As we many of us were waiting to see who our partner was going to be for the Bead Soup Blog Party this year, Lori Anderson encouraged us to go ahead and work on getting our beads together: part of the idea for this being to create out of our comfort zones. That was when I was lucky enough to see this bead made by Nicole Weltch (SRA #W5) of Beadswap USA and Black Cat Beads.
When I received it, I fell more in love with it. It was not quite the colors I expected and it was smaller than I thought (not really a focal) so I decided to keep it for myself, *cheeky grin* however, it was reason I picked the colors I did for my partner! Teaser Alert!
Having my colors in mind (you’ll have to wait until my partner gets her Soup), I went to shop. When I saw Hannah Rosner’s (SRA #R21) work at Good River Galley, I knew I wanted to make a Soup with some of her work. She’s teaching (classes B130944 and B130620) at the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee this June so go see her if you get a chance. Here is one of my favorite of her beads because it looks like she was mining and struck a vein of malachite:
Beads. Check!
Now onto a clasp. For this I asked Shelley Graham Turner of Tori Sophia to play with her new kiln and make me a toggle. I was ready to move on to a focal when the sprites of the USPS thwarted me. My toggles where broken when they arrived. Being worried about the timing and my lack of a back-up plan (lesson learned), I begged Cheryl Provost Foiles of Get Your Bead On to make me something since she lives closer than Shelley and I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get replacements. Cheryl also sells her jewelry at Anvil in Raleigh, NC. She’s one of these talented omnicrafters. Here is an example of her playing with enamel:
Clasp. Check.
Now about that focal…I admit it; I had blown my budget and was worried about how to live up to the wonderful work of these ladies. I played with the idea of a metal focal but I really wanted everything to be handmade. I thought about painting brass (one of my favorite things to do). At that time I was right in the middle of a little crisis since I had been paid to make some beads for folks and had hurt my back. When I got back on my feet, I had a mammoth bead and pendant making session over several days. I made a pendant with my Soup colors for fun…I really liked it. Normally I would not consider putting myself this far out there but I knew that if I wanted to keep it for myself, I was proud of it. It’s all about going outside our comfort zone, right?
The beads were due out by Sunday. Monday at 4pm I got my mail and there were the beads and clasps from Hannah, Cheryl and Shelley. Hannah threw me for a loop by sending me a surprise (I had a photo of what she was sending). In the end, I spread it all out: 5 toggles, 28 beads and 3 possibilities for focals. I chose what I felt matched best–what I would love to receive and be proud sending–and I packed them up to drive to the post office by 5pm.
Bead Soup. Check!
Ah I see! Right under the wire too! I’ll be excited to see what you made I’m sure she will love it
Thank you. I hope so!
I sent along some of my handmade focals too, and a stone focal in case my partner didn’t like them. I was nervous as all get-out! I’m lucky, she loves them!
Thank goodness for small miracles, right? LOL!
<3,
Andrea
I couldn’t send her the other focals because they were different metals than the clasps. I really wanted to mail her Soup out and I’m glad I did or I would have just agonized and maybe over thought it all to death and kept second guessing myself.
I like mixing metals, I think it’s fun.
But I don’t think I’m in the majority. LOL.
I understand about second-guessing! Instead of agonizing, I just mailed her a little bit of everything that matched my color scheme for her. *wry grins* I think I took the easy way out! You can view the soup I sent her here: http://ZenithJade.blogspot.com/ , (it’s on there somewhere). I posted about it after she’d gotten it.
And my pictures of the soup I sent her are awful, so I hope you can see the colors I chose!
Those are both very unique Soups. Seemed you were well matched. I like mixed metals, but style was involved here too…
Fair enough!
Well, I can’t wait to see what you sent and what you got!
It was interesting to read about your process for selecting the “soup” for your partner. I look forward to seeing what both you and your partner create.
stopping by all the blogs taking part in the bead soup blog party. cant wait to see what you make!
OMG, Hanna Rosners bead is spectacular!!
All the beads and glass flowers on wire are made by her. See next post.
Thank you so much for your endorsement, Lennis. I feel honored to have one of my components included in the soup you sent your partner. I can’t wait to see what you and your partner make from your soups.