Saturday, May 10, 2014

8th Bead Soup Blog Party - The Reveal!

Good day to you and welcome! I'm so happy to again be a part of the wonderful blog party created by the lovely Lori Anderson. My partner for this year's swap is the INCREDIBLY talented Kelly Hosford Patterson of The Traveling SideShow and PyxeeStyx on Etsy. Kelly is so talented with so many different types of media.
She showered me with love in creating my beautiful soup. I posted about her amazing soup here and Kelly blogged about it here. Now, I am not a prolific jewelry maker. I wrestle with my creativity in ways I can't even begin to explain. I am in such awe of folks who can sit down for a few hours and create many pieces of jewelry. I can't do it. Just. Can't. I labor over each and every piece and it takes me forever. Why, I don't know but it's a fact. Sigh. I've made several pieces from my beautiful soup (and miraculously, a couple of them came together fairly quickly). I've put several of the components Kelly sent to me away until fall. We've had such a long, hard winter and spring is just ever so slightly beginning to grace us with her presence (it feels like early April here). I plan to work with my beautiful felted wool beads and fiber wire as we head toward fall. I also have a piece in progress that you'll have to check back on May 24 to see as it's for the reveal of Diana Ptaszynski's (Suburban Girl Studio) waxed linen jewelry blog hop.

First up, Follow The Sun. This necklace features the faux sunflower druzy that Kelly created, along with her hand forged, bead wrapped clasp. I LOVE these 2 pieces. I also incorporated the dragon's vein agate egg, printed wood beads and the hammered copper chain segment Kelly made.
I took one of the large washers and wire-wrapped it with the cube crystals that Kelly sent along. I also added a vintage lucite link and some vintage lucite tube beads that I collected while working at The Beadin' Path. I also created some twisted copper wire jump rings and created small sections of chain to suspend the focal from.
I also included a little hand painted sunflower bead (on a Natural Touch resin bead) that I had created some time ago. I love that I could combine my sunflower with Kelly's. I absolutely love this necklace and I'm sure I'll wear it often.
Next up are earrings made with vintage lucite tear drop hoops and some of the crystals Kelly sent me along with copper balled end headpins that I made. Light weight and casual.
This next pair of earrings pairs the same crystals (I love the color) along with the vintage lampworked leaves. I tied on short lengths of red sari silk.
This bracelet is in progress, I need to figure out what I want to do for a clasp (copper or brass/bronze?). I've used one of the large printed wood beads, honey jade rondelles, carnelian rounds, and vintage luster glass.
My second necklace includes two different vintage copper chain lengths, Kelly's collage bee treasure box pendant, her hand forged sunflower link (which I altered by adding color with Alcohol Inks), a fringe of copper chain and beads along with a bee skep connector I made. I have a dear friend who keeps bees (mmmmm is the honey delicious!), he calls them his girls. I'll think of Kelly and Jimmy when I wear this!
My final creation isn't jewelry to wear, but is very close to my heart. I have a thing for ornaments (surprising given my blog name, eh). I've recently started collecting sunflower ornaments. This is the first I've created, using the other hammered sunflower Kelly created (which I altered by adding color with Alcohol Inks) along with the polymer crow by Beady Eyed Bunny.
This has been so much fun! I still have a number of pieces in progress on my desk (it actually looks much worse than this presently):
Thank so much for stopping by. Please visit Kelly's blog to see what she created with the soup I sent to her. You can also hop along to see what the other 500 artists created (this is going to take a while!). Thanks again Lori for creating such a fun event for us to meet new people, share and create! Here's the link to Lori's post with all of the participants listed: Participant List

46 comments:

  1. Visually interesting pieces that tell a story and have your style stamped on them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great designs! I love how they are so wonderfully asymmetrical.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Perfectly BEAUTIFUL! I love your style! You did a fantastic job!!! I know you didn't ask for advice and don't need it, but how about some more of that sari silk to tie your bracelet-- making a bow as a clasp--to match those divine earrings? Just a thought! xox jean!

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's an awesome soup, and great pieces you've made too!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lori all of your pieces are truly beautiful. Great job designing. The sunflower you painted is wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the colors! Every thing looked just wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Gorgeous pieces! I really love the movement and asymmetry in that top necklace. And sunflowers are some of my favorites anyway! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hmhm - that colors are great! I love the earthy and warm tones in your desgins, your follow the sun necklace is beautiful! An eyectach for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lori you put so much detail in your work and the design is outstanding on each piece you created.. Sometimes it takes me days to finish a simple piece.. :) You'll have fun creating with the fiber components!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I know what you mean - sometimes it takes me discouragingly long to create a single piece but sometimes it's a snap :) You have found the way to each piece of this challenging soup. Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  11. For someone who said they can't .... you sure DID! I love the soup you were sent, when I clicked over to Kelly's shop and saw her personal style, I could see she sent you her best that reflected her personality, which is beauty and light and magic! And what you did with it! I love each design but that first necklace is stunning. And I know what sunflowers mean to you so that makes it all the more special. :) Their just wonderful, Lori.
    Thank you for visiting my party post!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wonderful designs. The 'Follow the Sun' necklace is spectacular. Nice use of your soup.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow so many gorgeous designs! Perfect for the summer time!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love everything you've made, you've been VERY productive :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love the leaf earrings, but most of all I love that you already had a smaller sunflower bead that looked like it belonged with Kelly's. I Love little serendipities like that, they alway make me smile, as does your necklace!

