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Friday, August 24, 2012

Bead Soup Blog Party 6!!! The final reveal

As I posted earlier this summer, I signed up for Lori McDaniel Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party, in it's 6th, and final biannual edition. Since it was the last to be held in it's twice a year form, all who applied were accepted and so 400 participants had to be split into three reveals. Could you imagine hopping 400 blogs at once?!?! Well, then…you still can! All of the participants blogs can be accessed through Lori's blog Pretty Things, under the bead soup blog party tab on the right and through this awsome page put together by Tanya Ozanne of Fusion Muse. AND a Pinterest Board has been set up for participants to share photos of their creations from the BSBP6. Happy hopping!

And now it's my turn to reveal what I made with the bead soup sent to me by Karla Morgan of Texas Pepper Jams, who is unfortunately not well and will reveal at a later date.

Just a slight warning, I use an android powered smartphone as my internet access, and blogger's own app to post, and I seem to have no control over what order pictures are posted and it'll only post my photos at the end of each post :( so I wont go too in depth with my process.

First, the clasp. A beautiful floral toggle in bronze. I've used toggles before, but not one so large or so pretty. I racked my brain for some way that I could use it without hiding it at the back of my neck. I'd done a "floating pearls" necklace before, but I'd been toying with the idea of floating gemstones using these gorgeous micro-faceted gemstones I found at my favorite bead store a couple years ago. But I wanted it to be multi stranded. I thought the two were perfect, because I wouldn't need to adjust the toggle if it slid around to the side.

The focal took me a bit longer to do, I love the color and the weight, but I knew I would need to have someone else in mind for this one. Because of my thyroid disease I've developed a slight goiter and any  heaviness around my neck irritates me. My niece on the other hand LOVES big, bright, and bold jewelry. I'd started on the large bright pink beads first (my mother would not be surprised, I begged for hot pink anything growing up…which she insisted did NOT look good on a redhead :| whatever :P. My solution has always been to pair it with green (nobody denies a redhead green :) But…then I started having some issues with my wrists and hands (and balance, after wasting money for a neurologist to stick my wrists and elbows with safety pins, I fell three times in one week, resulting in a large gash in my palm), and was told to back off the beading for a bit (arthritis…blech) And so I only finished netting four of the eight beads I was sent. But as it turns out four was more than I needed.
I wanted her to have some part in the making of the necklace, so I had her paint a large length of nylon cord with watercolor in yellow and pink so that it would match the shimmery colors of the smaller glass beads in the soup. I then rinsed, washed, and rinsed it again. Dryed it, and then dipped the ends in fingernail polish so I could string with it, and let it dry some more. I had originally intended for her to get to tie the knots, but she was more interested in watching Hunger Games! And even though I had her paint four feet of rope, it wasn't enough, I had to crimp the ends and add chain and a snap clasp so that it would be long enough. But I like that part of it too, to be honest.

I still have a quie a few beads left in my soup, and started on another project using the squares that are some kind of purple died shell, but that one will take me a bit longer. I shall reveal it when I'm finished though. :)








33 comments:

  1. Lovely pieces you came up with your soup mix. Really nicely done!!!

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  2. Really like your netted beaded beads - very pretty!

    Had trouble seeing the other necklace however - the fine cording really disappears against the background. Very ephemeral. I bet it would like like the beads were floating when worn.

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    1. Thanks Karen, and yes, the floating gemstones necklace is VERY hard to see, I'm sorry. It blended into the background in all of the 40+ photo's I took of it, even using colored paper. I just couldn't get one that worked. I think it was harder to photograph than it was to pearl knot each gemstone onto eight strands of polyester invisible quilting thread. :(
      Thanks so much for your kind words though!

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  3. Wonderful designs!! Beautiful work!!

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  4. Nice job!! Your creations are lovely!!

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  5. Beautiful work! That floating necklace is just perfect.

    I sure hope that they figure out what is happening with your balance. I know how being poked with the pins is NO fun.

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    1. Thank you, Shaiha, it's my favorite. They've decided it's just more arthritis, apparently comes along at some point with the thyroid issues…I have to admit, I was relieved, the alternative seemed a bit scary.

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  6. Beautiful work :)

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  7. Really nice pieces, and I think hot pink looks great on redheads! Or, at least, on THIS redhead :)

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  8. Very nice and feminine! I love the floating necklace, it looks stunning!

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  9. Delightful use of your soup.Lovely.Love and Hugs Tanya

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  10. Great job with your soup. The rose quartz donut is striking. I would wear it & my hair is brown leaning toward red. Pink is my favorite color. Kool that your niece got to be in on the construction of her piece. Maybe she will be inspired to bead later in her life.

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    1. Thank you Becky. She's usually very into whatever I'm working on, I've already passed on the beading spark with her, she is my biggest fan. But now I'll be competing with school, she was accepted to our areas first school of the the arts this year, and even in just the second grade they focus on art as a learning tool. I'm so excited for her.

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  11. cool idea for necklace, congratulations!

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  12. Beautiful pieces, I especially like the floating necklace. Very soft & feminine. Lovely :)

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  13. A very pretty, feminine piece. What great beadwork in those beads, too. Glad you were able to finish.

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  14. Very nicely done. I do hope you get to feeling better soon and everything gets sorted out!! Best wishes.

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  15. Such a dainty delicate piece. Quite lovely. Great job!

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  16. Great beadworkd and pretty designs!

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  17. Lovely pieces. Like the way you used the fiber with the focal.

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  18. So sorry to hear about your hands, but great that your neice was there to help you. I LOVE the beaded beads, so delicate and pretty!

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  19. Ouch on the hands! I'll bet I know exactly what test you had! As for your pieces, you did a great job, and I hope you enjoyed it!

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  20. you did a lovely work with your soup, well done! hope your hand is going better.
    greets
    jacqueline

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  21. Wow! I really like the netted beads. I hope your hands are much better soon!

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  22. Lovely pieces!! I love the painted yellow and pink cord, it works perfectly - what a great idea!!

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  23. very pretty necklace, love the colours!

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  24. Great job! It looks like you really enjoyed your soup. I really like the netted bead.

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  25. Kk. I finally got to see your creations. Lovely. You are so talented. The floating beads I bet are beautiful to wear. The necklace you made for your niece is really pretty. I am going to have to try my hand at that type of beading. You've inspired me. I finally finished my project. Sorry it took so long. I think it turned out well. A little out of my comfort zone. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

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  26. Kk. I finally got to see your creations. Lovely. You are so talented. The floating beads I bet are beautiful to wear. The necklace you made for your niece is really pretty. I am going to have to try my hand at that type of beading. You've inspired me. I finally finished my project. Sorry it took so long. I think it turned out well. A little out of my comfort zone. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

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