Saturday, May 10, 2014

Welcome to the 8th Annual Bead Soup Blog Hop Party!!!

Hello!
I am so glad you could make it!
I have my saucy party frock on, I've spiked the fruit punch and my soup has been simmering on the stove for a good long month now. 
I was extremely excited to participate this year as I was in dire need of a challenge and new beads!
Oh, boy, did I get both in abundance!!!

I was very lucky to be paired up with the supremely talented Sharon Driscoll .
Sharon is a lamp worker (whispered in an awed hush) and what this woman can do in glass is nothing short of magnificent.
Lamp worked beads are hard for me to afford, I fill and fill my shopping cart and then sigh while I sadly close out the screen and wait for the right moment to invest in such fine artisan beads.
So you can imagine my utter joy in not only being paired with an experienced one, but 
SHE SENT ME SPECIAL MADE BEADS!!!!!


Her color scheme of turquoise and orange was accented by a chartreuse green and off white.
She sent so much beady goodness, I sat for several hours, confounded and overwhelmed,
thinking, "How on earth am I going to use all of this and more importantly, how will I ever do her glass justice?"
But Sharon reassured me... "you don't have to use all of it."  
So I concentrated on my favorite pieces of the lot.
The first was this glorious long tube bead;


Isn't it wonderful?

I had some weavings from Maire done up in charcoal linen and chartreuse seed beads that I had been struggling to create something with. These weavings were the perfect compliment! So I went with a forging technique of hammered neck cuff bars, a centerpiece of woven linen and seed beads and then created an extra long antiqued copper headpin to slide the orange, white, turquoise, brown and chartreuse glass bead onto.


I feel the simplicity of the design allows the bead to stand out, but its lines of woven seed beads compliment the chevron lines in the long glass tube. There is a mix of textures and materials you do not often see playing along this piece and I am very pleased with the end result.
So I made matching earrings!

Who's a happy bead girl!?!

Next up.....
The hypnotic swirled bead.


I got lost in this bead. 
I wanted to carry it in my pocket for always, it made me so happy.
Instead I busted out some gemstones and a chunk of amber I had been hoarding. Then bit the bullet and using sterling silver stock, I wire-wrapped the heck out of this piece, using the forged sterling "S" clasp that Sharon had sent along with her soup.


Red coral, Amazonite, Taiwan Jade, Soo Joo Jade, Chalcedony and bits of Turquoise create a flow of color that leads the eye right to the mother pendant of Sharon's glass focal and amber briolette.
I know this makes you happy, these colors are so uplifting!

And now for the piece de resistance....


Chosen as such because it spoke to me.
It said "Shannon, you must feature me in a necklace made of metal, drenched in one of your favorite color combinations to wear, with textures that mimic the currents of color inside me."
I swear. 
That's what it said.
And so I obeyed...


I cut rippled patterned brass and copper sheet into diamond shapes, carefully scribing around the focal bead as a template. I then cut the the diamonds out, ground and hammered the edges and busted up yet another pair of hole punch pliers, double hole punching both sides of all 4 metal pieces, plus a triangle drop to hang from the lamp work bead. Tumbled, treated to soot black patina, distressed and then washed with a cabos water blue patina before sealing and assembling to a copper chain and diamond shaped, forged clasp, also treated to the same colors.
A tiny white glass bead dangles from its extender chain.


I love this piece hard.

And yes, I had a matched pair of turquoise dotted earthy brown glass Sharon included and so I continued with a pair of earrings;


 I hope you enjoyed what I had the honor to create with Sharon's bead soup, it was such a pleasurable experience for me!

As a thank you for visiting, I would like to offer the final piece of Sharon's glass, along with a necklace kit, as a give-away.
Using these beads, linen cording and clasp, you can create a variation of the project I stepped out for the




Sharon has been such a generous bead soup partner, I know she would feel the same as I, letting someone else enjoy such luscious glass in fun, bright colors, perfect for the upcoming summer!
So please leave a comment and include your own blog link so I can connect with you when I draw a number next Saturday. 

Please visit Sharon's Bead Soup post to see what she has been cookin up with the soup ingredients I sent her,
And please enjoy shopping her lovely glass goodies in her etsy shop 

Thank you to our lovely hostess, Lori Anderson, who overcame personal trials and tribulation in order for the Bead Soup Party to go on.
We love you, Lori!
Thank you for bringing us all together! 

35 comments:

  1. You totally did Shannon's glass justice! I love your ability to pair glass with rustic metal. Your creations are beautiful!

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  2. Such a fantastic soup with those lovely oranges and turquoise. Love the last set of earrings, and the choker necklace with the green beads is so stylish But all the pieces are wonderful

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  3. That last necklace speaks to me, too :-D I love its' colorway!

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  4. What incredible designs! I am so in love with the second necklace with that gorgeous amber dancing with the lampwork. In total awe!

    I would love to enter for a chance to play with some of Sharon's artistry.
    http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/

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  5. Shannon, you created so much beauty from your amazing soup! Each piece is stunning...and your details are ahhhh-mazing!

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  6. you totally did beautiful justice to every bead( & it isn't like you are some slouch in the bead community). I love the last earrings & the second necklace, wonderful use of colour, as always.

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  7. Oh Shannon, what a stunning set of pieces you made from your delicious soup!!! I really can't pick a favourite, I love them all.
    If you'd like to see what I made, visit my blog post here! http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com/2014/05/10/owls-and-dragonflies-the-8th-bead-soup-blog-party-reveal-is-here/

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  8. I'm sure - you're a happy bead girl, Shannon :0) Lovely soup, my dear!