    ReplyDelete
  16. You pieces are awesome, you had a very beautiful soup to start with but you definitely made the best out of it! The 2 necklaces are so warm and well constructed, each little component is perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your pieces just look so inviting. Love the material tied to the earrings.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Love your pieces, Lori - each of them has so much love and thoughts behind it, one can feel it! I love your mix of media, it gives such a natural flow to your jewelry. Love everything (I'd go with copper for the bracelet clasp; but that's me, I have a love-hate - more hate than love - relationship with brass :) )

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wonderful use of color! I really like the Lucite hoop design!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Love the coppery colors, and what you did with the components. Beautiful work!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Wonderful soup. I love what you created with it and that clasp is fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh, Lori. Everything you made is just FABULOUS! I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. I really wanted to make sure I gave reading your post the time and attention it deserves. Your first necklace is my absolute favorite. It reminds me a lot of the green one I featured in my meet the partner post. Such a wonderful mix of texture, with such a beautifully bohemian feel to it. That keyhole link is so cool. And the ornament you made, Just awesome! Your painted sunflowers go perfectly with my copper ones. Talk about kismet. I like Jean's suggestion of sari silk to finish the bracelet. Maybe a loop of silk with a button. I'll be looking forward to seeing what else you do with the waxed linen. I'm participating in Suburban Girl Studios' blog hop as well. Thank you to Shannon LaVart for the very kind things you said about me. :) A little secret.....it doesn't all come so easily to me either. The ideas do, but I sometimes struggle with the execution. I'm learning all the time. You have been such an awesome partner Lori. I'm so glad things worked out they way they did. Kudos!

    ReplyDelete
  23. This is a beautiful reveal. I love the coppery, amber tones of all of it. My favorite colors. I really like the bracelet you have in progress. I am really drawn to those painted wood beads. I have some and love them, but can never figure out how to use them in designs. You have accomplished that and have inspired me. Great job.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love that you showed a picture of your work space. I'm a big fan of tassels and the one you made for the vintage chain necklace is gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Lovely ornament. I also love the way your resin sunflower nestles between the two red circles.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Absolutely stunning pieces, Lori! So many wonderful elements and you rocked it :) AND you worked in a beading store? Gawd, I would end up on one of those hoarding reality shows :( Thank goodness I live far from temptation LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  27. You had me at Sunflower...and what a "Wow!" Great job, Lori. Your copper additions are a perfect complement to the soup.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I love adding the alcohol inks to the sunflowers, they added richness, and the addition of your little sunflower with all of the interesting links and connectors to your first necklace is awesome. The colors are right up my alley!

    ReplyDelete
  29. your creations have unique sunny, warming style!

    ReplyDelete
  30. How fun that you got to use both sunflowers, it really makes for a special necklace. You did a wonderful job with this nice warm palette soup

    ReplyDelete
  31. I love how you have used different materials and components in reds and oranges to create such fiery pieces

    ReplyDelete
  32. All your pieces are fabulous! The designs, colors and textures are so rich and warm!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Wondeful pieces. I love them all. But my favourite is the necklace with the little flower bead. Thats summer!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Lori, I also have a work in progress from my BSBP8 soup coming up for reveal in Diana Ptaszynski's (Suburban Girl Studio) waxed linen jewelry blog hop. See you there! :)

    I'm just amazed that jewelry design doesn't come "easy" to you as your jewelry arts ability is phenomenal! Your hand painted sunflower bead is gorgeous -- and along with the vintage lucite tubes & beads, and the patina touches of the sunflower -- it makes "Follow the Sun" glow! Luminous, lovely, warm. And your bees necklace is just as wonderful! The details, style, colorway and balance are exquisite. Both sets of earrings are gorgeous -- love the crystal and lucite combo -- and your sunflower ornament has a profound,very powerful glow and energy: healing, freeing, full of joy! Beady Eyed Bunny's bird is such a loving touch (Leah's beads are special) and your wirework is stunning. A wonderful, uplifting piece. Lovely reveal! ♥ Rita

    ReplyDelete
  35. I am in awe of what you put together here!! i think you sell yourself short!! Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  36. You did such a great job pairing your soup with your own stash. Lots of wonderful eye-candy.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Lovely and unique pieces!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Gorgeous rich looking pieces, I love the colors, I love the designs...all are very beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  39. I love that you wire wrapped a washer to echo the wire wrapped toggle clasp in the first necklace. Ditto using your own sunflower resin bead! The colors in all of your pieces are great together and the designs are lovely. What a nice job you did with your soup!

    ReplyDelete
  40. What really beautiful pieces you made. I'm glad to hear you didn't have to labor over many of these at all and just let the beads speak to you. wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Nice! Love the work in progress photo :) I'm actually organising a mass bead soup where all the crafters get the same set of beads :) i think it ll be really cool too see what 10s or even 100s of people make with the same beads! planning to send out the beads 2 aug with designs revealed end aug. Would be cool if u d like to take part (details on https://hapinesswherever.wordpress.com/bead-soup/) :)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for visiting my blog and leaving a comment! I certainly appreciate your kind words!