Bead Hoarders Blog Hop Reveal

Once again it is time to use some of the beads the I have in my hoard collection. Lori Anderson is once again hosting the Bead Hoarders Blog Hop, challenging artisans to create something wonderful with beads from our stash. I did this challenge last summer with four different sets of lampwork beads.

This year I decided to start with some beautiful urchin beads by Kathi Mohlman. I purchased them last summer from her etsy shop Earth and Elements Pottery. I used the turquoise & brown urchin beads with the Beaded Bead Sea Urchin I made from Marcia DeCoster's Bead Opulence book.

 I still had the beautiful blue set of urchin beads and decided to use them for this challenge.

I combined these beautiful blue beads with some matte black cultured sea glass barrel beads and some rondelles. Here is the finished necklace.

Keeping with the blue theme I found some blue and white beads that I have had for a number of years. I don't even remember where them came from.

 I added some clear blue & white opaque discs and silver tone bead caps. Here is the finished necklace.

Take some time to hop around and see what amazing creations other artisans have created. Here is the list of fellow partipants.

Thanks to Lori for hosting this hop!

Happy Beading!

Bead Soup Blog Party #8 - It is Reveal Day!

One week later than originally scheduled ... it is finally Reveal Day!

I have had my pieces finished for awhile. I have even worn them to work and a family gathering. I am pleased with my designs, but might tweak them for weariblity.

Here is what I was sent by my wonderful partner and fellow Canadian Deborah Read.

Wire, cubes and crystals

Two colour palettes

Blue, teal and copper

Ocher, cream, copper and silver

I used the cubes, teal lampwork beads, copper cresent, mixed metal beads, copper rings and toggle. I added copper seed beads, wavy discs, end cones, toggle and Conso thread.

I wanted to see if I could continue my recent fascination with Kumihimo using the cube beads. I knew that I would need to test the workablity of the cubes. I did a quick test using the cubes and size 8 seed beads.

Test of kumihimo with cubes

This worked well, but it needed a large seed bead. I was able to find some amazing copper metal seed beads in size 6.

Detail of kumihimo braiding

With two lengths of braiding done with cubes and copper beads I connected them together with the etched copper crescent (from the soup), copper seed beads, wavy discs and some of the teal lampwork beads (also from the soup).

Detail of focal arrangement

I used a basic copper toggle to finish this necklace. I have worn it a few times. I like the drape of the focal but it might look better if it was perfectly straight. Will have to look for a harden piece of copper to use.

Overall finished necklace

I decided to use the uncoloured etched toggle that was included in the soup along with most of the remaining teal lampwork and an assortment of the various metal beads included to make a co-ordinating bracelet.

Bracelet

That was everything that I had finished in time for the original reveal day of May 3. With the postponement I was able to do this one other design.

I use a few of the ocher and frosted white lampwork beads with this new earring findings I was sent from John Bead. These findings are interchangeable. You can change out the beads. For now they have the lampwork and a couple of crystals each.

Interchangeable Earrings

Thanks once again to my partner Deborah Read for the amazing soup. I know that I will make other projects with the soup leftovers.

Thanks also to our amazing host, Lori Anderson. I know that being part of this creative adventure helps me to work outside of my usual comfort zone. It is fun, creative and amazing.

I have been lucky to participate twice before. The first time Jelveh Jaferian was my partner and here is what I created and what she created.

6th Bead Soup Blog Party Creations

The second time my partner was, fellow Canadian, Cheryl Brown and here is what I created and what she created.

7th Bead Soup Blog Party Creations

Take some time to look at some of the amazing designs create by my fellow 8th Bead Soup Blog Party participants.

Thanks to all who stop by and Happy Beading!

Bead Soup Blog Party #8 Partner

Late last night our wonderful hostess, Lori Anderson posted the international partners. It was great to see all of the amazing list of international participates.

I scrolled down the list to see who I was  partnered with. It was great to see that my partner was a name that I knew - Deborah Read.

I have followed Deborah's blog for a while. Her recent work with copper and brass is interesting.

I had three different soups in progress, one of which included some of Deborah's glass discs (so she was not going to get that one).

I have tweaked one of the soups and it is now ready to send to Deborah.

Will be stopping by the post office on my way to work tomorrow.

5 years on...

I was looking back through some posts recently and notice that today, June 26 marks my fifth (wooden or daisy) blogoversary!! Original blog combined beading and book review. I decided to do a mostly beading a few years later.

Let's take a look back.

In 2008 I made this trio for foxgloves designed by Kerrie Slade.

I also did my very first box in a class with Julia Pretl.

