Bead Soup Blog Hop #8

About 4 years ago I stumbled upon the Bead Soup Blog Hop and fell in love with all the beautiful beads that people were swapping all over the world. I have been following the blog parties ever since and FINALLY joined one myself. Yep, this was my first BSBH and it was so much fun!
First of all I would like to thank Lori from Pretty Things for organizing the bead swap, what a wonderful idea she had all those years ago. Second of all I would like to thank Michelle from Cabby Craft for being my partner. I just went to her site and saw what she made with the beads I sent her, it totally blew me away! She did such a good job, I love everything she made. If you haven't already, take a look at her blog.

Now do you want to see the jewelry that I made with the beads Michelle sent me?
Here are the beads she sent.....

What I really love about the swap is the fact that I had no clue what she was going to send. Michelle sent me some beautiful beads but they were not beads that I would have bought myself which presented a very much welcomed challenge. I was so happy that she made me the dagger shaped pendant out of Polymer Clay, THAT is my style, how did she know?

I had to play around with the beads and spent some time deconstructing them, my favorite thing to do.

I decided to combine the crystals she sent with the rectangular mother of pearl beads. Then I decided to wire wrap the floral glass lentil beads she sent me.

After I wire wrapped the glass beads I didn't know what to do with them. They are too big for spacers, so I decided to put them all together to make one large focal.

The piece ended up large enough to stand alone. I added some matching chain and made a choker.

Now for the really cool piece. I really stared at this for a long time. I wanted to use it but didn't want to change it or add too much to it. I think that it is pretty all by itself. Initially I was going to wire wrap it and I actually did wire wrap it but that made it too big and chunky and covered up all of the work that Michelle put into it. In the end I glued (E6000) the clasp she sent me onto the pendant, removed the bail she had put on the back of the pendant and just hung it on some simple matching chain.

Today is Mother's Day and I am wearing the necklace that I made. Here is a picture of my son Jimmy and me. Jimmy made me a Mother's Day card, it is so special, my boy means the world to me. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!