Showing posts with label Blog Party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blog Party. Show all posts

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Bead Soup Blog Party 3rd Reveal

Soup's on for the third reveal of the Bead Soup Blog Party!! I want to start out by thanking our leader, Lori Anderson of Pretty Things, who came up the this amazing party - you can read more about it here. This year, there are 541 participants - 200 jewelry designers are in this reveal!!

My partner is the very talented, Christine Hansen of Intuitive Sparks. She sent me the most amazing soup with a gorgeous lampwork pendant and spacers that she made along with many beautiful beads to complement them. It was so fun playing with all of these ingredients - thanks, Chris!!


I love the vibrant blue of the lampwork focal and spacers, so I decided to make a necklace that really let them stand out and shine.



I made a bail so the focal could hang down a bit from the chain and put it on a headpin with silver wavy discs at each end. I used the very cool Tierra Cast toggle clasp in my soup and four of the lovely lampwork spacers.



I made earrings with the remaining two blue spacers. I wrapped the beads with bead caps and Swarovski bicones, then added a short chain and some of the detailed base metal spacers for a bit of movement.


I made these earrings with two of the purplish Chinese rondelles - when the light catches these beads, they are so beautiful! I made a bail with a small piece of wire, hammered the ends and hung them from ear wires with a flat coil that I'd just received from Auntie's Beads.


I made another pair of earrings using the Hematite rondelles. I cut different lengths of headpins and hung them from a silver circle in my stash.


The last pair of earrings I made are with two of the beautiful green lampwork glass beads. I added copper spacers, then I took Vintaj filigree diamonds, folded them in half and used my sons Dremel to make a small hole in the center of the filigree for the headpins.


Next up is the bracelet. I used a lampwork bead from Jane Perala Designs as the focal because it went so well with the beads in my soup. I wrapped the blue Czech bead with a pink Druzy and the purplish Chinese crystal with a fuschia bead with gold dots - it's from a strand that I had bought at Allegory Gallery last summer. I used some of the thrifted chain and pewter spacers and connected it together with square wire jump rings.


For the next necklace, I wrapped the deep plum Czech faceted beads with brass bead caps and connected them with twisted brass jump rings.


The focal has black faceted crystals in the center that just sparkle. I bought it at a small bead store in Dayton (for $1 !!) - I knew it would work perfectly with the plum and green!


I hung different lengths of chain from the brass flower and added flowers and leaves for movement. The purple flowers and leaves are from my first BSBP and I bought the pale turquoise flowers at my local bead store, Gahanna Bead Studio. I had the flower toggle in my stash and wove the deep green recycled sari silk through brass chain.


Lastly, I made this necklace with strawberry quartz, Hematite rondelles, base metal spacers and Swarovski bicones. I added them to black leather lace with a simple lobster claw toggle.


I had the best time creating with my soup and getting to know my partner! I hope you head over to Christine Hansen's blog to see what loveliness she created with her soup!




Thank you for stopping by!! I will definitely get to each blog on the list to drool over each design - life often gets in the way of beautiful jewelry!! Thanks for understanding!  :)

Take some time to check out all of the fabulous jewelry designers - here's the link to the list of all of the blog partier's of the 3rd Reveal!!

Saturday, April 20, 2013

My Bead Soup !!

My Bead Soup Blog Party partner, Christine Hansen, sent me the most wonderful soup! Chris is a lampwork glass artist who creates beautiful pendants and beads!

                                                 The pendant and spacer beads she created are awe-inspiring!!


                                          I love both sides of the pendant! You can find more of her lovely work here.


To go along with her lovely lampwork pendant and spacer beads, Chris also sent me an amazing collection of beads! They include beautiful green and blue sari silk ribbons, a thrifted base metal chain (love that she's a thrifty gal, too!), pewter spacers that fit over the chain, base metal spacers, Hematite rondelles, grey with blue Chinese crystal rondelles, deep plum Czech faceted beads, a Tierra Cast toggle clasp and blue Czeh faceted beads.


                     I love my soup and am so grateful that I was able to meet Chris and get to know her through this party!

