Sunday, May 11, 2014

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!

41 comments:

Shyme said...

Beautiful necklaces!

Dolores Raml said...

I love how you wired the beads together for the first necklace. Neat pieces.

Peru-Medesigns said...

Good job adding the clasp to the focal bead..very smart...

Unknown said...

That is an incredibly cleaver way to handle that long piece and it made a beautiful necklace. Happy Mothers Day right back at ya!

Bev said...

I love how you wire wrapped the large beads to make a focal. I also like the choker you made. Great job!

The Cabby Crafter said...

How cool is that? I love how you made the focal.

Chelle said...

I really love how you wire wrapped the beads. the other necklace is great.

Margareta said...

What a lovely Mother's day necklace you made :-)

Kokopelli said...

Wow, I love the blue focal with the leaf!

Just Beads said...

I love the blue focal, thats great.

Cornerstoregoddess said...

Ooh! NIce wire-wrapping on those lentils!

Shai Williams said...

Just love the wirework on those lentils! And what a great way to use the clasp and focal!

coffeeaddict said...

I enjoyed reading about your creative process. Beautiful pieces :-)

Krafty Max Originals said...

WOW, your wirework is amazing!! And, lucky you, a card from your son and a beautiful creation to wear!! :) ~KM

PiPa said...

Your wireworked cage for beads is absolutely stunning, I love it, so original and well done!

Unknown said...

Turning the clasp into a bail was pretty clever! I like the final pendant, too. Sometimes keeping it simple really shows off the focal the best!

min said...

I've never seen anyone wire wrap beads like that. It's something I'm going to try on my own but if I can't get it, I might have to get your expertise. Combining the clasp and the focal just brought it to a whole new level. What a wonderful bead soup success!

Cece said...

I really like how you worked those lentil beads with the copper wraps. Also liked how you kept the design with the dagger simple. It stands on it's own.

Unknown said...

I love how you matched the blue shape with the leaf clasp... It looks like it was meant to go there all along. Your wire-wrapping is also exquisite !

Kepi said...

Beautiful wire wrapping, both pieces are little pieces of art.

Linda A. said...

really love the wrapped lentils! totally jealous of your mad skillz! =)

AND great to see another Minnesotan! I'm in St. Cloud

Linda A.
http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com
http://cherryOnTopDesign.co

Tammy Adams said...

Love your wire wraps on the those beads. The choker is fabulous. And what an inspired way to convert you focal. Lovely work.

Anonymous said...

The lentils look great with the wire wrapping and make a perfect focal for a great necklace.

Susanm said...

Love how both your projects showcase the components and bead you received. Clever idea to attach the clasp to the focal.

KayzKreationz said...

What a great focal. It looks great being very simple like that. I love the way you wire wrapped the lentil beads and the crystals in the mother of pearl rectangles. Very pretty.

Esfera Jewelry said...

Wow, those wire wrapped beads, amazing. Great job.

Terri said...

So So cool!Love your wire wrapping techniques! Soup-perb!

Unknown said...

You did some great wire work with those 3 beads, the gluing of the clasp was really a very smart idea! Have ♥fun with your necklaces :-)What a sweet picture of the 2 of you did you add...

Becky Pancake said...

Great job using your soup Peggy. I like both of your necklaces.

Sarah said...

Your wire wrapping technique is awesome! Great job!

Christine said...

Lovely necklaces - love your wire wrapping!

PyxeeStyx said...

I love the wire wrapping you did on those glass lentils. Very cool.

Ann Schroeder said...

Beautiful necklaces. I also like to keep it simple and let the beads shine!

Monique (A Half-Baked Notion) said...

Both your designs are unique and lovely, Peggy :) That multi-bead focal is especially inventive :)

BluMoon said...

Nice idea wireing the beads together, lovely necklaces you made good use of your soup!
Jackie

CraftyHope said...

I have to say that I'm super impressed with the way you wire wrapped those lentil beads. Such a cool design. As well, adding your clasp to the pendant was inspired. You had such cool ideas for your soup. :)

Unknown said...

Wonderful soup! I love how you wrapped those flower beads for that stylish choker. And that blue and purple pendant looks lovely paired with the leaf.

Unknown said...

Wonderful Beads and Great Wire Wrapping and I love both pieces! have a Blessed Day!

Janice said...

This is my first time too. What fun!
It's almost a month later and I'm still enjoying making my way through all the soups. I knew I'd like your soup when I saw the mix, but truly I had no idea how much! I absolutely love your first necklace. It's so simple and beautiful. The wirework on the beads is perfect, as is the composition. I think I would have 'overdone' it. On your 2nd piece I really like how you matched the blue focal with the leaf clasp. I love how much I'm learning as I go through all the soups.

bairozan said...

Oh, I love when it happens to me - making components without any or with a vague idea and then they make their own piece of jewelry - the necklace with the wire wrapped beads is just fantastic! And what a great idea to glue that beautiful part of the clasp to the focal!

WindDancerStudios said...

Wonderful use of the clasp, it looks great on the focal! Whatever did you do with the shell turned bead frames? They looked like they were full of potential!

Great soup!