Using my Beads: BSBP

The big day is finally here! Sometimes it seemed like it would neeeever get here...and then it felt like it was coming too fast LOL!

A little precis of the deal.....our famous and SO organized host, Lori Anderson of Pretty Things Blog has been doing an amazing job of running the Bead Soup Blog Party for several years now...this is the 5th BSBP!

Last time, the BSBP grew so large that it became overwhelming for everyone involved, so this year Lori limited the participation to 200...and I was one of the lucky ones chosen, by lottery, to play.
And how do we play? Each member is paired up by Lori with another beader...sometimes in another country, sometimes down the street...and in my case, across the country and totally by chance, in the city I lived in previously for 35 years. And we lived in the same neighbourhood! And her bff was my next-door neighbour! How random is that!...and we didn't even know one another at the time.

Once our partners are selected, we each get together a "soup" to send to our partner by a specific date; the soup must contain a focal bead, a special closure, and some coordinating beads. Sometimes (lucky me!) it contains MUCH more than that!

Then, on a specified date, we reveal on our blogs, the work of the last month or so on our soups...and have fun and gain inspiration visiting one another's blogs!

Here is a pic of the soup I sent Marie-Noel in Calgary:

And here is the soup she sent me:

Kind of different looking, are they not LOL??! That's the FUN of the BSBP!

Although Marie's style and mine are obviously quite different, I tried to put a bit of myself into the pieces I created from her lovely ephemera bits. One of the pieces went together quite easily, one of them I struggled with a bit, and one of them fought me to the finish!

Here is the first piece, the simplest, and the easiest. This is called Paris Spring:

I loved Marie's focal at first sight, and was able to pull out the subtle lilac in it with the rayon cording and mimic the cording with some simple seed-beaded loops (which slide), knots and a simple beaded dangle for the pendant. I wire-wrapped a closure for the necklace. This one hangs quite long, and I love it!

Here is the second one; this is also a necklace, called Dragonfly Summer:

Dragonfly Summer has linked beads and chain in the soft colors of the gorgeous dragonfly focal; many of them are the extra beads Marie-Noel sent me. The neat Vintaj closure between the upper and lower focals is the clasp Marie-Noel sent as well. The lower focal is an embellished, seed-beaded brass hoop. A large beaded bead provides the balance to the necklace, at the top left of the picture. (Thank you to Liz Reed of The Crimson Moon for the use of her beaded bead patterns here and in the bracelet.) This is the one that was recalcitrant, and I may yet change some things! :-)

Tell me what you think!

This next piece is a bracelet called Autumn in Paris:

The beautiful russet-toned focal was matched with a variety of gemstones(most of which are Marie-Noel's), another beaded bead and loop as a closure, and a pretty lampworked drop on the looped chain. It is simply strung with metal beads, the gemstone beads and chain.

This bracelet is my give-away for the BSBP! If you would like to win it, simply become a member of my blog...leave a comment telling me you have joined....and on March 10th I will make a random drawing from all who have done so. Be sure your email is linked so I can get in touch with you! I will be announcing the winner here, so stop back to see!

Thanks so much for visiting!! Have a wonderful time visiting all the other blogs...don't forget to sign up for the give-aways....here is the list!

Hostess, Lori Anderson

Special Book Sneak Peeks, Cindy Wimmer

1. Adlinah Kamsir (Singapore) and Hajer Waheed (Kingdom of Bahrain)

2. Adrienn Lukacs (Hungary) and Agata Grygiel (Poland)

3. Agi Kiss (Hungary) and Carolien Muller-Genger (the Netherlands)

4. Agnes Asztalos (Hungary) and B.R. Kuhlman

5. Alesha Conklin and Becki Mendivil

6. Alice Peterson and Carol Dillman

7. Alicia Marinache (Canada) and Dita Basu

8. Amanda Dittloff and Brandy Thomason McNair

9. Amanda Tibbetts and Andrea Trank

10. Amy Freeland and Kay Mallery