8th Annual Bead Soup Blog Party REVEAL!

KITCHEN'S OPEN AND SERVIN' UP - IT'S BSBP REVEAL DAY!!!

"Heartfelt SEASoning" - 8th Annual BSBP Reveal

      Participating in the 8th Annual Bead Soup Blog Party has been a first for this 1st time BSBPartier and bead enthusiast!  Encouraged by friend and fellow crafter of many talents Tandra Boyer, I signed up just a few hours before the deadine on 2/8/14 and had barely any idea of what we were getting ourselves into with our friend and master lampworker Patricia Robitaille.  Tandra's the great conduit that got me participating.  Also learned that my co-worker and fellow bead friend, Kelly Morgan was also participating in this years BSBP!  I had so much fun designing these 5 pieces I collectively call "Heartfelt SEASoning".  Here's the Soup I created from the delicaSEAS that Carolyn Young Chenault handmade and stirred up for me.

"SALTwater Love and Wishes" - 3 piece set

     Creativity was flowing!  I had so much fun fashioning 5 BSBP pieces into two sets from the wonderfully fun, colorful and lively soup that Carolyn sweetly selected.   Here's the first set, 3 pieces I designed into, a necklace, bracelet and earring set which use the focal and the clasp, the requirement of the BSBP.  I'm calling this first set "SALTwater Love and Wishes".  Carolyn's clasp was way too beautiful to hide behind a neck of a necklace and use as a traditional clasp.  I brought the layered sea glass clasp with a delightful heart to the front and dangled it with other ocean goodies and beads from the lovely flattened copper wire wrapping.  I thought that linking would keep the focus on the focal clasp and the wonderful colors, shapes and textures of the soup beads that Carolyn selected.  It was fun linking segments of beads with copper jump rings into this delightful 21 inch delicaSEA necklace. The jump rings held a little accent bead to minimize the appearance of the jump rings and keep the focus on the sensational beads.  I even threaded a couple of beads inside the gray abalone rings to give them a little SEAbling.  I wanted to challenge myself to go asymmetrical with the design which was a new experience for me and seemed to suit the bead soup ingredients.

Carolyn's Clasp as the Focal!

    Isn't this layered clasp just delightful as a focal?  It inspires me to want to dabble in more wire wrapping and experiment with layering.  I feel lucky to be able to design with this charming piece from Carolyn's studio!

     The "Wish" focal I also loved and first tried to incorporate into the SALTwater Love and Wishes necklace, but when placed on the side it wanted to fall forward.  After two separate design consults with Kelly and Tandra, a bracelet was brainstormed and evolved.  It's a perfectly comfortable 6.75 inch bracelet for my wrist.  I linked abalone buttons with two holes with copper jump rings adding a little SEAbling on the jump rings and a hidden copper lobster claw clasp.  Three little dangles beads on each side of the sea glass inspiring :WISH" message completed the bracelet.  So enjoyed wearing it to church on Easter Sunday! 

Delicate Wishful Bracelet linked with Abalone Buttons

Tubular Disk Dangle Earrings

      Also loved these tubular beads and just had to put a splash of them in each piece of this set.  Loved sticking a little seed bead or shell disk on each jump ring to add a little more seaBLING and fun movement to the pieces.  Oh, and the round sea glass disks are the greatest accent here and there in the necklace and atop the earrings are just devine.

Copper Ocean dewDROP Necklace

     The second BSBP set I designed used this great teal teardrop bead that Carolyn sent.  It was just about the only thing left from the soup I hadn't used in the SALTwater Love and Wishes set and I didn't want to leave it out.  It was too inspiring a shape not to play with and was fashioned into a 2 piece necklace and earring set I'm calling "Copper Ocean dewDROP". 

Fun copper links & abalone disks

      Fun copper links in two sizes combined with a chunky copper chain joined abalone disks with shiny teal baby dewDROPS.  Then the large teal Ocean dewDROP dangles topped with a sliver of sea shell disk separating a round gray abalone disk.  A fresh water pearl dangling inside a sea shell used as a bead cap hangs at the bottom of the Ocean dewDROP.  It's a  nice 19 inches length and very comfortable wearing.  The chunky copper chain is wide wrapped loops linked together with large jump rings.  The thin copper links connected to the Ocean dewDROP are 1.25 inches and 2 inches unique rustic twisted links connected with jump rings.  It's a delicate yet chunky copper piece with fun movement and focus on the pop-o-color teal Ocean dewDROP. 

 

dewDROP dangle

Linked Copper Ocean dewDROP Earrings

      This was ultimately so much fun participating in my first BSBP, even though there was an ample amount of trepidation.  I enjoyed sharing this experience with friends and my co-worker along the way.  I'm so totally tickled being here in the BSBP Kitchen experiencing my 1st Bead Soup Blog Party!  It's been a great, inspiring and creative experience getting to experience all you talented beaders and crafters. This experience even allowed me to stretch and practice my blogging skills and open our family Uniquely4Ewe Etsy Shop, a new adventure for us family of crafters.

     Hope your creativity soars as you enjoy hopping around the 8th ANNUAL BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY following this link.  Ultimately, I have been uniquely, inspired beyond belief at all the creativity in one place @ the Bead Soup Cafe and Bead Soup Blog Party thanks to Lori McDaniels Anderson's beadSPIRATION!!!

Thank you for stopping by to sample the Soup!