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  9. What lovely soup colors. I absolutely love each piece you made! I would not be able to pick a favorite. But I know I'll be looking at them again and again. Thank you for the chance the win! That disc bead was my favorite when I first saw the soup. I'm really loving disc beads lately. I'm off to take a closer look at your piece in the book, which I got fairly recently.

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  10. Woo hoo! You sure had fun "eating" that soup! What a great collection of beads from your partner, AND I love all the pieces you made from them. I especially like the simplicity of the necklace using the Maire Dodd weaving. Nice one Shannon!

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  11. Magnificent! I love what you created with her beautiful beads--double beauty from two beautiful people! So great to see! love, jean!

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  12. How beadiful! I love what you did with the soup and appreciated your detailed explanation of the metal treatment! Thanks for sharing. Great idea for the giveaway as well. Count me in!

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  13. And here I was worried I had made it to "easy" and should have gone wild with the colors.- I should have known you'd take it and fly off into the sunset with it. They are simply incredible Shannon.

    I'd of never thought of using one of the beads as template to match the shape. It's simply a divine and inspired idea. And the necklace is beautiful.

    The piece with the Amber fob at the bottom is to "die for". And I'm so excited by the fact that you took so many different paths for the use of those beads besides something traditionally southwestern which the colors might have suggested. You're brilliant and I'd be delighted to share pieces with you any time.

    Whoo Hoo - You're having a giveaway. I'm so glad you did that. I'm such a "pay it forward" kind of a girl I couldn't possibly think of a better plan for the surplus.

    You've honoedr me greatly with what you've created and the gift of giving. Thank You for being my BSBP partner.

    Sharon

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    1. Ah! Sharon!!! Your comment means so much to me! Thank you again for the generosity you shared with me. I will admit the give-away is difficult, I am a hoarder of the highest quality beads like most other beaders, but I knew you would like the idea of sending this set off to someone else who maybe is like me and can't afford such lovely lamp work!
      I had so much fun creating and I hope we can collaborate again! You are so talented in so many medias!

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  14. Those are gorgeous! No wonder you look so happy in your photos. I really love your metalwork, too :)

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  15. What a gorgeous soup - and what lovely pieces you made with it! I think the last piece is my favourite but they are all stunning.

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  16. Oh my goodness Shannon - I think you hit it on the nose with those pieces!!! Freaking fantastic!!! I love all of your pieces but the one with the diamond metal with the lampwork bead is awesome! I can see why you obeyed the bead :) Lovely work!!!

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  17. Gorgeous, gorgeous pieces, all! With the first one, I was like "Oh, I love this", then scroll down and "Oh, no. I love this one!" and scroll down again and "No, I LOVE this one!" Beautiful metal work and patina!

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  18. Shannon, you did a beautiful job with Sharon's lampwork. I agree with you that he beads are beautiful and the soup she sent was gorgeous. But, then you put these beautiful components in your capable hands and WOW! Simply gorgeous. I would love to have my name thrown in the hat for that necklace kit. You can reach me through my etsy store at jeanawells.etsy.com. Great job! Jean

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  19. What beautiful soup you received and what fabulous creations you made. I am partial to the hypnotic swirl bead necklace.

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  20. Love your soup and the pieces you made are lovely and so varied. Wonderful shapes and textures with so much interest in each pieces and I just love the simplicity of that first necklace. So so wearable. Very inspiring work.

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  21. Oh, Shannon, you put your heart and soul into each piece that you make. Beautiful, each and every one! I believe your final necklace might be my favorite!

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  22. You have such a unique style and you certainly did your amazing Soup justice!!

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  23. Gorgeous designs, each more fabulous than the one before. But then I keep going back to that second necklace. It is hypnotic.

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  24. A bead listener that matched the vision with the beads! Beautiful work! I loved the necklace, but love the earrings more. Put my name in the bin, http://freestyleelements.blogspot.com Thanks so much!

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  25. The pairing of you and Sharon was another stroke of brilliance on Lori's part. What magnificent pieces you made with the wonderful soup she sent you. Every piece is gorgeous! Her luscious glass combined with your amazing skills and metal are perfection together.

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  26. Oh my Shannon, I want to be you when I grow up! Good obedient metal girl, that necklace, those ripples, those shapes agreed, love it hard. that little white bead at the end, like a tinkerbell "bing" to make it just perfect. It's all pretty damn awesome, the echo of the seed bead chevron to the glass... your gorgeous smile in those earrings. Be-you-tiful!

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  27. Every piece is absolutely divine! you are a very talented lady and with each piece I thought could it get any better and then I'd scroll down and it did! I don't think I could choose a favorite, each is so unique. I also think it's so generous of you to share some of these lovely beads with one of us in a giveaway...such a sweet lady you are :) http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com

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  28. Your designs never fail to uplift, inspire, and amaze me! All three of your necklaces are simply sublime, but that last one. . .ohhhhhhhhh. Those metal links almost look like stone somehow. And the way you described each of your creations, the beads you chose, the work you put in; it just flows. You have a way with words my dear.
    Thank you for offering a giveaway, I'd love to play with that kit (craftyhope.com)!!

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  29. I have always admired your work and what you created with the beautiful soup are all stunning! You are an amazing artist and love your using your patinas!!

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  30. What fun and funky pieces. Vibrant and full of life!

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  31. Your metal working skills are awesome. I love each and every necklace but I especially like that last one. You certainly had a lovely soup and so colorful. I loved what you did with each and every color. I would love to play with those colors myself but don't think I could match what you have done. Great job.

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  32. Your designs always wow me! Stunning... all of them! Thanks so much for the generous giveaway!

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  33. Wow - totally rockin' designs Shannon!! I love them all but that last necklace is just over-the-moon-gorgeous!! And the earrings below it,...swoon! Great Soups Girl!!! :-)

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