7th Bead Soup Blog Party - Are you cooking a soup?

Bead Soup Blog Parties organized by Lori Anderson are getting bigger and bigger every year.
This year the sign ups were during January 25-27th and over 500 people across the world have signed up including me. There will be three reveal dates in March and April. I can imagine what an enormous effort it is for Lori to visit everybody's blog, categorize them for national and international and as per the reveal dates, pair them up and then send individual emails to notify them of their partners.

Hats off to Lori for all the hard work she puts in for organizing these parties. I am looking forward to have a great party as always and can't wait to hear about my partner.

Meanwhile, you can check out previous parties that I have attended.

6th Bead Soup Blog Party
5th Bead Soup Blog party
3rd Bead Soup Blog Party

Memories and Thanks Blog Hop Reveal

I always get fascinated by Lori Anderson's blog hops and try my best to participate in as many as I can.
Couple of months back when Lori announced Memories and Thanks Blog Hop in memory of her late friend Marianna, it reminded me of my friend Rachita and I right away signed up for the blog hop. The essence of this blog hop is to honor and remember people who have a special place in our lives.

Rachita and myself were together during our undergrad years. Though we were from different courses but
we got along very well from day one. She was a very hard working, friendly and easy to go girl. I still remember her beautiful smile and mischievous eyes. Being in the hostel(dorm), we got to spend lot of time together and in fact, were roommates during the final year. We were a group of seven girls and enjoyed lots of activities together like college festivals, travel, shopping, meals at our hostel mess but the best part was just hanging together in our room. I can say those were some of the most fun years of my life. When  undergrad finished we all went in different directions to pursue our post grad courses with a hope that we will continue to meet every few years. But it was not destined to happen as couple of months later, I got a call from one us seven friends that Rachita had passed away in a train mishap. I couldn't believe my ears and it felt that God had tricked us. It took me a while to accept that she is no longer with us but I know that she will always be in my heart.

As part of this hop, I want to dedicate the necklace below to Rachita. This necklace reminds me of the youthfulness and brightness she brought to people around her. 

The pendant makes me feel that she is standing in front of me with her hands on her waist and a big smile, just like she used to during our leg pulling sessions.

I really miss my friend and hope that God is taking good care of her.

As this is a Memories and Thanks Blog Hop,  I also want to thank God for creating people like Lori Anderson, who are not only very creative and beautiful themselves but inspire many more around them across the world to be creative and to follow their dreams; to make this world a beautiful place to live in. I know Lori is going through a very challenging time these days and sincerely hope things get better for her very soon.

There are around 130 beaders participating in this blog hop. Please do visit them at the links below and take a stroll with them down memory lane.

Hostess, Lori Anderson       Pretty Things

 Adlinah Kamsir                   Dream Struck Designs

 Aimee Biondolillo               Aimee's Jewelry Treasures

 Alicia Marinache                 All the Pretty Things 
 Andra Marasteanu               Handmade by Indra Marasteanu 
 Andrea Trank                      Heaven Lane Creations
 April Grinaway                   Brooklyn Bead Goddess

Barb Solem                         Vivi Magoo Presents

Becky Pancake                    Becky Pancake Bead Designs

Beth Emery                         Stories by Indigo Heart

Bonnie Coursolle                Jasper's Gems

Cassi Paslick                       Beads: Rolling Downhill

Catherine King                    Catherine's Musings

Cece Cormier                      The Beading Yogini

Chandra Leitz                     Juniper Goods

Charissa Nesler                   FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka                       Clay Space

Christina Hickman              Vintage Treasures Jewelry

Christine Murrow               Charis Designs Jewelry
Christine Stonefield            Sweet Girl Design

Chrizette Bayman               Bead Soup Mix

Cindy Wilson                      It's My Sea of Dreams

CJ Bauschka                      4 His Glory Creations by CJ

Crystal Thain                      Here Bead Dragons

Cyndi Lavin                        Beading Arts

Debbie Rasmussen             A little of this, a little of that

Denielle Hagerman             Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez                  Arte y Poemas

