It's time to get your fill of bead soup!

Hello, hello! Welcome to reveal day for the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party!  This is my first time joining in so if you’re new here I work with polymer as my primary media.  If you haven’t heard about the BSBP I’ll let the inspired and impressive Lori Anderson describe it in her own words.
Here is the beautiful and thought provoking soup that my partner Lois Moon de Padilla sent me



Isn’t that pendant, made by Tracee Dock incredible? She has similar palette/pattern pendant here and here as a brooch.  I love how it’s suggestive of a flower, but the colour of the “petals” could make you think of them as leaves.  I stayed in that vein, creating floral referencing polymer pieces to accompany my soup.  This is what I finally ended up with.



I say finally since I think this was one instance where I had too many ideas going on and this is the scaled back version, seriously.  I struggled with wanting to use more of the lovely selections from Lois all in this piece but “more is more” didn’t hold – frankly it just looked a mess and too busy with earlier attempts.  I ultimately played by the rules and used both the clasp and focal but only ten other beads from that whole bounty above. 

I created the three polymer components you see in teals, browns, and pinks.  It may be hard to make out in the dead on shots, but the mottled cafe-au-lait coloured parts are raised and hollow, to spare some weight (not that this is heavy be any stretch).  The recycled sari silk is so lovely to wear, and really helped simplify this necklace. Although I fought the idea for a while as too easy.  There is no wire in this, only the silk, waxed linen to tie it all together and “cotton suede” I used for the bail.  All this textile allows for easy movement with the length short enough not to interfere with scoop necks but long enough to just be seen as I look down.  That’s how we all measure necklaces right?

Time for some closer looks



The little pink polymer petals are applied individually at the final stage of this multi-cured component.  Notice too there are three colour layers so you get some nice interest from the side.  I had never heard of cotton suede but I guess my local bead store has a moral objection to leather products.  It knotted beautifully and looks plenty strong.



Above is the close up on the clasp and a few of the beads Lois sent.  To the right, I’m pointing out that ribbed copper bead which is a minor detail here but really launched so much more.



That copper bead inspired the purchase of that vintage yellow bead, which is about an inch across, and that bead became the tool to create the texture you see on the polymer sheet on the left.  I used the resulting veneer to make the two pendants on the far right.  The process muted the colours so they no longer go with the remaining soup however I will be drilling a hole through one shortly to put on a simple sterling chain for my mum, for her birthday – today!

Ok if I didn’t lose you in that last photo hopscotch I have just two more.  Right now I kinda feel like the kid who picked out all the cashews from the mixed nuts and walked away… since I’ve only the one completed piece to show you.  But I have so much more in the pipeline with all the rest from Lois, and the rest I picked up on my shopping trip (I have a truly awesome plan for the delicas I just got frustrated and had to rest it a bit)



These are going to come together with all the as-yet-unused beads I created from this inspiration



Those ones in front on the left, did you guess yet where that texture came from?

So it seems my soup has regenerated.  I know, it was a big batch and I froze the rest to bring it out on a rainy day.  Really, I’m going to work with these bits and baubles and hope to reveal the rest say on the 25th tagging along with the third reveal.  I hope you will stop back then or consider following along since I’m sure I might change plans a few more times between now and then.

I’m glad I didn’t promise any brevity with this post, but they aren’t all such marathons.  Please be sure to check out my very creative partner Lois and all the other amazing participants (scroll down for the second reveal).

Lastly, I am so very thankful for the spark from Lois and the incredible fuel for the fire from Lori – how does she do it?