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Friday, May 09, 2014

SOUP'S ON!!

The BIG Reveal day is finally here!  500 Bead Soup makers from all over the world will be posting their creations made from their partner's fixings on their blogs today. (You can see a list of everyone and their blogs at the end of Lori's post HERE -- It's a LONG list lol but well worth visiting everyone!)

I had such fun playing with all of the lovely beads and findings that my wonderful partner, Dolores Raml sent.  Be sure to visit her blog, CraftyD's Creations after you finish reading here.  She made the most amazing pieces with the ingredients I sent.  Totally different than what I had in mind when I was picking out special things for her.  That's what makes Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Hop so fun. She mixes us all up and somehow pairs us with great people who approach this jewelry making adventure with new eyes and challenges us to do the same. Can't thank Lori enough for all the hard work and dedication to this project.  Be sure to visit her at Pretty Things Blog as well to see her lovely soup too.

So, first off, a little reminder of my fixings Dolores sent....


Isn't you mouth watering just looking at those yummy goodies? My first challenge was that gorgeous enameled butterfly.  I wanted to use the cording for a necklace with the butterfly as the focal piece.  And a challenge it was!  I've never used cording before in jewelry so it was a bit tricky for me.  How do you get the cord through the tiny holes in the beads??? That limited me to which beads I could use!  But of course, Dolores sent lots of variety to play with so it wasn't a problem.  And...... Drum roll ...... Here's what I came up with!


What do you think?  I'm pretty pleased with my first attempt at using cording and I know I will be playing with it again soon. Thanks again Lori and Dolores for gently pushing me out of my comfort zone to try something new!

Next, I just had to make something with those big clear beads.  They have just a slightly purplish tint to them and they remind me of bubbles I see while I'm snorkeling!  Did I tell you Dolores lives in South Dakota?  A long way from the sea, hehe, so I'm sure that's NOT what she was thinking of when she saw these beads. I think I remember her saying in one of our getting to know each other emails "Im not a sea person" :)  She even sent me some brass sea stars she knew I would appreciate.  So here are those bubbles....


Just LOVE these big clear beads!  And had to use them for some earrings with the Sea Stars......


And then there was the cool polyclay stone looking bead Dolores made.  Perfect for the focal piece of a bracelet!  (Funny--when you visit Dolores' soup, you'll see she made a bracelet very similar! Great minds thinking alike--even when not thinking in their usual way!)  I like big bracelets and many times will make them with a few strands together but this time I wanted to try it in a different way (the whole idea behind Bead Soup!) so I used the large polyclay bead as my base.  Think I will really like wearing it.  Love the purple and green color combination.


I had quite a few of the purple round, flat-ish beads left so I knew another bracelet was in order...but what to use them with? I've had these large clear-ish stone beads for the longest time and haven't ever really known what I wanted to do with them.


I think the smooth round, wooden beads are great between the shiny quartz stones.  It looked a little plain so I added the silver and ceramic accents to jazz it up. I know, they are 'sea themed'.... can't do everything totally different! This bracelet is a bangle; made on a simi-stiff joined wire so there is no clasp.

Hmm....more beads + more pretty green and turquoise string = bracelet!  Remember I said I had trouble figuring out how to use the beads with those tiny holes with the cording? I knew those turquoise and green beads belonged with that green and turquoise string.....  I took a piece of flex beading wire and attached it to a shank button, strung the beads on the wire and knotted the string to the shank also, then macraméd around the beads.  All that macrame from the 70s came back to me (well sort of! I didn't get very fancy). Fun!  Think I'll be trying some more of that too :) (BTW - I added a lot of clear glue to the end knots thinking the flex wire will probably want to work it's way out of the cording when it worn even though I did put crimp beads on the ends)  The ends of the string were just knotted, leaving a loop to slip over the button for the clasp.


