6th Bead Soup Blog Party, 2nd Reveal

Well, good day to you! Thanks for stopping by on this second installment of the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party, 2nd Reveal! First, a great big thank you to our hostess with the mostess Lori Anderson of Pretty Things. Lori, thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to hosting this wonderful creative opportunity for us all! Lori has a book coming out early this fall! There are 400 talented designers participating in the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party so we're revealing in 3 different installments.

Let's get right to things, you've got a lot of hoppin' to do! My partner for this swap is Leslie Wayment of AA Beads & More in Sebastian, FL. It was pretty daunting putting a soup together for a bead store owner (Leslie's also a full-time pharmacist AND she cabs rocks - I don't know how she does it!)! I think I gave her a soup to give her a little bit of a challenge!

My soup to Leslie

Leslie was very generous in her soup to me, in shades of red and blue:

I am VERY proud of myself. I was able to get 2 pieces made (I have a third started which I'll finish this weekend) and they were made and photographed a week ago! That never happens! The first piece is a necklace using most of the beads from the soup, the focal, and the gold toned clasp. I decided to do a simply strung necklace that was symmetrical. I haven't strung a symmetrial necklace in a long while.

Oh, how my Gram and my Aunt Madeleine would have loved this necklace! Those gals loved their red, white and blue!

For my second piece I made a bracelet. I had ordered one of Heather Powers' starfish connectors in a new colorway, sandy shores, and shortly after I received it I received my July Simple Truths Sampler Club from Erin Prais-Hintz. Well, as I looked at them with my soup my wheels started spinning. I used 3 of the red beads Leslie sent me, along with Heather's focal, both of Erin's small pendants, sea glass I drilled and a clasp I fashioned from sea glass. I love it!

 Thanks for stopping by! Check out Leslie's reveal here and grab a cuppa' to check out all of the other lovely creations!

Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Adlinah Kamsir, Dream Struck Designs

Adrienn Lukacs, Raszputyin Designs

Agata Grygiel, Cytherea Bijoux

Alenka Obid, Pepita Handmade

Amy Dickerson, Damyjo Designs

Amy Schmidt, Amy's Treasure

Amy Severino, Amy Beads

Ana Krepel, Cat's Pajamas, Dog's Tuxedos

Andra Weber, Andra's Joyful Journey

Andrea Trank, Heaven Lane Creations

Anke Humpert, Anart Island Studios

Ann Rishell, My Critical Eye

April Grinaway, Brooklyn Bead Goddess

Ashley Bunting, Miss Ashely Kate

Astrid Boyce, Astrid Boyce Beads

B.R. Kuhlman, Mixed Mayhem Studios

Barb Fernald, Barbara S. Fernald Jewelry

Barbe Saint John, Saints and Sinners

Beata Benkone Meggyesi, Beahobbi

Brandy McNair, Bella Vita Handmade Jewelry

Bryna Lumb, Bryna's Bead Box

Carmen Lau, Little Maketto

Cate van Alphen, Fulgorine

Cathie Carroll, Cathie Carroll's Studio

Cathy Khoury, Touch Jewelry

Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads

Collette Collins, Fire Fly Myst Artisan Jewelry

Courtney Breul, Beads by Breul

Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons

Cynthia Abner, Created Treasures

Deana Hager, Just Deez'Art & Life

Debbie Davis, Natural Treasures by Deb

Debbie Phenes, Deb Joy Sing

Debbie Rasmussen, A Little of This, A Little of That

Dhea Powers, Java Bead

Diana Welte, Lilyweeds

Dita Basu, alankarshilpa

Dorota Zeranska, gdymamczas

Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie

Eleanor Snare, The Magic Square Foundation

Elisabeth Auld, Beads For Busy Gals

Ema Kilroy, Ema K Designs

Emma Todd, A Polymer Penchant

Eva Sherman, Eva Sherman Designs

Evie and Beth McCord, EB Bead and Metal Works

Francy Inman, Francy's Studio

Ginger Bishop, lilmummy likes...

