8th Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal!

Here we go—it's bead soup time! This is my second time joining in on the fun of this fabulous party. First I have to give an enormous thank you to our hostess, Lori Anderson for bringing us all together to share, learn, and to simply be amazed by the new jewelry creations that have been inspired by this special event.

I was lucky enough to be paired up with the talented seed beader, Shirley Moore of Beads and Bread and wow! did she make this a happy and surprising party for me! Shirley sent me one amazing soup!


You may or may not know that fine details are a favorite of mine and so, of course I adore seed beads… but I've always only used them as spacers and to accent my creations—I've never done any real seed beading and so I was totally caught off my guard when Shirley's bright, sparkly, pink, seed-beaded soup arrived! Yes, the detail is just stunning! I love the free-form and curving shape of the focal, but… my! oh my! what to make with it all! Had I been a seed beader, I expect I would have gotten busy creating some elaborately embellished beaded design… no time to learn! And certainly not enough seed beads lying around in my studio. And then there was the fact that it was all so very pink—I've always considered earth tones to be my safe zone favorite. So, I spent the next several weeks thinking about it and thinking about it some more… I tried some things that altogether flopped. And then it was my sister Bethanne who sparked the final design when she said that it should be very elegant and have multiple twisted beaded strands and should be sea inspired. And, yes, I did go with more seed beads and yes, much more pink…

Here's what I made…

I've titled it "Seamaid Dreams". I agree, Shirley's pendant softly whispers of nautical themes in its curving shape and white stripes—like some unknown starfish—not in a blue-sailor-stripe way, but more like a deep sea beauty, such that only mermaids would know of—a treasure sparkling bright, and of course, in pink!

Silver is not a staple in my studio and I only bring it out for special occasions (gifts mainly—my sisters are all silver-lovers!). I found this floral connector in that stash and with a little wire working added it as a crown to Shirley's pendant.

Pink is usually a bit rare in my studio also—I found bright pink seed beads in the same shade as the ones in the pendant and some in rainbow-y pink, aurora borealis faceted czech glass, and soft pink agate chips. To those I added the white faceted beads from Shirley (and a few smaller matching ones from my own stash), her cute beaded beads in white and silver, some silver spacers, tiny vintage seed beads in white, and 8 frosted czech seashell beads.

I did a little more wire-working on the back to hold all the beaded strands and then strung each strand and twisted them together.

I thought for quite a while that I would use Shirley's clasp for a second design, but no other clasp seemed the right closure for this necklace—her clasp and pendant are just meant to be together! The two inner-most strands of the necklace I kept separate from the rest, simply wiring the ends together—they're long enough to slip easily over the head and I wanted them to just drape beside the twisted strands.

Very glamorous and very pink—but I'm just so thrilled with the way it turned out! I really wasn't sure I could do Shirley's work justice, but I can happily say I love the way this design turned out. What a happy learning experience it was!


One necklace down—the star of it all—and still more soup to go!


Next up, I turned to the white flower beads—all along I had been thinking of going green and brown with these flowers to add a nice bright white pop.

I had originally planned to make a bracelet… and then I pulled out this sweet little brass bird… a soft green oval stone… a large round silver toggle ring… and a frayed bit of my favorite vintage fabric. And all together it became a brand new pendant—the bracelet idea flew out the window! I've titled it "A Beautiful Day"—for me the colors, theme, and style bring to mind a breezy summer day walking far out into the gorgeous Virginia outdoors, breathing in the fresh scent of the growing and blooming woods and listening to birds singing in the treetops—a beautiful day indeed!

From the pendant, I strung some rust-brown pennant shaped czech beads, alternating with more tiny vintage white seed beads and the glass flowers.

Next, I added some art bead goodness—on the left a juicy green faceted ceramic bead from Gaea, and on the right a lovely spotted forest green bead from MonasLampwork. And then I put in two of my own polymer rounds and a yellow-orange striped triangular bead, and for a little extra surprise—a colorful flower millefiori cube.

Too cute! The beads tied off to the side are vintage carved jade (or glass… I'm not sure exactly) from a broken necklace that had belonged to my great grandmother.

And lastly, I tied it all together with a wider torn piece of the vintage fabric to match the pendant—also from my great grandmother. I know some might consider these colors "old" but I just love them!


Okay, I have just one more design… wait! actually two—to show you and then you can continue your hopping…

I woke up early on Friday (the day before the party!) ready to make more, so here you go…

From my soup, I used the ceramic ring, the pink rounds, and the pink sparkly czech cubes. I call it "A Smile in Pink" because this bead soup really has been a journey about the color pink and the happiness that it creates. And also because whenever there's a half circle in beads (or whatever) I can't help but see the "smile" in it. :-)

This necklace also sings with art bead loveliness—a ceramic ring in pretty pink from MarlasMud, bright orange jade, pink rounds, czech glass, then another of my polymer rounds, a gorgeous spotted bead from MonasLampwork, a tiny floral cloisonné round, a magenta wood round, a cute bumpy bead from Mona…

(continuing right to left) a bright raspberry beaded bead from Kristen Stevens, a second polymer round by me—this time in sunny yellow-orange and red, a donut from Mona, a few more glass beads, and one last spotted bead from Mona.

