Friday, September 16, 2011

Bead Soup REVEAL!!!!

First off, a shout out to my amazing husband, Mike, who is currently putting our kids to bed so that I can blog about this on our 11th anniversary! Seriously, I can't make this stuff up--Happy Anniversary, my love!
Now, down to business, I am s00000 excited to finally share! These are the beads I received from Pam Ferrari. So many fun items!!!

I have been super busy with my crazy life, so I only got 4 pieces made with the incredible soup I received. The cool thing, is some day, I will get a chance to have another cup of soup or two from these beautiful ingredients! I can't wait!!

I had so much fun with these colors. Here
is a close-up of the first piece I made with one of Pam's gorgeous focals.
I took one of the headpins with a beautiful blue glass end and put it through the center hole of the focal, up through the back and wrapped it around the top. I attached a silver chain behind the glass ball on the headpin and the center of the focal. This was something I had never tried before and it took a few attempts to get it right. I was a bit nervous, because I did not want to waste a single beautiful headpin! After getting the focal how I wanted it, I knew I wanted to add several of the beads that Pam sent me in my soup. She sent such a variety, so I decided to make it an asymmetrical design. I added some Trinity Brass Company chain and findings to Pam's beautiful beads to finish out the design. This necklace took me quite a while to get the end result that I wanted. I really appreciate the opportunity to try new things, use components I hadn't worked with before and time to try and get it right! Knowing that Pam had spent so much time making each of these amazing glass pieces really added to the pressure! I really wanted to do her work justice--without overworking it and having her art get lost in the piece.


After completing the necklace, I was feeling excited, but a bit exhausted. So, I returned to my comfort zone, making a cute little ring that was more my typical style. I used a C-koop flower, filigree ring and two of the beads from the bead soup. I love this, and it was definitely more my style and comfort zone!


The third piece I made was this leather cuff bracelet, using a few filigree from my stash, a flower that I had patinaed awh
ile back with my girls, and one of the beautiful glass beads made by Pam. Again, more within my usual style, I really had fun with this one. After gaining back a bit of confidence, I finally felt ready to tackle the felted balls....



For the fourth piece, I used the felted balls and some beads and findings from my own stash, with a toggle from Pam and made this bracelet. The felt balls were too dense to poke wire all the way through, so I poked the wire through the surface and back out (similar to sewing), and then wrapped the wire with a bead. Turned out to be really fun to figure out how to use these balls! I hope you enjoyed my four servings of soup!

I can't wait to take a peek at all the other designer's ingredients and the soup they created! I hope you will, too! Please visit my partner, Pam Ferrari's blog and check out what she did with the soup ingredients I sent! I am dying to see what she came up with!!! Also, Lori Anderson is our fearless leader on this Bead Soup. Click on her name to be connected to the list to blog hop from!

53 comments:

  1. I love your pieces! Thanks for being my partner, This was a lot of fun.

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  2. Wow, pam sent you some gorgeous beads and you did them proud! Great soup!
    Deb x

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  3. Beautiful pieces, all of them! I especially love the bracelet and ring, they're really in my taste, but the other two pieces are also lovely of cause.

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  4. I can see, you have a lot of fun with these colours! The necklace is adorable - I think everybody who sees it, will admire this great work!
    Greetings, Michi

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  5. Outstanding !!! Love the colors!!!
    Great soup!
    m.e. :)

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  6. So cute. You had loads of fun. And looks like you'll have more. Happy anniversary.

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  7. Wow Natasha, this is really pretty - I like how the shapes repeat in the necklace. I think you did a great job with your piece. And happy anniversary, too.

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  8. I'm just thrilled with your solution to the focal bead, I'm going to remember that! And the silver chain worked out perfect. I seriously adore that little ring, I think I need to go visit C-Koop.... I've never worked with felted balls, so it's good to know that they are dense and there is a way around it. I feel like I got a free class, as well as serious eye candy!! :) Happy hopping!

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  9. How fun! I love the variety of textures you found to bring your pieces to life! You better hang onto that man - what a good sport!

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  10. Your designs all feature some of my favorite colors! Sooooo pretty! I especially like your necklace and ring designs. You really made some stunning pieces!

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  11. Great idea with the focal and the glass pin.
    You have done a really good job. I think this necklace is my favourite so far.

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  12. What a fun necklace. I love that focal.

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  13. All four pieces are really great! Beautiful vision!