Diane Hawkey                    diane hawkey

Dita Basu                            ankarshilpa

Donetta Farrington             Simply Gorgeous

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell     Deeliteful Jewelry Creations

Emma Todd                        A Polymer Penchant

Erin Kenny                         beadiful therapy

Erin Prais-Hintz                  Treasures Found

Gina Hockett                      Freestyle Elements

Gloria Allen                        Innovative Dreams Jewelry

Heather Marston                 CSW Designs

Inge von Roos                    Inge's Blog

Iveth Caruso                       Creative Atelier

Jacqueline Marchant          Fiddledeedee Jewelry

Jami Shipp                         Celebrating Life!

Jean Yates                          Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!

Jennifer Reno                     Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo                   Peppa's Dream

Jennifer VanBenschoten    Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren                  Cellar Door Jewelry

Jessica Murray                   Whimsical Monkey

Joan Williams                     lilruby jewelry

Jo-Ann Woolverton            It's a Beadiful Creation

Joanne Browne                   josjewels1

Jodie Marshall                    Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art

Johanna Rhodes                 Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen                 Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC

JuLee Wolfe                       The Polymer Penguin

Julie Bean                           Blue Pig Blog

Karen Mitchell                   Over the Moon Designs

Karin King                         The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton                       Backstory Beads

Kat Douglas                       Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton                        Toodles and Binks

Kelly Hosford Patterson     The Traveling SideShow

Kim Ballor                          Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity

Kim Dworak                       CianciBlue

Kim Houston                       The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter                         Kym Hunter Designs

Laren Dee Barton                Laren Dee Designs

Lea Avroch                          LA Jewelry Designs

Leanne Loftus                      First Impression Design

Liddy McLaughlin               Liddy McLaughlin Art

Linda Florian                       Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations

Linda Inhelder                     Must-Haves Jewelry

Lisa Hamilton                      Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver                            Fancee That

Lori Bowring Michaud        Artfully Ornamental

Lori Poppe                           Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean

LouAnn Elwell                    Southpass Beads

Mandi Effron                       Craft-o-licious

Marcia DeCoster                 MadDesigns

Marcia Dunne                     The Alternative Foundry

Marie Covert                      Creating Interest

Marjorie Savill Linthwaite     bennubirdrising

Marlene Cupo                        Amazing Designs by Marlene

Martha Aleo                           Ornamento

Marti Conrad                          Marti's Buttons -n- Beads

Mary Ellen Parker                  BeeTree by m.e.

Mary Govaars                        MLH Jewelry Designs

Mary Lindell                          Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry

Maureen Connolly                 Mrs Beadsley's Workshop

Maybeline Tay                       The Jewelry Larder

Melissa Elgin                         The Addicted Beader

Melissa Mesara                      one-eared pig beads

Menka Gupta                         Menka's Jewelry

Michaela Pabeschitz              la mar de bonita

Mischelle Fanucchi               Micheladas Musings

Mona Rae Baroody               Who Does She Bead She Is?

Nan Emmett                          Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth

Nancy Pedersen                    Something Heartfelt by Nancy

Natalie Davidson                  NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas                      Bead It and Weep

Pam Farren                           re-maker

Pam, the Crazier Sister        The Crazy Creative Corner

Pam Traub                            Klassy Joolz
Priya Krish                           Hellopalz 
Rebecca Anderson               Song Beads

Rebecca Sirevaag                 Becca's Place

Robin Kae Reed                   Artistry HCBD

Rochelle Brisson                  a creative chelle

Rosa Maria Cuevas              Helena de Troya

Sabine Dittrich                     perlendschungel

Sandi Volpe                          Sandi Volpe

Sandra McGriff                    Creative Chaos

Sarah Goode                         Pookledo
Sarah Singer                         String a Song of Sixpence