The little czech cubes from Shirley are all dressed up and fancy in another of my mom's fabric beaded cords—I simply handed over the beads and picked a fabric and a while later my mom returned with this fun new creation!

And lastly, it's all finished off with a loop of pearl seed beads and one of my sunny orange polymer butterflies.

This pair of earrings is actually the first bead soup creation I finished—I used the rectangles made by Sharyl's Jewelry, two more cloisonné rounds, clear vintage rounds, and teeny tiny faceted czech turquoise beads to top them off—a perfect matching set together with my new necklace!



I still have a few more sparkly beads left, but those I'll save for future projects or for whenever the pink muse strikes… probably a bit more often than in the past!

Thank you all so much for stopping by my little corner of blogland and taking a peek at my bead soup creations! Again, a huge thank you to Shirley—I never thought pink and stepping so far out of my comfort zone would have had this amazingly happy ending! And thank you again Lori—I look forward to your future parties, big or small. :-)

If you haven't already, you really must go see what Shirley has created with the soup I sent her—go here. That's where I'm going next…


Join in on all the fun and visit the rest of the party here:

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49 comments:

  1. Stunning soup and stunning designs Rebekah - I always enjoy visiting you for challenges as there is always something fresh and original to see.

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  2. What a lovely feminine soup you received, and what lovely feminine pieces you made from it too :-)

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  3. Wow, I'm speachless!!! Stunning pieces, love them all!!! Look at all those details ... Gorgeous work!!
    Alenka

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  4. Everything is so beautiful and feminine, but... the 'old'-coloured necklace is really my favourite!

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  5. Love how you worked both beaded pieces into the one design. Fantastic!

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  6. Girl, I am just speechless! Thank you so much for your creative genius! You so rocked that twisted pendant!! I can just see the mermaids swimming around it! Love the floral connector added to it, just the perfect touch.
    That next piece is so restful and calm. Really like the fabric wrapped around the pendant in this one.
    Your mom is just a crazy talented woman! I adore what she did with those pink cubes!!! Totally makes that piece! You have really shown me some wonderful ideas on how to think differently about my stash! Thank you so much for being a fantastic soup partner, and for sharing your wonderful creations with me!!!

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  7. Rebekah, I love the designs you came up with. You really think outside the box, and use your beads in a unique way!

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  8. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your creations! All the textures and colors....not to mention the fabulous pics too! Just followed your blog so that I can see what else you create!
    Rachel

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  9. Your creations are absolutely stunning! What you did with the beaded pendant is amazing - I love it! Each of your pieces are just breathtaking! Awesome work!

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  10. Gorgeous, Gorgeous, Gorgeous. A very talented family! You made it indeed a beautiful day!

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  11. All of them are gorgeous pieces. I like the way you've dealt with the pink seed bead challenge, but my favourite is The Beautiful Day Necklace.

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  12. All of the pieces are simply stunning. I love the last set most!..pink smiles!

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  13. You got a beautiful soup, your designs from it are wonderful... especially the white flower necklace, it's gorgeous!!

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  14. I am so not a pink person either but you totally rocked it with that first necklace. My favorite has to be the last though with your mother's wonderful beaded cord.

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  15. so beautiful, & the way you layered the bird!

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  16. I am so thrilled that I stopped here! I love your soup and what you did with it. Gorgeous creationsa all!

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  17. I love the "old" colors, but I'm impressed how fantastic you did outside your color comfort zone. My favorite of everything is how you used fabric, in your mom's beaded cord, in the old colors necklace, and wrapped around the donut.

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  18. Beautiful! Your sister definitely sparked your creative muse in the first necklace...I'm not a pink person but it's really so pretty. I absolutely love the 'old' colors necklace...it's very earthy and priceless that it contains a bit of your grandmother. Great job being out of your comfort zone and creating gorgeous pieces.

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  19. How to pick a favorite in here?! Impossible! The more I scrolled down, the more beauty I saw...love your pieces, the mix between medias and techniques, awesome use of fibers and beadwork,

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  20. Wow, great cooking, Rebekah! Your sense of using different materials to a harmonious composition is amazing! I love the idea with the beaded cord, I've to keep that in mind! And the birdie necklace is so sweet, too!

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  21. Great pieces beautifully put together!

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  22. Delicious! You made quite a delightful meal with your soup. I'm not usually a fan of pink, but that last necklace and earrings are really calling to me. Lovely work.

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  23. Oh my word, did you ever have some fun! I can see that gorgeous focal Shirley made as some sort of coral in that dance they do in the sea. The treatment you gave it is stunning and I have a hard time believing you and pink haven't been bffs. In honour of Mother's Day - boy does your mum rock! That detailing is so special and a great compliment to your bead pairings. Great stuff!

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  24. All of what you created were beautiful and the necklace with the bird focal was off the charts! You have an artistic sense to create balance and your designs are really eye catching. Love your work!

