Strung Out: Beadaholique Beading Contest: Falling Leaves

My Bead Soup Partner Julie Bean let me know that her store, Beadaholique,  is holding their first contest.  I tried to copy over the informational page but was not able to transfer more than the first line.  Then a notice appeared that blogger no longer was supported by my internet browser, and to try Chrome.  What the heck! I am not comfortable with Chrome, it took me 10 minutes just  to figure out how to find my blog with Chrome and still haven't been able to favorite it so I can return easily. I just doesn't seem to be very "user friendly" to me... But here I am, using Chrome for my post for the first time.


But I digress, the purpose of this entry is to talk about Beadaholique's contest.  Here are the pertinent details.  I hope that the links copied over OK.

We are very excited to announce the first ever Beadaholique beading contest! Enter a photo of your original jewelry design for a chance to win a $50 Beadaholique Gift Certificate and lots of exposure on our blog and Facebook page. The theme is "Falling Leaves" and you can interpret that however you like, let your creativity and inspiration flow! Just make sure to use at least 1 item from Beadaholique and follow the contest rules. 

From all the entries we will narrow it down to 10 finalists, all of whom will have their entry pieces published on the Beadaholique blog and Facebook page. There will then be public voting to decide the winner. 

We can't wait to see all what everyone comes up with! 

Here are some important dates to keep in mind: 

• Wednesday, October 26 4 PM PDT: Last day to submit
• Friday, October 28 @ 1 PM PDT: Top 10 will be posted on our Facebook and notified via email
• Tuesday, November 1 @ 4 PM PDT: Public voting closes
• Thursday, November 3: Winner is announced in the next issue of The Beading Wire and notified via email.

Click here for a complete list of rules, deadlines, and more specifics. 

Happy Beading!

Bead Soup Reveal

The day is finally here to show off what I did for my first Bead Soup Blog Hop. As you can see, my wonderful partner, Julie Bean from Beadaholique, sent me a ton of beads.  What to do with them all?

I am a bead maker, not a jewelery designer per se.  One reason I did the Soup was to challenge myself to try something I had not done before.  I have a tendency to over do and the first week I went nuts and worked on the main chain part for hours.  Then life intruded and I only finished it up this week.  I couldn't believe the trouble that I had figuring out how to attach the bead caps to the silk cord.  I had it in theory, but practice left a lot to be desired.

I had seen a lovely piece on line that was composed of charms and dangles and wanted to do something like that.  I went through a lot of head pins and dug into my stash to add to the variety that Julie had already sent me. I had a piece of black silk cord in my stash that I used to extend the chain to necklace length.

The rules of  Bead Soup Blog Party are simple. After signing up with Lori Anderson at Pretty Things (one of my faves), she assigns partners. I can't believe that she has the energy to undertake this but I am sure glad that she does.  Then you exchange a focal, beads and a cool clasp (not lobster).  And you need to have a blog to let everyone know about what you are doing.  On the day of the BIG REVEAL, you get to show off what you made and visit all the blogs of the other designers.  There are a ton of people who signed up for this current Bead Soup and would take up a huge piece of  this post to list them all. The link to the complete list is:

http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/

Go ahead and check them all out. Get a jolly case of Blogitis...you know you want to.

Are you ready.... Here it is, full monty and the little bits that make it up. (I snuck a pair of polymer clay beads into the dangles: Can you spot them?)


I dub thee "Little Kitty 2 two"

The lovely focal by Golum Ceramics.  Salt and Pepper kitties like my own Eyesis Rue and Prince.

Isn't this clasp lovely.... The detail is delicious.

Trying a "Glamour Shot". Not sure I succeeded

Showing off how it hangs. I really wish I had a better
form to photograph it on

After all this I have beads left over (Julie was sooooo generous), so I had plenty of choices for earring design. 

The little blue flower earrings are my favorite.  I love color of the little rose beads, but were not able to use very many of them.  The bead holes varied in size greatly and not many of them were big enough for the headpin to fit into.  I will probably be able to use them in a piece later that I use string rather than wire. In looking at the final piece I am wondering if it is not too busy? The focal looks kinda lost in the forest, so to speak.  I have beads left over and I may do something simple with the focal later.  I am sure that I will get inspiration from all the wonderful pieces I am sure to see in the next several days as I visit the other Bead Soup Party Members.

Thanks again to Julie Bean  http://www.beadaholique.com/  for all the great beads and to Lori Anderson for all her hard work at putting this all together. 

Bead Soup update

My bead soup partner, Julie Bean, featured my Bead  Soup Party Mix on her blog yesterday. I was so flattered by the nice things she said about me and my beads. This is so new and exciting for me... I am so happy that I joined the Soup.  Thanks to Lori Anderson for all her hard work putting this all together.  Not only do we get to exchange great beads but we meet new people and expand our horizons outside our comfort zone.

If you want to read about my beads(from someone other than me), here is the link.  Julie and her fellow Beadaholics have a great blog, chalked full of ideas and information.  Well worth the reading. I am so glad that Lori partnered me with her.

http://www.beadersblog.com/  

If you don't have time to check out Julie's blog,  here is a picture I took of my beads before I sent them off to her.  I will have a hard time waiting till the big reveal to see what she does with them. 

We have a new home in California!!! Whee!!!!!

Bead Soup Partner

I have been very remiss about blogging the Bead Soup Party.  A very stressful week at work.... Computer went down for almost 8 hours.  That started the week, and then my supervisor and good friend Jen announced that she was leaving to pursue a new career. She is going into the IT side of laboratory medicine. It is a great opportunity for her but will be increasing my stress load greatly as I will be stepping into her place  until we can find a new supervisor.

Thank goodness I have beads to help destress.

My beads arrived on Thursday from my Bead Soup Partner, Julie Bean.  Julie is part of  Beadaholique, a great online beading source.  They have instructional videos and lesson, besides a huge inventory.  I can't wait till I have more time to check out everything.... I have not even begun to crack the surface of what it has to offer. (I do love the Steampunk ring and will have to try it with PC)

 Check out her site. You will not be sorry.

http://www.beadaholique.com/

This also links to their blog "Strung out"  which is chalked full of tips and techniques. I have to really fight off the dreaded Blogistis disease and focus on trying to work up a good design from all the great beads Julie sent.  (still have to take pictures so showing them off will have to wait till my next writing, hopefully to be written when it cools down later this evening)