Saturday, July 28, 2012

Bead Soup Party Blog Hop!

Hi!
I am skidding in here with my post in the nick of time!
Let me tell you it has been a craaaaazy month and I have wanted to sit down with my soup of beads for sometime, only to be way laid by....... ummmm, the fresh hot mess that is my life?!?
Anyway, let me introduce to you my wonderfully generous and talented partner; Shelby Foxwell of
I was so happy to meet a new metal friend and I felt like Shelby cooked up a soup that was tailored to my taste!


Shelby included Hollow Lampwork Beads by Alisha White,
a Polymer Clay Pendant by Beads by Earth Tones ,
a Handmade Stamped Brass Toggle Clasp by Sundown Findings (that's Shelby!!!)
and a mix of stone beads including turquoise spike beads, picture jasper, honey jade and new jade.
She also included some gold leather strap that I will admit I was stumped and ran out of time on.

At first I was thinking, "Oh no, I haven't got any brass!"
But then I remembered I did, unpacked it and sat down to get to work.
Last night.


I have a terrible habit of pulling every 'like' color of bead and component out before starting a project and due to a lack of tables, I am working on the floor, hippie style.
Also in the dark, due to a lack of lighting.
Sometimes this works out okay, sometimes, the next day, I'm like
"SHANNON! You've got to get some good lighting!!!"
This was a worked-out-okay-beading-session and here is what I put together;
Summer Fields Verdigris Neck Cuff

The gorgeous green and gold pendant by Beads by Earth Tones was complimented perfectly by a patina-ted neck cuff I just happened to have out already.
SaaaaaaaaWeeeeeeeeT!
Paired with a scrap of gold sari silk and a spike bead of turquoise and I'm done!


Now onto the new jade, which is such a pretty shade of pale green.
I added a mismatched lot of brass bead caps, hammered brass links and some chain for a lovely lavalier;


What? Too simple?
But it looks soooooooooo pretty on!


Now here is the piece I created with Shelby's toggle;

 It is too special to put at the back of the neck....
Yes, simplicity is the name of the game here.
 I am not interested in impressing you with technique, but rather creating jewelry I would want to wear with its focus on the handmade focals.

Following along with the green and yellow theme, I added a couple of honey jade to these very green verdigris links and POOF!
Instant charm!
 Honey Drops

The hollow glass by Alisha were a bit different in size so I added bead caps to even out their appearance and hammered brass spears to follow the curve of a woman's jaw. 

Romantically Vicious.

I really wish I had more time, I would like to play with the other beads but I'm off to visit other soup makers now.
(Does it ever get old, all the soup references? lol)

Visit other bead soup blog posts here;

And say hi to our lovely host Lori here;

Last but certainly not least, please visit Shelby here to see what she has simmering on the stove with the bead soup I sent her (heehee!!);


Much Love & respect,
Shannon

87 comments:

  1. your first piece's colour is breathtaking! your second necklace is great, simplicity is a good thing,takes a fine hand.I am in love w/ the multi strand chain bracelet, & the earrings look so cool & light & swingy. a great soup, all in all!

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  2. I love it all, the last set of ear rings are my favorite.

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  3. Absolutely agree that simplicity is the name of the game. Love every piece - pretty and eminently wearable! I think you did a fab job with your bead soup!

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  4. Wow, your pieces always knock my socks off... what a great collection. Love every one of them, but especially the romantically vicious earrings.

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  5. Very great use of the bits.Lovely pieces.Thank you Love and Hugs Tanya

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  6. Beautiful & inspired work Shannon. Your pieces are so feminine and have a delicacy about them that I adore.

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  7. Love your work! And, all the pieces you created with your soup! VERY INSPIRING! Enjoy the hop!

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  8. Wow! Everything is gorgeous! I really love the bracelet with the toggle! And the earrings...swoon! I agree with your comments on simplicity. Beautiful job!

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  9. I really like the simplicity of your designs. The focus is all on the focal or components. I think it makes them very wearable. Great work as always!

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  10. Oh dear Shannon! Look at all the gorgeous pieces you made!! Love how you wrapped the turquoise spike with the focal and the silk. The silk appears wispy, kinda like the wind gently blowing a field of flowers. And, I love the simplicity of the necklace and the bracelet! Both great all around pieces! Shall I continue with the earrings?..Gorgeous! What can I say...I love them all!
    So happy that you were my partner!!

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  11. Everything is incredible, as are YOU modeling it. Fab fab fab!!! I deviated from going from the top down, to going from the bottom up, to see your pieces, and am I glad I did! You have invigorated everything you touched with your stunning abilities design-wise. What talent you have!!! Love those fierce earrings and the simple necklace --Whoa! WOW!

    xox all love, jean!!!

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  12. sometimes simple designs look awesome :-) yours are a great example

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  13. I can't believe you made those all in one night! They are all spectacular!! I especially like both of your necklaces and the bracelet too! The clasp is just too cool.

