Saturday, May 10, 2014

The 8th Bead Soup Blog Party REVEAL Is Here!!!

First off, I would love to thank Lori Anderson for all of her hard work on the party, and for everything she's done for ALL of us.  She is simply amazing!  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lori!!!

And now, on with the show!!

I was paired with the nicest beader!  Her name is Carol Wilson, and her blog is www.jetadorn.blogspot.com!   She is a very talented jewelry artist from the Sunshine State (Florida!).  I was so excited to see what she sent me, so when the package arrived, I tore into it before I even got back to the house from the mailbox!

Just a little reminder, here is what she sent me!


Just look at all the pretty purples, blues, pinks and black!   And in GOLD!!  I almost never use gold in my jewelry designs, so Carol really challenged me!  I was thrilled to see a metal in there that seemed to say "let's see what you can do with this!"  The pendant focal just stole my breath, and the hand-made clasp is so fun!  I have to admit that I had a serious case of envy for that clasp, because I couldn't make a clasp myself if my life depended on it!  HA HA HA!  

So, I've been mulling about with a couple of ideas of what to create with this bead soup.  Each one was studied on, and eventually discarded.  I mulled and thought, thought and mulled, studied and studied, I FINALLY came up with a design.  I wanted to do something that showcased each individual element of the soup that Carol sent me, and I think maybe, just maybe, I succeeded in that.




I created a hand-made chain for the focal using some gold wire.  The best part of all of this?  My mom was here visiting with me, so while I was creating, I got to spend some quality time with her.  She is a fellow jewelry artist, so there is some of her influence in this piece as well.  I wire wrapped the chain using the plethora of gorgeous beads from Carol's soup and added just a couple of others that I thought would bring out some of the stunning color in the focal.  The clasp just looked perfect with the chain as well.   Once I was done with all those wire wrapped components, I created a small coordinating bracelet and pair of earrings with hand-made earwires.  ( I CAN make earwires, just not clasps!)




I utilized the gorgeous glass, pearl and stone beads for each link in the chain. 


I think that the design sets off the gorgeous focal and the beautiful clasp well.


This photo simply does NOT do this pendant focal justice.  The colors are so vibrant and imaginative.  I could stare at it for hours!


Here is the fun earrings and bracelet that I created as well.  They are very simple, but I find sometimes that beauty can be found in the most simple of creations.


Here is another look at the entire ensemble.

Again, I want to thank my amazing partner, Carol Wilson, for such an amazing bead soup.  I hope that she has had as much fun with this as I have!!   I can't wait to see what she created with what I sent her!   

Here is the link to the participants list for the 8th Annual Bead Soup Blog Party!  Please go visit everyone's pages and see what gorgeous things we created this year!!  There were over 500 participants this year, so the list is here on the link below.  VISIT VISIT VISIT!  You won't regret it!! :)

http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2014/05/welcome-to-8th-bead-soup-blog-party.html

Thank you so much for your visit, and I hope that you enjoy the Party!!

God bless!! 

Candi





81 comments:

  1. Oh, Candi, it is absolutely beautiful! I love-love-love the way you put it together with the beaded chain! Thank you for such a nice post (you are much more eloquent than I am) and the compliments. If anyone would like to see what I made from Candi's stash, see http://jetadorn.blogspot.com/ . Note that all of the beautiful components Candi sent me came from her local bead store, Bead Bayou (beadbayou.net) and the focal was handmade by Glenn Levent. Nearly all of what I sent her came from MY local beadstore, AA Beads (aabeadsonline.com).

    I have ideas for the rest of what she sent, too. For the fiber, of course it screams "kumihimo"! I may try to incorporate the lovely stone donuts. I think it will be lovely!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Carol!!! I just love what you sent to me. I didn't use all the beads. I hoarded the strand of amethyst all for myself! HA HA It's my husband's birthstone, so I think I'm going to make something out of it in honor of him. :) I hope that you have a blessed day!! I'm going to go see what you made now!!

