My bead soup is here!!!!

Finally getting some time to put up the pics of the sweeeeet bead soup I got from my partner Kat White of Shiny Moon Beams: http://www.shinymoonbeams.com/

I opened the door one morning, very soon after the bead soup partners were announced to find this nice little white box sitting quietly beside the big fern pot. The box itself was so pretty...adorned with butterflies and flowers :)

I was super thrilled to get my "soup" already! Opened it to find this:

I lovely Millefiori pendant! I can't tell you how many times I wistfully looked at these, and didn't buy any simply because I could not decide which one I liked best (yeah, I am amazing, I can control my bead-buying urges :p)
The "universe conspired" to bring me what I really really wanted :) (No, I had not mentioned this to Kat, of course!)

Here's a closeup of the pendant:

Love the detailed flowers in the pendant. And what's even amazing is how Kat picked out so many of the colors in the pendant in the other beads she sent! There is a very subtle lavender in there, the sweetest color ever, and she found me beads in that color! And the yellow! Have been looking for something I like in yellow for ages too, and she sent me those as well!

The pewter spacers and clasp match some of the flowers in the pendant!

And then there are the tiny little seed beads in the most wonderful purple! What's more, she even wrote up a whole pictorial on how to use the lil ones to make a loop for the pendant:

Want to see?
http://www.shinymoonbeams.com/2012/01/how-to-make-seed-bead-loop-for-donut.html

Thanks you SO much, Kat! This is all so very thoughtful and amazing! I am thrilled :-)
I have a bazillion ideas swimming in my little head...hopefully I will settle on one soon!

You probably also want to know what I sent to her? Yeah?

This...

It took me a couple days to figure out what I wanted to send...I browsed Kat's blog a few times. And then one night, it came to me! Crochet! She loves crochet, so I should crochet a focal! Happy with that decision, I set out to find a pattern I liked on ravelry.
This is what I picked:
Dream Weaver Square

I modified the original pattern to make it a bit smaller, since the pattern was for a quilt square. Loved how it came out. Wanted to keep it for myself, but then had to slap my own wrist and let it go to its rightful owner ;-)

Didn't have too much trouble finding the co-ordinating materials...here's another pic where you can see everything...in a soup spoon, haha!

Source:
Crochet focal: Made from pattern at http://stormyzcrochet.weebly.com/dream-weaver-square.html
Rose toggle clasp: Etsy:CMVision: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CMVision
Clove lace filigree: Etsy:CMVision: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CMVision
Ribbon cord ends: Etsy: buyimeiren2010: http://www.etsy.com/shop/buyimeiren2010
Wood beads: Michaels
Suede cord: Walmart
Seed beads: Not sure :-)

Can't wait for March 3rd now...to see what becomes of this soup!

Submit my designs to Stringing magazine?

Have been reading books on how to get my little "shop" off the ground. One of the books I read mentioned things that would get me noticed as an artist...one of them being submitting my designs to magazines.

The thought stuck and I checked out the submission guidelines for Stringing magazine.

Instructions seemed simple enough, and I actually have some items I can submit for the Summer and Winter issues.

I think I will do it :-)

Excited already? You bet!

5th Bead Soup Blog Party!

So so so thrilled to be part of this!

I just put up the post with a brief history of my entry into the jewelry making world.
What kept me interested and curious for almost a year were these super-talented ladies whose blogs I have been lurking around at for the longest time.

Had been following blog parties and challenges where the talent on display was simply unbelievable. Secretly wishing and hoping to be part of it all one day...I am part of it now!

I registered for the 5th Bead Soup Blog Party, and wonder of wonders, I was selected too! So what is this bead soup!?

It is hosted by Lori Anderson who says..."Life should be full of beautiful experiences and pretty things!"
In her own words:
The Bead Soup Blog Party is about exchanging beads with a person, a "bead soup" as it were, and you have no idea what you'll get, so it will help push you out of your comfort zone, and have you think about beads you may never have chosen yourself. 

Lori has selected my partner...and this is what I need to do:

• Send a beautiful clasp (no lobster claws)
• Send a beautiful focal, which is defined as something that can be used as a necklace centerpiece or bracelet centerpiece.
• Send coordinating beads to go with the focal. Not a whole kit, but something I think would co-ordinate well.

Samples that she has put up already have my brain cells jumping into action.
Want to see? Here:Bead Soup Samples

200 people are participating! Imagine all the goodness that will be on display come March when the participants will display what they made with their "bead soup".


I have been paired with Kat White of Shiny Moon Beams


Off to figure out what I will send to her!

New Year, New Beginnings! (Cliched title ;-)

Happy New Year everyone!!!

The title for this post is cliched, over-used, chewed to death. But what can I do...it applies!
For the very first time, in fact! In all of my decades on this earth, this is the first time I am so excited and positive about something! (That probably explains all the exclamation marks in this post ;-))

The new beginning I am talking about is my entry into the world of jewelry making...aka the bead playground. Quite an unintentional entry it was too...

I was heavily into crochet during the beginning of last year. Been giving gifts (scarves...nothing else, mind you) to folks that I knew would have opportunity to wear them, and those who I knew would not be crocheting themselves. One such friend, who knew how to crochet, one day joked and asked, "So when are you going to make something for me"? I thought about it, and decided to make her some crochet earrings (I had NO clue how to do this...but the decision was made). I was planning on surprising her, and it was all hush-hush. I started looking for patterns online, and eventually reached this post on this blog:
Un Jardin De Hilo: Crochet Flower Earrings

This lady has done some AMAZING work! And her blog led me to her etsy store, droolworthy eyecandy!
While I was browsing her store, my friend walks by and in the next 15 minutes or so, we decide we need to have an etsy shop of our own...we could make things like these! Within the week, we shopped for supplies, figured out how to make basic earrings. Eventually my friend decided that she could not take this up at this time. I was a bit disappointed, but had these supplies on hand, so played with it a bit, and came up with this...my first pair of earrings!

Sent it off to a friend "R" in India. And there was no stopping me after this :)

I did, in due time, make a piece of jewelry for my other friend who had planted the seed for this in my head...this was my gift to her (yeah, a set...given to two different people ;-)

Seeing this, yet another friend asked if I would take orders. And thus happened my very first sale, to my very first supporter! She ordered a few more things as birthday gifts for her friends...here's what she inspired me to make:

 This was given to her as "customer appreciation" :)

And some other friends and family got gifts

Some I kept for myself....

And I got a couple more orders...

Didn't feel so good making my friends indirectly pay for my hobby, so I decided to donate what I made from these to my favorite cause: PWhy...

And finally, the same friend who was originally my "partner in crime", suggested that although she could not work with me full time, she would love to host an exhibition+sale for my jewelry (aren't friends the awesomest awesomest people!?)

And thus happened my first exhibition on December 17th 2011. I am amazed at how this came to be, and am really thinking of making this a constant part of my life.

Sadafulee...is going to be my brand name (if it can be called a "brand")
Have always loved the simple, yet beautiful flower. The name means "Always in bloom". Here's what it looks like...would love to know what other names it is known by!

Am hoping to promote my "Sadafulee" through this blog! And connect with the amazingly talented artists I have come across while trying to learn so many different techniques!

Wish me luck ppls!