Bead Soup in ON!

First, here's a link to Lori Anderson's link for all the 360+ blog hoppers!  Have fun but don't forget to stop and eat meals and sleep at night!!! 

Bead Soup Blog Party headquarters!

As you may remember I have two partners in the Blog Soup Bead Party (I know, I know), and I had a really hard time trying to figure out what to make.  I received beads from Kelly at Adventures with Kelly and from Candice at Craziness...The Theme of My Life.  Here's what they sent me:

Kelly's soup

I really struggled with all this because I'm more of a bead weaver than a stringer. And the times I've done stringing have made me know that the people who do it well, (like our generous and outstandingly talented hostess, Lori Anderson at Pretty Things), are supremely talented in ways that I couldn't hope to approach. My friends are telling me I need more confidence but I don't think that's it. I'm usually not an unconfident person. I think what I really need is more experience and probably more education. I should take some classes!  I should do more of the stringing!

Candice's soup

But when I sit down to bead, it's the delicas & seeds that call my name and the umteen boxes of seed beady goodness. That's where my heart is and maybe that's because I'm not so good at the stringing. I'm dunno!

In the interest of fully revealing what happened to me on the way to this party, I will tell that I made a really, really ugly necklace! Oh my, it was bad. But I'll spare you from having to look at the disaster (and myself the humiliation) and just say that it was the Ugliest Necklace Ever.  So after looking at for a couple of days, it was back to the drawing board.

I ended up with a fairly long necklace using soup from both of my partners, a bracelet & a pair of earrings. Kelly's focal, a pendant from Kylie Parry is the focal I went with. I love the one from Candice, too, but it will have to be in a future work. In the end, I decided to forgo any clasp. The necklace is long and chunky and doesn't need one. I hope that doesn't break the rules too much!

The big reveal.

I started with the unusual chain that I won in a giveway from the lovely Cindy Wimmer at Sweet Bead Studio. It just seemed to go with the rustic feel that the soup was giving me.

Those long wooden beads made me think of branches on trees so it was seemed only natural to add a leaf on each one. I like that okay. I'm not crazy about the silver leaf chain w/ the butterflies but it just has to stay there b/c I couldn't figure out what else to put there.  The little antiqued brass flowers were also in Cindy's giveaway. I liked the way they went with all the chains.


Included in my soup were the blue beads & sparkly crystals. So it seemed that the sky & clouds should go with with the foresty, earthy necklace and earrings. I added my own light blue beads and made the blue bangle which I love and which went really quickly.  I'm sure you'll be seeing more bangles!

  

Since I had two of the long wooden beads left over, that meant, of course, that I had to have earrings!  I had glass topped headpins (I'm sorry I can't remember the artist who made these) in two colors of green (close enough for me) and used a couple of the seed beads from the soup and voila! Earrings. Oh, and I made my own earwires for the first time, too. (They are actually the same size but the photos make it look like one earwire is way bigger than the other.)

It certainly was true that this experience stretched me (to the breaking point a couple of times) and, best of all, I learned a lot from the whole thing. 

Now go on to the next person on the list. You'll get through them all before Halloween, I'm pretty sure. Ok, before Thanksgiving then. Go. What are you waiting for? GO!

Here's the list for you:

