Meet My New Friend...

Do you love a good challenge?
Do you like to meet new, creative people?

I do!  
My latest new friend is Gloria Allen. 
We were matched up as partners for the Bead Peeps Swap and Hop. We have to send each other beads, a clasp and a focal, with at least one piece artisan crafted.

If you really want to learn about Gloria you have to read this heartfelt blogpost. 
Because I can't give you any better insight than Gloria, herself, does!

Isn't this necklace stunning????

It's obvious that Gloria is inspired by Vintage and loves pinks, lilacs and pearls. 

So my challenge is to decide if I will force her to go completely outside the box or allow her to work within her comfort zone. 
Yeah ~ that's the teacher in me speaking.  
(It's called working within the "zone of proximal development" ~ provide just enough challenge to encourage growth.)


Don't worry, Gloria, I have some great ideas roaming around in my head.
You and everyone else will have to wait to see what I come up. 

Bead Soup Blog Party

Party Time!!!
Lori Anderson's done it again ~ Today is the reveal for the the 8th Annual Bead Soup Blog Party!
Somehow she's managed to partner up a few hundred people to swap beads. We had to send a clasp, a focal and some coordinating beads.
This is my second time participating. It's great to meet jewelry desingers across the country and work with new and different components. You can check here to see what I did last year... BSBP 2013

This year my partner is Jayne Capps from Oklahoma. I had already "met" Jayne during one of Andrew Thornton's destash events. We had a great online chat and I learned more about Jayne through her blog. I especially related to the post about fixing up her workspace. Make sure you check out what she created with the beach glass I sent her. Jayne's Blog

It was so much fun to get find this package in my mailbox!

And look what I found inside...

Don't you love the way she tagged everything?!

I want to know how Jayne drilled the bakelite mahjong tile.

The group of glass beads told me they had to become a bracelet. I grabbed a few bead caps and spacers from my stash, whipped up a toggle clasp and wire wrapped it all together.













The mahjong tile has so much character on its own that I decided to keep it simple. Jayne's linked beads are now connected to chain and hang from the bottom of the tile. A few spacers, some sloppy wraps and an extra long chain ~ it's good to go!

I combined several different components for this final piece. The hammered tubing is really cool. (so cool that I almost picked some up from Home Depot last week. I love their plumbing and electrical aisles for supplies!)

My original plan was to hook the necklace in front in the smallest ring. When I headed outside for photos, I realized you could actually hook it in any one of the rings. I think I like the hook in the middle ring best.

Anyone who follows me know that whenever I participate in a challenge I have to try something new. My Artistic wire was too shiny, so I torched it to add color and age. (I'm not sure if that shows up in the photos.) It was also a bit tricky to solder the jump rings connecting the copper tubing and chain.

I still have plenty of turqoise nuggets to play with. Earrings!
Thank you so much Jayne for this really fun soup!

And.... huge thanks to Lori Anderson for organizing the group once again!


Please visit some of the other participants!!!
You can access the extensive list on Lori Anderson's post - Welcome to the 8th Bead Soup Blog Party

Soup's On!

It’s that time again –

Time for the Bead Soup Blog Party, hosted by the amazing Lori Anderson.

I’m excited to have Jayne Capps as my partner this year. I don’t know how Lori does it, but two years in a row, there’s some sort of connection. Last year’s partner lives in the same town where I own a house and plan to “retire”. And this year, while I have never met Jayne, she has purchased from me during a destash event. Then again, maybe it’s not such a coincidence. It’s amazing all the folks I have “met” through different beading and jewelry making forums and how many groups overlap.

On to the fun stuff…

Jayne has received my soup and posted pictures on Facebook, so I can legally reveal it. Jayne and I "chatted" on-line and found out we have some similar tastes. I had lots of ideas running around my head, but waited to for the partner assignment before finalizing my soup. 

I was happy to see Jayne lives in a land-locked state so I could go with my original idea to send authentic Atlantic Coast beach glass. I dug out a gorgeous piece of cobalt blue and wrapped it in sterling.

(I knew Jayne liked silver because that's what she bought from me.)

 

I threw a plain piece of white beach glass in the pot for Jayne to play with, packaged it up and went to bed.

 Well, if you've ever simmered soup for a while, you know it always needs more seasoning.
Jayne mentioned that she likes other metals besides silver. When I woke up, I wrapped the white glass with copper and oxidized it. I was so happy to see that liver of sulfur did not affect the beach glass!  Woo Hoo - another new technique!
Then I found some great copper components in my stash. 

Finally, I was ready to head to the post office. 
Here's what Jayne found in her mailbox a few days later.

This is Jayne's photo!

You cannot imagine how hard it was for me to part with that lapis!
And the carnelian thrown in just because Jayne sais that was one color she really didn't like. This is a challenge isn't it???






I can't wait to see what Jayne creates. 
Check out her blog to find out - The reveal is May 3.

Excited to sign up for this year's Bead Soup Blog Party!

In just a few short hours it will be time to sign up for this year's Blog Hop!
I  can't wait to see who my partner is.

