Welcome to the Bead Soup Blog Party! My blog is all dressed up and ready to go!
But before I get into full party mode, I would like to thank Lori Anderson of Pretty Things for hosting this hop. And what an amazing host she has been! She started an FB group for us to hang out at, I made SO many new friends there! She helped us with ideas for the hop, set us up with all kinds of cool links, even created a map of where all the participants are located! That was one amazing map! A global party! You want to see?
See...over here...
Lori, thank you SO much for all the effort you have put into this for all of us!
And I suppose I should get along and show you what I made now ;-)
Here's the soup I got from Kat White of Shiny Moon Beams: http://www.shinymoonbeams.com/
Yeah, I know...these two pictures don't really seem to gel very well, isn't it? But wait till you see the whole, its kinda unexpected, and quite pretty :-)
See?
Here's another view...with the clasp. I did use the clasp Kat sent as well.
I was aiming at making something "unusual" and I think I did achieve that. I didn't quite like it at first, but had to live with this one, as I was traveling the next day to go to India. I took it along to show my family and friends, and everyone, even my Dad, loved it (he didn't like anything else...he is the old-fashioned, "why-are-you-wearing-this-and-not-gold" kinda guy ;-)).
So I suppose I achieved the "prettiness" goal as well :-)
I wanted to make a pair of earrings for one of my closest friends in India (thank you, Internet, she is still in my top 3 in spite of the distance!). Now here was another challenge. She does not wear jewelry. Maybe occasionally...very very rarely. She said if you really want to make me something, make sure it is small and subtle. And maybe blue. Blue I can do. Small...is difficult.
A couple hours before I was to leave for the airport, and I still did not have anything for her :(( Finally, the blue beads Kat sent, spoke up and said they wanted to go to India, hahaha :-) So here's what I made...rustled them up pretty quickly once I knew what I wanted:
I think I will wear my necklace to work today :-)
Here are the other participants...do go on and party with everyone else!
But before I get into full party mode, I would like to thank Lori Anderson of Pretty Things for hosting this hop. And what an amazing host she has been! She started an FB group for us to hang out at, I made SO many new friends there! She helped us with ideas for the hop, set us up with all kinds of cool links, even created a map of where all the participants are located! That was one amazing map! A global party! You want to see?
See...over here...
Lori, thank you SO much for all the effort you have put into this for all of us!
And I suppose I should get along and show you what I made now ;-)
Here's the soup I got from Kat White of Shiny Moon Beams: http://www.shinymoonbeams.com/
Like I had mentioned before, I had been in awe of Millefiore beads for the longest time, and was super thrilled to get this gorgeous focal!
The donut itself is so pretty, adding anything else to it without making it look too busy was a big challenge! I googled a bit to see how others had used these donuts. And I was right...most people had simply added a nice ribbon around it to emphasize the focal.
So I started breaking down the problem...
What stringing material did I want to use? Definitely not chain, and absolutely not a simple lark's head knot. Kat had sent me some seed beads I could use to make a loop out of, and she was sweet enough to even put up a tutorial for me. But I did not have the string I would need to use with the seed-beads, they were a very tiny size. And no time to go shopping for it either. So that option was out.
I did want to use some kind of "fiber" , so settled on waxed linen. I did have to use the Lark's Head knot, but then I did two of them instead of one...like this....
Next, what beads did I want to use? My main concern again, was not to overwhelm the design. So I picked a few and have kept the rest for future use. Also, I didn't want to simply string them in the cord one after the other (nothing wrong with that of course, I usually like to complicate things, haha :-))
What should I do with these spacers? I tried real hard to add the spacers to this, but nothing came to me. So they are not in there. I did add one of my own spacers, that I had wanted to use for a while, but had not had an opportunity yet. So this is what I did with the co-ordinating beads:
Yeah, I know...these two pictures don't really seem to gel very well, isn't it? But wait till you see the whole, its kinda unexpected, and quite pretty :-)
See?
Here's another view...with the clasp. I did use the clasp Kat sent as well.
I was aiming at making something "unusual" and I think I did achieve that. I didn't quite like it at first, but had to live with this one, as I was traveling the next day to go to India. I took it along to show my family and friends, and everyone, even my Dad, loved it (he didn't like anything else...he is the old-fashioned, "why-are-you-wearing-this-and-not-gold" kinda guy ;-)).
