Bead Soup Book Blog Hop Week

(dear publishers, please send high res, larger pixel pictures of covers to better show off your books)

Yay!!!!

It's here!

Super delicious and really cleverly pulled together using recipe cards and fresh "ingredient" lists!

To celebrate the book release, there's going to be a ParrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrTyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyY!

All week long, there will be discounts, give-aways and prizes at the following blogs;

Lori Anderson -- http://www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

Rebecca Anderson -- http://www.songbeads.blogspot.com

Barbara Bechtel -- http://secondsurf.com/wordpress/

Tuesday, October 2nd

Lori Anderson -- www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

Kerry Bogert --   http://kabsconcepts.com/wp/ 

Melanie Brooks -- http://earthenwood-beads.blogspot.com

Jennifer Cameron -- http://glassaddictions.blogspot.com  

Wednesday, October 3rd

Lori Anderson -- www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

Diane Cook -- www.rosa-josies.blogspot.com

Malin de Koning -- www.beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.com 

Thursday, October 4th

Lori Anderson -- www.PrettyThingsBlog.com 

Cassie Donlen -- http://cassiedonlen.blogspot.com

Jeannie Dukic -- http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog  

Nan Emmett  -- http://www.spiritrattles.blogspot.com/  

Lyn Foley --  http://lynfoleyblog.com  

Friday, October 5th

Lori Anderson -- www.PrettyThingsBlog.com 

Brandi Hussey -- http://www.brandigirlblog.com 

Cindy Wimmer -- www.SweetBeadStudio 

Saturday, October 6th

Shannon LeVart - http://missficklemediacom.blogspot.com/

Joanna Matuszczyk -- http://filcowe.blogspot.com

Melissa Meman -- http://www.melissameman.blogspot.com/ 

Stefanie Teufel -- http://stefaniessammelsurium.blogspot.com/ 

Sunday, October 7th

Sharon Palac -- http://sharonsjewelrygarden.blogspot.com  

Heather Powers -- http://www.humblebeads.blogspot.com 

Erin Prais-Hintz -- http://treasures-found.blogspot.com  

Monday, October 8th

There will be a grand prize offer with a ton of goodies to enjoy!

Lori Anderson, www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

So enjoy the book blog hop and may the odds of winning be ever in your favor.  

:)

Bead Soup Party Reveal is Here!

And today is my day for the big reveal!

Here is the package I received from Regina.
I didn't get a chance to create with the red coral flowers but I did create these 4 pieces that I like to call
Earth Gypsy

The necklace is paired with a hand forged leaf from copper, patina-ted in chestnut brown and brushed with opal powder. The green in the flower jasper sang for more green in the necklace so I hung it from a strip of recycled sari silk and a doubled strand of seed beads in a mix of colors. These 2 are braided with chain that has been patina-ted in more chestnut brown.  The clasp is another flower jasper bead wire-wrapped heavily in antiqued copper.

(Can I tell you a secret? I feel sexy with it on, heehee.)

Now the other large flower jasper beads were fascinating with swirls of brown, green, yellow and cream. Each one was unique and their size was substantial enough  that I wanted to make them focal points in other pieces.
So I made 2 bracelets!

This one is centered in a frame of forged copper and wire-wrapped to more green sari silk.

This one is paired with chestnut and verdigris chain with a hand forged clasp and a sweet little faceted green pearl charm.

And finally the earrings!
I took the African jasper and hung them from thin hammered organic ovals. I then created tassels with brass chain, copper headpins and wire-wrapped jade, pearl and glass beads she included in my generous Bead Soup package.
So there's my Earth Gypsy set!

Thank you, Regina! I found this package of beads wonderfully soothing to work with and I love how everything fell together.

Are you enjoying the Bead Soup Blog Hop? I am! I am having so much fun "meeting" new beading friends and soaking in the creativity.
Looking forward to seeing more today!

*In my haste to be on time with my Bead Soup Reveal I neglected to mention where you could visit the other participants!

I am going down the list here.

Summer Hair Cuts and Bead Soup Party Hop starts this weekend!

I like their hair long but when you're this cute you don't need hair.

And in other news the Bead Soup Party Hop has started! Yay! It's finally here!
Thank you to our magnificent hostess Lori Anderson of Pretty Things, she has worked so hard to organize this HUGE bead swap. I am very grateful to be a part of this and can't even imagine the details that went into this with 97 participants! You can find their blog links here.
This party blog hop has been broken down into several days and you can see the schedule Lori set up here.
My day for the big reveal is scheduled for the 24th. I will have 4 pieces to show that I created from the package my lovely partner, Regina sent me.
To say I am excited to start visiting the soup creations is an understatement.

Bead Soup Party Teaser

(photo property of Regina)

When I was first introduced to my bead soup swap partner, I went straight to her blog. I was stunned with her immense collection of handcrafted jewelry.

Regina sells on Ruby Lane under the name Sundancegems and has since 2004. Her jewelry is classically beautiful, artfully arranged with mixes of hand picked, wonderfully coordinated gemstones, pearl and crystal. She incorporates 3 types of metal into her designs to accent the natural beauty of the stones and pearls she has chosen. The result is heirloom like pieces that can be passed down through the generations.

I wanted to pick something for Regina that she would be proud to put in her high quality jewelry. Something she would not just enjoy wearing for herself but also something that she would be inclined to place in a piece offered for sale.

I had been fortunate to invest in some quality stones when I received money from my book. Wonderful, unique cuts of chalcedony, tourmaline, iolite, garnet, rock crystal and labradorite. Now I just needed to choose, which beads would Regina enjoy, but hasn't already worked with?
I worked backwards from the clasp. I hoard Green Girl Studios like they will be gone tomorrow.
So I knew that the best clasp to give would be one of theirs; pretty but rustic, a Sunflower in shibuichi. I then let the pendant pick it's self by the deep brown in a piece of jasper. Rhodonite matched the mauve in the jasper, faceted brown chalcedony added another shade of brown and a full strand of freshwater pearls in cream pulled it all together. I really hope she likes it! But I couldn't take a picture because it was so overcast and rainy!

A few days later and I got my stash from Regina and was overcome with GLEE. Yes, GLEE. She must have known I love green because she filled my package with gorgeous soft green! First thing I noticed was a HUGE donut in flower jade. I haven't indulged in buying myself a donut and was so happy to have one! I have thoughts of a back plate in copper with a tab setting holding the donut. Accompanying the donut was oblong beads in flower jade, African jasper, melon agate, more jade, faceted freshwater pearl, and carved coral flowers!
I need to get to work! I have a vague image in my mind of what I would like to create with these special beads.

Thank you, Regina! Everything is just lovely!

Bead Soup Party

It's on.

Swap Partner; be prepared to have the heavens themselves opened and pour down beady goodness onto you.

Sign ups are here.

Hosted by The Lovely Lori Anderson,

who seems knows a thing or two about putting some beads together.