                               Please check back on Saturday, April 27th for the 3rd Reveal of the Bead Soup Blog Party!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Let Me Introduce You to Christine Hansen

My Bead Soup Blog Party #7 partner is the amazing, talented and funny, Christine Hansen!! Chris is a lampwork glass artist, maker of mixed-media art charms and author.


She makes the most incredible calla lily and glass focal beads - you should really check out her etsy shop, ChristineHansenGlass, and see all of the loveliness that she's creating now!



Chris has a wonderful blog, Intuitive Sparks, where she's been sharing her lampwork beads, jewelry and life since 2006.


I've learned a lot about Chris since meeting her through this hop and I'm happy to call her a friend!
Here's what she told me:

I've had a lifelong fascination with glass, especially molten glass. I love the concept of making a tiny piece of art that one can carry, or wear, and that can (with a little luck) last for thousands of years. As a child, I drew, colored, painted, and made books. When I got older, I took every art class offered by my high school, as well as metal shop and wood shop. I've continued my learning adventure by taking many classes including photography, chain maille, precious metal clay (PMC), metal-smithing for jewelers, beaded embroidery, and lampwork bead-making. I've also taken advantage of the many wonderful books and videos available to further my education. Jewelry-making has been just one part on my life-long artistic journey. About 20 years ago, I made earrings and sold them to friends at work. A few years later, when I had my two children, I found myself making more mixed-media art and less jewelry. About 8 years ago, the mixed media art jewelry came together, and I began making jewelry again.


Besides writing Making Mixed-Media Art Charms & Jewelry with her good friend, Peggy Krzyzewski, Chris has also written close to 400 non-fiction articles for a wide variety of print and online publications, including the Flow and Glassline magazines. Her Field of Tulips beads were featured in the April 2012 issue of Stringing magazine.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Bead Soup Blog Party ......

Hello wonderful Bead Soup Blog Party Blog hoppers!!!

My lovely bead soup partner, Christine Hansen, and I have decided to move our reveal date to the 3rd Reveal, April 20.

Please continue to check out all of the fabulous jewelry designs and designers!!

Bead Soup Blog Party 2nd Reveal



Sunday, February 3, 2013

Many, Many Thanks

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for all of the lovely comments from the Memories and Thanks Blog Hop. I really do have an amazing family and am fortunate to have "met" so many wonderful people through my blog and the many hops I join!

I also want to say Thank You to Bill Zhang and the ZnetShows team for picking my Beach Diva bracelet for the Tucson Gem & Jewelry Show going on right now! Thank you to everyone who came to check out my designs - it was another fun challenge and I am in awe of the other designers' creations! Great job, ladies!!



Saturday, January 12, 2013

Memories and Thanks Blog Hop

The Memories and Thanks Blog Hop is both in honor of a lovely friend of Lori Anderson's, Marianna, and for those people in our lives who mean a lot to us - you can read more about the hop here.

I'll start at the beginning - why I started making jewelry.

My beautiful niece, Erica, was diagnosed with cancer in September 2008 - that rocked my family's safe, comfortable world - this doesn't happen to our kids!! Erica had been living on her own and making a comfortable life for herself in Myrtle Beach, SC. When she got sick, her Mom made her come back to Merrimack, NH to get the best care they could find. I wanted to be able to do something, anything, for her. Knowing that she liked jewelry, I started taking classes at my local bead shop. During this time, I started calling her Sweet Girl (SG for short) because she had such a sweet little voice - she also had a wicked sense of humor! As time went on, she was in treatment and I was making more jewelry, so I asked her to help me come up with a name for my "shop". She chose Sweet Girl Design which I love, because she's why I got into making jewelry and she continues to inspire me. Erica was beautiful, delicate-graceful, funny and, most definitely, full of love. My niece, Jackie, wrote this wonderful poem about her sister.


This past September was the 3rd Annual Erica's Run which raises money and donates it to local families in the Merrimack area, who are fighting cancer. Three of my sons and I were able to go - there were 436 runners, up from 207 in 2011! The team that puts this run on is a wonderful group of people that have helped lift my sister and her family up from the depths of despair - they're now a part of our family, too. There aren't enough words to say thank you to them, we are eternally grateful!!

