Putting the Pot on to Boil

Yayyyy! My Bead Soup arrived in the mail. I've been checking out Bead Soup Blog Party blogs and it's funny, the predominant color for this Soup seems to be blue. Darker, winter blues. My soup I sent to Mallory was my blue ceramic feather focal with some of my blue and brown alphabet beads  and some black glass beads and other natural material beads with brass findings and my brass clasp. Mallory did a great feature on me on her blog For the love of beads. Thanks Mallory. Happy beading.

Mallory sent me this gorgeous soup which was also lots of blues. Completely different beads. She sent me one of her beautiful lampwork hearts. She must have done some snooping around and found that I heart hearts!! She also sent more lovely glass accent beads and a pretty silver colored toggle and a button!! I definitely want to work that button into my design. I don't use them often but I love the unexpectedness of buttons in jewelry.

I can't wait to get started designing my pieces. Per the Bead Soup Party rules I need to use the focal and the clasp I was sent. I can use them together or use them in separate pieces. I can use as many of the accent beads as I want and add anything from my stash to make my jewelry.  You can check out more Bead Soup on Flickr. This should be fun.

It's Souuuuuuuup!

So, are you sick of soup yet? I didn't think so. This is my first time participating in a Bead Soup Party and I'm having a blast!!! I love being among such talented people. It's inspirational. And speaking of inspirational, my Bead Party Partner is Jen Judd Velasquez. She's already had her reveal with the beads I sent her. If you haven't seen it, you really should. I was blown away by what she did with my humble ceramic pendant and the rest of her soup! So here is what she sent me.

That large spiral focal is recycled green glass. She added some other cool earthy things like wood, turquoise colored round beads, her own copper wire beads, more glass beads, a copper clasp and some coppery silk ribbon. She did her research and new the colors I love. But I don't think I've every designed without ceramics. So the challenge was on.

As soon as I opened the package, that spiral screamed out, "I want to be a clasp, I want to be a clasp". So I made it both. A focal and a clasp. I used mostly the beads Jen sent, adding just some light green glass beads, the same ones I sent to her, I think, a large copper ring to complete the clasp and some copper wire at the ends of the silk ribbon. And ta-daaaa!

It's simple but the clasp/focal really makes a statement I think. I love the ribbon at the back of the neck. It's very comfortable to wear, which I've done and have gotten lots of compliments. And I can wear this with practically anything.  I had some beads of Jen's left so I made a bracelet adding a few of my ceramic beads. (Well, I had to get them in there somewhere)  I used the clasp Jen sent me on the bracelet. Kind of Wilma Flintstone but again, it goes with everything.

Okay, keep going!!! The party's not over yet!! Hop back to Lori's blog for today's schedule. Thanks Lori for putting this party together. It's been a blast!!

Bead Soup Party

Another Swap. Another challenge. It's a Bead Soup Party

Check it out here and stay tuned for the results. I'll post about what I send to my partner. Then what I receive from my partner. And then I'll post about the piece I create with my partners beads, and what my partner creates with mine. I can't wait!!