Friday, March 24, 2017

Bead Soup Blog Party - Reveal (from Joanne Louvaine Bell and Johana Nunez)

Welcome to the Bead Soup Blog Party, hosted by the amazing Lori Anderson.  Lori's been through a lot of health challenges in the past few years, and has only recently felt well enough to host another Blog Party.  There are about a 160 of us - down from the 500plus numbers of the biggest hop, but a manageable number, and one that I hope to get to over a few days.  Saturday, my nephews and I have plans, the exact variety of which I'm not sure, but I suspect that it will involve some sort of play structure and some variety of sugar.  I have two partners, and this is a long post, so grab some coffee and settle in!

My first partner is the lovely Joanne Louvaine Bell, who blogs at TwinkieDinky, and sent an amazing Bead Soup filled with her hoarded specials, as well as some of her own work.
 

She packaged everything in little cloth packages, which I hope to recycle in other projects.  The beads consisted of:

Joanne's own Resin Wings and Polymer Beads
Lampwork from Juliette Mullete, Karin Hirza and Dee Howell
Lampwork focal from Hendri Lourens
Bronze from Anna Chernykh
Ceramic and Polymer Flowers from Cherie Irwin and Lysa

and, what she notes as the most special, the Kim Snider wing, that she stayed up until 4 in the morning to get!

I've been massively busy with work, and had only managed to get a quick cell snap of the package, which does not portray the contents in their full glory.

Lampwork Pendant Necklace By Maverick Beads


Since Joanne said the wing was her most precious, I set out to do it justice.  I quickly decided on a necklace of some sort.  But there were so many options, and I picked out a few beads from my hoard that would match the scale of the wing.  Rooting around in the lampwork bead box, I picked out bead after bead, trying to find something that would compliment.  And then there was one.... a failed execution of lampwork technique, something that might have ended up in the garbage had I been more ruthless, might have been overlooked, but was suddenly was perfect. I pulled out a pewter grey leather, and suddenly it was simple. One wing, one bead, a piece of leather.

Fearing I had failed Joanne, and her precious hoarded bead with something so simple, I made a bracelet to match.  It was all of the beads I'd intended to use for the necklace, but somehow the serendipity of the simple necklace took over.

Bonus Bracelet for Pendant by Maverick Beads


Joanne also sent some very lovely resin wings which are her own specialty.  They are truly gorgeous!  I paired the wings with a few of my lampwork beads and some crystals for some lovely long drop earrings.
Resin and Lampwork bead earrings  by Maverick Beads

The next pair of earrings is also a set of resin wings - paired with a matte set of handwoven seadbeads beads, some silver beadcaps, crystal and silver earwires, I hope they compliment the resin wings.

Resin and Handwoven Bead Earrings by Maverick Beads

And finally, a third pair of earrings!  Joanna sent a lot of things in pairs, so I hope she's not disappointed to find a bunch of earrings in the reveal.  The third pair features a lovely pair of ceramic buds by Cherie Erwin of New Zealand.  Finding inspiration in the olive green colour of the tops of the buds, I paired them with a couple of chain connectors and some of my own lampwork beads for a lovely pair of spring earrings.

Ceramic and Lampwork Beads by Maverick Beads
 I still have more to come from this bead soup - there are more lovelies that I will work into jewellry as the inspiration strikes!

My second partner is the equally lovely Johana Nunez, who blogs over at Art Incendi, sent the following Bead Soup, filled with all things spring!  I was lucky enough to get Johana as a partner when her original partner did not feel comfortable sending beads to Puerto Rico.  Luckily, Lori posted at the same time I was on-line and our partnership quickly came together.  Puerto Rico is not that far away from Canada, and so her beads were the first to arrive. 

 This is what she sent:

Blue Berri Beads - Ceramic Yellow Bird
Serena Smith Lampwork - Lampwork Flower Buttons
Swoon Dimples - "Give More" Pink Polymer
Bo Hulley Beads - Bracelet Blank
Jade Scott - Resin Pendant
Glass Flowers and Enameled Metal




Johana provided an amazing variety of beads, but what to make?  I started playing around with the purple enameled metal beads on a bead board that had some yellow lampwork that I was intending for another project.  The yellow glass was hand pulled cane, which produces beautiful striations of coloured and transparent glass.   I also discovered that I had a set of lampwork spacers in precisely the same colour as the enamel.  The glass used to make the spacers was discontinued about a decade ago, so I have no idea what possessed me to make a bunch of spacers from it, but there they were in the bead box.  I also had a couple of bright orange lampwork beads kicking about.  With the addition of the yellow, purple and orange a bracelet soon started to come together.  I wouldn't normally do an elastic bracelet for a blog-hop with art quality beads, but because of the size of the enameled beads, it seemed like the only solution.

