8th Bead Soup Blog Party!!!

  It's been a rough time for me but I have had a lovely time working with my bead soup from the lovely Lesley Lane. The reds and golds work so well together, all I really added were sparkly glass rondelles and lots of wire!

I do love working with wire!

If you'll remember, here is what my partner sent me to play with.

And here is how the soup has developed...

The first piece I made was this gorgeous suncatcher for my car using red wire, one of the Czech glass flowers, a bronze charm I just had to include and lots of sparkling AB coated glass rondelles which really do reflect the light spectacularly.

Continuing with the addition of red wire here's one of my statement necklaces using a mix of all the different beads from my soup.

The Indian glass and palm wood beads had large holes so I was able to string them onto ribbons and have plaited to form this bracelet. It will be finished with copper wire cones and a hammered copper clasp.

 The cute little birdie focal now has a blossom branch to sit on. I love how these little Czech beads have come together, they compliment each other so well. I'm debating whether to make this into a necklace or brooch, any thoughts?

 A simple pair of earrings with the addition of red wire again and some AB coated glass rondelles.

 Unfortunately I haven't been able to getting around to using the second focal piece and the clasp, however there is still plenty left over and another pair of earrings and bracelet still to finish. I've already started making links with the beads to make a large necklace where the clasp will be a feature as well as functional.

Hope you like what I've done with the soup Lesley, and can't wait to see what you've made with yours.

xxx

If you'd like to visit others in the hop please use the link below to find a list of other members joining in other at Lori's blog.

http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com//2014/04/welcome-to-8th-bead-soup-blog-party.html

Happy Mother's Day!

Mothering Sunday started with a rush... not only had the clocks gone forward and so losing me an hour's sleep, but as I attended a silver clay course on the Saturday evening, I had to pick up my little monster from my parents before heading to his karate grading.

Having been asked to make a tiara to show off some prom dresses, here is the first in my series.
Using freshwater pearls, mother of pearl hearts, AB coated glass rondelles and a fair bit of wire. I completed this whilst my little Joey was at his karate grading for his first full belt.

My monster completed his grading with a big smile on his face and his new karate license too.

We then went out for dinner at an all you can eat chinese and tried several different dishes which was heaven! Joey even spotted a little doggy at our table too! Amazing shadows from the tablecloth!

I also received a lovely bunch of tulips, a box of celebrations and some Lady Gaga perfume too, one lucky mummy!

Quick makes...

To get the creative juices flowing, I like to set myself quick makes, so here are a couple of quick makes to get me going:

 Yellow Agate and Copper wire pendant.

 Blue Agate and silver plated copper wire.

Hope you like them. These will be added to my store soon.

Because I love Bead Soup so much!!!

I just had to make a second one!
A friend of mine whom joined a mini bead soup with me last year on Facebook, has agreed to do an individual exchange with me, so; inspired by the bright yellows of the soup I put together for Lesley, here is a second soup I put together.

This time using random yellow gemstones from my randoms box, don't they look lush all together! I also added some yellow cultured pearls, tigers eye drums, Red Carnelian Cubes, red ab coated glass rondelles, a large piece of lightly dyed Agate/Quartz(not sure what it is but an interesting shape) from my random box, a handmade 'Hope' wire focal and a hammered handmade clasp.

Can't wait to see what she makes with it all.

Bead Soup explained...

I have 'borrowed' one of Lesley's beautiful photographs of her bead soup so I can explain each set of beads a little better, my phone camera has nothing on this:

BSBP Beads reveal...

Now my partner has received her beads I can share with you our soups.

My soup to Lesley Lane:

Incase you can't read the text here is a list of what I sent:

Blue Quartz Heart, Orange Agate & Drusy, Handmade wire 'hi', Giant Hook clasp, Crackled Quartz puffy coins, Yellow Agate & Drusy rounds 8mm, Blue Jade rounds 6mm, Blue Quartz faceted rondelles, Yellow cultured Pearls, Sparkly goldenrod glass rondelles, Silver bead caps.

Hope you like them Lesley!








Here is what I received from Lesley. She was kind enough to label it all up for me (below).

Lesley may not know this but RED is my favourite colour, so I love it!!!

Lots of gorgeous Czech glass, both metallic in finish, faceted and little mixes, all different styles,
Indian glass,
Two large beads at the bottom, we think are bone,
Mother of pearl chips,
A lovely copper leaf clasp,
Red Agate nuggets,
Candy Jade faceted rounds,
Palm wood rounds,
Gorgeous focal by PERUZI,
and the cutest little red bird.

Will soon be Mother's Day...

As it is only around the corner, I've added some new pieces to my display at Braintree this weekend. Hope you like them.