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  14. really nice, shan - and very very you! i love simple pieces - they quietly make a strong impression...

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  15. Love how you kept it simple, Shannon. They're all artful pieces and simply beautiful.

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  16. I love the pieces you have made to showcase the focals. Great work as always :)

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  17. Shannon!!!! I love love love every piece you made!!!! Maybe seamingly simple, but designed so you'd never grow tired of them. I would love to get to wear each of them myself. Simply beautiful!!!!! Well sometimes perhaps it's good to be a bit short of time. If you are a great designer you have so many wells to get your juices flowing from anyway. Hope that makes sense in English ... Thank you so much for once more inspiring me. Much love to you!! xx

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  18. I gotta say, you had me at the Summer Fields piece, and it just kept getting better. Thanks to my name twin for sharing your gorgeous art! (I know it shows up as Mary, which is my first name, through no fault of my own, but my middle name, and the one I use, is Shannon!) Have a lovely Hop day!

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  19. Love it! That necklace looks so perfectly suited to your style and perfect on your neck. Warrior princess! I feel like I need to give you a "hell ya!" lol not sure why

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  20. Sometimes simple is best ! Very lovely work. I'd have to say the first piece stole my heart.

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  21. {jawdrop} very nice!Simple and elegant is always a great choice!

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  22. Beautiful Work! I love it all and I think my favorite is the chain bracelet with the large clasp. Stunning and creative use of design! I hope you get your hot mess worked out soon! <3

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  23. Wow Shannon, All are so beautiful and so wearable. I love them all!
    Therese

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  24. Love what you did with these pieces. The simplicity of them is what attracts me to them. Beautiful!

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  25. I agree that sometimes simple is better. I love all of these pieces.

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  26. Wow, you were right on going the simplicity route. And, I love those earrings with the curved wire dangles. Everything you made is just gorgeous - as always. Great job!

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  27. I just love simplistic beauty in jewelry! The lariat necklace is so perfectly pretty and I love the Romantically Vicious earrings, great color combo!! Did you make all of these yesterday...wow!

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  28. All of your pieces are fabulous. Love them all. So original and so beautiful. What a pleasure to visit you.

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  29. Shannon - you had me at the first piece! I agree - let the elements speak, don't over do it! I would happily wear any and all of what you created. Shelby rocks. And so do you - Patina Queen that you are...

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  30. I am in love with each of your simply wearable and wonderful designs!
    Impossible to pick a favorite.
    But,that first necklace is really eye catching !
    Great soup !
    m.e. :)

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  31. Completly love all of what you came up with but think that first one has to be my favorite and it really suits you! x

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  32. These are AWESOME! And I agree with you on the technique versus simplicity issue -- to me, there is a very special skill in knowing HOW to make simple, wearable jewelry. I'd wear every single thing you made!

    Thanks SO MUCH for playing and also for being part of my book!

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  33. All of your pieces are lovely...I don't think any of them are too "simple." Your partners' beads and findings have been displayed perfectly.

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  34. I love these pieces! The combo of fiber, pendant, and the spike is great. The chain bracelet is gorgeous...I love how the texture on the links picks up on the texture on the clasp. So clever and pretty.

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  35. Love your creations, I really like your Summer Fields Necklace and the brass spears on the earrings, beautiful!

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  36. I really love those earrings! You did a wonderful job on everthing!

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  37. WOW!!
    Every single piece is absolutely stunning!
    I would wear all of it. Lovely job, you've got some talent missy!! :)

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  38. Love how you wrapped the spike, and using the focal like that was sheer genius! (You look pretty cute modeling your pieces, too!)

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  39. Beautiful offerings Shannon!!! I love your designs and the way you combined the metals with the beads. Well done!!

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  40. I LOVE all your pieces. So chic! The names you have given to them were beautiful too. I would wear them all. The earrings are calling out to me. Wait a minute... everything is calling out to me!

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  41. Shannon, I love all the pieces you made with your soup. I think my favorite is Summer Fields. It looks so wild and tribal. Love it!

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  42. I am a huge fan of your designs! Have seen them through B'Sue Boutique and what you have done here are wonderful! The Romantically vicious earrings are my favorite and I love the chain bracelet, cool clasp your partner sent!

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  43. I don't think anything fancy smancy could have made the components look any better - they look great just like they are. Just the right enhancements!

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  44. Shannon, they all are awesome...summer fields is my favorite. You are right about letting the beads be the focal. love them!!

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  45. You made just the right choice with Shelby's toggle. Just perfect on your wrist. I loved all of your creations. Outstanding.