Well, that's pretty much my soup.  Hope you found it tasty!  I do have some beads left and will be making earrings with them but since earrings are what I do most of the time I didn't want to make them part of my soup.  I'll share those later. Be sure to visit my partner Dolores and you should visit her Etsy Shop too for her fun goodies.  Listed below are the rest of the party people--visit them too!  Lots of yummy soup to be sampled!  Enjoy! And Thanks for stopping by!

57 comments:

Dolores Raml said...

Wow, you have really been busy. You have made everything look like it wasn't a challenge at all. Love, love, love how you used the cording in your projects, even small holed beads didn't stop you. I love how you used the bead that I made too, think I have to make more of them. Thanks so much for being my partner, I really had fun with my soup and have some pieces that I am really going to love wearing. Thanks to Lori Anderson too for hosting this hop, I don't know her secret for matching partners but I think she does an awesome job.

Jo-Ann said...

Love that you were challenged to go outside your comfort zone! Beautiful creations!

Mags said...

Great soup, I like your bracelets!

Dana said...

Cris you always make wonderful pieces no matter the challenge. I love how you used the cording and the necklace and bracelet came out stunningly. Great job!

Amber Dawn Inventive Soul said...

Hi Cris!
I like what you made!

Unknown said...

Very nice pieces from a lovely soup!

bailaora said...

I love your 3-strand bracelet!

Charis Designs said...

You were very productive! I like the variety in the different pieces you made- kudos to trying something new as well. I like all the seashell and beachy things :) Christie

Bev said...

What great soup! My fave - Green! Love what you made, especially the corded stuff. You did a great job on them!

Amanda said...

I love yor soup and the layout of your blog! So creative!

Becky Pancake said...

Cris, Four bracelets, a necklace and a pair of earrings is a lot to make from one soup. Your designs are all wonderful. Kudos to you for working with the cord. You did really well working with the cord. I tried macrame for a pieces I was working on for my next challenge but it did not work out well with that piece. I have done it recently on a keychain though.

Andrea said...

You are one talented lady! Great job! I love them all!

Nelly May said...

Such lovely, lovely makes. You really made the best of your soup. Well done!

Unknown said...

Wow, what yummy stuff you made. I am so into the green/purple color scheme. Challenge met and defeated, I say.

Noemi said...

i am in love with that first necklace. It is lovely how you have worked with the cord. And I also like the colour combination. Nice job.

Unknown said...

It indeed was a tasty soup and it's great that you felt challenged with the work. You did a wonderful job.

Chelle said...

I really love the macrame bracelet and the clear big beads are yummie. great job.

Unknown said...

I'm drawn to anything with butterflies and love but have yet to master anything knotted. Congratulations.

Unknown said...

Very nice the butterfly necklace and the starfish earrings

Krafty Max Originals said...

OK, I like them all, but for me it is Butterfly Necklace with the ceramic beads and the bracelet that had the cording on it...but I love them all!! Great job! ~KM

Just Beads said...

Great soup, really nice bracelets. My favourite is the purple and green one.

Unknown said...

Oh wow, those colors ! And I love the way you used cord for the first necklace. Cord and I arn't friends, heh.

Shyme said...

Beautiful pieces!

Deborah Apodaca said...

I love what you made with your soup. Using cord is on my to-do list and I hope I start as well as you did! I am in love with your starfish earrings and the poly clay bead that she sent you is beautiful. I will be checking out her Etsy store!

Genny said...

Your soup is delicious and I enjoyed every bite! Kudos to you for pushing your comfort zone and using the cord! Beautiful job!

Crystal said...

I love that you got such a fantastic range of bracelets out of one soup... all so different, but tied together in small ways... well done!

coffeeaddict said...

great work incorporating linen cording. inspiring!

Linda A. said...

Super cute pieces! the macrame is adorable and so creative! i'm hoping to give this technique a try so I may be back looking for tips. =)

Linda A.
http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com
http://cherryOnTopDesign.co

Lilik Kristiani said...

