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LIMABEADS CHALLENGE

Awhile back I read about a bead challenge on Lorelei Eurto's blog, that she and Shannon of For My Sweet Daughter put together, and I just had to participate – the beads were so pretty! The kits were available to purchase from LimaBeads, which I had heard of but never ordered anything from before. And let me tell you, it was a treat – I will definitely be ordering through them again. Here are the beads:

Anyway, today is the big reveal day. Here's what I made!

This first necklace utilizes the stones, faceted glass, barbell chain, mother-of-pearl focal and filigree piece. I added more copper chain and findings.

This second necklace uses the purple briolettes, silk ribbon, and the clasp. I put the clasp on the side as I thought it might poke in the back. I like it there! I'm not a huge fan of asymmetry in my own work so that was sort of a step out of the box for me. I also don't use fiber in my jewelry at all, so I'm really pleased with how the ribbon turned out in this piece. It does seem a natural fit to use with chain, which I have been using a lot lately. Here's some closeups:

And finally I made two pairs of earrings:

These used the long pearls. I had actually originally incorporated them into the first necklace but I didn't like how they were looking so I took the whole thing apart. I still wanted to use the pearls in something so I made these earrings. I really think they turned out beautiful!

These earrings used the potato pearls and the off-white glass (which I loved, and I wish there had been more than 3 pieces in the kit!). As soon as I saw these two types of beads together I knew they had to be put in the same piece!

I did not wind up using the Toho beads, or the purple flower beads or faceted glass. I'm sure I will (I think the Toho beads would be great on a memory wire bracelet) but I just couldn't come up with something. I am just really amazed that I managed to make something with the ribbon!

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BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY! REVEALED!

Oh my goodness, it's time for the big reveal for the BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY, graciously hosted and put together by Lori Anderson of Pretty Things. I think she deserves a huge round of applause for making this happen – 362 participants altogether, from all around the world!

My partner is the fabulous Michelle Buettner of MiShel Designs. She sent me a terrific array of beads in colors I normally don't work with, which was really exciting because I feel like I needed the challenge of neutral colors to counteract my penchant for, well, fluorescents (see previous resin entries, haha).


Look at that lovely bunch of beads! I thought and thought about what they wanted to be. I tried working in my current style, chains and headpins and dangles, but no, that didn't really want to happen (much).

So, I reached into my bucket of tricks and pulled out an oldie but a goodie: classic stringing. And came up with this:


The focal presented a challenge, as it is pretty long and even my long headpins were not *quite* long enough to run through it. So after a couple tries, I hit upon the idea of using dangles and bits and bobs to accentuate the focal – the beading wire is actually strung through the dangle and then both ends through the focal, creating an even longer pendant! I was able to use almost all the beads Michelle sent for the entire necklace – only adding in a few faceted opalites of my own. What a beautiful selection of beads!


I actually used a new-to-me technique (or trick, maybe) in making this – crimp caps! I love how the little weirdos cover up your crimps and look like a bead! Easy and yet totally streamlined. CONVERT.

Here's a close-up of the moonstone kind of glowing:


I finished the necklace a couple weeks ago, then this week decided on a whim that it needed earrings with the very few beads I had left.

And that's my bead soup! I had a blast! 😀

Here's the list of other participants if you want to check them out (behind the cut):

Continue reading “BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY! REVEALED!”

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RESIN, part 2

When last we left the great RESIN-ING of 2011 I had admitted to making a full on crap-ton of resin pieces. And what does one DO with those resin bits? Why, she sits in her special chair in her TV den and hand drills holes into way too many of them and attaches bails she hella bought at Walmart, that's what one does with this shizzle:

I have a slight problem, I am willing to concede that point slightly.

I figured some of these pieces would look good wrapped in filigree… And they do….


Wrapping them in filigree seems to work better when the shapes are circular rather than oval, but that's okay, I was just experimenting.

I stopped by TAP Plastics on the way home from work on Monday and picked up a new mold that I tried out – more on those pieces later when ADVENTURES WITH RESIN returns after these messages (or rather, the Bead Soup Blog Party! Tune in tomorrow for results!)