Bead Soup Reveal - It's Here!

This is my second year participating in the BSBP and I really love this experience.  My partner this time was Gloria Allen and she sent me this awesome mix of beads:

First up I used the silver swirls and clasp that Gloria handmade together with the pretty blue glass rondelles to make a bracelet.

Next I used the pink beads together with a cute robin's egg blue vintage style bead I had in my stash.  Gloria has inspired me to make my own clasps too, this is one of them.

There were so many great beads in my soup, here are the earrings I made 

these gorgeous handmade glass beads were made by Two Sisters Designs.  

I swirled and wrapped more wire, this time in enameled silver.








Last up is the focal bead also designed by Two Sisters.  I wanted to make something really special to showcase this beauty.  

I used copper wire to create a swirl component to hang it from.  I hammered the swirl to harden and strengthen it (this is one heavy bead!).

I wire wrapped tiny peanut glass beads to the wire swirl.  Swarovski crystals sparkle and dangle from under the focal bead.  

I used Liver of Sulfer to darken the wire.

Some of the pretty pink glass beads Gloria sent are knotted in waxed linen to create the rest of the necklace.

Yep, I made another clasp...this time copper wire was formed and antiqued.  I love how this one came out.

I still have so much soup left and lots of great ideas.  Thank you Lori for such a great party and thank you Gloria for so many wonderful beads and components!

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below and then go see what Gloria made with the soup I sent her:  Gloria Allen Designs

Thanks!

Reveal Day - 2012 Challenge of Color

Here is the challenge...I was given a choice of two color palettes to work with.  Here is the one I chose. 

 I just love anything in the "berry" family. 

Add caption

I am always drawn to greens and blues in my designs.

The printed version of the USGS photo has different colors than the version on my computer screen which made it even more of a challenge!  

I started and stopped several times before I came up with these three designs. 

 What did I learn?
1.  I need more beads!
2.  Don't wait so long to get started.
3.  Erin is awesome...I already knew that!

Hope you like what I made...please share your comments with me below.  

Also, enjoy the rest of the wonderfully talented artists in this challenge...

Erin Prais-Hintz
Brandi Hussey
  Rebecca Anderson

Kris Auderer  

Chrizette Bayman

Lori Bowring Michaud  

 Courtney Breul 

Lynsey Brooks 
Stephanie Buss 

Iveth Caruso 
Shannon Chomanczuk
Lisa Cone
Cece Cormier

Lori Dorrington
Dawn Doucette
Jeannie Dukic    (life threw her a curveball, spread some sunshine to her anyway!)
Kim Dworak
Beth Emery
Janice Everett
Pam Farren
Donetta Farrington
Gloria Ferrer

Cherrie Fick
Therese Frank 
Patty Gasparino
Tanya Goodwin
Ambra Gostoli
Jess Green
Denielle Hagerman
Mary Harding
Karla Hartzog 
Kim Hora
Emanda Johnson
Jennifer Justman
Sue Kennedy

Ema Kilroy
Lee Koopman
Linda Landig
Kirsi Luostarinen
Cynthia Machata
Alicia Marinache
Beth McCord
Mary K McGraw
Karen Mitchell
Cheri Mitchell-Reed
Aimee Moisa
Karla Morgan
Penny Neville
Becky Pancake
Kashmira Patel
Alice Peterson
Kayla Potega 
Debbie Price
Bobbie Rafferty
Caron Reid
Nicole Rennell
Cynthia Riggs
Andrea Ross
Sally Russick
Annie Scherz
Pam Sears
Renetha Stanziano
Sandra Stein
Kristen Stevens  (her Muse is on vacation - hop over and give her Muse a nudge ;-)
Tracy Stillman   (hard to bead with a wrist injury, send healing thoughts)
Sherri Stokey
Lola Survillo
Kay Thomerson
Jo Tinley
Emma Todd
Cory Tompkins (ME!!)
Pam Traub
Melissa Trudinger
Michelle Tucker
Shelley Graham Turner
Monique Urquhart
Rachel Van-Walsh  
Patti Vanderbloemen
Lesley Watt
Lynn White
Joan Williams

Time for the BIG Reveal!

Time for the 6th Annual BSBP R-E-V-E-A-L...

