Artfully Meandering: A little over halfway through BSBP Hop!

So sorry, if I haven't made it to your blog yet, but I'm "pacing myself" so I can truly enjoy the inspiration and eye candy produced by all the talented designers in this hop. Thank you for stopping by and commenting and checking out my soup and final creations!

Artfully Meandering: BSBP Blog Hop Break

This has been SOOO much fun for me. I love seeing the talented designers out there taking items far from their comfort zone and making gorgeous jewelry. I've been working basically from the bottom up on the list with a few random ones in between. I need to take a break for tonight. I want to continue to make genuine comments and savor and read through the blogs. For all those who have stopped by my blog and Cynthia Abner's blog, thank you! It means a lot to have you looking and commenting on our creations. Check back in tomorrow!

Artfully Meandering: Welcome to the Fifth Bead Soup Blog Hop! hosted by Lori Anderson

I'm so excited I got to participate in the 5tth Bead Soup Blog Party! My wonderful Bead Soup Sister, Cynthia Abner, sent me the prettiest soup! We seem to be sisters in loving green. I sent her a similar color palette. I think we're both dreaming of Spring. 

3/4/12 Edit: 

1) I saw my partner Cynthia's reveal and I am so excited with the gorgeous creation she put together. It's smashing!

2) Did anyone else find themselves giddy about the Reveal day? I stayed up last night to see Lori's post and didn't sleep out of excitement. Kind of like a kid before they go to Disney... I'm so silly...

And !Oila! Warm, mellow copper...peaceful, springy green...I played with a few layouts. Her soup was so generous I was planning to a multi-strand necklace and then ended up making four separate necklaces that could be stacked up on top of each other if you felt particularly blingy. 

Below, from left to right are the four necklaces. The beads were so pretty, I used copper chain I had in my stash to maximize being able to view the pretty beads.

And below, three sets of earrings. Cynthia sent four little ladybug charms. I irresistibly couldn't help putting them in earrings. They are so sweet and adorable!

Spring Green Ladybug Earrings

Mellow Peace Earrings

Mellow Ladybug Earrings

And now on to the juicy stuff! Glass, mixed with pretty crystal and copper daisy spacers. It has a vintage pattern (my mom gave me a vintage glass and crystal necklace she wanted me to remake into earrings). I modernized the design by adding a weathered copper chain for around the neck to highlight the pretty beads in front. All of these designs are my favorite, each for a different reason. I'm feeling rather attached to these pieces. 

Vintage style, modern feel necklace

This opera length necklace features green shell, crystals, with some wooden beads from my own stash hanging from a medium size copper chain. 

Opera Length Calm and Peace Necklace

Love this piece with new jade stones. Mixed in with cube crystals and copper rounds. The back of the necklace is a light chain. The centerpiece of this necklace is a little length of byzantine chain maille in weathered copper. I love how the chain maille weights the necklace and adds interest, while highlighting the pretty color beads on the side.

Byzantine Jade Necklace

And the Piece de Resistance! The main course...Cynthia sent a dreamy glass barrel in pale green with some goldstone floating beneath the surface. I had several ideas of how to make this the focal, but I ended up keeping it simple to keep the focus on the light, summery focal. It's complemented with copper chain, some of the first lamp work beads I ever bought from Grace Lampwork Beads, copper beads, and Cynthia's clasp. 

Spring Green Choker

Thanks for stopping by my blog! Please check out the rest of the BSBH at the links below. 