Giorgia Rossini, Jo in Wonderland

Ine Vande Cappelle, Jewels by Ine

Iveth Caruso, Creative Atelier

JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions

Jackie Ryan, Kydo Jewellery

Jeannie Dukic, Jeannie's Blog

Jelveh Jaferian, Jelveh Designs

Jenna Tomalka, Twin Birch Studio

Jenni Connolly, Jenni's Beads

Jennifer Van Horn, Jennifers Jewels and Junk

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Johanna Rhodes-Nash, Fire Phoenix Creations

Joyce Blair, Bent Wire West Coast

JuLee Wolfe, The Polymer Penguin

Karen Vincent, Swallow Tail Jewellery

Karin Slaton, Backstory Beads

Kayla Potega, The Eclectic Element

Kim Dworak, CianciBlue

Krafty Max, Krafty Max Originals

Kris Lanae Binsfeld, Cherish Designs by Kris Lanae

Kristen Latimer, MJM Jewelry Designs

Kumi Fisher, Malie Kai Designs

Kym Hunter, Kym Hunter Designs

Lennis Carrier, Windbent

Leslie Wayment, AA Beads & More

Linda Florian, Lilys of the Valley Jewelry Creations

Linda Murphy, Bonita Bead

Lisa Johnson, Whimsey Wonders

Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures

Lisa Sittniewski, Love, Yesterdays

Lois Moon, Que Onda, Q'Town?

Lola Surwillo, Bead Lola Bead

Lorelei Eurto, Lorelei's Blog

Lori Bowring Michaud, Artfully Ornamental (you are here)

Lori Callahan, Dancing Wire and Beads by Lori

Lori Finney, Using My Beads

Marcia Dunne, The Alternative Foundry

Margareta Saari, Mags-koruja

Maria Horvath, Horimarika Beads

Marian Hertzog, M's Place 

Mary Ellen Parker, BeeTree by m.e.

Mary K McGraw, MK's Creative Musings

MaryLou Holvenstot, time2cre8

Martha Aleo, Ornamento

Maybeline Tay, The Jewelry Larder

Megan Collins, Churchy & Her Sailor

Melissa Meman, Art. Life. Love.

Melissa Mesara, One-Eared Pig Beads

Melissa Muir, Kelsi's Closet Jewelbox

Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

Pam DeBoer, Purple Notes from the Studio

Pam Farren, re-maker

Pam Hurst, Pam Hurst Designs

Patricia Handschuh, The Color of Dreams

Patty Miller, CabariBeads

Penney Klapoth, Faerie Acres

Regina Santerre, Regina's Writings

Rhea Freitag, starrgazer creates

Rochelle Brisson, A Creative Chelle

Sabine Dittrich, PerlenDschungel

Sandra McGriff, Creative Chaos

Sandra Neights, Petalo Azul

Sandra Young, It's a Bead Life!

Sara Oehler, SoftFlex Girl

Saturday Sequins, Saturday Sequins

Shanti Johnson, Sunshine Bliss

Shari Replogle, Plays With Paper

Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads

Stefanie Teufel, Stefanies Sammelsurium

Tammie Everly, TTE Designs

Tania Spivey, Moobie Grace Designs

Tanya Wiles, Tenebrous Hollow Studio

Therese Frank, Therese's Treasures

Tina Holden, Polymer Clay Bytes!

Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Tracey Nanstad, A Beadiful Mess

Tracy Choy, BumbleBeads Designs

Valerie Norton, Hot Art

It's Almost Bead Soup 6 Reveal Day!

This Saturday, August 11, is the second reveal date of 3 reveal dates (July 28 was the first and August 25 is the third) for the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party hosted by the hostess with the mostest, Lori Anderson! I'm paired with Leslie Wayment of AA Beads for this hop.

This is the soup I sent to Leslie, I can't wait to see what she makes with it:

 This is the soup Leslie sent to me, she was very generous:

Believe it or not, I've actually already completed two pieces for the hop from my soup - I'm so pleased with myself that I'm not last minute! I might actually have time to complete one more!