The Hostess, Lori Anderson and her partner, Manuela Wutschke

1. Aimee Wheaton and Barbara York

2. Alice Craddick and Sandra Richardson

3. Alison Sachs and Amy Severino

4. Allison Scott and Cynthia Abner

5. Amanda Cargill Austin and Charlene Sevier

6. Amanda Davie and Patsy Evins

7. Amber Dawn and Kim Ballor

8. Ambra Gostoli and Christine Hansen

9. Amy Freeland and Christine Altmiller

10. Ana Krepel-Novak and Eleanor Snare

11. Andrea Morici and Hope Smitherman

12. Andrea Trank and Jayne Capps

13. Andrea Turini and Charlene Jacka

14. Angela May and Emanda Johnson

15. Anitra Gordy and Elizabeth Owens Dwy

16. Ann Rishell and Debbie Price

17. Ann Sherwood and Lynne Bowland

18. Anna Lear and Barbe Saint John

19. Anna Sabina­­­­ and Erin Siegel

19. Nan Emmett and Erin Siegel

20. Astrid Boyce and Birgitta Lejonklou

21. B.R. Kuhlman and Deanna Chase

22. Barbara Bechtel and Bryna Lumb

23. Barbara Blaszczyk and DaviniaDesign

24. Barbara Judy and Holly Westfall

25. Barbara Lewis and Cathie Carroll

26. Barrie Edwards and Lyn Foley

27. Becky Fairclough and Jana Tarhala

28. Bella Borgouise and Gillian Lehman

29. Beth and Evie McCord and Erin Prais-Hintz

30. Beth Bricker and Heather Pyle

31. Beth Emery and Cassie Donlen

32. Bobbie Rafferty and Cindy Cima Edwards

33. Candice McGinnis and Sally Anderson

34. Carol Bradley and Cece Cormier

 35.  Cathy Khoury and Molly Alexander

 36. Carol Tannahill and Hilary Frye

37. Carrie Tahquechi and Cris Peacock

38. Cat Pruitt and Cindy Gimbrone

39. Charlene Gary and Doris Stumpf

40. Charlotte Pevny and Kate Gardenghi

41. Cherrie Fick and Cathie Carroll

41. Claire Maunsell and Cherrie Fick

42. Cheryl Roe and Jenny Vidberg

43. Chris White and Norma Turvey

44. Christa Murphy and Kathy Alderfer

45. Christie Murrow and Dana James

46. Christina Miles and Collette Collins

47. Christine Brandel and Elizabeth Woodford

48. Christine Damm and Cynthia Deis

49. Christine Hendrickson and Debbie Goering

50. Christine Stonefield and Dee Wingrove-Smith

51. Cilla Watkins and Johanna Rhodes

52. Cindy Wimmer and Riki Schumacher

53. CJ Baushka and Cory Celaya

54. Courtney Breul and Joanna Matuszczyk

55. Cristi Clothier and Kathleen Robinson Young

56. Cryss Thain and Serena Trent

57. Cynthia Tucker and Kitty Durmaj

58. Dana Johnson Jones and Eva Sherman

59. Davinia Algeri and Janet McDonald

60. Deci Worland and Lara Lutrick

61. Diana Ptaszynski and Kristy Abner

62. Diane Cook and Kerry Bogert

63. Diane Hawkey and Jen Judd Velasquez

64. Dorcas Midkiff and Jill Harris

65. Doris Radlicki and Heather Goldsmith

66. Dot Lewallen and Gaea Cannaday

67. Elisabeth Auld and Jennifer Justman

68. Erin Fickert-Rowland and Geanina Grigore

69. Erin Grant and Julie Jones

70. Eszter Czibulyas and Helena Fritz

71. Fiona Christie and Michelle Heim

72. Gail Zwang and Genea Crivello-Knable

73. Geneva Collins and Jana Haag

74. Gretchen Nation and Heidi Post

75. Heather DeSimone and Karin Slaton

76. Heather Marley and Terry Carter

77. Ingrid McCue and Jennifer Pride

78. Jackie Ryan and Nicole Keller

79. Janna Harttgen and Joanne Tinley

80. Jean Yates and Lori Anderson

81. Jelveh Jaferian and Jenny Davies-Reazor

82. Jenni Connolly and Jennifer Heynen

83. Jennifer Cameron and Kristi Bowman

84. Jennifer Geldard and Lisa Liddy

85. Jennifer VanBenschoten and Kim Hora

86. Jess Italia Lincoln and Lori Greenberg

87. Jill MacKay and Lori Bergmann

88. JJ Jacobs and Karen Tremblay

89. Joyce Becker and Kathy Welsh

90. Judy Glende and Karen Sinkowski

91. Judy Riley and Kelly Morgan

92. JuLee Wolfe and Julie Bean

93. Julianna Cannon and Julianna Kis

94. Julie Nordine and Lesley Watt