Time To Party! Bead Soup Blog Party, That Is!

My partner Tracie Dean sent me this amazing collection of red, white and silver beads.

Since it was close to Valentine's Day, I immediately did a few quick wraps with the cinnabar heart and red ceramic beads.  Threw them on a ribbon and had the perfect necklace for a first grade teacher to wear to school.

The other beads presented a bit more of a challenge.









I knew the clasp Tracie sent was too pretty to hide in the back, so I had to figure out a way to feature it in front.
She also included some beautiful matching 2-hole connectors. I added seed beads, glass pearls, and sterling silver rounds.  The result was a very romantic 24" necklace.  My designs are usually symmetrical so, I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

I love the oval focal - I think it's a dyed "jade". 
It told me it wanted to be wrapped. I know it's not the best wrap - It's still a pretty new skill for me, but I am excited with the results. I must admit that I am still wrapping chain links. Yes - that is a totally handcrafted sterling chain. I'm not sure how long it will take to finish so here it is...

Don't forget to visit Tracie's blog to see what she created with the blue soup I sent her.  http://homeofthepurskey.blogspot.com/

and Lori to see what the other artists have created with their soups.
http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/

It's Here!!! Bead Soup Blog Party 2nd Reveal

And I'm embarrassed to say - I'm late to the party.
Here I am at 5am frantically working to finish up three pieces.  Yep - Type A overachiever who procrastinates and lets life get in the way. I'm sorry - I'm just too brain dead after teaching 1st graders to come home and be creative.  Thank you Common Core Standards. (but that a whole nother blog)

My goal is to finish making chain, take photos and post a new blog by noon.
So, please, please, please check back later.

In the meantime take a peak at the gorgeous blues I sent my partner, Tracie Dean @ http://homeofthepurskey.blogspot.com/

See you all later!!!

Check out all the other wonderful artists' creations.
Here's the link to the 2nd reveal - http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/
And the first reveal - http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/2013_03_01_archive.html

Thanks so, so much to Lori Anderson for taking on the huge task of organizing the Bead Soup Blog Party!!!

This Soup Is Hot - Red Hot!

My bead soup arrived Wednesday night, filled with beautiful red, white and crystal baubles - just in time for Valentine's Day!

Admittedly, there are components I would not have bought for myself. But that is the point of the Bead Soup Blog Party - think outside the box, outside your normal comfort zone.
I have to thank my partner, Tracie Dean for this wonderful, ecclectic soup. I have so many wonderful ideas. I know I will be able to create several amazing designs!

So - The carved heart and red ceramic beads did not come like that. I don't want to take it apart so,  you're also getting a sneak peak at a quick design. As a first grade teacher, I dress for the holidays. So at 5:30 am on February 14, I whipped up a necklace to wear to school. A few of my daisy spacers, head pins for wrapped loops and white ribbon and I'm ready for Valentine's Day!
Rave reviews from my colleagues!
I might tweak it a little, because it doesn't sit like that on. 
What do you think???

I love the swarovski elements clasp. I see that front and center with pearls. Definitely earrings with the heart crystals, etc. Wire wrap the other focal - I think it might be candy jade. And lots of other ideas swirling around my already over-filled brain.

Soups On!

Here's a sneak peak at the soup I'm sending out to my partner Tracie Dean.
http://homeofthepurskey.blogspot.com/

I'll be heading out to the post office in a little while to mail it.
I can't wait to get mine!

I don't know how Lori Anderson does it. Tracie live just a few minutes my my niece and her family in North Carolina.
I'm sure we'll get to meet some day!

Can't Wait!

www.BeadSoupBlogParty.com

I have a few ideas for my "soup".
Can't wait to see who my partner will be!

In the meantime, I'm trying to add items to my etsy shop.

Bead Soup Party

I just signed up for Lori Anderson's annual Bead Soup Party. You can find the info on her blog - http://www.prettythingsblog.com/

I'm excited, yet apprehensive - I'm not real good with deadlines, but I'm looking forward to the challenge of designing with someone else's materials.

And of course, I'm stressing over what to send...
* a focal - maybe something from Powers Art Studio   http://www.etsy.com/shop/powersartstudio
* a special clasp - I'll probably make a sterling silver hook and eye
* coordinating beads

I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of Kalmbach's Bead Soup and can't wait for Lori's!

Here are a few of my designs with focals from Jason and Andrea of Powers Art Studio...

 

Bead Soup

I enjoyed the challenge of participating in Kalmbach Publishing Bead Soup.  I received some beautiful beads from Beads Mosaic in Nanuet, NY.  I think they might be Kazuri.  The clasp is glass.

The Beads

The first challenge was incorporating the top drilled focal pendant.  I like my pendants to "dangle" and wanted to showcase some wire work.

Then, I thought the class was too pretty to hide.

I added black Czech druk beads, berry freshwater pearls and, of course, sterling silver.

I didn't win the "contest", but I love the way it came out. It was fun think "outside the box" and create with elements I might not have chosen myself.

If I'm ever near Nanuet, I'll be sure to stop into Beads Mosaic and thank them.