If you didn't see my post about the bead soup Jami Shipp sent me check this post out first: http://tealwaterdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-bead-soup-has-arrived.html

The agate focal I received in my bead soup is very much outside of my color comfort zone since I usually lean toward brighter colors.  I was really glad though because one of my reasons for joining this party is to stretch my creativity.

I wanted to really jump in to this bead soup so I looked through my bead stash to see what I had that would work well with the focal and I decided to pair it with some turquoise beads (howlite maybe).  

Here is the necklace I made...

The toggle was copper which was great because I have been playing with copper lately. I was thrilled to use a metal I haven't used a lot but I really love!

The copper wire I had  was very bright and shiny which was not going to work.  I decided to antique it to match the toggle color better.  I put the wire into a bowl of vinegar and sea salt for a minute then let it air dry without wiping it off which worked very quickly in turning my wire dark and giving it a patina very quickly.

The tiny brown disks are shell beads from Michaels. I love the deep turquoise color of these little beads.

I got the silk pieces from Suzanne Berk a super sweet lady, a fellow artisan and HUGE animal activist...love that!!

I went much more artsy than I usually do and I got to use some new materials and techniques that I am happy about.

I also wanted to use the beautiful flat shell coins I got so here is a bracelet that also has some of the same tiny shell disks I used in the necklace. 

I handwrapped a tiny bell glass flower on a bronze ball headpin as well as a crystal in champagne ab.

I would love to hear what you think so feel free to comment below.

Now, on to the rest of the party, check out these blogs for many more reveals...

Hostess, Lori Anderson, PrettyThingsBlog.com

Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles

Alicia Marinache, All The Pretty Things

Amanda Tibbetts, Amanda Made

Amber Dawn Goldish, Inventive Soul

Annita Wilson, AW Jewelry

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool

Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit

Candida Castleberry, Spinning Spun Sugar

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Cassie Donlen, Glass Beadle

Cheri Reed, Creative Designs by Cheri

Cheryl McCloud, One Thing Leads to Another

Cheryl Roe, BeadRoe

Christina Hickman, Vintage Treasures Jewelry

Christine Hendrickson, Clamworks

Cilla Watkins, Tell Your Girlfriends

Cindy Wilson, Mommy's Dream

Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio

Cory Celaya, Art With Moxie

Cory Tompkins, Tealwater Designs  (THIS IS ME!)

Cris Peacock, Cris' Page

Cynthia Deis, Shiny Little Things

Cynthia Machata, Antiquity Travelers

Cynthia Wainscott, Exotic Peru

Dana Hickey, Magpie Approved

Dana James, Dana's Jewelry Designs

Dana Lang, Tumblestone Handmakery

Debbie Price, Green Shoot Jewellery Designs

Denielle Hagerman, Some Beads and Other Things

Diane Valasek, Dragonfly Close

Doris Stumpf, Glaszwerg

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell, Dee-Liteful Jewelry Creations

Elaine Robitaille, Too Aquarius

Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life

Enikö Fabian, Perl-eni

Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found

Heather Davis, Blissful Garden Beads

Heidi Post, Ex Post Facto Jewelry

Hilary Frye, FryeStyle

Ilenia Ruzza, Ilenia's Unique Beaded and Painted Jewelry

Inge von Roos, Inge's Blog

Jami Shipp, Celebrating Life

Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle

Jean A. Well, Jean A. Wells Handcrafted Artisan Jewelry

Jean Yates, Snap Out of It Jean! There's Beading to Do!

Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions

Jennifer Pottner, Rock Candy Beads

Jennifer VanBenschoten, Jewelry, Art and Life

Jenny Davies-Reazor, Jenny Davies-Reazor

Jenny Vidberg, Shyme Design

Jessica Dickens, My Jewelry, My Life, Me

Jessica Klaaren, Beadful-Things by Jessica

JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions

Joan Williams, Lilruby Jewelry

Judith Johnston, Judith Johnston

Judy Riggs, Rigglettes

Judy Turner, Silver Rains

Julie Anne Leggett, The Peaceful Bead

K Hutchinson, Jumbled Hutch

Karen Meador, Dreamcatcher Ranch

Karyn Bonfiglio, Plus Size Bangles

Katherine Gale, Terra Beadworks

Kathleen Lange Klik, Modern Nature Studio

Katja Benevol Gabrijelcic, Slovonske Technobe

Kelli Jacobson, Creative Moon

Kelly Ramstack, Adventures with Kelly

Keri Lee Sereika, Pink Lemonade

Kim Ballor, Vitamin C... A Daily Dose of Creativity

Kim Bender-Hora, KimmyKat

Kirsi Luostarinen, Kirsi Luo Korut

Kitty Bozzini, Kitty Lampwork

Laura Demoya, The Bead Therapist

Laurie Hanna, Laurie's Jewelbox

Leah Curtis, Beady Eyed Bunny

Lesley Watt, The Gossiping Goddess

Linda Inhelder, Must-Haves Jewelry

Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog & Meanderings

Lisa Liddy, Metal Me This

Lori Dorrington, Lori's Adventures in Etsy Land

Lori Poppe, Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean

Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads

Marge Beebe, Rock Creek Creations

Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things

Marion Simmons, Shade Tree Studio

Marla Gibson, Spice Box Design

Marta Weaver, Marta Weaver Jewelry

Marti Conrad, Marti C's Clay Blog

Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens, GlassBeadArt, Lampwork Beads

Melanie Brooks, Earthenwood Studio

Michelle Hardy, Firefly Visions

Mikala Coates, Maybe Just Perhaps

Mowse Doyle, HoCArt

Nan Emmett, Spirit Rattles - Spirited Earth

Nancy Boylan, Snazzy Doodle Designs

Nancy Peterson, Beading From the Heart

Nicole Rennell, Nicole Rennell Designs

Niki Meiners, 365 Days of Craft

Niky Sayers, Silver Nik Nats

Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas

Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs

Pamela Gangler, She Always Loved Pink

Patricia Johnson, Patricia L. Johnson Glass Art

Patti Vanderbloemen, My Addictions ... Handcrafted Jewelry by Patti

Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs

Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads

Renetha Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts

Shannon Hicks, Falling Into the Sky

Shannon LeVart, Miss Fickle Media

Sharon Driscoll, Right Turn Art Werks

Shelby Foxwell, Sundown Bead Designs Rhetoric

Shelley Graham Turner, Fabric of My Life

Sherri Stokey, Knot Just Macrame

Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread

Skylar Bre'z, Brising Beads

Stacie Florer, Soul to Substance

Stacie Stamper, Park Avenue

Stacy Alderson, Iridal's Attic

Stephanie Haussler, Pixybug Designs

Stephanie Stamper, Rainy Day Designs

Sue Hamel, The Bottte Cork and Crystal

Suzette Bentley, Ellie's Bijoux

Szarka, Magpie Gemstones

Tammy Jones, Jewelry Making Daily

Tania Tebbit, Glass, Craft, & Artful Goodness

Tanty Sri Hartanti, TJewellicious by Tanti

Terry Matuszyk, Pink Chapeau

Tina Bosh, Every Good and Perfect Gift

Tracy Bell, Copper, Glass and Recycled Trash

Vonna Maslanka, Just Vonna

 Thanks Lori Anderson, you are the BEST!!

Custom Made Jewelry

I am about to ship another custom design I just finished.  I have been blessed to be able to work with some fabulous people who really know what they want in a piece of jewelry.  I love when someone contacts me and asks...can you make me a (enter type of jewelry) that is (enter color) with (enter bead types)? 


Custom made pearl and crystal bridal jewelry set

Sometimes they will describe it in words, other times they will send pictures of design elements they like.  Of course, it is up to me to interpret what they want into my own design (copying someone else's designs is a big no-no!).

Handmade Bridal Jewelry

For this set I made a few samples and sent pictures to the bride.  She picked the one she liked best.  Then I sent her a sample piece (about 3 inches of the bracelet so she could see if the colors worked with her dresses).  I am so glad I did that too because the purple crystals in the sample were not the right color.  I had added two additional crystals in other shades in the package that I sent to the bride and one of them worked perfectly.

Lately I have made several pieces worn by brides which makes it even more special.  It would be so great to be able meet each person and sit down for a cup of coffee and lots of beads in front of us to work on a design.  Somehow we seem to make it work through emails and Etsy convos though.