Bead Soup Blog Party!!!

This year's Bead soup party is bigger than ever! Soups are arriving in the mail and the photos in the Facebook group are delicious! Both my partner Lesley and I have Etsy stores so we made contact there to get an idea of materials we usually work with. She works with gemstones and glass like myself yet we both have different takes on things. I myself using a lot of wire and Lesley using cord to make beautiful pieces such as this Fluorite wrap bracelet/necklace:

Please check Lesley's Etsy shop for more pretty things! (just click the picture)

Here is a sneaky peak of the soup I sent to Lesley:

And the sneaky pic Lesley posted for me:

Don't forget to visit Lesley's blog also to see what else she gets up to.

Can't wait to post the reveal pics!!!

Sales :)

One week at Braintree and 2 sales in the bag :)

One was this pretty little bangle with Millefori rounds and square silver plated wire.








The second was my rose quartz gemstone tree.

Now I just need some more sales :) So pleased they have found new homes.

Bead soup blog party

I got my confirmation last night, did you?

I'm super excited, being my second year participating. Not sure what to send in the mail as yet though despite having a massive range of beads and findings to hand.

Can't wait to receive the address of who I'm sending to.

Watch this space for more pretties...

A beautiful custom order

I was asked last week to make a tree of life pendant with birthstones of amethyst, pearl, ruby, peridot and diamond. As I can't sort diamond beads I have substituted with diamantes after checking with the buyer.

The pictures really don't do it justice as it sparkles so much from them. I included one large at the top where I created the bail and attached a piece of sparkling cup chain at the base of the roots. I just need to box it, wrap it and include a card explaining all the stones and their birth months :)

Bejeweled bug

A lovely lady purchased one of my paint palette brooches and commissioned a beetle bug for her son's girlfriend who is studying parisitology in America. This is what I came up with using a large glass pendant for the body and surrounding it with heamatite, red pearls and dyed coral. This time adding both a brooch pin and a bail at the back so the choice is there for either.

I hope it is well received, I have already received some lovely comments on it which is reassuring.

Gemstone palette

After seeing a post on facebook of a lovely wireworked paint palette made with found sea glass by a lady named Petra LeBlanc, I had to try my hand at one, or two... Here is what I came up with...

Bead Table

My Dining Table also known as my Beading table looked like this, this morning after a bit of beading last night.

Playing with a strand of Rose Quartz nuggets and black glass rondelles. I think the black works well to contrast the pink and create a more edgy look. If I had used clear/pearl glass then it might've turned out more bridal...

I was also asked yesterday to wire wrap the trilobite in the centre of the picture by a colleague in a similar style to my Ammonite, so yay me!

Beading Away

Last week I was on a mini 4-day cruise to Le Havre and ZeeBrugge. Had a lovely time and even took my jewellery along with me to have a play.

I completed wire-wrapping this lovely piece of Labradorite with a striking striped blue schiller, as well as finishing off a piece of viking knit I was working on - trying to draw it as small as possible, whilst listening to a talk about Daimonds. I even learned that the rarest colour of Diamonds is Orange and in order to acquire Blue Diamonds, there must be Boron present when it is formed.

 

I also created a Flourite tree of life pendant and matching earrings which my Grandmother has asked to purchase from me. (below)

Finally!

It's taken a month but I've finally finished my biggest jewellery piece yet.

Pink Agate slabs and silver plated copper wire strung on brown organza and pink satin ribbon. Also now listed on my Etsy store.

I was inspired by Abby Hook, an amazing wire work artist, after reading her masterclass book. I started with wire-wrapping an ammonite and then a blue Agate slab (below) before attempting this biggy. I wear the Ammonite pretty much every day.

Bead Soup Reveal #2

Here it is Bead Soup reveal #2.

I've been hard at work and completed the following pieces using the bead soup sent to me by partner Niky Sayers with additional beads from my stash.

After the sneaky peak I posted on my first reveal here is the completed necklace. Using the focal heart pendant, Mother of Pearl buttons, black Swarovski bicones and the navy Goldstone I added some crackled Quartz bicones and a lot of wire.

Using only the Haematite, wire and chain here is a sophisticated yet modern necklace and earrings to match using small Haematite from my stash.

Also another pair of earrings using the left over navy Goldstone with added Pink Quartz rounds, and a pink macrame bracelet using the second focal piece of six glass donut beads originally strung on a piece of copper. I added the silver stardust beads to add some sparkle.

I even have some beads left over and can't wait to see what I come up with.

Another Etsy sale!!!

My 3rd Etsy sale is on it's way to the USA, Florida! It's been glazed and ready for shipping!



I do love this piece! I hope the recipient likes it as much as I do!