PRETTY IN PINK .... SOUP!

It's here, it's here, it's here !!!!  If you are visiting here today, chances are you are part of the Bead Soup Blog Party.  Welcome, welcome, welcome.  This is the second time that I have particapated in the party and this time was just as challenging as the last time.  I love a good challenge.  Before I introduce my partner and show you what I made with the ingredients that she sent me, I want to give a HUGE shout out to Lori Anderson.  Not only is she the creator and hostess of this mind-boggling large blog hop, she has been doing this while not feeling in tip-top condition.  Kudos to you lovely lady!

Now, on to the reason for your visit...Lori paried me with Jessica.  This was Jessica's first Soup Party, but I know she did a wonderful job, so don't forget to go visit and see what she created with what I sent her.  When you visit her, you will see what a big challenge I sent her way.  To recap, here is what Jess sent me to work with.

 

 

Drum roll......and this is what I did with my ingredients.

 

 

 

 

These earrings were a bit of a no-brainer.  The beads just just arranged themselves, all I did was wire them together.  They are a lovely addition to any spring wardwrobe.

 

 

 

 

These brass earring are made with pendants that I bought from Fallen Angel Brass.  I used a sanding block to take the blackening off the high spots, then I painted them with a light pink frosted nail polish.  As it dried, it turned this great shade of purple.  The purple perfectly matched the lampwork beads in my soup and some seed beads that I already had.

 

 

 

 

When it came to the clasp, I knew I wanted to use it in a bracelet.  All the beads in this bracelet are from the soup, except the pearls and the silver rose shaped beads.  The first time I made the bracelet I used beading wire, but it was way too stiff.  I checked out my supply of Irish linen, and found some pink that worked great with my soup beads. 

 

 

 

 

Next up was the focal.  Actually, Jess sent me two focals and told me to choose which ever one I wanted to use.  One was a supper big stone and the other was the one you see above.  I really tried working with the big one.....I really, really tried.  I even built a cage for it, the first time I ever did any wire work like that.  I was just never happy with the results.  I'll add it to my stash and hopefully, at some later date I will figure out how to work with it. This necklace is a little plain, but with the vibrant color of the stone, I didn't want it to be too much.  The beads are a mix of soup beads and Czech glass beads from my hoard. The two silver buttons add just enough decoration to highlight the focal.

 

 

And last, but not least....

 

 

 

 

This is my favorite piece.  I was able to use up more of my soup ingredients, especially the green cubes.  By using the green beads, I used at least one of everything from the soup, minus the larger of the two focals.  This necklace is special to me for another reason.  I made the pendant and it was my first sucessful use of resin.  I have been trying and trying, but something always goes wrong.  Bubbles and cat hair have been two big thorns in my side when it comes to resin usage.  With this pendant I finally figured out how to not have bubbles, but the cat hair....that was probably dumb luck.

 

 

There you have it.  I still have a few beads left, but they are just odds and ends.  I used most everything that I was given, so I am really happy about that.  Don't forget to visit Jes, she will be my first stop this morning.  To visit all the other participants in this, the 2nd reveal, go here.  Check out the supper cool map of all 500+ participants in this party.  What a huge under taking this was.

 

Party on, people, party on.

 

 

P.S.  Hopefully, I removed all hurdles to commenting.



THE AFTERMATH....

Once again it has been a while, more than a little while, since I have written anything here.  I think I just need to own up to the fact that I am a bad blogger, well, I'm just bad at the whole "social media" thing all together.    But, I keep trying.  Just because you're not good at something doesn't mean that you shouldn't keep trying to get better at it.  Like I've said before, practice, practice, practice.

As for the aftermath, I'm speaking of the aftermath of a spree through one my favorite Etsy shops, ArteBellaSurplus.  I absolutely love this store.  I'm a Czech glass freak and this store lets me get my freak on in a big way.  I always get my beads quickly and I have never been disappointed with anything that I have ordered.  Plus, they always have some of the most unusual Czech glass beads I have ever found.  As a matter of fact, just look at what happened the last time I went shopping...

I love everything that I bought.  Maybe a little too much.  Sometimes I don't realize how much I buy, until I start emptying all those little bags.  There was a whole pile of little bags by the time I emptied all of them.  I did put some of those beads to good use today.

I thought about this bracelet for two days before I got a chance to sit down and make it.  In my head I have been calling it Sand and Surf.  In the past, I haven't been big on making bracelets, but every once in while, an idea for one will come into my head and will not let go.  I knew when I was taking the beads out of the bags, what they would become.  I really love this bracelet.