95. K. Hutchinson and Shea Zukowski

96. Karen Firnberg and Karyn Bonfiglio

97. Karen Williams and Kimberly Roberts

98. Karen Zanco and Polly Barker

99. Kari Carrigan and Laura Twiford

100. Karin von Hoeren and Laura Blanck

101. Kate Richbourg and Lorelei Eurto

102. Kathleen Lange Klik and Maria Clark

103. Kathy Engstrom and Keri Lee Sereika

104. Kay Thomerson and Loretta Carstensen

105. Kelley Fogle and Laurel Bielec

106. Kelly Ramstack and Sally Anderson

107. Kim Stevens and Tiffany Long

108. Kristi Harrison and Mandy Williamson

109. Kristi Kyle and Lana Kinney

110. Kristina Johansson and Sue Hodgkinson

111. Kym Hunter and Laura Sanger

112. Laura Zeiner and Susan Kennedy

113. Laurel Steven and Mary McGraw

114. Laurie Hanna and Lisa Boucher

115. Lesley Weir and Liz DeLuca

116. Linda Djokic and Tracey Weiser

117. Linda Inhelder and Pam Brisse

118. Linda Landig and Lori Dorrington

119. Linda Murphy and Lisa Hamilton

119.  Line Labrecque and Marianne Baxter

120. Lisa Lodge and Monica Johnson

121. Lois Moon and Melissa Muir

122. Lola Surwillo and Therese Frank

123. Lori Bowring Michaud and Marci Brooks

124. Lupe Meter and Norma Agron

125. Maggie Towne and Marge Beebe

126. Malin de Koning and Susie Hibdon

127. Mallory Hoffman and Shirley Moore

128. Marcie Abney and Patty Miller

129. Marcy Lamberson and Melissa Clarke

130. Margot Potter and Suzann Sladcik Wilson

131. Maria Grimes and Wendy Blum

132. Maria Horvath and Melinda Orr

133. Maria Rosa Sharrow and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp

134. Marian Hertzog and Melissa Mesara

135. Marianna Boylan and Sandi Lee James

136. Marina Dobrynina and Michaela Pabeschitz

137. Marsha Neal and Miri Agassi

138. Mary Ellen Parker and Melissa Meman

139. Mary Elliott and Tamara Soper

140. Mary McGraw and Laurel Steven

141. Melissa Pynn and Michelle Buettner

142. Michelle Hardy and Niki Meiners

143. Michelle Mach and Moira McEvoy

144. Missy Rappaport and Mags Sarri

145. Molly Alexander and Poranna

146. Mylene Hillam and Nicole Rennell

147. Nadezhda Parfyonova and Stacey Curry

148. Nan Emmett and Nancy Peterson

149. Nancy Boylan and Natalie McKenna

150. Natalie Monkivitch and Niky Sayers

151. Natasha Lutes and Pam Ferrari

152. Noemi Baena and Penny Ilagan

153. Pamela Petry and Rebecca Sirevaag

154. Pat Haight and Mary Shannon Hicks

155. Patty Gasparino and Vonna Maslanka

156. Penny Neville and Sandi Volpe

157. Pepita Bos and Wendy Chamberlain

158. Raida Disbrow and Rebecca Watkins

159. Rebecca Anderson and Sabrina Staub

160. Regina Santerre and Rose Binoya

161. Rhea Freitag and Tari Kahrs

162. Rochelle Brisson and Teri Baskett

163. Sally Russick and Tracy Bell

164. Sandra McGriff and Shay Williams

165. Sandra Wolberg and Sara Hardin

166. Sarah Elder and Salla Small

167. Saskia Kaffenberger and Sharon Gardner

168. Sharon Palac and Shannon Chomanczuk

169. Shay Stone and Suzette Bentley

170. Shiraz Biggie and Tammy Powley

171. Staci Smith and Tracy Stillman

172. Stacie Stamper and Tracy Martin

173. Stefanie Teufel and Vicky Taylor

174. Stephanie Dixon and Stephanie LaRosa

175. Stephanie Haussler and Valerie Norton

176. Suzanne Tate and Terri Wlaschin

177. Sweet Freedom Designs and Tammy Jones

178. Tania Spivey and Tari Sasser

179. Tara Plote and Terry Matuszyk

180. Terri Gauthier and Deana Hager

181. Theresa Fosdick and Tracey Nanstad

For My Friend

I did finally get a bracelet made for my friend, Teena. I used a seed bead mix of pinks that I got from Nancy Dale of Ned Beads and gorgeous lampwork beads from Janet MacDonald of Singingwoods. I'm pleased with the way it came out, too. But here's the sad thing.