So I suppose I achieved the "prettiness" goal as well :-)
I wanted to make a pair of earrings for one of my closest friends in India (thank you, Internet, she is still in my top 3 in spite of the distance!). Now here was another challenge. She does not wear jewelry. Maybe occasionally...very very rarely. She said if you really want to make me something, make sure it is small and subtle. And maybe blue. Blue I can do. Small...is difficult.
A couple hours before I was to leave for the airport, and I still did not have anything for her :(( Finally, the blue beads Kat sent, spoke up and said they wanted to go to India, hahaha :-) So here's what I made...rustled them up pretty quickly once I knew what I wanted:
Both the beads are from the soup Kat sent to me. I added the leaf from my own stash, and made the earwires from eyepins to keep them short and simple. My friend LOVED them. The first thing she noticed was the leaves...she is a landscape architect :-) Funny isn't it how everyone notices different things, and a random choice, like the leaves, becomes a special one!
I wanted to make some more things from Kat's beads. I have a small focal made out of the rest of the beads, but did not have time to finish it off. Maybe soon...
Thanks Kat for sending me this wonderful soup! I loved each and every thing in there, and promise I will use them soon!
I think I will wear my necklace to work today :-)
Here are the other participants...do go on and party with everyone else!
Hostess, Lori Anderson
Special Book Sneak Peeks, Cindy Wimmer
2. Adrienn Lukacs (Hungary) and Agata Grygiel (Poland)
3. Agi Kiss (Hungary) and Carolien Muller-Genger (the Netherlands)
4. Agnes Asztalos (Hungary) and B.R. Kuhlman
5. Alesha Conklin and Becki Mendivil
6. Alice Peterson and Carol Dillman
7. Alicia Marinache (Canada) and Dita Basu
9. Amanda Tibbetts and Andrea Trank
11. Andra Weber and Christine Murrow
12. Ann Sherwood and Diane Welte
13. Barbara Bechtel and Kerry Bogert
14. Barbara Lewis and Cat Pruitt
15. Bonnie Coursolle (Canada) and Fay Wolfenden (Canada)
16. Carmel McGinley (Australia) and Tracy Stillman (Australia)
17. Cassie Donlen and Deryn Mentock
18. Cathie Carroll and Janel Dudley
19. Cece Cormier and Morwyn Mullins
20. Charlene Jacka and Christina Hickman
22. Christina Stofmeel (the Netherlands) and Eva Kovacs (Hungary)
23. Christine Damm and Deb Brooks
24. Cilla Watkins (Canada) and Elaine Robitaille (Canada)
27. Cory Celaya and Rhea Freitieg
28. Courtney Breul and Dana Hickey
29. Cynthia Abner and Jennifer Boreck
30. Cynthia Tucker and Jean Peter
32. Dee Elgie (UK) and Joanne Lockwood (UK)
33. Dian Hierschel (Germany) and Eniko Fabian (Austria)
34. Diane Cook and Lyn Foley
35. Donna Bohler and Lisa Lodge
36. Donna Millard and Kiersten Giles
37. Doris Stumpf (Germany) and Eszter Czibulyas (Hungary)
38. Elisabeth Auld and Eva Sherman
39. Elke Leonhardt-Rath (Germany) and Marjolein Trewavas (UK)
40. Ema Kilroy and Laurie Keefe-Cecere
42. Erin Grant and Jean Wells
43. Evelyn Duberry (Canada) and Gaea Cannaday
44. Genea Crivello-Knable and Heather Powers
45. Ginger Bishop (military, Okinawa) and Martina Nagele (Germany)
46. Heidi Kingman and Lori Greenberg
47. Helen Kemp and Lisa Wangeman
48. Helene Goldberg (Australia) and Karen Vincent
49. Jamie Hogsett and Jeannie Dukic
50. Jeanette Ryan and Jelveh Jaferian
52. Jennifer Justman and Kari Carrigan
53. Jennifer Tough and Lorelei Eurto
54. Joanna Matuszczyk (Poland) and Julianna Kis (Hungary)
55. Joanne Tinley (UK) and Michaela Pabeschitz (Austria)
56. Julie Anne Leggett and Kelley Fogle
57. Karen Hess and Linda Landig
58. Karyn Bonfiglio and Kathleen Lange Klik
59. Kashmira Patel and Kat White
60. Kat Barron Miller and Kelly Morgan
62. Krafty Max and Sandra Miller
63. Kristen Latimer and Pam Ferrari
64. Kristie Roeder and Lea Avroch
65. Kristina Johansson (Sweden) and Penny Neville (Canada)
66. Krisztina Erlaki-Toth (Hungary) and Nicole Keller (Germany)
67. Lara Lutrick and Lisa Suver
68. Laura DeMoya and Lisa Hanna
69. Libby Leuchtman and Melanie Brooks
70. Linda Koch and Rosemarie Cowit
72. Lisa Liddy and Marion Simmons
73. Lori Anderson and Marcie Abney
74. Lori Bowring-Michaud and Mary Govaars
75. Lori Dorrington and Maria Rosa Sharrow