Come back on Saturday to see the reveal and the list of participants for the second hop!

Welcome to the family!

This  boy…..

 Matt

met this girl.....

Katie

a little over a year and a half ago. She’s lovely, she sparkles. 

Katie & Matty

She’s helped make this boy into the man his mama has always known he could be. Thankfully, his mama didn’t raise a dummy! 

Shock and Awe!

He’s asked her to marry him and she said YES! May you both always remember in the future how madly, deeply in love you are today. 

We are one very happy family! Welcome to the family sweetheart!

Lorelei Eurto/Keirsten Giles Cone Challenge!!

O.K., late to the party. I thought I had the scheduled post worked out, guess not. Anyhoo,

Good morning! Welcome to the Cone Challenge!! Keirsten Giles of The Cerebral Dilettante and Lorelei Eurto have teamed up for a wonderful challenge using copper cones handcrafted by Keirsten. She sent 6 different sets of cones to Lorelei for the challenge. Lorelei kept a set to participate with and she randomly selected 5 of her readers to participate as well. Lucky, lucky me! Above is a picture of the etched, patinated cones I received. How lovely!

When I saw Lorelei's post about the challenge, I knew right away what I'd make if I were selected. Now, conceptualizing and creating are sometimes two different things. As Sally Jean Alexander says "embrace the imperfection". I have a lot to embrace with this first piece, but I love it regardless.

I turned the big 5-OH last Friday. I have been contemplating this event for the past year. I haven't looked at it with dread like I did turning 40, but I've been doing a lot of reminiscing - wishing I'd done some things differently and glad I've done some things the way I have. So, when I saw the cones I thought they'd make a cute party hat. I am not a mixed-media artist, I think that's clear in this piece. I also have lovely handwriting, I'm complimented on it regularly - you wouldn't know that from this piece. I apparently need lines. Anyway, I'm embracing the imperfection:

It says, "She decided to live her life with the glass half full so that when the calendar turned to 50, the lines on her face were more from laughter than crying.....". That's me, I think I was either 1 or 2, I'm thinking 2. I sawed the back off the cone and made it into a party hat. I added a piece of a fluffy chenille stem to the bottom of it and a sparkly pom-pom to the top, and edged the wooden piece with black and white glass tiles. The little balloon is a piece my daughter Gabrielle soldered and enameled in her metalsmithing class last fall. I thought it looked like a little balloon.

What did I do with the piece, which was actually 2 pieces because of the seam, that I sawed off the back? Well, I did what any bead lover would do, I made 2 copper beads. Just like making crescent rolls.

I need to file the sharp tips.

The next piece I have titled "Flotsam and Jetsam". Beachcombing is my favorite pastime and I wanted to make a beachy talisman with the other cone. So, I made a tassel focal with the second cone and added one of the two copper beads I made to it. The tassel also includes a lampworked disc and drop, some stones, Swarovski crystal, drilled sea glass, lucite beads from the Beadin' Path, some Czech glass, and metal charms - all dangling on waxed linen cord and embroidery thread. It's wired with copper wire, lucite spacers and a triangle bead. I've connected to a bronzy toggle. Pardon the cruddy pics:

The remainder of the necklace is made with MOP donuts from Michael's, copper jump rings, vintage copper chain from the Beadin' Path, a delightful little copper shell clasp from Joanne Tinley of Daisychain Extra and some wonderful enameled filigree beads from my Pantone Spring 2012 bead swap with Keri Lee Sereika of Pink Lemonade. I LOVE this necklace! It's twisting just a tiny bit around the clasp, so I need to tweak it, but I love it.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please stop by the other participants blogs to see their lovely creations!

Lorelei Eurto: http://www.lorelei1141.blogspot.com/

The Crazier Sister http://crazycreativecorner.blogspot.com/

BeadBug http://www.CopperGlassAndRecycledTrash.blogspot.com/

Yay!Jewelry http://yayjewelry.blogspot.com/

Jen Judd http://jenjuddrocks.blogspot.com/