I have no where to send this!  My lovely old friend has been flooded out of her house by the Susquehanna River, and the National Guard is not allowing people to return to their homes. And, once they do allow that, she cannot go near the place. Chemotherapy causes the immune system to be seriously compromised and a house full of mold and dirt and wet mildewing things is not for her!  They are considering not returning at all.  But just selling the land and moving. I can't say that I blame them! They managed to get the important stuff (family photos mostly) up to the 2nd floor, but the basement & first floor are full of water.

I called her & asked if she was waiting for the plague of locusts and she was actually able to laugh. I'm not sure I would be if I were in her shoes.

So here's her bracelet. I guess I'll just hold onto it for a little while.

Monday Wish List

Wish List for today:


Well, it's Monday again. How did that happen so soon? Wasn't yesterday Monday? No. Okay. If you say so. But with Monday comes Copper Diem's Wish List. Here's my contribution.

Alicia's Beads has these great polymer beads in wonderful colors. Here's a sample:






BeadSwede Supplies has some really cool toggles. I love the enamel ones and the S-clasps with different wire wraps. Very cool and colorful!



I'm not usually one for heart-shaped anything or pink for that matter. But I'm working on a project for my friend Teena who has cancer and this toggle is going in my shopping cart! I hope it's the right color of pink.


And finally:


And, being the greedy girl that I must be (see above), these are patterns and jewelry from Mikki Ferrugiaro, one of the wonderful Bead Mavens. I love her work but can't afford her patterns right now.







One of these Mondays I'm going to post jewelry that I love by all the talented jewelry artists out there (e.g., Lori Anderson, Nancy Dale, Mandy Duffy, Amy Freeland, Shirley Moore, Kristen Stevens, and Cindy Wimmer to name a just a few), although I don't know how I'll ever pick just a blog post's worth of samples. I have lust in my heart for so many of the things these amazing women have created!!

Fast F-A-S-T Peyote

I'm not sure if everybody who does peyote stitch knows this or not but recently a friend (who is way more advanced in this beading business than I) said she wanted to learn how to do it. So I thought maybe others would want to know, too. Here's your guided tour. Please forgive the blurry photos. Also, I'm sorry I have pictures with black beads but that was what I was working with at the time.

Start the same way you always do in even-count peyote, which as you know is your first and second row. Work two more rows of regular peyote as you would normally do, one bead at a time.

Then, pick up the same number of beads that you started with. In my example, I used 30 beads for the first & second row, so I picked up 30 beads at this point. Bring the needle up and around to the first bead at the top -- an "up" bead. Put your needle in that up bead pointing down toward the bottom of the work.

Then skip one bead on your beading thread and put the needle through the next one on that thread and then through the next up bead on the work. Repeat all the way down.

Finish by putting your needle through the bottom bead on the thread. You’ve just completed two rows of peyote stitch in less than half the time it would take to do it bead-by-bead – the usual way.

I’m sorry my pictures are of black beads and not great quality but hope you can see the slick way this works.

I’m really grateful to Melinda Barta (and Interweave) for the video on peyote stitch that Melinda did. I used to have such trouble starting a peyote project but the way she explains it (and shows it in the video) has ended all that frustration. She’s brilliant! And I’m also really grateful to Deena at Spring Beads in Spring, Texas. I took a beginning peyote stitch class there and after the class, Deena came into the classroom and showed us this Fast Peyote. I always use this w/ peyote projects now because it just makes it all go so much faster. I love peyote stitching, too, now that it is (1) no longer frustrating to start, and (2) fast.