Enameled beads on colourful beaded bracelet by Maverick Beads


Next up, a pair of earrings with the same enameled beads - a pair of lampwork headpins, the enameled beads plus some vintage German new stock glass are stacked to form earrings that are a statement piece without being two heavy.
Enameled Beaded Earrings from Maverick Beads

I was not sure what to do with the amazing Swoon Dimples bead, which says "Give" on one side and "More" on the other.  I had still had some of the beads considered for the first bracelet kicking around the bead board, and decided to make a super fun spring coloured confection!  It's still pretty gray days around here, with the last of the snow slowly going away.  The pretty pink polymer clay pairs with a couple of handwoven lavender beads, more of the veiled yellow lampwork glass from the first bracelet, and bright aqua vintage acrylic beads. 
Swoon Dimples Bead on Colourful Spring Beaded Bracelet from Maverick Beads

Last up, a pendant - the first piece that came together.  The little yellow Blue Berri ceramic birdie seemed so happy on top of the lampwork bead and a lampwork headpin that the piece came together quite quickly.  I love the combination of yellow and green in this - seems so fresh and springlike!
Blue Berri bead on Spring Pendant from Maverick Beads

I had a fantastic time working with everything Johana sent - I'm looking for the perfect compliment to the pendant, bracelet blank and lampwork, and figuring out how to mount the lovely glass flowers, so stay tuned for those in a future post.

31 comments:

gelfling50 said...

Fantastic soup great ingredients....your creations are delightful and lovely....you r a master chief...

Sarah said...

Wow!

So many beautiful pieces made from such glorious soups! I loved looking at all of these :)

Divya said...

Really wonderful pieces Karin, and they range from fabulous to fun. I have been eyeing those butterfly wings for a while now so I think that it really great that you got to play with them. I love the zingy green pendant too as fresh and energetic

Anonymous said...

Wow!!! Fabulous!!! I adore bright cheerful colors, and your pieces just sing to me. The earrings are all gorgeous, and I LOVE those fun bracelets.

lisivonabc said...

So many pretty pieces - really great!

Ann said...

Wow, two partners and you came up with so many great things from each of the hoards! Love all the earrings, they're so wearable and the cheerful yellow bird looks so happy on that pendant, I can't help but smile.

Becky Pancake said...

Hi Karin, The simple design that you chose for the first necklace allowed the lovely wing pendant to shine. Your bracelet is beautiful. The resin wing earrings are my favorite of your designs. Your lampworked beads complement the wings perfectly. The ceramic bud earrings are pretty too. Good job on the purple enameled earrings. They go really well with the bracelet. The yellow bird pendant does indeed speak spring. Great job using your swap beads.

Ann Schroeder said...

So many wonderful pieces! I think you did do the Kim Snider wing justice! I love all the earrings. My favorite is the last pendant. I love yellow, and that bird called out to me. Love what you put with it.

bailaora said...

Earrings are really fantastic!!!! great job!

Leanne said...

Great job!! Love the purple & green earrings!

Unknown said...

Wow you are a bead hoarder super star! Love everything!!!

Terri Del Signore said...

Wow you were busy!! Truly wonderful things came from the beads you were sent!!

Terri Del Signore said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Lori Anderson said...

(First, a LOL about the boys and sugar! Funny!)

First of all -- the WINGS! The WINGS! I have to look into your partner's store and see if I can get some. I love all you did with her stash.

Second, the lovely bright pieces are just perfect. Happy happy!

And speaking of happy, I'm happy you participated and did such a wonderful job with both stashes!

Hannah said...

Lovely! Perfect for spring. I adore both the components and the finished pieces.

Unknown said...

Love it all!!!

Barb Fernald said...

Two partners! Wow, and you found time and creativity to do them both justice. Your pieces are lovely.
I keep saying to myself, wings. Wings! She got wings! I think the earrings with the resin wings and your lampwork beads are my favorite.

Maria Rosa Sharrow said...

Wow!! You hit the jackpot with not one but two generous partners and so many beautiful beads! You did a marvelous job showcasing the amazing beads and focals. Beautiful work!

Unknown said...

Where to start!? Everything is just beautiful - and you lucky skunk to get those wings <3 Love!

Skyline Beads said...

Your work is gorgeous! I can't pick a favorite - I love every piece!

Liz said...

Masterpieces, everyone of them! I especially love the butterfly wings with the matte purple woven beads, the white ceramic flower earrings and the colorful yellow and green dangle! I love your designs!

Anonymous said...

All so lovely to look at, so I know it'll be lovely to wear. You did not fail and things do not have to be overly complicated to be beautiful and make people say wow. Wow!

joy said...

comments: trifecta wow. You really got blessed - and you really did a great job. I have no favorites as they are all outstanding. Some of the pieces you got to work with were really fun - the wings. (never seen anything like that before). All the beautiful popping colors you used. great job on everything.

Kelly said...

You were lucky to have two partners who blessed you with gorgeous soups! The organic look and natural theme of your first pieces makes them so pleasant to the eye. They're beautiful and somehow quite calming. I wish I could touch them! Your second set of designs is COLORFUL and fun. I hope you find plenty of opportunity to wear them as the weather warms.

Unknown said...

Very beautiful work! I love the nature themes of the first soup and what you did with them!

CraftyHope said...

Oh, you received some very generous soups and made some beautiful pieces with them as well. I love how you breathed life into each of these, especially with your own lampwork pieces. Fabulous eye candy, all of it!

Leona said...

Love the wings in the first soup - they are fantastic! And the simplicity of what you have done really highlights them.

Deelitful Boudoir Photography said...

WOW!!! THose wings are amazing!!! You really showed off all of the beads in your soup! Your designs are all FABULOUS!

Bobbie said...

The first soup was so sophisticated, and the second one was so playful - and you did justice to both moods!

Anonymous said...

Wow, not one but 2 beautiful soup swaps! I love everything you made especially the winged ones and the birdie pendant!

Empty nester at last said...

Well finally finished with tax season, so now I can hop. Beautiful, I love the wings and the yellow bird pendant. Excellent job!