Using my Beads: August 2012

Yes, I know it's supposed to be Bead Table Wednesday

but it's my bead table....I can name it what I want!

I'm still having a great time trying to get to everyone's blog for Bead Soup Blog Party 6 but just yesterday I heard that the reveal for Beading Babes Project #6, my next project, is Sept 2nd, not the Sept 11th I thought it was for some unknown reason!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEKkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!

So today I am working on my first project.....while it rains outside.

Of course, I am redoing the coloration somewhat to have it relate to the National Inclusion Project logo, which is flower-like. I think it will look quite good.

Haven't quite decided yet which aqua to use...I'm leaning toward the lighter one, but will see how it looks on the gold-toned base before making a decision. The darker teal may hold it's own better against the lime.

Those gold beads are size 13 charlottes...the pattern calls for 15 charlottes, but I was unable to find them anywhere...and my lord those 13's are tiny!

I can't imagine it in 15's.

It looks to me as though this is going to make an exceedingly delicate band...like, for a child. Delicate would most definitely NOT describe me in any way.

Hard to tell yet, but I think I may do the next one in 11's and of course increase the size of the czech firepolish, and probably reduce the number of flowerettes on the band. We shall see :-)

Wish me luck! I'll be hoppin' indeed!

*Shhhhhh!! I'm going to post a little early! Don't tell on me! I have to be up at the crack of dawn to go to work, and I just can't wait any longer. Have fun hopping!*

Thanks so much for joining me at my little piece of this HUGE party!

For those who just happen to be stopping by...Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party is now in it's sixth iteration! The premise is....Lori pairs each of us up with a partner; then the partners exchange a "bead soup" which consists of a focal, a special clasp and some coordinating pieces. The participants are required to construct a special piece, using at a minimum, the supplied focal and toggle; but the pieces can and do consist of many additional items from the beader's stash. On our designated reveal date...there are three this year, and this is Reveal #2....we display the piece we have created from our soup, and have a blast visiting the reveals of all the other participants as well. The idea is that we are challenged to create something special from colors/items/techniques that we don't normally use; and are introduced to a beady friend that we may not normally have met.

This is my second BSBP....I participated as well earlier this year, and I enjoyed it so much I knew I couldn't miss doing it again.

My partner this time is Amy Schmidt of Amy's Treasure. I am so thrilled this year to be able to do the exchange with a fellow bead-weaver! Amy just lives down the road from me in Kitchener, ON...and I am hoping that at some point we'll be able to meet! Amy does the most beautiful work...and I can't wait to see what she has done with the soup I sent her; here's a quick reminder of what I sent Amy....

....and what she sent me....

LOL...looking at them side by side like that, I realize they would have made a quite beautiful combination if we'd mixed the two!

And now....my big reveal!

Normally, I work with the cool side of the spectrum; but as I said to Amy, I really never met a color I didn't like...and that stunner of a focal she sent me was absolutely inspirational! I wanted to do something relatively simple, that would set off the spectacular color of the focal bead. It is quite large...about 3" long...and I wanted to make sure it hung just at the right level when being worn.

So....I played and I thought...and I realized that it made me think of the beautiful sunsets I see here across our lake country:

I visualized a really simple, full, beaded necklace with a color gradation that mimiced the color flow of the pendant...and I hope that is what I have achieved. I pulled eight different shades from my extensive collection of seed beads, and I strung and I strung and I strung.........

I wanted to capture the necklace at the bottom centre with a bail made of wire, strung with some of the smaller beads Amy sent me as well...but sadly, I was not satisfied with what my wire-wrapping skills were able to produce, so I have ended up going with an easy-to-wear peyote bail in the color of the central sunset shade. I think it works better.

I've also beaded cones for the end of the necklace, sticking to the gradation theme, in brick stitch; I enjoyed doing these, and will probably make some of these again for another project. The necklace is finished simply with some more of Amy's lovely red beads, and the pretty little silver closure she sent.