Hostess, Lori Anderson


Special Book Sneak Peeks, Cindy Wimmer

1.  Adlinah Kamsir (Singapore) and Hajer Waheed (Kingdom of Bahrain)

2. Adrienn Lukacs (Hungary) and Agata Grygiel (Poland)

3.  Agi Kiss (Hungary) and Carolien Muller-Genger (the Netherlands)

4.  Agnes Asztalos (Hungary) and B.R. Kuhlman

5.  Alesha Conklin and Becki Mendivil

6.  Alice Peterson and Carol Dillman

7.  Alicia Marinache (Canada) and Dita Basu

8.  Amanda Dittloff and Brandy Thomason McNair

9.  Amanda Tibbetts and Andrea Trank

10.  Amy Freeland and Kay Mallery 

11.  Andra Weber and Christine Murrow

12.  Ann Sherwood and Diane Welte

13.  Barbara Bechtel and Kerry Bogert

14.  Barbara Lewis and Cat Pruitt

15.  Bonnie Coursolle (Canada) and Fay Wolfenden (Canada)

16.  Carmel McGinley (Australia) and Tracy Stillman (Australia)

17.  Cassie Donlen and Deryn Mentock

18.  Cathie Carroll and Janel Dudley

19.  Cece Cormier and Morwyn Mullins

20.  Charlene Jacka and Christina Hickman

21.  Cheryl Brown (Canada) and Diana Ptaszynski

22.  Christina Stofmeel (the Netherlands) and Eva Kovacs (Hungary)

23.  Christine Damm and Deb Brooks

24.  Cilla Watkins (Canada) and Elaine Robitaille (Canada)

25.  Sabrina Straub (Switzerland) and Kathy Combs

26.  Cindy Cima Edwards and Eleanor Burian-Mohr

27.  Cory Celaya and Rhea Freitieg

28.  Courtney Breul and Dana Hickey

29.  Cynthia Abner and Jennifer Boreck

30.  Cynthia Tucker and Jean Peter

31.  Debbie Goering and Heidi Post

32.  Dee Elgie (UK) and Joanne Lockwood (UK)

33.  Dian Hierschel (Germany) and Eniko Fabian (Austria)

34.  Diane Cook and Lyn Foley

35.  Donna Bohler and Lisa Lodge

36.  Donna Millard and Kiersten Giles

37.  Doris Stumpf (Germany) and Eszter Czibulyas (Hungary)

38.  Elisabeth Auld and Eva Sherman

39.  Elke Leonhardt-Rath (Germany) and Marjolein Trewavas (UK)

40.  Ema Kilroy and Laurie Keefe-Cecere

41.  Erika Nooteboom (the Netherlands) and Giorgia Rossini (Italy)

42.  Erin Grant and Jean Wells

43.  Evelyn Duberry (Canada) and Gaea Cannaday

44.  Genea Crivello-Knable and Heather Powers

45.  Ginger Bishop (military, Okinawa) and Martina Nagele (Germany)

46.  Heidi Kingman and Lori Greenberg

47.  Helen Kemp and Lisa Wangeman

48.  Helene Goldberg (Australia) and Karen Vincent

49.  Jamie Hogsett and Jeannie Dukic

50.  Jeanette Ryan and Jelveh Jaferian

51.  Jennifer Cameron and Tania Spivey

52.  Jennifer Justman and Kari Carrigan

53.  Jennifer Tough and Lorelei Eurto

54.  Joanna Matuszczyk (Poland) and Julianna Kis (Hungary)

55.  Joanne Tinley (UK) and Michaela Pabeschitz (Austria)

56.  Julie Anne Leggett and Kelley Fogle

57.  Karen Hess and Linda Landig

58.  Karyn Bonfiglio and Kathleen Lange Klik

59.  Kashmira Patel and Kat White

60.  Kat Barron Miller and Kelly Morgan

61.  Kathy Lindemer and Rose Binoya

62.  Krafty Max and Sandra Miller

63.  Kristen Latimer and Pam Ferrari

64.  Kristie Roeder and Lea Avroch

65.  Kristina Johansson (Sweden) and Penny Neville (Canada)

66.  Krisztina Erlaki-Toth (Hungary) and Nicole Keller (Germany)

67.  Lara Lutrick and Lisa Suver

68.  Laura DeMoya and Lisa Hanna

69.  Libby Leuchtman and Melanie Brooks

70.  Linda Koch and Rosemarie Cowit

71.  Lisa Chapman and Menka Gupta

 72.  Lisa Liddy and Marion Simmons

73.  Lori Anderson and Marcie Abney

74.  Lori Bowring-Michaud and Mary Govaars

75.  Lori Dorrington and Maria Rosa Sharrow

76.  Lori Finney (Canada) and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp (Canada)

77.  Lynn Bennett and Mandi Ainsworth

78.  Marta Kaczerowska (Poland) and Milla Starchik (Canada)

79.  Mary Harding and Shannon LeVart

80.  Mary Jane Dodd and Stacey Curry

81.  Melinda Orr and Molly Alexander

82.  Melissa Meman and Michelle Escano-Caballaro

83.  Michelle Jensen and Sandra Young (Canada)

84.  Nan Emmett and Nicole Valentine-Rimmer (Canada)

85.  Nancy Boylan and Suzette Bentley

86.  Natasha Lutes and Patti Vanderbloemen

87.  Pam Hurst and Rebekah Payne

88.  Patty Miller and Sara Rhoades

89.  Rebecca Anderson (UK) and Lori Anderson

90.  Rebecca Sirevaag and Sharon Driscoll

91.  Rochelle Brisson and Shannon Chomanczuk

92.  Rosa Maria Cuevas (Mexico) and Tejae Floyde

93.  Sabine Dittrich (Germany) and Sally Russick

94.  Sandi Volpe and Sarah/Saturday Sequins

95.  Shanti Johnson and Tracy Mok (Canada)

96.  Skylar Brez and Theresa Buchle

97.  Sonya Stille and Traci Zeller (Canada)

98.  Stefanie Teufel (Germany) and Tania Hagen (New Zealand)

99.  Stephanie LaRosa and Vonna Maslanka

100.  Terri Wlaschin and Wendy Blum

Studio Time: Construction Mode

Ahhhh! I finally had time to construct my bead soup. But, this isn't the bead soup (no sneak peeks!). This is another necklace I made. I was contemplating using some of my own stash to complement the gorgeous soup Cynthia sent me, but her soup was so generous I ended up making multiple pieces! Can't wait to show you on Saturday.

In the meantime, you can enjoy this little beauty. The Amazonite landed next to the silver and just begged to be constructed. Already wore this to work! Love! It's Amazonite, Silver beads, Jen's Pind chain maille, and finished in a seed beads around the neck.

Matching earrings.

I have all these little snips of chain maille laying around my jewelry stash. I buy my rings from Urban Maille. They make beautiful, precision-cut rings that close seamlessly. I just learned Jen's Pind last year and created several small chains in different gauges. I get a little bored of making everything in all chain maille, but it included a length of the chain as the centerpiece of the necklace. Chain maille is so mesmerizing. I love the Jen's Pind weave as it looks like braided silver. This weave is captivating in it's flexibility like metal fabric and complexity of weave. 

Necklace: $125
Earrings $25

Email me if you're interested in either one. Thanks!

Oh, and don't forget to stop back by on Saturday for the Bead Soup Blog Hop and see what we all created with our bead soups.