Giveaways to die for!

RUN!!...don't walk....to Lori Anderson's Bead and Button Giveaway post. She has a choice of five different give-aways you can dibs in for...and what fun they are!

Me? I'm just sitting here sweating (TMI, I know...) and trying to decide....bits and bobs?...ebook?...hard copy of the Bead Soup book?....or....

Yes, Dorothy, it is 92 degrees in the house....no, I CAN'T afford $3000 for A/C...no, I can't use those portable units; our windows crank outward and there's no way, therefore to block them up....yes, I AM whiny. There....think I've got it all covered! Never thought I'd be praying for a cold day...just one...please!!

My Bead Soup is here!

You know, I love exchanging soups with someone from far, far away cuz you receive goodies you've never seen before....but this time round, I am LOVING having the soup I sent be there already, so no more "is it going to arrive" worries...and I have my soup in plenty of time to actually put some good thought into inspiration!

I LOVE my bead soup from Amy!

Just LOOK at the colors in that MOP focal!...gorgeous!! And the seed beads and accents are perfectly color matched to the focal. 

The focal is large....about 4 inches long...and as my normal realm is seed beads, that will be my challenge for this Bead Soup; but I have an idea already that I think MIGHT just be spectacular if I can do it justice. 

I'm off to try!

Bead Soup is home!

Amy just let me know she has received her Bead Soup! That arrived so quickly! SO unlike Canada Post LOL!!

Here is what I sent her:

I can't wait to see what she does with it!

Be sure and join us August 11th for the reveal.....

As soon as my soup from Amy arrives here, I will let you know! Excited!!

....and, last for today!

Just a quick one....

I recently found a new supplier of lovely gemstones; I am not in the normal way, a big gemstone user. But some of his/her things inspired me to do some pieces with the gemstones and my beaded beads.

Here is the most recent:

This is autumn agate, with simple beaded beads in the colors of the agate piece that would have been in that location in the sequence, separated by copper spacers. 

Thanks to Liz Reed of The Crimson Moon for the use of her beaded bead patterns. 

The matching earrings are hand-forged copper, with agate, beaded beads and copper spacers. 

All funds from the sale of this set will be donated to the National Inclusion Project; $70. 

Please contact me if you are interested. 

Recent news

Thought I would also post a picture of my most recent goodies as well today.....I also participated in the "2012 Spring Pantone" swap that Lori Anderson (yes, she's a busy lady!) curated on Facebook. The idea was to exchange, with a partner, a package of beading goodies which represented a selection from the Spring 2012 Pantone colors.

My partner Silvia Sernicola and I decided to select Tangerine Tango...Cabaret....Solar Power...and Driftwood as our combination. 

Silvia is a children's fashion designer from Italy, and her work is such fun! 

Here is what I received from Silvia:

What a fun package!! There was officially no requirement to create and show a piece from this swap, but Silvia and I have made an agreement that we will show what we do...and I already have what I think will be a really cool idea to use these wonderful colors, which make me smile just to look at them. 

BUT...there was something else in Silvia's package to me:

It's ME!!!! Taken from a picture on my Facebook, from a Gala event I attended in 2010: (that's me on the left....)

Now, HOW totally cool is that!! I have to find something really, really special to do with this little girl.....

Suggestions??? 

Sadly, my package to Silvia has not yet arrived on her doorstep...so I can't show you what I sent her. But I will!

It's happening again!!

Seriously....did you hear that rumbling??!! 

Nope....wasn't that!! 

Not that either.....

Oh no!! It's bigger than THAT! 

It's the BIGGEST EVER.....Bead Soup Blog Party ! 399 participants! And one of them is ME!!...whee!

This time I am particularly excited because Lori Anderson was kind enough to match me up with Amy Schmidt , who is an amazing bead-weaver (my first love)...AND who lives just down the road from me in Kitchener, ON. 

I am going to have so much fun rooting through my beads to get a package together for Amy! 

Look for Amy's and my reveal on August 11th....with previews here prior to that time...and reveals from others on July 28th and August 25th as well. 

It's a Bead Soup Blog Party-palooza! 

Check Lori's blog Pretty Things for details of prior year parties and here for my reveal earlier this year.

Hors d'oeuvres

Today, it's a bit of this and a bite of that...just catching up on some of what I've been doing over the last two weeks:

Beaded Bead contest:

I've done a few more of the Beaded Beads necessary for Beadwork magazine's 15th Anniversary contest. Here is my collection so far:

The numbers refer to the sequence of the beads in the magazine, not the order in which I beaded them. So far, I'm particularly fond of the two "ones" in the foreground, and the "two" to the middle right. I plan on doing an additional "three" for sure, and probably some more "ones". I want to have enough to have options for my design when that moment comes. So far...no particular design inspiration!

Swaps:

A month or two ago, I also joined Artcharms, which is a Yahoo group. This is a very active group run by the authors of this fun book. I have participated so far in 4 swaps; here is what I sent for the Frida Kahlo swap:

These were to consist of images/colors around Frida, her work, and Mexico. I sent shrinkie images, and hand-painted wooden beads. 

For the blue/brown color swap I sent these, in multiple colors and variations:

Here's my goodies for the pendant swap:

....and the "Going Postal" swap; these are Canadian stamps, covered with resin, on a Canadian nickel base:

I also participated in Lori Anderson's Pantone Colors Spring 2012 swap; I had the pleasure this time of sending goodies to Silvia Sernicola in Italy. While I won't post the picture of what I sent, so as to spoil the surprise for her, I had a great deal of fun picking out goodies in our chosen color scheme:

Can't wait to receive my goodies back from all this activity, and I will be sure to show you what I receive. 

ETA: a link to Silvia's post, where she has the most wonderful picture of the color combinatin in use: Pipa the Latest Take a trip over, you'll love her blog. 

Toronto Bead Show

This last Saturday, I attended the Toronto Bead Society's Spring Bead Show. This takes place Spring and Fall, and although the Spring show is a somewhat smaller one, both shows are always the best in the region IMO. The place was jammed! Here are a few peeks of what I came home with:

The whole stash:

Wonderful enamelled beads from Klee Creations (sorry, could not find an online presence). Cynthia Riggs I blame this on you! :-)

Look at those fab faceted agate beads to the left as well....yumm. 

I had SUCH a hard time deciding which one of these little color packets to take home! I wanted every.single.one of them! These ones will make a necklace for me to wear to the Gala in October, with my fuschia jacket. Fun!!

These two delicious lampwork beads are from Laurie Wright at Designer Beads. I am SUCH a sucker for anything...anything at all...with spirals. Love the colors too!

....and there are some more of those yummy faceted agates. 

 ....and then, the piece de resistance IMO....a strand of wonderful!! fire agate rondelles in the most incredible orange, peach, and hot tones. I'm not always an orange kind of a girl (I certainly couldn't wear this color), but the Pantone people this year are wearing me down. :-) I'll likely mix it up with some fuschia and yellow in beaded beads.
The other strand is a huge splurge....garnets in tumbled nuggets. It's tough to see in the photo, I know, but again they are the most wonderful plums, pinks and cranberries EVER.

As you can see, I've had fun over the last two weeks! Hope it's been good for all of you too.....:-)