76. Lori Finney (Canada) and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp (Canada)
77. Lynn Bennett and Mandi Ainsworth
78. Marta Kaczerowska (Poland) and Milla Starchik (Canada)
79. Mary Harding and Shannon LeVart
80. Mary Jane Dodd and Stacey Curry
83. Michelle Jensen and Sandra Young (Canada)
84. Nan Emmett and Nicole Valentine-Rimmer (Canada)
85. Nancy Boylan and Suzette Bentley
86. Natasha Lutes and Patti Vanderbloemen
87. Pam Hurst and Rebekah Payne
88. Patty Miller and Sara Rhoades
89. Rebecca Anderson (UK) and Lori Anderson
90. Rebecca Sirevaag and Sharon Driscoll
92. Rosa Maria Cuevas (Mexico) and Tejae Floyde
93. Sabine Dittrich (Germany) and Sally Russick
94. Sandi Volpe and Sarah/Saturday Sequins
95. Shanti Johnson and Tracy Mok (Canada)
96. Skylar Brez and Theresa Buchle
97. Sonya Stille and Traci Zeller (Canada)
98. Stefanie Teufel (Germany) and Tania Hagen (New Zealand)
99. Stephanie LaRosa and Vonna Maslanka
100. Terri Wlaschin and Wendy Blum
Congradulations!!!Well done!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Milla :-) My first comment of the BSBP, yayy!
DeleteLet me the first to say what a beautiful job you did with the millefiore disc. Great job on all of your pieces.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharon! That disc was quite a challenge. Am glad I cld do it some justice :)
DeleteKashmira - I love what you did with the donut! Very unusual with the spacer sections and I agree with your dad - very pretty, too! The earrings are also lovely. Isn't this fun? :)
ReplyDeleteHeidi, thank you :) Yup, tottttal fun! Aren't the spacers cute? I will definitely be making more of those and see what else I can do with them.
DeleteKashmira you did a super wonderful job, I am really thrilled to see what you did with that donut. Great job. How fun the blue beads went to India, that must be a long flight. I cannot stand to fly. I admire anyone that can fly that far. I have been to the UK that is just so hard to fly that far. In any event I love what you created it's awesome! (((Hugs)))
ReplyDeleteKat, thanks so much for the wonderful soup. I had a LOT of fun with it, as you can see :)
DeleteYeah, funny about the beads that went to India, haha.
As for flying...well...India will always be home...so no matter where I am, its never too much distance...have to go home :)
What a pretty necklace, and your blog is a pleasure to read! You certainly achieved your aim of simple, but unexpected, good job!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comments about my necklace and my blog. I hope to keep it lively around here :)
DeleteWhat a beautiful necklace. I love that focal.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you accented the donut with the other beads. I turned out very pretty!
ReplyDeleteLinda, looks cute, ain't it? I hated it to begin with, but its grown on me since...:)
DeleteKashmira, I have to say I think your necklace is the prettiest design I have ever seen with a Millefiore donut! What a clever idea to break out of the expected and create two strands from the focal! And I really love how you broke up the cording with the colorful section of spacers on either side. As you said - nothing too busy but absolutely ingenious! No wonder your Dad approved! And the earrings for your friend are really sweet!
ReplyDeleteCindy, you have such a lovely way with words, always a pleasure to read your comments! Thank you :)
DeleteI love how you forced yourself to come up with a solution for your necklace using only what you already have. Necessity is the mother of invention after all. You did a really great job. Simple, but not boring - and it could go from casual to dressy quite easily depending what you wear it with. How sweet about your friend & the earrings. Funny how those things work out :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heidi. Yeah, I always try to use what I have...it has really kept things interesting. WHile I was making this though, I was wishing I had a different colored cord. But now I like the one I used.
DeleteReally dig the vibe on the necklace. Very unique & could see it dressed up or down! U nailed it! And the earrings? Well I luv leaves & their purrfect!
ReplyDeletePS I did turn off word verification! TY for letting me know!
