It's BSBP Reveal Day!

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 

11.  Andra Weber and Christine Murrow

12.  Ann Sherwood and Diane Welte

13.  Barbara Bechtel and Kerry Bogert

14.  Barbara Lewis and Cat Pruitt

15.  Bonnie Coursolle (Canada) and Fay Wolfenden (Canada)

16.  Carmel McGinley (Australia) and Tracy Stillman (Australia)

17.  Cassie Donlen and Deryn Mentock

18.  Cathie Carroll and Janel Dudley

19.  Cece Cormier and Morwyn Mullins

20.  Charlene Jacka and Christina Hickman

21.  Cheryl Brown (Canada) and Diana Ptaszynski

22.  Christina Stofmeel (the Netherlands) and Eva Kovacs (Hungary)

23.  Christine Damm and Deb Brooks

24.  Cilla Watkins (Canada) and Elaine Robitaille (Canada)

25.  Sabrina Straub (Switzerland) and Kathy Combs

26.  Cindy Cima Edwards and Eleanor Burian-Mohr

27.  Cory Celaya and Rhea Freitieg

28.  Courtney Breul and Dana Hickey

29.  Cynthia Abner and Jennifer Boreck

30.  Cynthia Tucker and Jean Peter

31.  Debbie Goering and Heidi Post

32.  Dee Elgie (UK) and Joanne Lockwood (UK)

33.  Dian Hierschel (Germany) and Eniko Fabian (Austria)

34.  Diane Cook and Lyn Foley

35.  Donna Bohler and Lisa Lodge

36.  Donna Millard and Kiersten Giles

37.  Doris Stumpf (Germany) and Eszter Czibulyas (Hungary)

38.  Elisabeth Auld and Eva Sherman

39.  Elke Leonhardt-Rath (Germany) and Marjolein Trewavas (UK)

40.  Ema Kilroy and Laurie Keefe-Cecere

41.  Erika Nooteboom (the Netherlands) and Giorgia Rossini (Italy)

42.  Erin Grant and Jean Wells

43.  Evelyn Duberry (Canada) and Gaea Cannaday

44.  Genea Crivello-Knable and Heather Powers

45.  Ginger Bishop (military, Okinawa) and Martina Nagele (Germany)

46.  Heidi Kingman and Lori Greenberg

47.  Helen Kemp and Lisa Wangeman

48.  Helene Goldberg (Australia) and Karen Vincent

49.  Jamie Hogsett and Jeannie Dukic

50.  Jeanette Ryan and Jelveh Jaferian

51.  Jennifer Cameron and Tania Spivey

52.  Jennifer Justman and Kari Carrigan

53.  Jennifer Tough and Lorelei Eurto

54.  Joanna Matuszczyk (Poland) and Julianna Kis (Hungary)

55.  Joanne Tinley (UK) and Michaela Pabeschitz (Austria)

56.  Julie Anne Leggett and Kelley Fogle

57.  Karen Hess and Linda Landig

58.  Karyn Bonfiglio and Kathleen Lange Klik

59.  Kashmira Patel and Kat White

60.  Kat Barron Miller and Kelly Morgan

61.  Kathy Lindemer and Rose Binoya

62.  Krafty Max and Sandra Miller

63.  Kristen Latimer and Pam Ferrari

64.  Kristie Roeder and Lea Avroch

65.  Kristina Johansson (Sweden) and Penny Neville (Canada)

66.  Krisztina Erlaki-Toth (Hungary) and Nicole Keller (Germany)

67.  Lara Lutrick and Lisa Suver

68.  Laura DeMoya and Lisa Hanna

69.  Libby Leuchtman and Melanie Brooks

70.  Linda Koch and Rosemarie Cowit

71.  Lisa Chapman and Menka Gupta

 72.  Lisa Liddy and Marion Simmons

73.  Lori Anderson and Marcie Abney

74.  Lori Bowring-Michaud and Mary Govaars

75.  Lori Dorrington and Maria Rosa Sharrow

76.  Lori Finney (Canada) you are here and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp (Canada)

77.  Lynn Bennett and Mandi Ainsworth

78.  Marta Kaczerowska (Poland) and Milla Starchik (Canada)

79.  Mary Harding and Shannon LeVart

80.  Mary Jane Dodd and Stacey Curry

81.  Melinda Orr and Molly Alexander

82.  Melissa Meman and Michelle Escano-Caballaro

83.  Michelle Jensen and Sandra Young (Canada)

84.  Nan Emmett and Nicole Valentine-Rimmer (Canada)

85.  Nancy Boylan and Suzette Bentley

86.  Natasha Lutes and Patti Vanderbloemen

87.  Pam Hurst and Rebekah Payne

88.  Patty Miller and Sara Rhoades

89.  Rebecca Anderson (UK) and Lori Anderson

90.  Rebecca Sirevaag and Sharon Driscoll

91.  Rochelle Brisson and Shannon Chomanczuk

92.  Rosa Maria Cuevas (Mexico) and Tejae Floyde

93.  Sabine Dittrich (Germany) and Sally Russick

94.  Sandi Volpe and Sarah/Saturday Sequins

95.  Shanti Johnson and Tracy Mok (Canada)

96.  Skylar Brez and Theresa Buchle

97.  Sonya Stille and Traci Zeller (Canada)

98.  Stefanie Teufel (Germany) and Tania Hagen (New Zealand)

99.  Stephanie LaRosa and Vonna Maslanka

100.  Terri Wlaschin and Wendy Blum