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 Swap

Hi folks! Lori Anderson of Bead Soup Blog Party fame had suggested a bead swap in our facebook Bead Soup Cafe a little while ago. Folks who were interested tossed their names into the proverbial hat and Lori matched us up. No specific requirements for the swap were set by Lori and there's no "reveal" date as with the BSBP.

Lori paired me up with Mary Govaars. Mary happened to be my partner for the last Bead Soup Blog Hop. Shhhh! Don't tell Lori we were paired up again, LOL! Mary and I spoke via email and neither of us had particular preferences for types of beads or colors. It's fun that way, I think. The picture above is the "soup" I sent to Mary (appearing a bit bright as the morning sun was streaming through my dining room windows, the red is really not that orange).

The lampworked beads are boro beads by Kristan Child of Redside Designs. They're bluish, greenish, rusty-red with a little bit of bronzy-gold. Love them. I've been hoarding them for quite a while (and kept a few for myself). I paired them with some vintage copper chain in a sort of twisty link, amazonite rounds, kyanite rondelels, copperish pearls and some vintage rusty-red moonglow lucite saucers - all from The Beadin' Path.

I made the stacked clasp using a vintage copper 3-petal flower component from The Beadin' Path, one of the coordinating lampworked beads, a Swarovski marguerite in vitrail (I think), a copper balled end headpin and single ball hook. How did I make the clasp you ask? Well, I'm taking The Art of Closure e-course from the lovely and very talented Deryn Mentock of Something Sublime. It's the only clasp I've made so far (and there are so many, along with loads of tips and tricks from Deryn), and I still have some work to do (practice, practice, practice) but I'm happy with it. I hope Mary is too!

This is the soup Mary sent to me! It includes vintage pieces - LOVE! There are some vintage pink and white givre glass beads. Love the shape of them. Vintage white beads which I believe are lucite, and rose quartz rounds.

A vintage brass-toned pendant with a pale, pearly pink center:

 There is a half strand of tourmaline (one of my favorites)!

And a set of lampworked beads in white, pink and black by Laurie Hyatt of Heavenly Gifts:

I have several thoughts swirling through my head about these beads and the pendant. I actually have a couple of lampworked beads (very expensive ones) that I've been hoarding for years by Julie Wong of Uglibeads (I don't think she's lampworking any more. A shame, these beads are beauties - such detail.) that would go great with this soup. I'm also thinking that I need to haul out my torch-fired enameling supplies that I've had for a year plus and haven't used yet. Stay tuned!