Tassel Earrings with Garnet and Silver

Creativity is starting to flow slowly...Tassel Earrings with Garnet and Silver

First design after 7 years...feels good!

Dusting off my beading tools...

After a long hiatus of seven plus years since I last touched them, I finally dusted off my beading tools today...let's see what come out next!

Good deed of the day

Today I went to the local Target to buy some groceries. I picked up what I wanted, paid and walked out of the store. When I reached my car and picked up the grocery bag to put it in the car, I noticed that I had missed two cans of pumpkin puree hidden under the top rack of the cart. I put the grocery bag in the car and decided to take the cans back into the store. I waited for the same counter to be free where I had paid for the other groceries. When I got my turn, I told the lady at the counter what happened and that I wanted to pay for the two cans. She was very happy to hear it and thanked me for being honest and coming back to pay for the cans. I felt equally happy to see the big smile on her face. Guess I was done with my good deed of the day :)

Note: Image courtesy Google Search

The soup I cooked for my partner

When I started putting together the soup for my partner Mary Shannon Hicks, I wanted to send her a good mix of beads and findings.

I started with few yellow Jasper, an Agate oval and added couple of strands of fresh water pearls.
Along came multicolored glass beads and crystals.

And here is a small collection of pewter findings I added to the soup.

For the focal and clasp, I added a hand and a flower clasp. I am very curious to see how Mary will use them in her designs, specially the hand. I have been trying to use the hand in one of my designs for some time but haven't been able to finalize on one. Hoping Mary's design will help me refine my ideas too.
 

Mary found the soup beautiful and fun. Eagerly waiting to see her reveal on the party day.

8th Bead Soup Blog Party - My partner and the soup she sent

This year my partner for the Bead Soup Blog Party is Mary Shannon Hicks who is an excellent seed bead artist and loves to create beautiful designs.

I was totally thrilled to see the soup Mary sent and my first reaction was wow! she sent me such an elaborate soup! It included obsidian, lava rock, cinnabar, howlite, pearls, agate, vintage beads and so much more.

And look at the clasps, ear wires, findings and the lovely chain she sent.

And here is the best part of the soup. The sterling wire wrapped focal.

I am so touched that despite her recent eye surgery Mary took out time to create this special focal just for me. This is the first piece I am going to use in my designs.

Thanks to Lori Anderson for creating these parties despite her long going illness and connecting beaders and jewelry artists across the world one bead soup at a time.

Signed up for 8th Bead Soup Blog Party

Every year I look forward to Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party and have participated in four of them in the past few years. As Lori announced the details of the 8th BSBP few days back, the first thing I did was to put a reminder for myself. Glad that I just signed up for the party.


Photo courtesy - Lori Anderson

This year the sign ups are for one day only and there is only one reveal date too. So if you are interested, don't miss the window to sign up. Its today only, Sunday February 9th.

Happy Beading!!

Bead Hoarders Blog Hop 2013

Lori Anderson, the creator of Bead Soup Blog Party, announced a new blog hop this year...the Bead Hoarders Blog Hop. A great opportunity for the participating beaders to look into their own stash for beads that they have been hoarding for a long time but never got to use them, create beautiful jewelry pieces with them as part of the blog hop and share with all. For this blog hop no beads were swapped.

Over the years, I have collected lot of semi-precious gemstones, pears and metal but due to many reasons haven't been able to spend as much time beading as I would love to do. This year I decided not to buy more beading supplies till I use at least 1/4th of what I already have. So the announcement of bead hoarders blog hop came at a right time for me. Also, my mother in-law is visiting me this summer who loves to bead with me. So as part of this blog hop, we together made few pieces, very simple still creative. Here are some of them.

The first one is a necklace set with olive green ceramic rectangles with freshwater pearls.
I really liked the simplicity of the necklace and the softness of the color combination.

For the necklace below, I created half chain and use stringing for the other half.

Black is one of my favorite color. Here I used black Onyx with metal beads and separators.