In 2009 I was able to take classes with Margie Deeb, including her Around the colour wheel workshop.

During a week at a cottage with my family I did some beading with my nieces.

I also started my Smaug box in my dragon series.

In 2010 had an amazing trip to Ottawa with Maria, including visit to Museum of Civilization.

In July I took a number of class with Marcia DeCoster. Here are my beaded beads.

I also made a few things from her book Beaded Opulence. I love this Urchin bead.

I finished a series of boxes inspired by the lampwork of Amy Waldman Smith.

Blogging was a challenge in 2011 but here a some favourites. I was able to take classes with Diane Fitzgerald in March at beadfx. Here is my Moorish tile beaded bead.

My love of owls is well known by my friend Maria. She gave me the owls that are the focal of this Owl Trio necklace.

After almost a year without blogging I got back to it in the spring of 2012. It was a year of many beading challenges and triumphs.

I decided to participate in the  Designer Style Challenge hosted by Creativ Festival for their 25 anniversary. Here is my inspiration.

I also participated in my first Bead Soup Blog Hop, hosted by Lori Anderson.

In August I found out that both my beadwork and paper arts entries were semi-finalists in the Designer Style Challenge. At the show in October I won third place in the beadwork catergory. Both pieces were on display during the show.

2013 has been a fun year so far with bead challenges and blogging adventures.

Maria and I have been doing a series of blog post on her blog called the ABC's of Creativity. I have done many of the post and enjoyed sharing inspiration and resources with fellow beaders.

I participated in my second Bead Soup Blog Hop in the early spring.

In March I finished the Tomcat box from Julia Pretl's book Little Bead Boxes. I had now made at least one of every box in the book.

Triangle boxes

Square boxes

Pentagon boxes

Hexagon boxes

I have many more challenges to come this year with three more blog hops that I will be participating in and many started projects to finish.

Thanks to those who read and comment on my blog. A special thanks to those that have taught me  and inspired my beadwork.

Happy Beading!!

Bead Soup Blog Party 7 - Second Reveal

It is April 13 and the postponed second reveal day for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party.

Here is what I received from my partner, Cheryl Brown.

Bead Soup from Cheryl

The combination of the copper, cream, blues and purples are beautiful.

I wanted to do more that just string the components into a necklace. I had just purchased  Mastering Peyote Stitch by Melinda Barta. 

I really liked the leaves on the cover piece. I played with some different copper and bronze coloured beads before decided on the final combination. It is edged with some purple charlottes and centres of ivory.

Once the leaves were made it was a challenge to figure out how to work them into the necklace. Using knottable beadwire I secured the lowest leaf in the centre of the length of wire. I strung a few copper daisy spacers over both ends of the wire. I secured the next leaf on one of the wires, brought them together again and added a few more daisy spacers. The third leaf was secured to the other wire and the ends were brought together again. A few more daisy spacers completed the branch that would hang below the owl.

In progress, forming the branch below the owl

I then finished the necklace with small round pearls, large copper daisy spacers and lampwork beads from Cheryl, to which I add fire polished beads, paper beads and more small copper daisy spacers.

Once I had everything strung I had the challenge of what to use for a closure. The one that Cheryl sent was not going to work for me, it was much to big for the necklace. I did not have any smaller copper clasps in my stash. Wanting to have it finish so I could wear it, I took apart an older piece that needed to be reworked anyways.

Completed necklace

Detail of focal

With the necklace finished I had to now make something that used the amazing toggle that Cheryl sent. It is perfect to be the centre piece of a bracelet. I used some of the flat disc shaped lampwork beads, to which I added more paper beads, Swarovski crystals, copper wavy discs (similar to the silver ones I sent Cheryl), fire polished beads and some of the purple charlottes used on the leaves.

Completed bracelet

The last thing that I wanted to do was to figure out what to do with the lampwork headpins. I have never used headpins like this before.

Lampwork headpins

As I browsed thru my various drawers of stash I came across these very large white lucite trillums. I placed one of the headpins thru the centre of the trillum and relized that it would make an amazing ring. I then had to find my ring mandel in the chaos of my work area. Once I found it, it was just a matter of wrapping around the mandel to form the correct size ring and the securing the end of the headpin at the base of the flower.

Lampwork studded trillum rings

Ring on my hand

I have enjoyed wearing the necklace and bracelet since I finished them last month. The rings may have to wait for a special event to make their debut.

Collage of soup and finished pieces

Thanks go out to our amazing host Lori Anderson and my partner Cheryl Brown.

Now take sometime to hop around to the other amazing beaders and see what they have made. Here is the link to the complete list. I know that will be hopping around over the course of the weekend.

Happy Beading!!