Pantone Spring 2012 Bead Swap

from Lakes Region Tent & Event

I have been so busy with my day job I haven't yet had time to visit the Challenge of Literature blogs or the Art Bead Earring Swap blogs to comment. I hope to rectify that later tonight and early tomorrow morning.

In between all of these events our basement flooded because we received about 9 inches of rain in a couple of days. This is the second time in 22 years that we've had water in our basement - both times after we had finished the basement, of course. I'm not talking inches or feet of water in the basement, but enough to come up through the cement (says my husband, I'm not entirely convinced). Our house was built in the early 1950's and it was a swampy area that had fill brought in. When we finished our basement 7 years ago, my husband broke up the floor where the bathroom would be. The dirt underneath was wet, not damp, but wet. We have pretty good drainage and it flows pretty well during wet weather. However, when we receive torrential rain for long periods of time, we apparently get a wet basement.

The last time this happened was 5 years ago in the Patriot's Day storm. Both of these storms were N'oreasters. We don't typically get this much rain. Anyhoo. I noticed last Sunday night when I went down to the laundry room that something was amiss, as I stepped in water. When I flipped on the light switch (I know, not terribly smart), I could see water had come up through the joints in the laminate flooring and was puddling (there was a barrier layer of plastic that had been laid over the concrete prior to installing the flooring). This then prompted 3 days of back-and-forth arguing between me and my husband because I was afraid of black mold. He finally pulled up about 1/3 of the laminate on Wednesday evening. The concrete is now dry, more flooring needs to come up and I think we've decided that we're going to stain and seal the concrete and put down scatter rugs (or scared rugs if you're my husband - they're scared because while he's a very good plumber and project manager, his home maintenance skills are sorely lacking). Oh well.

So, in the midst of this I received my lovely earrings from Shelby and Diane. I'm wearing a pair as I type and feel quite sassy! I had previously signed up to do a bead swap, sans blog hop, with Keri Lee Sereika of Pink Lemonade through a match-up by the Queen of Bead Soup, the lovely Lori Anderson. We both belong to a group Lori started on facebook called Bead Soup Cafe. It's a spot where folks who've participated in the swaps, and those who love beads (doesn't everybody?) can chat. Keri Lee and I decided we'd follow the same swap parameters as the regular Bead Soup swaps: focal, clasp and supporting beads, and we'd send them out around the end of May. This swap was based on the spring 2012 Pantone color forecast. Keri Lee and I decided to pick 2-3 colors from the forecast and go from there.

 Well, I wanted to wait 'til I returned from my trip to Washington, D.C. (that's for another post, love you Caiti!) in case I found a bead shop(s) there and could add some items from my travels. No. Such. Luck. Oh, I found a couple of stores, but nothing piqued my interest. I'm very spoiled here in Maine. We have several lovely bead stores, The Beadin' Path being my favorite. So, I waited until I returned home to pull my stash for Keri Lee together.

 

images from Invitations by Ajalon

I chose margarita, sodalite blue and cockatoo for Keri Lee's soup. I think I've said before that I love the ocean and the beach ;) and I these colors reminded me of a summer beach. I'm not a huge fan of the really bright colors or the pinks/purples. Here's the soup I sent to Keri Lee:

I selected porcelain rings and crackle finish MOP ovals in sodalite blue, Czech glass ovals and MOP squares in cockatoo, buri seed and pearls in margarita, as well as clear sea glass bits that I drilled, a sterling silver starfish clasp and a pottery shard from the ocean that I soldered (this one I purchased because I didn't have any in my collection that coordinated). These beads were purchased at another local bead store, Caravan Beads (the original), with the exception of the clasp which I had purchased at The Beadin' Path a number of years ago).

Keri Lee is one very talented lady. She made almost everything she sent to me! There's a textured copper clasp, another textured copper piece that's calling out to be a bracelet (to me anyway) along with beautiful torch fired enamel beads - in the same colors I sent to her!! as well as a crystal/bead mix in complimentary colors.

We both found it quite funny that we had the same color scheme in mind! I've had my torch fired enamel supplies for a year and a half and haven't tried them yet, I'm a little intimidated. I think it's time to take Barbara Lewis' e-course!

Anyway, it was a lovely swap and I've enjoyed getting to know Keri Lee a little bit (and hope to get to know her even better)! Thanks for stopping by!

Bead Soup Has Arrived!!

I received my bead soup from Mary on Thursday. My. Oh. My! She sent me a luscious soup that has me dreaming of summer (while we've had a mild winter relatively speaking, with the wind chill it's 9 degrees here today - the sun is at least shining, thankfully)!

Look at those colors! I've spent a few minutes going through my personal stash and have pulled a few interesting things to go with them. I LOVE the focal I'm going to create! The three lampworked (torch fired, flameworked - pick a term) beads Mary sent me are GORGEOUS. They were made by Sarah Moran of z-beads. I have admired (coveted maybe?) Sarah's beads for a few years. They are beautiful - her color combinations and technical precision are AMAZING! I simply haven't been able to afford them. Don't get me wrong, they are worth every single penny - but with the raising of the children, kids in college, etc. they just haven't been in the budget (that aside, I have a rather large hoard of artisan beads that need to be dealt with).

Can I just say again that I love my beads? Thank you very much Mary! Below is the soup that I sent to Mary:

My picture is not spectacular. Mary has much better pics on her blog. Mary's soup includes mocha latte sari ribbon from Barbara Lewis of Painting With Fire, drilled sea glass fron me, lampworked chicklet beads from Jessie Harding of Burke Mountain Beads (I don't know if she's still making beads, the web address I have for her doesn't appear to be active), a bezel clasp from SLK's Industrial Chic line filled with sea glass bits and ICE Resin, and from The Beadin' Path (my favorite bead store) vintage willow green givre lucite rounds, vintage patterned copper rounds, vintage twisted copper love knots and a vintage raw brass bezel pendant filled with sea glass chips and ICE Resin. I can't wait to see what Mary makes with her ingredients. See you on March 3rd for the reveal (I'll have the list of all pairings on that day)!