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  25. I am speechless! I am blown away with everything you created and still thought to add one of my beads in there!!! AWESOME!!!!

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  26. um...speechless? The 'Seamaid's Dream" is absolutely stunning. For someone working outside their color safezone- you NAILED it! Then you made more!!! The last necklace with the with fabric with the cube beads is so different! It's like the perfect. I don't know why I was drawn to that. I like that you incorporated fabric so seamlessly to that one. It's bold but so sweet. Beautiful job!

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  27. You did an amazing job getting into the pink groove. That's a color that stumps me as well. You really gave it some new life with Shirley's fab beadworking pieces. I see what you mean about it being somewhat underwater, like something you would unearth from an oyster shell.
    I'm more than smitten with your more earthy necklace though. It's a beauty!
    As for your last necklace, the palette your chose really brightens up the pink and gives it some life. I really really love that fiber piece your mom made. The pleats are just stunning!!
    You did a great job stepping outside your comfort zone and into the pink! ;)

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  28. If you were out of your comfort zone, it sure doesn't show. I love all three pieces. I love how you wired Shirley's clasp to your piece, (doesn't she just make the best stuff!), I love the colors of the second piece and I really love the way you crumpled the beads among the ribbon on the last one. Just gorgeous. Great job!

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  29. WoW! That first necklace is so pretty and feminine! And I love how you included so many art beads in the last necklace--just wonderful!

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  30. it's hard to believe that you don't work with pink all the time. You did an amazing job of showcasing the focal and the clasp. The necklace and the matching earrings are very pretty too.

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  31. Oh wow! What a stunning piece your "mermaid" necklace is! So very delicate and just like a metmaids purse! Wonderful!

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  32. These are simply gorgeous, Rebekah! That pink and orange together would have given me FITS... and you totally owned it, girl :)

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  33. How fun!I totally love the whole pink theme...and I'm not usually a girl. Great job!

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  34. those are gorgeous! I really love that autumn tones one! that fabric works so well with the beads and focal!

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  35. Pinks may not be in your comfort zone but you sure do pretty things with them :)

    Wonderful soup!

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  36. You have a lot of really lovely beads and you pink soup was so vibrant,I love the pink necklace and earrings you made from them and your use of fabric in them

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  37. I really loved all the pink goodness here. You couldn't tell that you don't work with pink all the time! The first necklace was beautiful, the second one too, but the third one was right up my alley. I loved the fabric and bead treatment, and the slightly asymetrical look. Beautiful!

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  38. so different styles of your creations and all perfect! the first necklace is my fav!

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  39. Great variety of designs! My favorite is the bird necklace. I love how you incorporated the fiber wrapped bosher and including fiber in the necklace. Great job!

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  40. Your pieces are DELIGHTFUL!! SOOOOO fun and cute! I'm kinda obsessed with the pink pieces....just wow! For a non-pink girl, you should come to the light ;)

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

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  41. Oh so many gorgeous pieces! The colors, the metal and the fabric, everything is just so creative and beautiful and so interesting I can't stop looking at them!

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  42. Oh, my favourite is the bird nechlace. I love the way you used the fabric wrapping the focal base.

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  43. All of your ideas are great! I love what you did with the bird, it's darling. And all the pink is beautiful, so fun and girly:)

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  44. I am normally not about pink, but my oh my what a gem of a necklace you created there, I btw also had the same thing where I really needed the input of someone else to make my little light bulb go off with my soup, your sister was right, this really asked for elegance, and you sure did that focal sing!!!! absolutely a job well done (and of course love your other pieces too, I am just so surprised I am loving the pink, hahahaaaa so not me!)

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  45. Oh my where to I start, each piece is stunning. I love your eclectic mixes of fibre and beads, excellent designs. Each piece is stunning, great job!

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  46. OMG, you rocked this awesome soup! I'm not a person who uses pink, the colors in that gorgeous necklace with the bird would be more "me" but I just love your creations! the thing your mom does with the fabric is awesome! Beautiful work!

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  47. The pink would have challenged me too, but Wow! You made such a beautiful necklace that embraces all of that delicate pink and white in a lovely design. Your mom's idea with the fabric and beads is inspirational! I really enjoyed looking and looking again at all of your pieces and their creative details.

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  48. Sometimes, when we hop, we think about how we would handle a certain part of the soup. I can't think of a better way for the beaded focal - this necklace is so feminine, so romantic and so beautiful! The earthy necklace is a total opposite - rustic, natural and also very beautiful with a very unique bead and color combo! The same style of arrangement but a different bead color and you have the last pink necklace with a completely different look! Add all the mixed media! Very inspirational pieces!

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  49. Hi Rebekah, All of your pieces are amazing. You did a truly wonderful job with your pink. I would not have known that you did not work with pink much if you had not said so. You really rocked it. The fabric strands that your Mom made highlight you designs perfectly and they are so lovely. I favor pink and use it often so I am thrilled to see what you did with Shirley's Gorgeous focal and clasp.

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