Love them all, specially the necklace =)

Alicia said...

You did very well with the knotted cord, I love all your pieces. They are cheerful and happy, and bright - my favourite would be the butterfly necklace, I adore butterflies - and your enameled one is gorgeous!

Kepi said...

The cord design is awesome, love the necklace. All your pieces are very pretty, great job.

Tammy Adams said...

You really embraced the challenge of that cording and did beautiful things with it. Every design is lovely and I am particularly drawn to the bracelet you made with the polymer clay focal. Great work.

Barb Fernald said...

Oh my gosh I love what you did with that cording. You would never know it was the first time you worked with it. I especially like the 3 strand bracelet. Nice job with your soup!

sheilaposter said...

That macramé bracelet is so pretty. So is the butterfly necklace.You really created up a storm of jewelry

Chris Hansen said...

Cris - what a delightful soup you got to play with! I love what you did with the butterfly focal and the cording - the way you worked the cording echoes the filigree of the butterfly in such a lovely way! And the bracelets - all of them are just super! Love your work, Chica!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful soup you have. You did great for your first time with cording. Pretty bracelets, especially the 3 strand.

Susanm said...

Lovely work. I especially like the bracelets - each one is unique.

Janine said...

Wow, you made so many lovely pieces with your soup. Great job.

Terri said...

Wow you cooked quite a bit of deliciousness! I really like the 3 strand bracelet too! Great colors. Just Soup-er!

Empty nester at last said...

Great soup! I love all your pieces and yes macrame is making a come back and I plan on dusting off my moves...lol...Excellent work on all the pieces!

Christine said...

Lovely pieces! You did a great job with the cording and macrame!

ChristinaMarieH said...

I love what you made with your soup :) My favorites are the earrings with the sea stars and the necklace with the enamel butterfly.
Happy Beading!

Janice said...

I love everything you did. The corded necklace is a stunner. It sure doesn't look like you felt challenged. Each piece is well made and lovely.

Ruth Szapa said...

I really like your last bracelet, the macramé around large then All the pieces are very wearable.

Unknown said...

My favorites are your first and last designs where you knotted. It has such an earthy feel. Your pictures are so clear as well. Great job.

Divya N said...

really pretty bracelets - great idea to use knotting

BluMoon said...

These ar so lovely I especially like the butterfly necklace but they are all beautiful!
Jackie

Monique (A Half-Baked Notion) said...

Awesome designs, Cris! You say you'd never used cord? Hard to believe... your work looks super :)

bairozan said...

Your first attempt at cording is impressive and just right for the butterfly focal. And you have managed to highlight the beauty of the clear stones with just a few touches! The bracelet with the clay focal is my favorite, followed by the bangle - great idea to use wooden and stone beads together, have to try it! The green color in the macrame is my favorite and the shank button adds so much texture!

Mary K. McGraw said...

What gorgeous soup you received! Love what you did with the butterfly.

Shai Williams said...

Wow! I can't believe that you don't use cording all the time. I love the idea of using beading wire and macraming around it. Brilliant!

laurie said...

Great job with your soup! Love what you did with the cording on the necklace! Starfish earrings are adorable

laurie said...

Love what you did with your soup! Great job on the cording! Love the starfish earrings

Unknown said...

These design are really YUMMY!!! I loved all of them, The necklace with the butterfly is inspired. And I love all the bracelets!!! Have a Blessed Day!

CraftyHope said...

Oh, excellent work with your soup. I love the palette of colors you received, and you totally went to town with it. Great job getting outside your comfort zone and working with unfamiliar materials/techniques. Everything turned out beautifully!

WindDancerStudios said...

Loving all those bracelets, especially the one with that sweet heart clasp and clear beads. You definitely had fun, great soup!

Parabolic Muse said...

57 comments!?! Holy moly! My little comment will be lost in the shuffle!

However...

Those earrings and that necklace are yummOLA. Great colors.

and, of course... the sea..