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!

Scent of a Soup - Soup Sent

Can you smell the Soup simmering?  Here's a peek in the pot of The Scent of a Soup that I sent for Carolyn Young Chenault to feast her creativity into and come to a full boil on Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal Day, Saturday, May 10, 2014.  I fashioned together this Uniquely 4 Ewe Recipe Gift Tag to encourage and inspire her success:

Recipe for Carolyn’s 8^th Annual Bead Soup

2 Pints Getting to Know You

1 Dash of I Can Do This

1 Special Focal Bead

1 Pinch of a Clasp

3 Pounds Specially Picked Beads

2 Spoonfuls Findings and Such

1 Quart Love, Delight and Admiration

1 Sprinkle of Charming Packaging

4 Gallons of Creativity

A Smidgen of Bead Soup Spice

3 Cups of Showin’ What’ U Got

Mix it up with new friendships

and for the love of beads

share with bead buddies.

Multiplies happiness worldwide

and encourages others

while serving a healthy purpose to 

create a delicious Beaders Paradise!!! 
<3 Uniquely 4 Ewe

This Uniquely 4 Ewe BSBP box contained Carolyn's Soup ingredients.  

Lift the lid and experience the flavor she gets to sink her teeth into!

Carolyn Chenault's Special BSBP Ingredients!

The BSBP Recipe Teaser???

Here's the hidden variety of natural treasures
awaiting my partner to unleash her creativity!

Bead Soup Ingredient Peek!

     Looking forward to seeing what deliciousness Carolyn designs with her soup. She almost always creates necklaces or bracelets, but this Soup "has given her great inspiration".  She may make a new accessory item.  I've been excited, dreaming about what creative item she will come up with.

Handmade Focal Bead and Antique Copper Clasp

      This flower focal bead I made specifically for Carolyn's Bead Soup out of two different sizes of daggers, drop beads, crystals and seed beads. Carolyn said it reminds her of the sea anemones she sees in the tide pools on the Oregon Coast.  I had only seen this focal as a flower, but she's right, it looks like an ocean creature.

Handmade craftCADDY

      I also tucked in a fun gift, I hope she will find as useful as all the crafters' in our family do.  I sent her a handmade craftCADDY made by my dad. It can hold your crafting tools or tubes of beads for a project you're working on.  It's coming soon to our Uniquely 4 Ewe Etsy Shop for you to to stop by and check out this handy goodie.  Your craft table just might not be able to live without one or two! 
     After receiving our Soups, we thought it was funny that we picked similar color pallets for each other. Can't you just smell the Scent of a Soup that's simmering in Carolyn's Studio and getting ready for The 8th Annual Bead Soup Blog Party organized by the creative, talented and inspired Lori McDaniel Anderson.
     Must go set the table in anticipation of BSBP Reveal Day, just 1 week away now on Saturday, May 10, 2014!!! 

Bon Appetit Beaders!!!

Bead Soup DelicaSEA!!!

     The 8th Annual Bead Soup Blog Party has begun and as a first year participant in 2014 I'm delighted that organizer Lori McDaniel Anderson partnered me for my 1st BSBP with the delightfully talented Carolyn Young Chenault of Sea Glass Inspired Beads & Jewelry.  Carolyn and I started getting to know each other by e-mail, exchanging questions about our beading likes, favorites, styles, shapes and forms.  Carolyn enjoys stringing and metalwork and has her own studio where she makes beads, jewelry components and beaded metal links inspired by the sea.  She combines porcelain, glass (fused and lampwork) and metal (mostly silver). 
     Carolyn enjoys incorporating words and quotes into her designs.  Carolyn says it gives her such joy and makes her jewelry more personal and thoughtful to be able to customize a special piece with an inspiring heartfelt meaning.  She loves designing with blues, greens, teals and irridescents, shells, wood, pearls, abalone and natural pearls.  She enjoys asymmetrical designs, vintage findings, searching for mother of pearl buttons and incorporating leather and waxed cording into her one of a kind designs.  She even will drill holes in things she finds on the beach to enhance her designs or bezel set an inspired find. 
     Carolyn shared her wonderful talent by sending me the most amazing Bead Soup DelicaSEA!!! 

DelicaSEA received from Carolyn Young Chenault

It was secured in a unique round paper box lined with tissue paper and inlcuded a delighful handmade beach glass focal bead in turquoise teal with the inspiration "WISH" imprinted in it. 

In addition she shared natural sea shells, tubes, beach glass disks, sweet buttons, abalone dots, wooden gems, varied shapes, textures and irridescent goodies with a charming hand formed flattened copper wire clasp that links to a delicate companion heart layered over a dreamy rectangle slice of teal beach glass wire wrapped in copper. 

Carolyn has definately got my creative juices flowing.  I dream about the wonderful ways I'll be able to design a unique piece I'll enjoy wearing, cherishing this new Bead Friendship formed by a sweet, thoughtful package that arrived in the mail. 

Thank you for enjoying my 1st Bead Soup DelicaSEA, specially selected by Carolyn Young Chenault for me to sink my creativity into by Reveal Day May 10, 2014.