Serena Trent                         All Things Made Jewelry

Shai Williams                       Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac                        Sharon's Jewelry Garden

Sharyl McMillian-Nelson    Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections

Sheila Davis                         Stone Designs

Shelley Graham Turner        Fabric of My Life

Sherri Stokey                       Knot Just Macrame

Sherry Baun                         Unicorns Jewels

Skylar Bre'z                         Brising Beads

Stephanie Haussler              Pixybug Designs

Tania Spivey                        Moobie Grace Designs

Terri G.                                Blooming Ideas

Terry Carter                         Tapping Flamingo

Terry Matuszyk                    Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry

Toltec Jewels                       Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse                         Goldkisses Art

Tracy Martin                        Nutkitten's Jewelry

Zia Parks                              Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe

Zoe Marcin                          Beads, Tea and Sweets

Welcome 2013

Wishing all my readers a very Happy New Year. Let's welcome the new year with a smile, a spirit of giving, a sense of humanity and a pledge to spread peace and happiness...and do our part to make this world a better place.

Christmas Collection

For the Winter Art & Crafts Fair at work this year, I have created a Christmas gifts collection...bookmarks, lanyards, charms, earrings and ornament hangers. It was lot of fun to work on a theme and designing with red, green, white and gold as the main colors. Sharing some pictures below.

Bookmarks

Lanyard

Charms

Earrings

Christmas Ornament Hangers

The Fair is tomorrow and I can't wait to see people's response to the collection.

Kalmbach Bead Soup Party

Kalmbach Jewelry Books, the publishers for Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Book hosted a bead soup in honor of Lori. I was lucky to get one of the bead soup too. The beads were from McM Designs which included a very nice textured ceramic focal with silver clasp and a mixture of orange and heart shaped beads along with crystals and pearls.

I designed a long necklace with the bead soup adding Carnelian beads from my stash.

I got the inspiration for this design from one of the bead soup designs in Lori's book. Will write more about it in book review post.

7th Bead Soup Blog Party - Mark your calendar

Today Lori Anderson announced the date for the 7th Bead Soup Blog Party. Lori organizes these parties twice a year and as the number of participants have grown with each party, now we have three reveal days.

I must say that no matter whether you are an amateur beader or a seasoned one, you don't want to miss these parties. I have participated in three of them and trust me I have learnt a lot each time. The best part is to be able to connect with such amazing and creative people from all over the world.

You can find out more details on the party here.

And you can see below what I made for the ones I attended.
February 2011 (3rd BSBP)
September 2011 (4th BSBP) - this one was special. I missed the sign up window for the party and Lori was kind enough to send me a soup herself.
March 2012 (5th BSBP)
August 2012 (6th BSBP)

So mark your calendar and don't miss out on a wonderful opportunity to enrich yourself as a beader.

Giveaways for Intel WIN Conference

Around 6 weeks back, I got the big task to create participant giveaways for Women @ Intel Network (WIN) annual conference.The theme for the conference being 'Collaboration and Winning Together', the idea was to collaborate with Intel artists and create different from regular giveaways. 

The challenge was the budget per participant was very minimal and there were few hundred pieces to make. Me along with two other Intel artists took the challenge and put our creative heads together to come up with three giveaways and when I presented the samples to the planning committee everybody simply loved it :)

I decided to make cute little bookmark with beads in Intel blue and white colors, Jennifer Grimes made soapmallows - handmade soap in mashmallow shape too hard to resist eating them :) and Frank Krause made greeting cards with his original photographs.

Making few hundred pieces was not easy but I am blessed to have very supportive family and friends who helped me at each step...from shopping for beads and packing supplies, getting the bead danglers ready, designing the new logo to capturing each stage in pictures. Here are some of them for you to see how the bookmarks came up.

 

    

 

Today was the conference and the participants just loved the giveaways. We ran out of them very fast and people who came later were disappointed to miss them. We had a very successful conference overall and I am already looking forward to the event next year.