      Delete
  2. Candi I agree that simple can be stunning and you did it really well. Great job girl.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The design you created and colors paired are perfect with that focal bead! What a dynamic set! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. The design you created and colors paired are perfect with that focal bead! What a dynamic set! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. so colorfull and sparkling creations!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a stunningly beautiful set of jewellery, the beaded chain links are fab.

    ReplyDelete
  7. striking designs with great colours

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, that is beautiful! Great pieces!

    ReplyDelete
  9. The colors are AMAZING! That is a showstopper!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Very bohemian with sparks of color ,you also did a great job with the wire wrapping.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Gorgeous soup, right? Beautiful pieces and they compliment each other so well. The wire wrapping for the links gives the necklace an even greater value.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love all of the color and of course the hand made chain ! great job :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. That many different colors would have been intimidating to me, I think. But you rocked it like a champ !

    ReplyDelete
  14. Beautiful pieces - they would be so fun to wear!

    ReplyDelete
  15. All of those wire loops!!Wow!! Love what you have done with your soup!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Simplicity is always in! Your necklace definitely does justice to that beautiful focal. And goodness the time you must have spent wire wrapping the links - major props to you!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Colorful, fun, creations that will cheer you every time you wear them!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Lovely, colorful, vibrant and fun pieces, which just will go with everything!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow love what you have done with your soup! I have always wanted to try the loop earrings. Yours turned out beautiful. Thanks for stopping by my blog with such a great comment. KUDOS to you

    ReplyDelete
  20. Love that handmade chain! Sounds like a nice time spent with your Mom too.

    ReplyDelete
  21. What a beautiful set, so brilliantly colourful. Really great!

    ReplyDelete
  22. That design really does set off that focal --it does such a great job of showing it off without overwhelming or underwhelming it :-) Gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Perfect design for the focal really sets it off, the whole set is gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wow, that focal is just mind blowing! You did a great job matching it and with your wire wrapping. Stunning work! Thanks for joining and posting!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love the array of color in your piece...Beautiful and Vibrant.
    www.liraysadesigns.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. You have created a beautiful set. Perfectly color balanced. Just Soup-er!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I have to say that using gold with the beads and making your own chain really set this set apart! I think it is beautifully elegant, and would go with anything, from dressy to casual. Great job!! Gina H

    ReplyDelete
  28. What a lovely set you created! It so versatile & the colors you used go so well with that beautiful focal! By the way, if you can make ear wires, you CAN make a clasp. It's not as hard as it looks! :)))

    ReplyDelete
  29. Beautiful! So colorful...reminds me of carnival...I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  30. earrings are so pretty! my favourite of the set. the colours and bead pieces remind me of fruity jewelled pastilles. whee...!

    ReplyDelete
  31. It's all so beautiful!
    Well done ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  32. Love what you made with your soup! That must have been a lot of work to make that chain. Kudos on a well served soup! - Suzann Sladcik Wilson

    ReplyDelete
  33. That is a really pretty piece of dichroic, you've matched the colors in it well. I love handmade chain and yours in no exception, nicely done!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Beautiful job, I really love the beaded chain and the way you balanced the color palate!

    ReplyDelete
  35. The focal is gorgeous and the beaded chain you made really does it justice. Lovely work.

    ReplyDelete
  36. You created beautiful designs with your soup. Love how you used gold wire wraps to pull the metal from the bail on the focal up to the handmade clasp from your soup.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Your Dichroic glass focal and those hot pink Keishi pearls are to die for. What a beautiful soup to work with. I love how your set turned out. And if you can make chain and ear wires, you can make a clasp too. Keep trying. You'll get it.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Wow, your creation is so colorful, spectacular and brilliant. great

    ReplyDelete
  39. Such beautiful designs - love the bright use of colour =)

    ReplyDelete
  40. First I would like to say what an amazing soup. The abundance of colors included in it just flowed perfectly together. That focal bead was simply gorgeous, and the design you chose complemented it completely. What an amazing fantabulous job u did .....Ty for sharing. By now I am off to do more hopping boy r my legs getting tired

    ReplyDelete
  41. That's a gorgeous soup - and your design is happy, fun, cheerful and oh, so bright! Love it.