Double strand Jade necklace with chandelier earrings.

This one is my favorite with Pyrite stones.

I am sure every participant must have created very beautiful pieces. Can't wait to see the reveal.

Below is the list of participants.

1.  Lori Anderson, Pretty Things
2. Nancy Dale, NEDBeads
3. Roxanne Mendoza, Roxi Designs
4.  Melissa Trudinger, beadrecipes
5.  Rana Lea, Rana Lea Designs
6.  Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs
7.  Rita Avila, Jewel School Friends
8.  Linda Anderson, From the Bead Board
  10.  Erin Guest, Renlish

11.  Joan Williams, lilruby jewelry
12. Diane Hawkey, Diane Hawkey
13.  Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
14.  Sue Kennedy, SueBeads
15.  Lisa Cone, Inspired Adornments
16.  Kari Asbury, Hippie Chick Design
17.  Nichole Byers, Nichole Byers
18.  Lori Jean Poppe, Adventures in Creativity
19.  Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings
20.  Lori Schneider, Bead Addict

21.  Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me
22. Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini
23.  Niki Sayers, Silver Nik Nats
24.  Elsie Deliz-Fonseca, Eliz-Eliz and All That Craft
25.  Amber Dawn, Inventive Soul
26.  Heather Powers, Humblebeads
27.  Sarah Goode, Pookledo
28.  Monique Urquhart, A Half-Baked Notion
29.  JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions
30.  Cheri Reed, Creative Designs by Cheri

31.  Robyn, Museiddity
32.  Catherine King, Catherine's Musings
33.  Jacquie, Bead Gypsy
34.  Janet McDonald, Singing Woods
35. Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreations
36.  Tanty Sri Hartanti, TJewellicious by Tanti
37.  Hannah Rosner, Good River Valley
38.  Rochelle Brisson, A Creative Chelle
39.  Nelly May, Smelly Nelly
40.  Skylar Bre'z, Brising Beads

41.  Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool
42.  Christie Murrow, Charis Designs
43.  Leanne Loftus, First Impression Design
44.  Valerie Norton, Hot Art
45.  Judy Riggs, Rigglettes
46.  Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons
47.  Terry Carter,  Tapping Flamingo
48.  Sue, Mid-Life Great Expectations
49.  Nan Smith, Wired Nan
50.  Miranda Ackerley, MirandAck Arts

51.  Marie Covert, Creating Interest
52.  D'Arsie Manzella, This Here Now, Mamacita
53.  Stephanie Haussler, Pixybug Designs
54.  Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design
55.  Johanna Nunez, The Lovely One Design
56.  Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
57.  Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
58.  Alicia Marinache, All the Pretty Things
59.  Debbie Rasmussen, A Little of This, A Little of That
60.  Nat, Grubbi Ceramics

61.  Marjorie Savill Linthwaite, Bennu Bird Rising
62.  Cheryl McCloud, One Thing Leads to Another
63.  Heather Otto, The Crafthopper
64.  Candida Castleberry, Spun Sugar Beadworks
66.  JuLee Wolfe, The Polymer Penguin
67.  Ginger Bishop, Lil Mummy Likes
68.  Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design
69.  Jeannie Dukic, Jeannie's Blog
70.  Dini Bruinsma, Angaza by Changes

71.  Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit
72.  Shalini Austin, Jewellery by Shalini
73.  Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle
74.  Ile Ruzza, Ilenia's Unique Beaded Jewelry
76.  Annita Wilson, AW Jewelry 
77.  Sherri Stokey, Knot Just Macrame
78.  Hannah Trost, PZ Designs
79.  Linda Inhelder, Must Haves Jewelry
80.  Miri Agassi, Beadwork

81.  Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
82.  Dyanne Cantrell, Dee-Liteful Jewelry Creations
83.  Susan Bowie, Susan Nelson Bowie
84.  Megan Milliken, MaeMaeMills
85.  Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry
86.  Ambra Gostoli, Chic and Frog
87.  Lori Lochner, Bloghner
88.  Gerda Jurimae, Gerda's Crafts Blog
89.  Susan, Mistheword
90.  MaryLou Holvenstot, MaryLou's time2cre8

