bead
K Hutchinson, Jumbled Hutch
Karen Meador, Dreamcatcher Ranch
Karyn Bonfiglio, Plus Size Bangles
Katherine Gale, Terra Beadworks
Kathleen Lange Klik, Modern Nature Studio
Katja Benevol Gabrijelcic, Slovonske Technobe
Kelli Jacobson, Creative Moon
Kelly Ramstack, Adventures with Kelly
Keri Lee Sereika, Pink Lemonade


Kim Bender-Hora, KimmyKat
Kirsi Luostarinen, Kirsi Luo Korut
Kitty Bozzini, Kitty Lampwork
Laura Demoya, The Bead Therapist
Laurie Hanna, Laurie's Jewelbox
Leah Curtis, Beady Eyed Bunny
Lesley Watt, The Gossiping Goddess
Linda Inhelder, Must-Haves Jewelry


Lisa Liddy, Metal Me This
Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads
Marge Beebe, Rock Creek Creations
Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things
Marion Simmons, Shade Tree Studio
Marla Gibson, Spice Box Design
Marta Weaver, Marta Weaver Jewelry


Marti Conrad, Marti C's Clay Blog
Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens, GlassBeadArt, Lampwork Beads
Melanie Brooks, Earthenwood Studio
Michelle Hardy, Firefly Visions
Mikala Coates, Maybe Just Perhaps
Mowse Doyle, HoCArt
Nancy Boylan, Snazzy Doodle Designs
Nancy Peterson, Beading From the Heart
Nicole Rennell, Nicole Rennell Designs


Niki Meiners, 365 Days of Craft
Niky Sayers, Silver Nik Nats
Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas
Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs
Pamela Gangler, She Always Loved Pink
Patti Vanderbloemen, My Addictions ... Handcrafted Jewelry by Patti <-You are here!
Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs
Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads
Renetha Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts
Shannon Hicks, Falling Into the Sky


Shannon LeVart, Miss Fickle Media
Sharon Driscoll, Right Turn Art Werks
Shelley Graham Turner, Fabric of My Life
Sherri Stokey, Knot Just Macrame
Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread
Skylar Bre'z, Brising Beads
Stacie Florer, Soul to Substance
Stacie Stamper, Park Avenue
Stacy Alderson, Iridal's Attic


Stephanie Haussler, Pixybug Designs
Stephanie Stamper, Rainy Day Designs
Suzette Bentley, Ellie's Bijoux
Tammy Jones, Jewelry Making Daily
Tanty Sri Hartanti, TJewellicious by Tanti
Terry Matuszyk, Pink Chapeau


Vonna Maslanka, Just Vonna
Posted by at 100 comments:

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Crafter's Devotional - Progress?

I am continuing to practice methods, as described in the Crafter's Devotional book, to spark my creativity.  I bought a Journal - and I actually wrote my first entry!  My handwriting leaves very little to be desired.  I know that when I re-visit my journal entries down the road, I will not be able to read my thoughts!  But...it is progress!

One way I am trying to boost my creativity is to revisit jewelry I have made in the past - to evaluate the design, my skill level (or lack thereof), etc, to try to improve on what I am creating. 



So last year sometime, I acquired these gorgeous red/gold lampwork beads from Unicorne Beads - I just love these colors together!  At the time, the only metal I worked with was silver, so I made this necklace:



Even the large -- and I mean large -- focal bead was silver.  But, it sat in my Etsy shop - I don't think it even was viewed!  And, this sucker was heavy!!  So, I took it apart (I save my silver scraps and send them off for credit to Rio Grande) - and I made this instead:

Click on pictures for a larger view!



I know...not the best pictures!  I used Vintaj wire, and wired a few tiny Czech glass beads and red wooden round beads to the bracelet.  I really think the Vintaj and tiny antique bronze fittings complement the lampwork better than the silver!

I still have 29 bracelets left to make for my 75-bracelet donation to the 7000 Bracelets for Hope Campaign.  The event is to be held on September 27th - wish I could go!  This is such a worthy cause!   It is getting harder and harder to make each bracelet unique!  But, this is also inspiring me to create, for sure!

There is one other thing that has truly sparked my creativity for sure!  Remember this glorious mix of beads?  They are the beads I received from Lori Anderson for the 6th Bead Soup Blog Hop! 



Here is a peak at what I made:


My reveal date is this Saturday - July 28th.  I do hope you will come by to see what I cooked up with this soup!  Till then....

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Posted by at 6 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)