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  14. Go Mike!! N everything is beautiful! I Love the necklace but I'm secretly coveting the felt ball bracelet;)

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  15. What gorgeous beads and colours! I love what you've done with them, the fun ring especially.

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  16. They are gorgeous colours you got to work with. I love the ring you created... so much fun!

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  17. Love your ingenious treatments and the color blends.

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  18. Your man is definitely a keeper. And I love the first necklace. It really highlights all those gorgeous beads.

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  19. Happy Anniversary! Love your pieces, so colorful and fun!

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  20. Lori would like to know where you got the round glass beads I put into my bracelet.

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  21. Love the components you received and how you put them all together. The first necklace is my favorite! I love how you did the dangles from the focal and the little dangly in the negative space of the clasp hole!

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  22. Wonderful! You have created a terrific piece of wearable art. I like your use of color and texture for the necklace. I also love the lampwork focal. Thank you for sharing your artistic process along the way. Cheers!
    Lori

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  23. I love how you said you "only" got four pieces done LOL! That's a lot! And what a great variety of techniques you showed as well. I like them all, but I think that cute little ring is my favorite. Great job.

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  24. First ring I've seen while hopping - congrars!

    And I love all your pieces - you were quite busy! And the focal on the necklace is stunning!

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  25. Awesome work, and I'm glad you made some different things, like the cuff and the ring -- good to work out of the normal jewelry box!

    I hope you'll join me next time -- the blog badge and dates are up on my blog now.

    Love, Lori

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  26. Great job with all of your components. I really like what you did with those felted balls.

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  27. Fun and fabulous pieces! Way to use everything so creatively! Happy Anniversary! :)

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  28. Happy Anniversary for the 17th. Those felted balls are great. My sister in law sent me an orange felted ball necklace which is so bright and cheerful. :o)

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  29. Awesome job with your soup! Beautiful creations!

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  30. Love the contemporary modern feel. You Rocked out your Soup mix for sure!

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  31. All the pieces are cute - the felt balls look like they would have been so much fun to work with! And happy anniversary!

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  32. Hahah, I would have terrified of wasting these beautiful headpins too! I love what you did with the focal, great job.

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  33. So whimsical and colorful!! Fantastic job!

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  34. I"m finally making my way to the bottom of the list. Happy belated anniversary! I love the necklace, the focal reminds me of those evil eyes/protective eyes. Beautiful focal and such a fun necklace. The ring is as sweet as can be. Love the bracelets, must try them soon.

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  35. What a neat focal on that necklace! Beautiful designs and love the colors!

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  36. The ring is just too cute! and cool! I was also wondering how you were going to use those decorative head pins, you did a great job. All the pieces are just lovely!

    Julie & Andrea

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  37. I am so sorry I am so late hopping your way. My computer dug it's heels in and said Not gon'a go thaat fast.:^)
    Your designs are nothing short of amazing.
    Be blessed to be a blessing

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  38. Pam sent you a ton of really cool things! I love every single piece for different reasons. The necklace is great and it's wonderful that it pushed you. The ring is so cute! I adore the cuff and that you had help with the patina :o) The felt balls sound interesting to work with and your bracelet turned out really cute. Great job!

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  39. You did your soup proud, lovely designs!

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  40. Really colorful fun pieces...I love the ring. And the bracelet with the felt balls!!

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  41. Great Reveal. "Only" four pieces?? Hummm!
    We’re all being pushed outside our comfort zones — with amazing results!

    Enjoy the hop,
    Emanda
    http://artemisiastudio.blogspot.com/2011/09/bead-soup-reveal.html

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  42. You "only" got four pieces done? FOUR? That's awesome! These are great pieces and great use of the ingredients you got. Great job!

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  43. wow!!! these are great pieces---great colors---lots of life in them! wonderful jewelry!

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  44. That soup ROCKS! you did a fantastic job on all of them. I love the ring. And your photography on it is awesome! The colors are wonderful and she did such a great job with the beads she made. Wow! Lucky woman to get that soup!

    Melissa
    http://design.kcjewelbox.com

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  45. great pieces..and well done with the necklace and bracelet which you say were out of your comfort zone...certainly wouldn't know it! Cute ring..and the felt balls are gorgeous.
    jenni

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  46. Such fun pieces, I really like what you did with the focal. And the flower ring is just too adorable.

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  47. All your pieces are great but that ring is awesome!

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  48. Gorgeous! The asymmetrical necklace is really nice! I love all the space between the beads, it gives me the idea that you can breath.
    The ring is so cute!
    Ambra

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