Shanti
Thank you so much, Shanti. Am quite happy with the unique factor of the necklace, and I think I will be making a pair of those earrings for myself. They are too cute :D
DeleteLove the things you made from your soup. Especially the way you used the extra beads to brake up the long cord. It give the necklace an ethnic vibe.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the wonderful comment you gave me. I am still dancing round the room!!!
Ethnic! Exactly what I was thinking but not quite getting the word :) Thanks, Marjorie for the apt description.
DeleteWow, very nice! The beads pick the colours perfectly rom the focal. I hope you wear it with pride :) x
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I did. I strutted around at work showing it to my friends :)
DeleteYou should see the beads Kat sent...each color perfectly matching something in the donut. She's good with colors!
good work!
ReplyDeleteI'm another partecipant, from Italy, I'm trying to see all other partecipant post :)
ciao ciao
Hi Jo...thanks for stopping by and for your sweet comment :) I will drop by soon at your blog...have fun hopping!
DeleteThanks for posting the map. I enjoyed seeing where everyone came from. The focal is gorgeous. I learned the name for a new favorite bead-Millefiore.
ReplyDeleteKathy, the map is super, isn't it? So many people ALL over the world! Gotta love the internet.
DeleteI have always been in awe of the millefiore...am going to try to make some in polymer clay soon
great job, love them!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Pam!
DeleteThat doughnut focal bead is fantastic and I love the unusual design you came up with to showcase it. Simple, yet elegant.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bonnie :)
DeleteBeautiful necklace and the use of the main focal is fabulous! The sweet earrings are GREAT!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your sweet comments, Keri :)
DeleteBeautifully done! I never know what to do with donut shaped focals :) Love the earrings too!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I have worked with a donut before, but that one had holes through it, so was easier to work with. This one had me scratching my head for a bit.
DeleteKashmira I left you a comment earlier but it is not here so I post again. I love what you did with the necklace adding the spacers to the cord.
ReplyDeleteThe necklace is so lovely.Thank you so much for the wonderful comment you left on my blog. I am still dancing round the room.
All so pretty! I especially love the milleflors focal!!
ReplyDeleteOh, I really like the way you hung that ring! The use of two strands on either side definitely adds something. I would have never come up with this solution. It's very cool! Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the encouraging words :)
DeleteNice looking soup and you did great with it, looks like a fun one to wear!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jean. I sure had fun making it and wearing it too.
DeleteI think you did a marvelous job of showcasing that lovely donut. The knotted waxed linen is a perfect choice. Those leaf earrings are very pretty too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandra! Have been using waxed linen a lot lately. Love it!
DeleteAwesome necklace design and I think you were very clever in the way you strung it up. I love the focal bead. I bet it is beautiful to hold in person. Great idea on using two strands to string the focal. I wouldn't have thought of that and then you follow the 2 strand pattern on the smaller focals in the design. Great job!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cassie. At first it felt like I was cheating because I did NOT want a lark's head knot, and I ended up with two of them..haha :) But I like the end result.
DeleteWow, that's a really cool focal piece and a really interesting way to add the beads to the sides of the necklace. Perfect necklace to dress up classic white shirt and jeans.
ReplyDeleteMarion
Thanks Marion...exactly what I did...dressed up my jeans-and-tee look yesterday at work.
DeleteI really like what you did with the donut. The design is understated and pretty. Just my style. Love the leaves on the earrings, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am loving those leaves more each time I look at them. This is my third time using them, and they look sweet in everything :)
DeletePretty designs.
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteReally fun necklace. I like the mix of cord and beads. The earrings you made for your friend are very pretty too!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathleen! I have been trying to use cord and ribbon a lot lately, so am loving this one quite a bit :)
DeleteThank you for sharing your story. I loved reading about your process and laughed when I read about our dad. I can definitely picture that :-) I'm glad your friend loved her earrings...what a sweet gift and perfect for a landscape architect. Gorgeous pieces!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jennifer :) I do love writing up my tales, haha!
DeleteYeah, Dad was quite funny about the necklace :)
I love how you incorporated the square spacers into your necklace design. And you were right not to overwhelm the donut. Great work!!
ReplyDeleteDonna, just realized the geometry thing...round and square...didn't think of it before :) Silly me!
DeleteI love how you incorporated the square spacers into your necklace design. And you were right not to overwhelm the donut. Great work!!
ReplyDelete(I entered one comment but it disappeared.)
