It's Tiiiiiiime!!

After a slight delay in the reveal date for our Bead Soup Blog Party this year, the date is finally here!

Here's a little reminder of what my partner Sarah at Pookledo sent me to work with:

Sarah's soup has arrived!

I absolutely fell in LOVE with the colour combination she sent me. Normally, I work with brights and cool colours in the bright spectrum, but the soft turquoise and soft pink that Sarah sent worked amazingly well with my *cough extensive cough* stash. I started pulling...and pulling...and pulling...

The first idea that came to me as I was dozing off one night was this....a collage necklace, not symmetrical, and including some of my beaded beads for a little piece of "me". 

Julie Powell definitely inspired my thinking there...in this piece, I used one of the turquoise focals, and several of the rose quartz beads. 

Here's my Julie-and-Sarah-inspired collage necklace:

I also created my first-ever hand-hammered clasp for this necklace:

Once that was off the design board, I decided it really needed a bracelet to go with, as I hadn't used the beautiful clasp Sarah sent me...it seemed a shame to waste it at the back of someone's neck, y'know? 

So this evolved...using the other turquoise focal, the turquoise beads, more of the rose quartz, and of course the beautiful clasp. 

And then, you know, I still had a bit of time (BEFORE the date changed), and I wanted to use some more of those sweet pink quartz roundelles, and the other cute little owl focal:

The chain is handmade chainmaille, with insertions of the quartz, and the lariat can also be worn as a triple-wrap bracelet. 

AND, I couldn't forget these, so I went very simple with a pair of earrings:

The chain supporting these little swingers is also handmade chainmaille. 

Sarah, thank you! I hope you had as much fun with your soup! I managed to use almost everything Sarah sent me~AND a few pieces I had been sent in prior soups as well. 

Please visit the rest of the participants in Bead Soup as well! It's such fun to make the rounds....you can find their links HERE at Lori's blog

I will apologize in advance, as I am working a 4-day stretch starting Friday May 9th right through Monday May 12th (doesn't it just figure!), so my visiting will be delayed by a few days. 

Ooops! It's been a while!

Oh my, I just looked at the date of my last blog and realized how long it's been! Oops. After almost a month off work due to illness, I went back to work shortly after the prior blog, and it's been kicking my butt. 

I had several time-sensitive projects on the go during this same period. I'll do a little catch-up...

Here are the first two blocks I did my part for, in the Under the Sea CQI block exchange:

1. Chris from Australia's block: I added all the work you see on the block at this particular point. 

2. Donna from Montana's block: I added the jellyfish, featherstitch bush, critters in the sand, the anemone border behind the jellyfish, and the button border to the left. 

I have now sent these two blocks along to their next stitcher, and am awaiting the third one for me to work on. There are four in total. 

During this same period, I completed 12 chainmaille bracelets as giveaways for Dancing Like the Stars, which is a major fundraiser for the foundation I volunteer for. I'm delighted to say that we raised the most money this year, in the history of the program! You can read all about it and see some of the pictures: HERE:

And now....it's almost Bead Soup Blog Party time! My pieces are all ready for publication. I had a lot of fun with the soup my partner, Sarah from Pookledo sent me...loved the colour combination!...and created four pieces, using almost all the beads she sent me and adding a multitude of things from my own stash. 

We've just had an announcement today to say that Bead Soup Blog Party reveal has been set back a week, while our fearless leader Lori Anderson recovers from a bout of illness. So...I hope you'll stop back on May 10th to see the reveal!

Here's a little teaser:

Bead Soup is Here!

Yaay! My Bead Soup arrived yesterday from my partner Sarah of Pookledo. She did such a great job! 

Here we go...nothing better than getting a piece of Royal Mail! It makes you feel so...special, somehow!

Sarah's pretty little card so brightened my dreary, wintry day!

My soup! LOVE the colours! LOVE the beautiful, feminine clasp...and what are those fun little goodies? Moustaches? Fairy wings??

Soup unpacked....lovely, soft feminine colours, so different for me...a whole strand of lovely rose quartz, a little baggie of mixed seed beads and sequins in a brighter shade of rose, a stunning silver box clasp, turquoise accent beads, and a pair of gorgeous turquoise stunners. Awesome!

 AND....Sarah's and my laugh...prior to receiving a partner, I ordered a set of focal and beads from a shop I love and use frequently (see last post). I knew they would be perfect for my partner, whoever she may be....HAHA!! Sarah lives, literally, a few miles away from this artist....and packed up a focal for ME from the same artist, this cutie little owl. 

I love him! Great minds definitely think alike. 

Sarah has also received her goodies, and here is what I sent her:

Focal and coordinating beads from Grubbi, coppery agate beads to pick up some of the colour in the focal heart, copper, enamel and beaded beads handmade by me, with a copper clasp.  

I already have added a MOUNTAIN of things from my own stash to Sarah's soup, and I have an idea I'm excited about....see you in May for the reveal!! 

Sharing a Giveaway!

Just sharing a nice little giveaway from a wonderful vendor I've used several times..her pieces are gorgeous...I am CRAVING some of these new disk beads...

and one at least of these fabulous new connector roses:

Be sure to go see her shop and join the contest for a gift certificate! 

Her blog to enter is here! 

Latest Project...and a new site of interest to crafters.

Well, this being housebound thing does have some advantages...I've finished up, started, and finished up again several pieces for the Gala this Fall. Here's my latest...this is Crystal Elf weave, from a video by Colin Mahler on Beaducation. I can HIGHLY recommend the video; Colin is thorough, detailed and has the perfect speaking voice for video instruction. 

Hers is done in sterling; on my budget, mine is done in 18g 7/32 bright aluminum (known as BA in chainmaille circles). 

Aluminum is long-wearing, tarnish free and hypoallergenic, so I use it in most of my jewelry. 

A week or so ago, I also discovered through a link on Facebook, a new-to-me photo editing app which might be of interest to some of you jewelry folks. I've used it a couple of times with great results. It is free, but you can donate to the site, and in the process, a favourite charity, to help support it: FotoFuze

Fotofuze will remove the background of your photo, for something you wish to have highlighted. Here's the first photo above, run through Fotofuze:

It's awesome for photos of jewelry!

Hope everyone is having a good week! 

I go to discuss with my employer, likely on Friday, my return to work...that should be interesting!

...AND, we're off!

Bead Soup Blog Party #8 is underway!

I am thrilled to be partnered with Sarah Goode of Pookledo. Sarah is in the UK, and I'm delighted to have a partner from the UK, as shipping there from Canada is almost easier than shipping into the US (which certainly is closer!). 
Here's Sarah's blog as well: Pookledo LOVE that name, by the way!

Sarah tells me that she enjoys working with recycled items and gems to make her pretty, colourful jewelry. We share a love of colour and "funky stuff" which will make us very good partners I suspect. 
I had to laugh, as Sarah lives quite close to an artist whose Etsy shop I mined for the "seed" of my Bead Soup...so my "seeds" are returning home to the UK! 

I spent today tweaking my soup for Sarah and gathering up a few little Canadian things for her, and a couple of "funkies" I hope she'll have fun with, that are not really a part of the official soup. 

Here's your teaser, Sarah!

Hope you enjoy your soup! I will get it in the mail ASAP. 

Just a quick one....

...to draw to anyone's attention that might be reading, this post from Mikki Ferrugiaro:

Bead Mavens needed

I consider this to be just an amazing opportunity for anyone who is a beadweaver, to take her up on some mentoring, and have an opportunity to get your tutorials out there to the world. It shouldn't take tons of time and there is a large audience involved. I know...I'm one of them!

Go for it!!