I got my Bead Soup Blog Party Partner!!!!

<doing a dance>
SO Excited!
For BSBP #8, I was paired with Cheryl Gangle of http://rockcandyjewelrydesign.blogspot.com!

Ok so that is it for now (more to come, I promise)

Off to figure out which soup to send :)

Edwardian Inspired Blog Hop

Hosted by Beading Daily :) www.beadingdaily.com

I have a huge hoard of vintage beads in various states of repair/disrepair/awaiting inspiration.

Let me say how much I love swarovski pearls. They saved the day for both pieces.

This poor baby was missing the whole back half and the clasp-the front dangle section and a about 15 beads on each side of it was all that survived... I wonder what happened to it..anyway....I added some swarovski crystal pearls and I am pretty happy with the results. I think it was originally a Czech glass necklace from the early teens. I have never seen beads in this barely there shade of palest pink.

And this lovely confection of design was rescued from a Goodwill store- I could not believe my luck when I found this sitting alone in a baggie. $16.00 later and it was home with me. There was originally 2 long oval beads on each side, but one was crushed to dust at the bottom of the baggie-along with the pearl on the drop. The little blue beads in the back were knotted on faded cotton that was also falling apart. I cut each little bead off the cord and wired them. I added some pearls to make up the missing blue oval and got creative placing the left over one-no bead left behind! I guess this would be opera length (it comes past my navel) but looks just as amazing doubled up. I am 100% sure this was a Czech glass piece too judging by the assembly and pendant. I think this was more 20's.

A close up of the pendant:

I had a blast digging through my stash...I have some amazing purple glass beads that I did not get to in time but now that the box is out...

Has it really been that long???!!!

To quote a co-worker: Holey Tacos!

Honestly, I have just started beading again after a few months off...work (busy), hiking (not enough) and health (stupid hands...and ear which is a long story) have taken priority.

Several things lit a fire under my a**:

The lovely Emma over on the Beading Daily Forms has created a color palette challenge. I will be revealing my colors and designs on the reveal day, 2/5/14.

Beading Daily is having a "Downton Abbey/Edwardian Design Challenge" which is right up my vintage bead hoarding alley. Reveal day is 2/1/14 (got to wrap one thing up and then will post.)

Bead Soup Blog Party # 8 is around the corner (omg! squee! yippee! yay!)...I often read Lori's blog-bless her she had a plate full of life and just heaps beads on it. And pie.

I finally broke through the wall on my Raven embroidery project....Add turquoise and voila! I have a ton of new ideas now and I think I am ready to approach him again.

I just starting poking through my blogs list and found Charlie over at Clay Space has a Hunger Games Challenge going (see button on my blog)-I am a month late so I missed District 1 but that leaves 12 more (if she is counting 13.) Which is right up my Hunger Games obsessed fan girl alley.

Beads and desk are dusted off, beads are all over the house, and once again I am looking out at the world and thinking "I wonder what delicas I would need to make that in beads...or those colors look amazing together...where are my beads...oooh lookie new swarovski colors...is that a real owl feather....Laura Mears has new designs...the cherry blossom tree has buds on it....

Yep, I think I am slowly crawling back toward the light. Those beads are just so sparkly!

Embroidered Hummingbird is done!

I have been working on this little guy since the beginning of September and I am so happy he is all done :)

I also made this cuff bracelet yesterday-inspired by the Magpies that were all around out campsite but would not hold still for a photo lol.



Snowy Owl finally finished!

After months and months of hitting the wall with this little lady I am finally done! I have been quite literally living at a new bead store in Bellevue the last month or so, taking the owl with me and getting inch by agonizing inch sewn. If it was not for the help and encouragment of Candy and Cara at Bird Tail Beads, I think this would have never been completed.

I really wanted to add a fringe to fill out the bottom of the piece and give the top and bottom sections some sort of connection. Beaded fringe was not an option for me, I did that with the Hawk and he is very heavy.

I came up with the chain fringe idea on Friday while visiting with Cara. It took me all day Saturday to complete the super fiddly execution. And without further ado, here is "Winter Solstice":

Along with Ms. Owl, I have also been working with my Vintaj Big Kick (goodness how I love mashing metal!) This necklace design was inspired by a pattern in the Vintaj Mixed Metals book (I do not recall the artist's name, but I thank her for the awesome idea!)

I also gave in and started making wrap bracelets (they are EVERYWHERE!) Even my cat likes them.

Well, that's it for now...next embroidery project is a Hummingbird (also by Laura Mears).

If you live in Washington State or come here for a visit, please stop in Bellevue and visit Candy at Bird Tail Beads. They have been open since last December and have a great selection of swarks, vintaj, glass, and metal beads. Yes, this is a shameless plug for my LBS (local bead store.)