I knew what would become of these beads when I took them out of the bag, too.  I've had these wooden beads for a while and I knew when I saw these deep red discs that I was going to pair with these wooden squares.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but they are deep red.  The Irish linen is also a deep "country" red. There are blueish-green specks on the discs and the small barrel beads are actually the same colors as the discs.

Several of the new Czech glass that I have seen this year have this fantastic acid finish that make them resemble pebbles and rocks.  You get the best of both worlds with a really organic look with spectacular colors.  These beads just cried out for deep, rich aged copper.

Nothing in these earrings are new.  I've had all of this in my stash of beads, but I was on a roll this afternoon, so I just kept going with the flow.  I really love these earrings.  The picture isn't great, you really need to see them hanging, but I couldn't get a good picture of them.  I'm really happy with everything that I accomplished today.

HAPPY CREATING.... 

WHAT JES GOT.....

My Bead Soup partner, Jessica, emailed to let me know that she received my ingredients that I sent to her.  Luckily, she loved them.  I'm so glad she said that, 'cause I was a little worried.  I love the look of bright, happy colors, but I just can't seem to work with them.  I would love to be able to create bright colorful jewelry, but I get those beautiful components and I freeze up.  I sent these pieces hoping that someone else might create something beautiful with them.  Here is what Jes has to work with ...

 



According to her email, she loves them and is very happy with them.  She says they are right up her alley.  I'm so glad she is happy and I can't wait to see what she creates.

The focal bead is from Sigaliot.  The clasp is from Kristen of Bead Swede Supplies.  All the other fun supplies come from Yvonne at MyELEMENTS.  I love everything that I sent Jes, I just wish  I could do them justice.

Now that everyone has their ingredients, let the soup creating begin!

HERE THEY ARE ....

Forgive me for not getting this post up sooner, but I spent last night and early this morning in the ER with my Mother.  Everything is okay, but she is staying in the hospital until her problem is cleared up.  It's going to mean going back and forth between work, hospital and home.  Busy, busy times for a few days.

Anyway, as promised, here are the Bead Soup ingredients that my partner Jessica sent to me.  Before I show you, let me say that these ingredients are very different from anything that I would normally work with.  Not bad different, just different.  And, I think that that is what Lori Anderson wants all of us to experience.  It is also the reason why I signed up for this blog hop.  It is the not knowing, the surprise of finding out, and the experience of creating something that is new to you that makes this so worthwild.  I have ideas for what I want to do with what I recieved and I am getting excited to try something I haven't tried yet.  But, you have to wait for the reveal for that.  Here is what I recieved....



please forgive the blurry photos

 

 

Yup.  Hot Pink.  I do like it.  It has taken a few days of living with them, but I am beginning to figure out what I want to do with them.  I am picturing macreme and black linen cord.  We shall see.  My guess is that there will be more than one piece to come out of all the goodies I received.  I particularly like the small square beads.  I think that the green is a really good color to pair with the pink.

 

I want to thank Jessica for the great ingredients.  I do like them very much.  The color is not one that I would choose for myself, I am much more a red and green lover.  And I am more drawn to muted and earthy tones, but I am so excited to work with these gifts.

 

As for what I sent to Jessica, she should be receiving her package any day now.  I know that she is very busy with her new condo, so it might take a few days for her post.  I have a confession about the soup ingredients that I sent her.  Everything that I sent to her, I already had in my stash.  The reason that I had it in my stash is because I have been stumped as to what to do with the ingredients.  I love bright colors, but I don't know what to do with them.  I can't wait to see what Jessica has to say and what she creates.

 

Things are getting exciting....

 

HAPPY CREATING.....

 



 



 

 

READY, SET.....GO

Yesterday I sent off my Bead Soup Party ingredients to my partner, Jessica.  Plus, I received my ingredients from Jessica.  I would show you what I received, but the light isn't the best when I get home from work, so it will have to wait for this weekend.

However, before I sent off my ingredients I did take pictures of what I was sending off.  Unfortunately, the rules of the game say I can't show you a picture until Jes revceives her package.  But, I can show you a teaser.  So, nah, nah, nah-nah, nah......

I'm sure that Jes will be very happy with what I sent to her.  Isn't it purty!

Up this weekend, pictures of what Jes sent to me.  Lots of ideas floating in my noggin....we shall see.  Until then... 


HAPPY CREATING

LET YOUR HEART SOAR.....