I was fortunate to have been able to move my Dad near me, in February 2011, when he had dementia. He lived in a beautiful nursing home about a mile from my house, so I was able to visit every day. My boys would often come with me and play cards and laugh with him - they got to know their grandfather in a whole new way. My parents had divorced over 20 years ago, but any anger or resentment melted away, and Mom would often visit him when she was in town. The love and compassion my Mom showed towards my Dad at the end - she wouldn't leave his side and held his hand as he passed. 


In February 2012, my Mom went to stay at my sisters in NH for surgery - she had just found out that she didn't have cancer! She was in such a state of pure joy - the weight of worrying lifted. On Valentine's Day, my sister and her fiance found Mom on the floor in her bedroom, unresponsive. My sister called me as soon as the paramedics left - I said, of course she's going to be ok, it's Mom, the strongest person we know! My other sister, uncle and I flew in immediately, not sure what to expect. The aneurism was so big, that there wasn't a chance for her to come back - our rock, the best person we knew, wasn't coming back to us. The memories we shared in my Moms last couple of days - we laughed..... we cried.... I'm so thankful for my two amazing sisters, the two strongest people I know!

The memories my boys have of their grandparents - priceless! They were able to see the silly side of Grandpa - one I hadn't seen since I was a kid. Nana was always interested in what they were doing even if she didn't understand it (computer anything, video games) and often flew in for their many events.

My oldest sister married her best friend, last summer, in a beautiful wedding in Wilton, NH. I was able to make her a necklace using beads from one of my Moms and Grandmothers necklaces. The dish in the picture is one, of many, that my Grandmother painted - she was a fabulous painter!


I made these necklaces using my Moms clip-on earrings and a crystal drop I wear them often. I've also made necklaces for my sisters and nieces.


I picked up a crochet hook over the Christmas holiday (it's been years!) and started making scarves. Lori suggested we use the color red in Marianna's honor - I found this Starbella Collegiate yarn - it's now my favorite scarf! I've made several of these scarves because I like the ruffles - or as my nephew used to call them, buffles. I love how soft, fluffy and buffly they are!


I found this key in a local antique store - it's a grandfather clock key that I put on a chain of stringed beads that slips right over your head. I added a blingy crown made with a vintage pearl, bead cap and Swarovski rondelle. 


If I could turn back time with this key ..... 
                                                               one more hug .....
                                                                                             one more smile .....

I'm so grateful that I have two amazing sisters to share all of our wonderful memories with, and make new ones - I'm thankful, daily, for their love and constant support!!


Thank you for taking the time to read my post! I hope you'll take some time over the weekend to visit the many participants - I'll be spending the next few days reading all of the inspiring stories.


