Bead Soup Blog Party #8 - It is Reveal Day!

One week later than originally scheduled ... it is finally Reveal Day!

I have had my pieces finished for awhile. I have even worn them to work and a family gathering. I am pleased with my designs, but might tweak them for weariblity.

Here is what I was sent by my wonderful partner and fellow Canadian Deborah Read.

Wire, cubes and crystals

Two colour palettes

Blue, teal and copper

Ocher, cream, copper and silver

I used the cubes, teal lampwork beads, copper cresent, mixed metal beads, copper rings and toggle. I added copper seed beads, wavy discs, end cones, toggle and Conso thread.

I wanted to see if I could continue my recent fascination with Kumihimo using the cube beads. I knew that I would need to test the workablity of the cubes. I did a quick test using the cubes and size 8 seed beads.

Test of kumihimo with cubes

This worked well, but it needed a large seed bead. I was able to find some amazing copper metal seed beads in size 6.

Detail of kumihimo braiding

With two lengths of braiding done with cubes and copper beads I connected them together with the etched copper crescent (from the soup), copper seed beads, wavy discs and some of the teal lampwork beads (also from the soup).

Detail of focal arrangement

I used a basic copper toggle to finish this necklace. I have worn it a few times. I like the drape of the focal but it might look better if it was perfectly straight. Will have to look for a harden piece of copper to use.

Overall finished necklace

I decided to use the uncoloured etched toggle that was included in the soup along with most of the remaining teal lampwork and an assortment of the various metal beads included to make a co-ordinating bracelet.

Bracelet

That was everything that I had finished in time for the original reveal day of May 3. With the postponement I was able to do this one other design.

I use a few of the ocher and frosted white lampwork beads with this new earring findings I was sent from John Bead. These findings are interchangeable. You can change out the beads. For now they have the lampwork and a couple of crystals each.

Interchangeable Earrings

Thanks once again to my partner Deborah Read for the amazing soup. I know that I will make other projects with the soup leftovers.

Thanks also to our amazing host, Lori Anderson. I know that being part of this creative adventure helps me to work outside of my usual comfort zone. It is fun, creative and amazing.

I have been lucky to participate twice before. The first time Jelveh Jaferian was my partner and here is what I created and what she created.

6th Bead Soup Blog Party Creations

The second time my partner was, fellow Canadian, Cheryl Brown and here is what I created and what she created.

7th Bead Soup Blog Party Creations

Take some time to look at some of the amazing designs create by my fellow 8th Bead Soup Blog Party participants.

Thanks to all who stop by and Happy Beading!

Bead Soup Blog Party #8 - testing a design idea

Last night I decided to start working on ideas for my Bead Soup project. I wanted to see how kumihimo would look with the cube beads that Deborah sent me.

I used some blue conso thread, bronze lined aqua beads (8's) and the cubes. I attached the thread to my small scissors using a half hitch. A small segment of braiding with just the thread helps to secure the braid.

Braiding with the cubes is difficult to start but once I had it going it was easier.

This sample use 15 cubes on each of four threads and 15 seed beads on each of the remaining four threads.

I ended by braiding again with just the thread and an overhand knot.

Going forward with my design I think that I will try using larger seed beads and do a section of braiding with just the seed beads before braiding with the cubes.

More design testing to come.

Happy Beading!

Bead Soup Blog Party #8 - Soup Arrival

After a wonderful afternoon at the Royal Ontario Museum, seeing the members' preview of the new exhibit "The Forbidden City : Inside to Court of China's Emperors" I found a small white box in my mail box.

As I was coming up to my apartment in the elevator I noticed that it rattled. I was very excited to see what was inside! It was my bead soup from Deborah Read.

Once opened, I removed the packing material I saw two containers, two zip bags and a spool of wire.

Inside the box

Blue cubes, bicones and spool of wire

Two zip bags of treasures

Teal lampwork beads, etched copper toggle and cresent and two spools of thread

Assorted lampwork and metal beads, crimps, copper jump rings, etched toggle and bracelet bar

It is going to be an interesting spring as I work with this wonderful soup to create something for reveal day May 3, 2014.

Here is what I send to Deborah. She recieved it in the mail yesterday. Here is her blog post about its arrival.

Happy Beading!

Bead Soup Blog Party #8 Partner

Late last night our wonderful hostess, Lori Anderson posted the international partners. It was great to see all of the amazing list of international participates.

I scrolled down the list to see who I was  partnered with. It was great to see that my partner was a name that I knew - Deborah Read.

I have followed Deborah's blog for a while. Her recent work with copper and brass is interesting.

I had three different soups in progress, one of which included some of Deborah's glass discs (so she was not going to get that one).

I have tweaked one of the soups and it is now ready to send to Deborah.

Will be stopping by the post office on my way to work tomorrow.

Bead Soup Blog Party #8

 

Today is the only day to sign up for the 8th Bead Soup Blog Party. I signed up just after midnight this morning. It will be my third time to participate in this amazing creative challenge.

My creations from my first Bead Soup Blog Party

My creations from my second Bead Soup Blog Party

So if you have a blog, want to share some beads and be challenged creatively head over and sign up before midnight EST Feb 9, 2014.

Bead Soup Blog Party 7 - Second Reveal

It is April 13 and the postponed second reveal day for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party.

Here is what I received from my partner, Cheryl Brown.

Bead Soup from Cheryl

The combination of the copper, cream, blues and purples are beautiful.

I wanted to do more that just string the components into a necklace. I had just purchased  Mastering Peyote Stitch by Melinda Barta. 