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  46. No surprise that everything you made is fantastic - I love the first necklace, and especially that beautiful photo of you modeling it. Next, the bracelet with that wonderful toggle is very cool - simple, sure - but beauty need not be complicated. Lastly, the red earrings with the bendy metal bits are so so very cool. You continue to inspire :D

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  47. Wow - your designs are an inspiration to me. Love the scrap of sari silk in that lovely necklace. The Romantically Vicious earrings are my favorite item. I hadn't actually noticed the beads were slightly different in size but you did a marvelous job of evening out the difference. Also love your blog layout and how you incorporated pics of yourself. Makes me feel like I know you!

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  48. Love your pieces especially the chain bracelet!

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  49. Wow! The necklace with the silk and turquoise pendant is just stunning! I really like the colors :)

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  50. Breathtaking as always Shannon.

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  51. Simple and GORGEOUS. Sometimes you just want instant gratification and you got it gurl!

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  52. Wow, love the simplicity, makes my eyes happy after some of the dramatic pieces I've seen. Absolutely LOVE the Romantically Vicious earrings! Beautiful pieces all!

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  53. I completely adore that necklace with the new jade dangles – simple, yet elegant. So totally something I'd wear. And I think I fell in love a bit with that last pair of earrings. They again, I've got quite an earring fetish. I have completely lost count how many I've got by now.

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  54. Very pretty Shannon, love what you did with the clasp, it makes it pop!

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  55. I love everything you created, really beautiful deigns! The second pair of earrings are really fantastic; love the curved metal elements.

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  56. Love your pieces...they are all so beautiful. Great post. I really enjoyed reading it.

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  57. Wow! You look so pretty in the neck cuff you made. So soft, feminine, and organic. Like a page out of a catalog! Great piece with lots of visual appeal!

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  58. Well, you might not have been interested in wowing me with technique, but you did. It does take a special eye to create a stunning design with a few select pieces. I do so love the style of everything you created, especially the bracelet and the honey drop earrings!

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  59. It doesn't have to be fancy to be gorgeous! Every one of your pieces are ones that I would be proud to wear, the second necklace especially.

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  60. OMG!!! I love each piece equally. Love the wire work. A job well done with your soup, yum yum!!!

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  61. Love everything, especially the earrings! It's so nice to see jewellery being modeled.

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  62. Beautiful! I especially love the second necklace and the toggle on the bracelet is to die for!

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  63. Wow, I love them all! I would be proud to wear any of the pieces!

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  64. I'm impressed more by your artistry than by the impulse to throw everything in the mix into one piece if it doesn't make sense as a whole! Each piece is perfectly lovely, but the Romantically Viscious earrings are my favorite. Loved them even more when I saw what you'd named them!

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  65. I'm not surprised that everything you created is amazing. I am smitten with that first necklace though. . .it's SOUPer! ;) he he he.
    Anyway. I hope you are having a wonderful birthday!

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  66. What incredible creations. Especially considering sitting on the floor with poor light. Although, you aren't limited by space that way which is always a great thing as spreading out is the best. I love everything but thing the first necklace is totally calling my name. Great designs!

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  67. Nothing wrong with "Keeping It Simple Shannon"-K.I.S.S!

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  68. Love your simple and beautiful designs! As I'm working on my soup too - I often go back to the ideas of making something I would actually wear. Great Soup!!!

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  69. Oh Shannon, all those pieces are gorgeous!
    Simple is not the same as easy to make quite the opposite (how about that bull Picasso drew )
    I love all of Your work and would like to wear them now :)
    I do have an extra feel for the first necklace as it includes some ribbon and I have a thing for fiber ...;

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  70. Beautiful pieces! I love the simplicity of them, I really like the chain necklace with the new jade!

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  71. I can't pick a favorite! I truely LOVE every thing you did with your soup and could totally see myself wearing all of them. Beautiful work!

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  72. I love every piece you made specially the last earring

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  73. Love, love, love - especially the bracelet with that fabulous toggle!

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  74. You are such a talented artist! Love everything single item you made! Wow!

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  75. Oh, simple maybe but sometimes simple is the hardest thing to achieve. All of your pieces were wonderful!

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  76. Stunning creations!! You did an awesome job with your bead soup...love them all!

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  77. Sometimes simplicity is all you need. Anything else might take away from the beauty of the components! I like them ALL. Very Nice!

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  78. Beautiful pieces..! The "Romantically Vicious" earing is my favorite..! :)

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  79. I am so glad you modeled - the first necklace was pretty until I saw it on and it moved to Wow!
    Love everything you made! Sometimes a little simmering is all the soup needs! Great job!

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  80. Awesome job on all your pieces. I love that toggle.

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  81. Love, love, love the "simple"; I think my absolute favorite is the first pendant necklace...those spikes are to die for...but I would SO wear each of them with pride!

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  82. I love all your pieces, simplicity is good!
    ciao dall'Italia

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  83. loved all the pieces; love your style!

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  84. Beautiful pieces, from both of you!

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Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my blog, it means a lot to me.
Shannon