Angel Wings Necklace

Ordered some lovely metal wings from Barbara Lewis and created this little sweetie.  Completed her with a Stephanie Lee style chain from a recent online class I took.

A plethora of patina...working on a new class for Spring Beads

Grand finale of Sabrina Staub bead soup.  Sabrina's lampwork is absolutely stunning.  I so love these little orange and yellow toned beads she made.  I wear a lot of these colors, so I was especially delighted to see these lovely beads.

Sabrina also sent me some really cool ceramic beads that I love.  I am a turquoise lover, so they are right up my alley!  

Sabrina, this was so much fun.  Thank you again for such a wonderful soup.

A month or so ago I got a lovely package of beads in the mail from my BSBP 5 partner.  We enjoyed each other's beads so much on the first round that we decided to do a little side swap on our own.

Here is what the lovely and talented Sabrina Staub sent to me:

And here's what I did with the beautiful soup.

The fabulous strawberry Sabrina made called out "keep it simple" to me.  It would be beautiful hanging on a choker by itself, but I added a few stash beads and bitter green enameled beads to bring out the colors in the strawberry.

Sabrina sent a lovely combination of lime green and dark gray with a copper-colored swirl.  She also sent some really cool lentil shaped beads that complimented the copper swirl.  I mixed in a green bead left over from Kashmira Patel's soup.  The colors were perfect together.

I love these orange and charcoal beads Sabrina made, but I have to admit that they were the most difficult to come up with a design.  I'm still not sure I did them justice and may at some point try again.  I had a focal I made in a Stephanie Lee class that had a touch of orange in it, so I used that as my main focal.  I added some fibers and a chain that I oxidized.  What do you think?

This focal Sabrina made is absolutely gorgeous.  I have lots of purple in my stash, so it was easy to come up with some complimentary glass beads.  This bracelet is strung on wire with a magnetic clasp.  I love it!

Sabrina sent the beautiful lampwork blue beads.  I had some raku in my stash that I liked with them.  I strung the bracelet using the waxed linen Sabrina sent the beads on.  It was my first time to use waxed linen and I discovered that I totally love it.

There are two more pair of earrings that my photos didn't come out well on.  I will try again tomorrow, so check back.

Thank you, Sabrina, for this amazing soup!

BSBP 6 - Third Reveal

Here's the lovely soup I received from Kashmira Patel:

And here is what I did with it:

Here are a few closeups.

I don't normally work with large round beads so the focal was a bit of a challenge.  I played around with stringing it, but it just seemed to need a different look.  When I discovered some cream colored sari silk with a gold thread in my stash, I decided to go chunky bracelet.  I added some of the beautiful glass large hole beads and the disks Kashmira sent, tied a few knots, added some olive leather also from my personal stash and made a brass closure.

 

I wanted a totally different look with the remaining green and blue beads and disks so I scoured my stash and discovered a leftover shell from a stained glass lamp I made a few years ago.  With my focal in place, the rest came together rather quickly.  I created torch-fired enamel headpins in colors complimentary to the beads and wrapped them around blue leather cording to hold the beads in place.  I had a lot of fun creating this piece and it is my favorite of the three.

 I still had the clasp and some silver pieces Kashmira sent to play with.  I added some enameled headpins (since I'm a torch-fired enamel addict) and created a fun little bracelet.

Thank you, Kashmira, for all these fun materials.  You stretched me as an artist by sending elements I don't normally work with.  It has opened my eyes to another world of possibilities.

Check out the other participants in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party.

Here are the other participants of the third reveal:

Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Agi Kiss, Moonsafari Beads 
Alice Peterson, Alice Dreaming

Alison Sachs, Beads by Earthtones

Amanda Dittloff, Passion Smashin'

Andra Marasteanu, Bijoux de Monanage

Angie Szlovak, SweetBeads

Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

Ann Sherwood, Ann's Blog

Arlene Dean, A Glass Bash

Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution

Barb Solem, Vivi Magoo Presents

Barbara Blaszczyk, laboratorim Flory

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Beth Emery, Stories by Indigo Heart

Bianca Odenthal, Zydies Glasperlen

Birgit Klughardt, GitesBeads
Bobbie Rafferty, Beadsong Jewelry
Bonnie Coursolle,  Jasper Gems
Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini
Charlene Jacka, Clay Space
Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're
Cheryl Foiles, Get Your Bead On
Christie Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Christina Miles, Wings n Scales
Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design
Cindy Cima Edwards, Live to Design
CJ Bauschka, 4 His Glory Creations
Claire Smith, Embergrass Jewelry
Cynthia Riggs, Cynth's Blog
Dana Fowler, Trunk Full of Treasure
Dawn Pierro, Turtle Moon Designs
Dee Elgie, Cherry Obsidia
Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous

Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie
Eileen Snyder, Dorset Hill Beads
Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads
Eva Kovacs, Ewa gyongyos vilaga!
Evelyn Duberry, Sheba Makeda
Fay Wolfenden, Torch Fairy
Fen Li, Bead Flora Jewels
Gail Zwang, Angel Moose Enterprises
Geneva Collins, Torque Story
Grace Dorsey, Fan of the Flame
Gretchen Nation,  Art Food Lodging

Hannah Annear, Squintessential
Hajer Waheed, My Beaded World
Heather Goldsmith, As I Bead It
Heather Otto, The Craft Hopper
Heidi Kingman, My Bead Therapy
Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
Isolina Perez, Isolina Perez
Jacqueline Keller, CreARTelier
Jane Haag, Did You Make Something Today?
Janeen Sorensen, Wild Vanilla Designs
Jean Peter, Jean P. Designs