91.  Mary Shannon Hicks, falling into the sky
92.  Karin King, The Sparklie Things Blog
93.  Christa Murphy, Adventures of One Beady Woman
94.  Jenny Davie-Reazor, Jenny Davies-Reazor
95.  Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous
96.  Mallory Hoffman, Rosebud 101 - For the Love of Beads
97.  Danielle Kelley, Imbue the Muse
98.  Kym Hunter, Kym Hunter Designs
99.  Dolores Rami, CraftyD's Creations
100.  Marcia Dunne, 13 Alternatives

101.  Marlene Cupo, Amazing Designs
102.  Emma Todd, A Polymer Penchant
103.  Wendy Holder, Jewelry by WendyLea
104.  Michelle Escano, The Cabby Crafter
105.  Louise Glazier, Lily and Jasmine Treasures
106.  Dana Hickey, Wind Dancer Studios
107.  Lennis Carter, windbent
108.  Anne Betenson, Crystal River Beads
109.  Audrey Belanger,  Dreams of an Absolution
110.  Lisa Stukel, Carefree Jewelry by Lisa

111.  Janine Lucas, Travel Stories
112.  Claire Lockwood, Something to Do With Your Hands
113.  Kathy Engstrom, Catherine's Dreams
114.  Paula Hisel, Simply Beadiful
115.  Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
116.  Mischelle Fanucchi, Micheladas Musings
117.  Kim, Cianci Blue
118.  Linda Sadler, Ida Louise Jewelry
119.  Karen, Spokalulu
120.  Jennifer LaVite, Dry Gulch Bead and Jewelry

121.  Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations
122.  Karen Martinez, Fairies Market
123.  Robin Reed, Artistry HCBD
124.  Amy Bright, LABweorc
125.  Jasvanti Patel, Jewels by Jasvanti
126.  Tammie Everly, TTE Designs
127.  Karin Slaton, Backstory Beads
128.  Natalie Moten, Running Out of Thread
129.  Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections
130.  Jenny Kyrlach, Wonder and Whimsy

131.  LiliKrist, Handmade by LilK
132.  Jessica Klaaren, The Truth Space
133.  Cynthia Abner, Created Treasures
134.  Beth Emery, Stories by Indigo Heart
135.  Heather Davis, Blissful Garden Beads
136.  Jeanne, Gems by Jeanne Marie
137.  Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe
138.  Laren Dee Barton, Laren Dee Designs
139.  Steph, Confessions of a Bead Hoarder
140.  Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

141.  B. R. Kuhlman, Mixed Mayhem
142.  Patty Miller, Cabari Beads
143.  Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads
144.  Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things
145.  Lizzie Clarke, The Need to Bead
146.  Christina Miles, Wings 'n' Scales
147.  Patricia, The Color of Dreams
148.  Marde Lowe, Fancimar
149.  Ev Shelby, Raindrop Creations
150.  Sarah Small, By Salla

151.  Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs
152.  Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry
153.  Pam Traub, Klassy Joolz
154.  Lisa Harrison, Daisy Meadow Studio
155.  Anzia Parks, Anzi-Panzi's Work Shoppe
156.  Ingrid, Lilisgems Handcrafted Jewelry Inspirations
157.  Andra Weber, Andra's Joyful Journey
158.  Kelly Hosford Patterson, The Traveling Side Show
159.  Adlinah Kamsir, Dreamstruck Designs
160.  Marci, That Nothing Be Wasted

161.  Kris Lanae Binsfield,  Cherish Designs
162.  Stephanie Perry, Mustard Bead
163.  Birgit Klughardt, Gites Beads
164.  Inge von Roos, Inge's Blog
165.  Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place
166.  Sandy Markley, Gypsy Spirit Designs
167.  Elena Adams, Lena's Beady Blog