I really liked the leaves on the cover piece. I played with some different copper and bronze coloured beads before decided on the final combination. It is edged with some purple charlottes and centres of ivory.

Once the leaves were made it was a challenge to figure out how to work them into the necklace. Using knottable beadwire I secured the lowest leaf in the centre of the length of wire. I strung a few copper daisy spacers over both ends of the wire. I secured the next leaf on one of the wires, brought them together again and added a few more daisy spacers. The third leaf was secured to the other wire and the ends were brought together again. A few more daisy spacers completed the branch that would hang below the owl.

In progress, forming the branch below the owl

I then finished the necklace with small round pearls, large copper daisy spacers and lampwork beads from Cheryl, to which I add fire polished beads, paper beads and more small copper daisy spacers.

Once I had everything strung I had the challenge of what to use for a closure. The one that Cheryl sent was not going to work for me, it was much to big for the necklace. I did not have any smaller copper clasps in my stash. Wanting to have it finish so I could wear it, I took apart an older piece that needed to be reworked anyways.

Completed necklace

Detail of focal

With the necklace finished I had to now make something that used the amazing toggle that Cheryl sent. It is perfect to be the centre piece of a bracelet. I used some of the flat disc shaped lampwork beads, to which I added more paper beads, Swarovski crystals, copper wavy discs (similar to the silver ones I sent Cheryl), fire polished beads and some of the purple charlottes used on the leaves.

Completed bracelet

The last thing that I wanted to do was to figure out what to do with the lampwork headpins. I have never used headpins like this before.

Lampwork headpins

As I browsed thru my various drawers of stash I came across these very large white lucite trillums. I placed one of the headpins thru the centre of the trillum and relized that it would make an amazing ring. I then had to find my ring mandel in the chaos of my work area. Once I found it, it was just a matter of wrapping around the mandel to form the correct size ring and the securing the end of the headpin at the base of the flower.

Lampwork studded trillum rings

Ring on my hand

I have enjoyed wearing the necklace and bracelet since I finished them last month. The rings may have to wait for a special event to make their debut.

Collage of soup and finished pieces

Thanks go out to our amazing host Lori Anderson and my partner Cheryl Brown.

Now take sometime to hop around to the other amazing beaders and see what they have made. Here is the link to the complete list. I know that will be hopping around over the course of the weekend.

Happy Beading!!

Bead Soup Blog Party 7 - 2nd reveal tease

It is April 6 and original today would be reveal day for my creations using the bead soup from my partner Cheryl Brown. But our fearless leader and hostess, Lori Anderson,  has not been well and asked that we postpone for one week our reveal.

So, of course we will be back again next week with the full reveal of my creations. But just to give you a little taste here is a pixelated photo of one of my pieces.

Please come back again April 13 for the full reveal .

Bead Soup Blog Party 7 - First Reveal

It is March 30, first reveal day of the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party. Here are all the first revealers. Join the party and bounce around to see the amazing creations of my fellow particiapants.

Come back next week when I will be revealing my creation using the soup that I got from my partner Cheryl. Update - our reveal have been changed to April 13 and the 3rd reveal will be on April 20.

Soup Arrival

I had only expected to find bills in my mail box when I checked it yesterday, but I was surprised to find a small box from Alberta there.

Once I was back upstairs I opened it to find a well packed trio of packages.

Each was carefully wrapped in red and white tissue.

The largest contained a great variety of ingredients including pearls, an assortment of copper findings and beads, beautiful handmade toggle and lampwork beads.

The smallest held a wise and colourful lampwork owl.

The third package was long and narrow, I was very curious as to what it held. Inside were handmade headpins.

Here is a final picture of the complete soup send to my by my amazing partner, Cheryl Brown of Dragonfly Designs.

Thanks Cheryl.

Stop back on April 6, reveal day, to see what I create with this amazing soup.

Bead Soup Blog Party #7 Partner

I am part of the 2nd reveal group for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party. Today I got my email from our guru Lori telling the name of my partner.

I have been partnered with lampwork artist and potter, Cheryl from Grande Prairie, Alberta.

I just have to give my soup a few tweaks and with will be ready to ship west!

Come back for reveal day on April 6th!

Bead Soup Blog Party

Today is the first day to sign up for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party. Our host & bead soup guru, Lori Anderson, has the form up on her blog.

I participated in the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party last summer. It was fun to swap beads and see what you could create the amazing beads sent by your partner. So if you have a blog, love beads and are up for the challenge... hop over to Lori's blog and sign up. I did and I know it will be another great challenge!

2012 in review

Well 2013 is here and it is great to look back on 2012.

Last year I pushed myself creatively by participating in a variety of challenges. The greatest of these was the Creativ Festival Designer Style Challenge. The process for both the beadwork and paper arts projects was fun. I love both of the finished designs. It was a great thrill to be selected as a semi finalist in both categories. I was one of three finalists in the beadwork category, placing third.

Iris Twist Vase

Hexagonal Triangle Vase with Irises

I also participated in a few blog hops. The first was the Bead Soup Blog Party. I swapped a selection of beads with Jelveh Jaferia a glass artist in the US. It was fun working with her beautiful beads and assorted beads.

My creations

I also participated in two Holiday Bling Blog Hops. My first partner was Monica Urquhart from the east coast. My second partner was Sandra McGriff from Ontario.

Amazing owl tablets from Monica

Beautiful owl necklace from Sandra

The other challenge was the Cup of Bead Soup Lucite Challenge. Using some amazing lucite beads from Bead Happily Ever After my self and four other beaders created beautiful pieces.

My creation with a removable pendant

In addition to these challenges I continued to make samples for Rypan Designs.

I am looking forward to challenging myself again in 2013.