    ReplyDelete
  42. That dichroic glass is dreamy, love how you created a full set, great work!

    ReplyDelete
  43. What a lovely bright set you have made the necklace is colourful and pretty I love it!
    Jackie

    ReplyDelete
  44. lovely set! so bright and cheerful, would be a joy to wear

    ReplyDelete
  45. Such beautiful colours showcased amazingly b

    ReplyDelete
  46. So fun and colorful!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Colorful, happy and beautiful ... that's how I'd describe your set. You showcased all the single beads just as you wanted to. Well done!
    Alenka

    ReplyDelete
  48. Nice necklace! The focal is very colourful and goes so well with the chain ypu made. It is so nice!

    ReplyDelete
  49. the focal is so beautiful! I like that rainbow of colors (:

    ReplyDelete
  50. Very cheerful and with so many interesting details!
    Very well done!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Candi - you got such a gorgeous soup - filled with all kinds of color! And that dichroic focal is just THE BOMB!!!! I love that you kept the composition "simple" - I think it sets that focal off perfectly - it coordinates nicely, but places the spotlight firmly where it belongs. Kudos to you for making your own chain - I've made chains like that and they take hours and patience and some serious manual dexterity. My hands were SO sore when I finished the last one of those chains that I've studiously avoided making a full chain like that since, LOL. Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Great sop, such a glow! Lovely creations.

    ReplyDelete
  53. All of your pieces are wonderful. I love the colors and designs.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Great design. The handmade chain really compliments that gorgeous focals.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Yes, that is a gorgeous focal! Your necklace sets it off very very well! Beautiful colors :)

    ReplyDelete
  56. It is all so colorful and shiny - what a perfect trio of pieces. Very pretty soup ingredients and a nice use of those ingredients with your designs. You may find people staring at you while wearing any or all of these pieces - I know I wouldn't be able to stop looking at all of the bead colors!

    ReplyDelete
  57. My eyes just loved all the color Candi, and followed it all the way around the necklace. Great flow and lovely work!! True eye candy!!

    ReplyDelete
  58. You did a wonderful job with all of the beautiful color and shapes. The wire wrapped necklace is spectacular and the set is great!!! Have a Blessed Day!!!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Wow all the colours really hit of that focal and bring it to life. Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  60. You are right...that focal is fantastic! What a beautiful complement your beaded chain is to the swirling worlds in that focal. Thank you for sharing your talents with the Bed Soup. Enjoy the day! Erin

    ReplyDelete
  61. What an explosion of color! Your designs turned out great.

    ReplyDelete
  62. So fun! You showcased that focal beautifully

    ReplyDelete
  63. What beautiful soup you made! That chain is great! And how fun that your Mom got to see you create it :)

    ReplyDelete
  64. Gorgeous use of color, love your pieces

    ReplyDelete
  65. A lovely festive set of jewelry that you made from your swap. This set will go with anything that you could possibly wear!

    ReplyDelete
  66. You did a fabulous job of highlighting your bead soup! I love that focal! :)

    ReplyDelete
  67. The focal certainly got the attention it deserved - I like the choice of wired chain and bead arrangement. Making the earrings and bracelet simpler was the right thing to do but without them the necklace wouldn't be so gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  68. Most excellent job with your soup. The array of colors you used is perfect for summer, but I can also see that scheme working its way right into fall also. Lovely work!!

    ReplyDelete
  69. Wow, you received some colorful soup! I love how you made all your pieces go together with the focal piece. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  70. Wonderful work, you really made some beautiful pieces and set of that gorgeous focal to a tee.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Love what you made! I'd have to say, I think my favorite is the necklace! Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  72. Very very very nice I love your design and color combination ty for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  73. You really embraced that gold. All of the pieces look great. Nice job!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for allowing a little of my life to touch yours! I always love reading your thoughts!!