Soup Is Served

It's today, it's today, it's today... party time!! A few weeks back, I signed up to take part in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Party. I was wicked super thrilled when I was paired with the divine Barbara Lewis as my co-cook in the beady kitchen. The ingrediants for my soup she sent were just.plain.awesome. I can't tell you how even more over the top excited it has me for the Painting With Fire workshop I am attending in DC in March. But enough gushing... on to the creations!



I knew the minute I saw Barbara's beads that I would be pulling out my own enamels and mixing them with glass. I started with a base of transparent light brown and dusted it with layers of lavender and bold blue, picking up the tones in the enamels that I think Barbara used. I thought hollows would settle perfectly into these sorta filigree like bead caps. I created a chain linking the beads together that is about 6 inches long. I attached it to a super long length of some very pretty raw brass chain. The chain is so long that you can wear it doubled up, or like a lariat, or like a long laynard. Love it.




That last photo there is seriously seriouly one of my favorite jewelry photos ever. As I made this second necklace, I using most of the extras that Barbara sent. The Czech fire polished crystals, the bead cones, some pretty little florettes, and that gorgeous focal. I knew I wanted layers, lots and lots of layer. I mixed in several different brass chains, waxed linen cording, and, to make it *me* some vintage enameled chain too. I also have had a couple Jade Scott pendants I have been waiting to use in something special. Yep, one of them is in here! Working on this got me thinking... if I did the "vintage style jewelry thing" that everyone loves right now, I would do it like this... vintage with POPS of brights. I mean really, Kerry=Color, does it not?


As if the necklaces (and the pair of earrings from the week before) weren't enough, I had so many beads that I could make some bracelets too! I told you she sent too much!! This first bracelet is styled after a Lorelei Eurto bracelet I (the top one) bought a few weeks ago as a treat to myself. I made some very think, very chunky discs in my favorite shade of transparent ink blue, rolled the edges in a few shades of enamel, and set them up on their sides like the ceramic ones in Lori's bracelet. I made a flower disc as the catch for the clasp to match the sweet Barbara flowers. *sigh* I love it, and it huges your wrist just right.



For this bracelet, I grabbed one of my big huge felted wool beads and popped it in the center of one of the larger caps Barbara sent. I made a big wire work loop, added one of my smaller hollow beads, linked to a short length of silk ribbon, the wool bead link, some copper chain, another Jade Scott charm, and a vintage enamel flower. Try to say all that in one breath, lol... it's a long sentence! Just so in love with this. It dangles off one side of your wrist, so much cooler then those springy bracelet key chain things, but kinda like those. LOL...


Okay... so now what right? You have seen the soup jewelry from me, but you are still hungry right? I just wet your whistle and you need more!! First, check out what my partner created with the beads I sent here!! THEN, pop on over to Lori Anderson's blog and just start clicking... clicking... clicking... and check out what the EIGHTY plus other artists created. It is one hellva party... my guess it is going to last for days and we will all have hangovers... but in a good way. :)