It's been awhile!

With the better weather here in Washington I have been away enjoying the great outdoors. I have hiked more this year than ever..and I am also learning how to fly fish (not easy at all but so fun!)

A couple of my favorite pictures so far:

Middle tier of the Wallace Falls, Gold Bar, Wa:

The small but really awesome Eagle Falls, Skykomish river, Wa:



And now back to our regularly scheduled BEAD blog :)

I have been working on an embroidered owl...she's not quite finished yet but here she is:

Porcelain owl-Laura Mears. Rainbow Moonstone and Dendritic opal, Etsy.

I am just now working on the edging. I am not sure if I want to add fringe or not. Any suggestions??

I also got a fantastic deal at Hobby Lobby on a Sizzix/Vintaj Big Kick (referred to lovingly as "the bead squisher") It was the only way I could describe what it did when I was telling my Boyfriend about it.

I haven't played with it much yet...I just put in a huge order at Beadaholique for Vintaj blanks to stamp..should be here any day now (yay!) I also nabbed an awesome deal from a seller on Etsy-she was clearing out all of her Vintaj products. That order should be here soon too.

I have the stirrings of an evil plan coming together. I love buying destash lots on Etsy..only problem I have is I seem to find lots of Swarovksi crystals...I use up "that random pretty green" color and want more but I have no idea what it is called (so frustrating!) So I poked around online for a Swarovski color chart...I found the "official" one but it only seems to have the popular/basic colors.

I decided I am going to make my own. I have managed to estimate there are 261 colors (including the AB, ABX2 and special coatings). If I get 2 4mm bicones in each color it will cost about $55.00. The bonus is if I order them from Fusion Beads, the labels on the baggies will have the color name printed on them. I can then tape the baggies to some 8 1/2 x 11 size white cardstock and put each page in a clear plastic sheet protector. Then put them in a binder (kinda like a carpet sample book.)

Yes. I am that crazy. Homemade Swarovski color chart crazy.

Bead Soup #7 Get your bowls and spoons ready!

So what have I been doing the last few months?

Playing with the generous and delightful box of beads from Sabine!

I knew exactly where the Cinnabar bead was going when I saw it!

Prehinite, Coral (also from Sabine), cobalt chinese crystal, and a handpainted brass fan.

I was so surprised that Sabine sent me this amazing heart bead that I dropped it on the floor. It survived! I had some ribbon in my stash that had to go with it. Silk ribbon, silver toggle clasp (from Sabine), Bali silver, lavendar acrylic big hole beads (from Sabine) and swarovski crystals.

The garden pendant had so many details, I was afraid I would overwhelm it. I tried to keep it simple with Silk ribbon, lampwork pendand, and lampwork beads all from Sabine. Pewter dragonfly, czech glass flowers and leaves.

I really loved the earthy, organic look of the green ceramic beads Sabine sent me. I ended up making 2 necklaces with a similar color scheme with them. Ceramic beads (from Sabine) betel nuts, coco wood, czech glass bead (from Sabine), Tibetan copal amber beads, silk ribbon, silver clasp, and a polymer clay pendant from Swoondimples (Etsy)

Similar color scheme as the necklace above but with more metallics than naturals. Green ceramic beads (from Sabine), bronze delicas, vintage bronze faceted czech glass, cream czech glass rondelles, brass clasp, vintage/antique bronze budda pendant.

The lampwork bead above the wing pendant was just screaming "clouds" to me. Sky blue lampwork beads (from Sabine), vintage faceted mother of pearl, vintage opaque sky blue rosary beads, metallic blue iris czech glass beads, blue opal chinese crystal, and a ceramic wing pendant (Earthenwood)

Matching earrings with Sabine's lampwork and vintage mother of pearl beads.

This one even suprised me when I was done...the color combo is an odd one for me but it reminds me of the sun setting through the trees. Every time I have gone hiking with my Boyfriend, we are followed back by a robin. No matter what trail it was. Silk ribbon, opaque red and lavendar czech rondelles (from Sabine), polymer clay robin and birch rondelles Humble Beads, swarovski bicones, vintaj brass branch and bail. Vintage cloth button clasp.

And a matching bracelet:

Czech glass rondelles and silk ribbon (from Sabine), swarovski crystal, bronze bird charm (Green Girl Studios.)

And last but not least:

Silk ribbon (from Sabine), czech glass, blue freshwater pearls, chinese crystal, lucite flower, swarovski crystal and a ceramic dragonfly pendant (artist unknown.)

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my pieces...please make sure to visit Sabine's blog at http://www.perlendschungel.blogspot.com/ and see what she made with my beads!