French Elegant Jewelry: Bead Soup Reveal

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Bead Soup Reveal

Bead Soup Partiers

Welcome to the 3rd Bead Soup Blog Party!

What is a Bead Soup Blog Party?

Each beader was paired up with another jewelry designer and tasked with sending the following:

~ A focal
~ A special clasp (not just a lobster claw)
~ Some coordinating spacers or beads

Using the focal and the clasp was mandatory, but we could use anything from our own stash to round out the rest, and choose to use the coordinating beads or not.

Here's what I made!

And here is my reveal Here is just a peak at what my partner sent me so you know what I started with.

I made quite a few items from all the stuff she sent me.

The first item was a beautiful large blue bead which I turned into a pendant. My partner also gave me the bead spacers and some of the charms on the matching charm necklace. I am so ready for summer so this is my ode to summer and the beach.

Then I tackled all those beautiful coral beads and the heart cabochon. As soon as I saw this I thought valentines but it took me a few tries to decide what to do with these. The heart was not all the way drilled through so I just wrapped some wire around both sides met at the top and added a swirl it took me much more thinking then it i did actually doing it. This one was finished on the first attempt. I picked out a cord for it but the clasp was too big so it will have to go without for today.

Then I had all those other red coral pretty beads so I added some bead caps my partner sent me and turned some into a necklace still not sure I'm totally happy with it. I had a rose charm or this entwined heart and I added the clasp my partner sent me. I have a feeling I might tweek this one a little more what do you think?

Then on to those leftover red coral beads which I added a swirl and a spacer beads I really loved those spacers she sent me.

Then I still had one more red coral bead left so I had to get adventuous and try a new tutorial I purchased a while ago and hadn't done yet. This was so easy I used larger wire 22g instead of 24g on accident but it still turned out really nice.

I think I will oxidize the whole red set but I haven't looked it up yet to make sure I won't hurt the coral beads if I do that. Anyways I ran out of time for that part. I will have to show an update when I get that done.

This was actually my first challenge or large event I have participated in online. It was really fun and I enjoyed using beads that I probably wouldn't have picked out myself. I liked the challenge of creating something new and tried to make new styles and something I had never done before. And I still have a bunch more beads and charms that she sent me that I will have to turn in to jewelry.
Make sure you visit my partner 205. Jenny Robledo, La Dona Boutique

and see her blog. She couldn't participate today because she had to have hand surgery. Thanks for the beads partner and quick healing of that hand so you can get back to beading.

I do have to say that when I started I thought I better make something fabulous with tons of beads and very ornate and then when that wasn't working and I thought about it over night I realized I needed to stick to my more simple style and I went back to all the favorites I have online of different jewlery and realized i like simple with a little extra flair. So here is my style with new beads. Thanks Lori for having this challenge and being a great inspiration to us all.