Jennifer Judd, Jen Judd Rocks
Jennifer L Justman, Soul's Fire Designs
Joanna Matuszczyk, Bizuteria z filcu
Joanne Brown, Jo's Jewels
Joanne Lockwood, Jo Bunkum
Joyce Becker, Joyce's Joyful Gems
Judy Riley, Three Red Beads
Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design
Karen Williams, Baublicious
Karin von Hoeren, Creative Ideen

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Kashmira Patel, Sadafule .. always in bloom!
Kate Richbourg, We Can Make That at Home

Katrin Lembke, AllesPerle
Kathy Combs, Torched in Texas
Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Kelley Fogle, My Life, One Bead at at Time
Kelly Hosford Patterson, Traveling Side Show

Klaudette Koon, Only Road
Lara Lutrick, Lampwork Beads by Lara
Laura Guenther, Blue Antiquities

Laurie Lalonde, Simply Mod Jewelry
Lilik Kristiani, Soul of My Embodiment
Linda Younkman, Lindy's Designs
Lisa Chapman, Beach Cat Beads
Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures
Loretta Carstensen, Designs by Loretta
Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design
Lori Dorrington, Lori's Adventures in Etsy Land
Lupe Meter, Gem's PC Corner
Lynn Davis, LLYYNN

Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin
Mandi Effron, Craft-o-licious
Mandy Williamson, Mimi's Beading
Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter
Maria Rosa Sharrow, Willow Street Shops
Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry
Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre
Marjolein Trewavas, Room for Change
Marelene Cupo, Amazing Designs
Marsha Neal, Marsha Neal Studio

Marta Kaczerowska, uhuhu
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry Blog
Michelle Burnett, Reverie and Revival
Michelle Escano-Caballero, The Cabby Crafter
Miko Wiropati, Uniquely Yunikua
Milla Hope,  LB Creative Arts and Crafts
Mimi Gardner, Other Curiosities
Miranda Ackerley, MirandackArts
Natalie McKenna, grubbi

Noemi Baena, fuego, metal, y color
Pam Ferrari, Ferrari Originals
Pam Sears, Crazy Creative Corner
Penny Neville, Copper Penny
Rachel Baron, R. Baron Designs
Rachel Myers, Rockabead Jewelry
Rana Wilson, Definitive Designs by R. Wilson
Rebecca Anderson, Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place
Riki Schumacher, Riki Jewelry 

Rose Binoya, Ahtee's Blog
Rossana De Gaspari, Rdegas Blog
Sally Anderson, Wild Sally Road
Sandi James, Do Be Do Bead Do
Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe
Sandra Wollberg, City of Brass Stories
Sarah Goode, Pookledo

Sarah Small, blog by salla
Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings
Shawn Mills, Shawn Marie Designs with Bent Wire
Sheila Davis, Stone Designs by Sheila

Sheryl Stephens, Babble Bead
Shiraz Biggie, Secret Song Designs
Solange Collin,  Ahowin Handcrafted Jewelry
Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads
Stephanie Dixon, The Dixon Chick
Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads
Susan Sheehan, Strands of Thought
Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria
Sweet Freedom, Sweet Freedom Designs
Tabatha Dinger, Modernly Created
Tania Hagen, Pelima Jewellery Design

Tanya Boden, Fusion Muse
Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas
Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo 
Tracy Stillman, Tracy Stillman Designs

I am so excited to again be published in the fall issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry Magazine.  It comes out next week, but here's a sneak peek.

Girlfriend Gifts

Here is my girlfriend group of 6 who have known each other since high school and college.  We've been doing annual reunions for 10 or so years since we all became empty nesters and decided it was time to nourish old friendships.  We call ourselves the SAPs.  We usually meet somewhere in Texas since 5 of us live here.  Once we met in Ohio where the 6th lives.  This year we were celebrating some pretty big birthdays, so we treated ourselves to a week in Estes Park, Colorado.  Beyond wonderful.

We sometimes bring gifts for each other.  For the past couple of years I have given handmade jewelry since that's what I'm doing these days.  One of my SAPs said, "This is the best hobby you've ever had!"  Here's what I made for my buds this year.

New class I'll be teaching at Spring Beads in August.  Come get out of the Texas heat and fire up your torch in a cool classroom!

Drop dead gorgeous goodies from my last bead soup partner (we decided to trade again on the side).  Sabrina's soup arrived from Switzerland in a lovely box.

Here's a link to her website.  Hope you speak German.

A good portion of her blog is in English.

So many yummy colors and styles of glasswork beads made by Sabrina Straub.

The orange ones are mixed with charcoal gray, which is a cool combo.  The blues are heavenly and oceanly - deep, deep blues.  The group with the green-tipped one has a metallic look.  The rectangular ones appear to be ceramic and Sabrina's card didn't say...did you make them, Sabrina?  She sent two speckled jewels and another stunning focal.  Oh my, so many focals to play with.  I'm truly in heaven.  Love the copper closure with 4 strand option.

Here's a closeup of what I believe is Sabrina's latest design.  She told me a month or so ago that she was working on perfecting strawberries.  As you can tell, she succeeded.  She is a master at precision.

Thanks so much for the beautiful "side" soup.  Now I have two lovely soups to play with.

Afternoon at the Torch!

Here's the unveiling of my package from Kashmira Patel.

Even the envelope is fun and colorful.

And she wrote me a lovely note to explain about the beads.

Ahhh.  And now for the beautiful beads.

I'm a bit of a green freak, so I absolutely love the colors.  And such interesting shapes!  The focal may stump me for a few days, but that just makes it more challenging.

Thank you, Kashmira, for a wonderful soup.

Check out Kashmira's eSites:

http://sadafulee.blogspot.com

http://sadafulee.luulla.com

http://facebook.com/sadafulee