 

 

When  I saw these charms in one of my favorite Etsy shops, Fallen Angel Brass, I fell in love.  They reminded my of those great old school tatoos.  If they were tatoos they would have Mom in the center of the heart.  They were originally great without any color, but I really wanted that old faded tatoo color to them.  Guilders paste to the rescue.  I added tulip red and Inca gold, let it dry for just a few minutes and then hit them with some Renaissance Wax with my finger.  When I did that, just enough of the guilders paste came off and allowed the metal to shine through.  Plus, the colors muted out and and gave it the faded look I was going for.

Then I got to playing around with Picmonkey, and made these photos.  Not the best by any means, but a little different for me.

My Bead Soup Party mix is ready to be mailed out.  I thought my local mail store was open later, but they closed at 3:00.  I missed it by an hour, so they will have to go into the mail on Monday.  I'll miss the deadline by a day, but there wasn't much I could do about it.  I really like what I put together and can't wait to see what my partner does with what I will be sending her.

Ta-ta for now....Happy Creating

Ingredients are assembled.....

My Bead Soup Party ingredients are gathered together and will go into the mail to my partner, Jes Brower, by this weekend.  I'm looking forward to another challenge and welcome the chance to work with components that I didn't pick out for myself.  I hope that Jes likes what I chose.  I actually chose my ingredients before I got my partner, but I think they are challenging enough for jewelry designers of all levels.  I know if I received them, I would have to sit and stew with them quite a while before coming up with something to make. (Not to scare Jes or anything.)

I've also been busy making and trying to sell some earrings.  I appear to be in an earring creating frame of mind.  A good deal of last year was spent making necklaces that went exactly nowhere.  They are wrapped up and waiting for a better time to shine.  I think my regular customers were just not in the mood for necklaces.  Anyway, my earring inventory is running at about 30 to 40 pair right now.

I've also discovered that the best way to photograph my products are on the window sill in the family room.  It is an East facing window and gets great morning sun.  It really gets great light all day long actually.  The sill itself is snarly old wood that looks great in pictures.  I think that I'll be taking all of my pictures here.  See for yourselves....

These are straight out of my phone with no editing.  I ran them through Pickmonkey to create the collage, but that's it.  Obviously they need to be tweeked a bit, but the light and background are great.

Not bad at all...


HAPPY CREATING TO ALL...

Finally....

Better late, than never.  I was very excited to be choosen (even if it was ramdomly) for Lorelei's Twelve Days of Christmas.  I love these types of challenges.  I need to be forced to move out of my box, sometimes.  My problem wasn't creating something, it was getting it together and getting it out there.  But, seeing as how I wasn't putting ANYTHING out there, doing this challenge wasn't the real problem at all.

However, the days are getting longer and I'm feeling much more energetic.  I have been making lots of earrings, which seems to be my thing right now.  They are sellling and people are asking for more.

So, what did I get for my Twelve Days of Christmas.  I put together collages to make it easier to show what I received.

The first four days were from:  Lorelei, Me, Suzette, and Jodi.




Then I received gifts from:  Therese, Amy, Melissa and Erin.

And last, but not least...

Melissa's Mom sent along the beautiful snowflake, Suzanne, Rita and Gina.



Thank you to everyone that sent gifts and played along.


HAPPY CREATING

 

 

 

LETS BEGIN AGAIN.....

So it has been waaaay to long since I was on here sharing whats been going on.  Mostly the new job has been going on.  I had one and a half weeks with my trainer and then she left on medical leave for several weeks....talk about trial by fire.  But I did come out the other side, better for it as is always the case when these things happen.

Then there is the usual winter blahs that have been my bane for several years now.  I always struggle with this, but stress always makes it so much harder.  I tried those light boxes one time, man, talk about manic.  I have found that the best thing for me to do is take my meds and work on keeping myself busy.  So, I have gotten back to making my jewelry and I will work harder at being better blog parent.

To that end...I know that I owe a post about Lorelei's 12 Days of Christmas.  I did create something and send them out to everyone, I just owe the post about what I received in return.  I have one more photo to take, and I've been playing with Picmonkey to create a collage, and then I'll get that up.

The other thing that is going on is Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party.  I've signed up for that again.  I has so much fun the last time that I played, I knew I had to sign up again.  I've been waiting for the sign ups for months now (along with everyone else, I'm sure!).  So, Lori, when you are checking out blogs, please forgive me for not posting recently and please, please, please let me participate in the party.  I promise to get back to posting at least twice a month, if not more.

That's it for now.  I feel good enough to begin again, making jewelry and blogging.  And because I need to try and have more humor in my life right now .....

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Creating....