Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. - Oscar Wilde

Saturday, April 27, 2013

TODAY IS THE DAY! BSBP REVEAL #3

The long awaited day is finally here!  Time to reveal my Bead Soup to the world.
  For those who do not know, the Bead Soup Blog Party is the brainchild of Lori Anderson of Pretty Things.  What started out as a small bead exchange/challenge has turned into a worldwide event. This year there are over 500 of us - so many that it necessary to divide the reveal into 3 separate days.
   The rules are simple:  Lori pairs those that sign  up with a bead partner (it is a great way to meet people).  We exchange beads (no white elephants -send what you would like to get yourself). The exchange must include a focal and a nice clasp (no lobster claw please).  These two items must be incorporated into your pieces, but other than that, the sky is the limit.
   My lovely bead partner this year was Stepha Stamper of Rainy Day Designs.  Here is a reminder of what she sent.
Got my Party hat and ready to go!
  Hop over to her site, and check out what she made from my soup.
I was feeling very green when I made these for Stepha.
  The complete listing of all the participates and their links can be found at http://www.prettythingsblog.com/

 My first design went together so fast, it really surprised me.  I normally take forever to think and try all sorts of different designs.  This just sprang full bore from my brain.  You probably can't see it, but I painted the center dots of metal beads green with Vintaj Patina  to tie them into the green of the beads.

Here is the back, using the clasp that Stepha sent.

After that design came so easily, the Beading Goddess decided that my Muse needed to take a vacation. The focal really threw me for a loop. Nothing I tried was working. I really was glad that I'd had the extra time, as it wasn't till the last minute that I finally came up with an idea that wasn't totally hideous.  Back in November, my Polymer Guild had a gift show. Someone brought a Kumihimo loom to work on a piece during down time. The next day, a bunch of us (including yours truly) brought their own looms and we had a Kumihimo party going.  Just by a happy coincidence, the colors of that braid matched the colors of the focal, almost like I had ESP or something.
The focal close up


This is the focal with the braid.

My goal was to use every bead that Stepha sent me.  After making the main necklace, I had some assorted beads left. So I did what I love to do, make Earrings.  A gal can't have too many, don't ya know.
Closeup of the simple earring I made to go with my
main Bead Soup Necklace.   Green color courtesy of
Vintaj Patina.

Don't know WHERE the idea
for this design came from. I have
never made anything like this before
Notice that the bead is birdie shaped!
Homage to the Penguin!

The blue adds just the right pop of
color to these ceramic beads

Stepha sent the little reddish stone beads.
I had these hoops for a long time,
 just waiting to be used .

Vintage Trumpet flowers just yell out
for a stamen to be added.
In the end, I could not quite use them all.
This just sets a goal for the next bead soup.
A huge HUG and THANKS to Lori Anderson, who persevered through much pain and personal troubles, make this Bead Soup happen for us all.  She is a marvel.

28 comments:

  1. very elegant and inventive projects!congrats!

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  2. OMGoodness, you made so many fabulous pieces!! Such a YUMMMMY Soup, Great Job!

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  3. What lovely pieces? I think my favourite is the 'homage to th penguin' earrings!

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  4. I like the first one best, but the bird earring is really cool! I only managed to make one piece, even with the extra time...

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  5. Nice pieces using so much of your soup! The first necklace is very pretty!

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  6. That pesky bead muse, she has a mind of her own. But I think she sprinkled just the right amount of fairy dust on your beading brain because these came out quite nicely. Trying to use up all the beads is really hard, I know! Well done you!

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  7. Beautiful work! I especially love your little penguin shaped earrings!

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  8. Don't you love it when a design comes together effortlessly? It so very rarely happens to me so I appreciate every occasion when it does :-). I think the Bead Goddess graced you with a huge dose of inspiration! Your pieces turned out fantastically well! Love the wired spokes of those big metal circles in the first necklace - did you make those yourself? Great work! And that kumihomo braid and focal pairing is perfect! Cute earrings too - the birdie one is my fave.

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  9. The first necklace is stunning! It looks like a old roman design. Great job!

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  10. Nice design work with your soup! The necklace with the silver wire pieces turned out fantastic. Very fun earrings as well.

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  11. So glad you didn't allow that bead to defeat you, JuLee! Your creations show lots of imagination and even playfulness in the case of the birdie earrings.

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  12. You have made some beautiful earrings. Especially I love the orange blues and the trumpets. Very very nice.

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  13. Great earrings - really like them too.

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  14. Beautiful designs - very artistic and terrific photos.

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  15. You were very prolific!!! I love all of the earrings, especially the birdies :)And the focal looks great with your kumihimo.

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  16. Your style is bold and beautiful...I would love to have earrings exactly like the hoops with the reddish stones.

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  17. Nice Job...Beautiful pieces...you cook good soup...ty for sharing with us all, bye for now and Happy beading
    http://jaacquelinesjewels.blogspot.com/2013/03/bead-soup-blog-party-reveal-is-here.html

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  18. Such beautiful work & so many pairs of earrings! I totally agree, one can never have too many!

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  19. Gotta love it when a designs just falls together - and yours is gorgeous!! Love it! I also really like your second necklace w/the fibers,..very cool indeed. And your earrings are all super fantastic - especially the little birdie ones. I love anything that has cord and is knotted!

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  20. Great job using your soup. The green necklace is gorgeous.

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  21. Wonderful pieces...the first is my favorite. The beads you sent were yummy. Great job!

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  22. Ooh I could snaffle up all of those earrings in an instant! Gorgeous! Love what tou've done with your soup.

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  23. These designs came together very well. The first necklace is fantastic!!

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  24. What a plethora of beautiful designs you made! That first necklace is very cool and I'm smitten with several of your earring designs (the ones with the waxed linen and the black flower ones). And to only have those few beads left at the end of it all. . .fabulous!

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