Beautiful! I love the loop of beads you created up the cording. I agree the focal stands well on its own and needed a design that would sit with it without overwhelming it.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Am going to make more of those little loops :)
DeleteKashmira, I love your necklace. It is so light, yet there is plenty of attention to details. The choice of beads that you had picked from the central bead resonate in the piece. Lovely. And the leaf earring for the landscape architect friend is very precious indeed.
ReplyDeleteTake care. How's the weather there now? It is still pretty chilly here, though some blossoms are coming out. Enjoy! Dita.
Thanks so much, Dita, for your sweet comments :)
DeleteAm back in CA now, weather was getting warmer while I was there...summer about to start!
Love your work! Hava a nice day, hugs Doris
ReplyDeleteThank you, Doris :)
DeleteLove how you used your focal. And I am so glad your friend loved her earrings, they are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteThank you :) I want to make a pair of those earrings for myself now!
DeleteSo colorful!! I really like the little "connectors" that you designed!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Moobie, they were so much fun to design :)
DeleteSo creative yet simple and wearable, love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jessica :)
DeleteI would never have thought to use a donut pendant that way :) Great idea
ReplyDeleteA very creative use of the donut! I would have been stumped with how not to overpower it, too, and you did a great job! And I'm betting your friend loved her gift!
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll join me again in the summer!
Thank you Lori. It sure was a challenge!
DeleteWill definitely be partying with you all in the summer :)
I like the way you used the focal, very creative doubling it.
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteThe way you used the donut pendant was a really neat idea. I would have been clueless! lol! Pretty necklace! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy! I was quite surprised with it too, lol :)
DeleteWhat a gorgeous donut pendant! And what a nice way you chose to show it off. Great job! Love the cute earring too!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! It was fun trying to figure this out.
Deletenice pieces! I especially like the earrings. I think your friend will enjoying wearing them.
ReplyDeleteYup, she loved them, she said she was going to wear it to her granny's 100th birhtday party, that is pretty special!
DeleteThe necklace looks like so much fun to wear - I think it is simply stunning! The earrings are great too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cindy. I did enjoy wearing it and showing it off :)
DeleteLOL at your dad. So great that he liked the necklace, which turned out really well I think. Love the earrings you made for your friend - they're exactly what I would wear. And yes, it's the random choice of silver leaves that caught my eye. Great work!
ReplyDeleteThanks Adlinah! I love the earrings too. The colors are so much fun!
DeleteLove the Millifiori focal. You did a great job. The big bead is a real eye-catcher!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Erica. It did present quite a challenge, being so pretty and all...was hard figuring out what to do with it
DeleteBeautiful work, I agree with you and would have done the same thing. Your earrings are really cute too!
ReplyDeleteSonya
Thanks Sonya :)
DeleteThe necklace is beautiful! I love the beads and spacers to add interest. The earrings are darling!
ReplyDeleteThanks Alice! I loved my soup ingredients. So very pretty, but so challenging too.
DeleteGreat great fun you had with this soup. It has come through your jewelry that you made. I love the way you ran two strands up each side and incorporated the focal points along the sides. It is so creative. Love your friend's earrings too. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jean! Am glad my "mood" (fun!) is showing through the design :)
DeleteI, too, have enjoyed the Facebook connection! I just love how you have constructed your necklace...it is just beautiful, as are the earrings! You did a fantastic job!
ReplyDeleteThanks Patti :) You have such a nice way with words, makes me smile :)
DeleteGreat touch in beading the cording - love that! It really accented the millefiore donut well. Lovely.
ReplyDelete~diana
Kashmira - you did a great job! I love the necklace: the beautiful millefiori is not overwhelmed, but not lonely either :) And the earrings are precious, I love how things come together in unexpected ways (fate, eh?).
ReplyDeleteI like that you have spiced up the cording with the beads, A great way to make a blah necklace and great necklace. Your leaf earrings are very sweet and you friend should love them.
ReplyDeletevery nice, looks like you have a great time doing this bead soup challenge!
ReplyDeleteOoooh, I love what you did with the necklace! It's eye catching in a totally wonderful way! SO creative :) And the earrings for your friend are so lovely :)
ReplyDeleteI like the added beads above the focal with the waxed cord, very cool!
ReplyDeleteI think you described your necklace perfectly, unexpected and quite pretty:) The beads in the stations you created set off the colors in the focal perfectly. The earrings are very sweet and it's so nice that your friend liked them as well as she did. Great job!
ReplyDeleteYou made a really lovely necklace with your soup!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great piece! I love how you made the two side accents on the necklace - lovely!
ReplyDelete