Hostess, Lori Anderson       Pretty Things
 Adlinah Kamsir                   Dream Struck Designs
 Aimee Biondolillo               Aimee's Jewelry Treasures
 Alicia Marinache                 All the Pretty Things 
 Andra Marasteanu               Handmade by Indra Marasteanu 
 Andrea Trank                      Heaven Lane Creations
 April Grinaway                   Brooklyn Bead Goddess
Barb Solem                         Vivi Magoo Presents
Becky Pancake                    Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Beth Emery                         Stories by Indigo Heart
Bonnie Coursolle                Jasper's Gems
Cassi Paslick                       Beads: Rolling Downhill
Catherine King                    Catherine's Musings
Cece Cormier                      The Beading Yogini
Chandra Leitz                     Juniper Goods
Charissa Nesler                   FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka                       Clay Space
Christina Hickman              Vintage Treasures Jewelry
Christine Stonefield - you are here -  Sweet Girl Design
Chrizette Bayman               Bead Soup Mix
Cindy Wilson                      It's My Sea of Dreams
Crystal Thain                      Here Bead Dragons
Cyndi Lavin                        Beading Arts
Debbie Rasmussen             A little of this, a little of that
Denielle Hagerman             Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez                  Arte y Poemas
Diane Hawkey                    diane hawkey
Dita Basu                            ankarshilpa
Donetta Farrington             Simply Gorgeous
Dyanne Everett-Cantrell     Deeliteful Jewelry Creations
Emma Todd                        A Polymer Penchant
Erin Kenny                         beadiful therapy
Erin Prais-Hintz                  Treasures Found
Gina Hockett                      Freestyle Elements
Gloria Allen                        Innovative Dreams Jewelry
Heather Marston                 CSW Designs
Inge von Roos                    Inge's Blog
Jacqueline Marchant          Fiddledeedee Jewelry
Jami Shipp                         Celebrating Life!
Jean Yates                          Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!
Jennifer Reno                     Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo                   Peppa's Dream
Jennifer VanBenschoten    Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren                  Cellar Door Jewelry
Jessica Murray                   Whimsical Monkey
Joan Williams                     lilruby jewelry
Jo-Ann Woolverton            It's a Beadiful Creation
Joanne Browne                   josjewels1
Jodie Marshall                    Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art
Johanna Rhodes                 Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen                 Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC
JuLee Wolfe                       The Polymer Penguin
Julie Bean                           Blue Pig Blog
Karen Mitchell                   Over the Moon Designs
Karin King                         The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton                       Backstory Beads
Kat Douglas                       Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton                        Toodles and Binks
Kelly Hosford Patterson     The Traveling SideShow
Kim Ballor                          Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity
Kim Dworak                       CianciBlue
Kim Houston                       The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter                         Kym Hunter Designs
Laren Dee Barton                Laren Dee Designs
Lea Avroch                          LA Jewelry Designs
Leanne Loftus                      First Impression Design
Lena Adams (Mari's daughter) -- TBA
Liddy McLaughlin               Liddy McLaughlin Art
Linda Florian                       Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations
Linda Inhelder                     Must-Haves Jewelry
Lisa Hamilton                      Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver                            Fancee That
Lori Bowring Michaud        Artfully Ornamental
Lori Poppe                           Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean
LouAnn Elwell                    Southpass Beads
Mandi Effron                       Craft-o-licious
Marcia DeCoster                 MadDesigns
Marcia Dunne                     The Alternative Foundry
Marie Covert                      Creating Interest
Marjorie Savill Linthwaite     bennubirdrising
Marlene Cupo                        Amazing Designs by Marlene
Martha Aleo                           Ornamento
Marti Conrad                          Marti's Buttons -n- Beads
Mary Ellen Parker                  BeeTree by m.e.
Mary Govaars                        MLH Jewelry Designs
Mary Lindell                          Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry
Maureen Connolly                 Mrs Beadsley's Workshop
Maybeline Tay                       The Jewelry Larder
Melissa Elgin                         The Addicted Beader
Melissa Mesara                      one-eared pig beads
Menka Gupta                         Menka's Jewelry
Michaela Pabeschitz              la mar de bonita
Mischelle Fanucchi               Micheladas Musings
Mona Rae Baroody               Who Does She Bead She Is?
Nan Emmett                          Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth
Nancy Pedersen                    Something Heartfelt by Nancy
Natalie Davidson                  NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas                      Bead It and Weep
Pam Farren                           re-maker
Pam, the Crazier Sister        The Crazy Creative Corner
Priya Krish                           Hellopalz 
Rebecca Anderson               Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag                 Becca's Place
Robin Kae Reed                   Artistry HCBD
Rochelle Brisson                  a creative chelle
Sabine Dittrich                     perlendschungel
Sandi Volpe                          Sandi Volpe
Sandra McGriff                    Creative Chaos
Sarah Goode                         Pookledo
Sarah Singer                         String a Song of Sixpence
Serena Trent                         All Things Made Jewelry
Shai Williams                       Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac                        Sharon's Jewelry Garden
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson    Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections
Sheila Davis                         Stone Designs
Shelley Graham Turner        Fabric of My Life
Sherri Stokey                       Knot Just Macrame
Sherry Baun                         Unicorns Jewels
Skylar Bre'z                         Brising Beads
Stephanie Haussler              Pixybug Designs
Tania Spivey                        Moobie Grace Designs
Terri G.                                Blooming Ideas
Terry Carter                         Tapping Flamingo
Terry Matuszyk                    Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry
Toltec Jewels                       Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse                         Goldkisses Art
Tracy Martin                        Nutkitten's Jewelry
Zia Parks                              Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe
Zoe Marcin                          Beads, Tea and Sweets