Bead Soup Blog Party - Meet my Partner

It is time for Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Party for 2013. This year's event
has over 500 jewelry artists from around the world. The largest Bead Soup Party yet.  I am thrilled to be a part of this party again this year.  

Each year Lori Anderson undertakes this massive project and spends countless
hours matching up partners, arranging schedules, sending out emails to all the participants and Lori does an awesome job.  She is truly the queen of Bead Soup Parties and has earned a reputation this event.

This year I am going to be participating in the second reveal on April 6th.  
My schedule this spring has been quite hectic trying to get things arranged
around the events of my three children.

My partner this year is Laura Guenther of Blue Antiquities.  Laura was my partner last year and my a slight twist of fate I again was matched up with Laura.  

I became acquainted with Laura in last years Bead Soup Party.  It was the first party for both of us and I thoroughly enjoyed working with Laura.  Laura lives in Georgia with her husband and three children.  Georgia is a favorite state of mine as all three of my children have attended the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah Georgia and my husband and I have spent many years visiting that city and somehow having a partner in that same state give me a connection.  

Laura is a very talented artist.  She does some fantastic enamel work and has recently started using mica in her work. She has done some some great pieces using this medium.  I am always impressed with Laura’s talent.  Laura has an Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/blueantiquities where she sells her beautiful artwork, she does art shows, and her packaging for her jewelry is as awesome as the jewelry itself.  She is also a published artist having her work published in the most recent Winter Issue of Belle Armoire.

Here is just a sampling of Laura’s work:


I can’t wait to see what Laura is going to do with her soup again this year and I look forward to working with her.  Come back soon to see the soups received and sent.

Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal Date is Here!

The third installment of the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party is here and I'm so excited to be in the final group of Bead Soupers.  This is my first Bead Soup Blog Party and I am thrilled to finally be able to join in the fun.  A special thank you to Lori Anderson of Pretty Things Blog for organizing and putting so much effort into this extraordinary party!  

The Bead Soup Party is very popular and has become so large that Lori split the reveal dates into thirds and this is the final and largest group.  My lovely partner, Laura Guenther of Blue Antiquities, was such a joy to be partnered up with.  Laura is a lovely person and she make some absolutely beautiful jewelry.  Laura does quite a bit of enameling and she included some of her own enamel pieces in my soup.  I was thrilled to receive these as I am just starting to learn how to enamel and I love enameled pieces.  Laura was very generous in the beads that she sent me sending me two lovely mixes in the cutest boxes you have ever seen.  There was a blue soup and a green soup for me to work with.  

Both soups were awesome but I decided to use the green soup for this reveal.  The focal in the green mix was a beautiful porcelain bead by Classic Bead.  My hope was that I could do these wonderful beads justice.   The first piece is a rather long style necklace using the silk ribbon in the back.  My second piece is a bracelet that I made combining a kumihimo braid I made with leather, one of my patina pieces as part of the closure,  and one of Laura's own enamel beads.  Lastly, I put together a pair of simple earrings with some leather and a couple more of Laura's enamel beads.  I had so much fun working with these beads and I'm sure that when I get the blue mix together I'll have equally as much fun.  Here's what I came up with.  

Now, please check out these other sites for some more fantastic jewelry:  

Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Agi Kiss, Moonsafari Beads 
Alice Peterson, Alice Dreaming

Alison Sachs, Beads by Earthtones

Amanda Dittloff, Passion Smashin'

Andra Marasteanu, Bijoux de Monanage

Angie Szlovak, SweetBeads

Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

Ann Sherwood, Ann's Blog

Arlene Dean, A Glass Bash

Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution

Barb Solem, Vivi Magoo Presents

Barbara Blaszczyk, laboratorim Flory

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Beth Emery, Stories by Indigo Heart

Bianca Odenthal, Zydies Glasperlen

Birgit Klughardt, GitesBeads
Bobbie Rafferty, Beadsong Jewelry
Bonnie Coursolle,  Jasper Gems
Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini
Charlene Jacka, Clay Space
Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're
Cheryl Foiles, Get Your Bead On
Christie Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Christina Miles, Wings n Scales
Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design
Cindy Cima Edwards, Live to Design
CJ Bauschka, 4 His Glory Creations
Claire Smith, Embergrass Jewelry
Cynthia Riggs, Cynth's Blog
Dana Fowler, Trunk Full of Treasure
Dawn Pierro, Turtle Moon Designs
Dee Elgie, Cherry Obsidia
Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous

Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie
Eileen Snyder, Dorset Hill Beads
Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads
Eva Kovacs, Ewa gyongyos vilaga!
Evelyn Duberry, Sheba Makeda
Fay Wolfenden, Torch Fairy
Fen Li, Bead Flora Jewels
Gail Zwang, Angel Moose Enterprises
Geneva Collins, Torque Story
Grace Dorsey, Fan of the Flame
Gretchen Nation,  Art Food Lodging

Hannah Annear, Squintessential
Hajer Waheed, My Beaded World
Heather Goldsmith, As I Bead It
Heather Otto, The Craft Hopper
Heidi Kingman, My Bead Therapy
Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
Isolina Perez, Isolina Perez
Jacqueline Keller, CreARTelier
Jane Haag, Did You Make Something Today?
Janeen Sorensen, Wild Vanilla Designs
Jean Peter, Jean P. Designs

Jennifer Judd, Jen Judd Rocks
Jennifer L Justman, Soul's Fire Designs
Joanna Matuszczyk, Bizuteria z filcu
Joanne Brown, Jo's Jewels
Joanne Lockwood, Jo Bunkum
Joyce Becker, Joyce's Joyful Gems
Judy Riley, Three Red Beads
Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design
Karen Williams, Baublicious
Karin von Hoeren, Creative Ideen

Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Kashmira Patel, Sadafule .. always in bloom!
Kate Richbourg, We Can Make That at Home

Katrin Lembke, AllesPerle
Kathy Combs, Torched in Texas
Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Kelley Fogle, My Life, One Bead at at Time
Kelly Hosford Patterson, Traveling Side Show

Klaudette Koon, Only Road
Lara Lutrick, Lampwork Beads by Lara
Laura Guenther, Blue Antiquities

Laurie Lalonde, Simply Mod Jewelry
Lilik Kristiani, Soul of My Embodiment
Linda Younkman, Lindy's Designs
Lisa Chapman, Beach Cat Beads
Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures
Loretta Carstensen, Designs by Loretta
Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design
Lori Dorrington, Lori's Adventures in Etsy Land
Lupe Meter, Gem's PC Corner
Lynn Davis, LLYYNN

Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin
Mandi Effron, Craft-o-licious
Mandy Williamson, Mimi's Beading
Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter
Maria Rosa Sharrow, Willow Street Shops
Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry
Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre
Marjolein Trewavas, Room for Change
Marelene Cupo, Amazing Designs
Marsha Neal, Marsha Neal Studio

Marta Kaczerowska, uhuhu
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry Blog
Michelle Burnett, Reverie and Revival
Michelle Escano-Caballero, The Cabby Crafter
Miko Wiropati, Uniquely Yunikua
Milla Hope,  LB Creative Arts and Crafts
Mimi Gardner, Other Curiosities
Miranda Ackerley, MirandackArts
Natalie McKenna, grubbi

Noemi Baena, fuego, metal, y color
Pam Ferrari, Ferrari Originals
Pam Sears, Crazy Creative Corner
Penny Neville, Copper Penny
Rachel Baron, R. Baron Designs
Rachel Myers, Rockabead Jewelry
Rana Wilson, Definitive Designs by R. Wilson
Rebecca Anderson, Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place
Riki Schumacher, Riki Jewelry

Rose Binoya, Ahtee's Blog
Rossana De Gaspari, Rdegas Blog
Sally Anderson, Wild Sally Road
Sandi James, Do Be Do Bead Do
Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe
Sandra Wollberg, City of Brass Stories
Sarah Goode, Pookledo

Sarah Small, blog by salla
Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings
Shawn Mills, Shawn Marie Designs with Bent Wire
Sheila Davis, Stone Designs by Sheila

Sheryl Stephens, Babble Bead
Shiraz Biggie, Secret Song Designs
Solange Collin,  Ahowin Handcrafted Jewelry
Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads
Stephanie Dixon, The Dixon Chick
Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads
Susan Sheehan, Strands of Thought
Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria
Sweet Freedom, Sweet Freedom Designs
Tabatha Dinger, Modernly Created
Tania Hagen, Pelima Jewellery Design

Tanya Boden, Fusion Muse
Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas
Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo
Tracy Stillman, Tracy Stillman Designs

Bead Soup Blog Party, Soup Ingredients are almost Ready!!

I'm getting excited for my first Bead Soup Blog Party.  I have started setting all of my ingredients for the soup out on my counter, double checking the cabinet to make sure that all the ingredients are there, and giving them one last look over.    These tasty ingredients will soon be on their way to my lovely bead soup partner, Laura Guenther of BlueAntiquities blogspot

Laura is a mixed media artist, mother of three and a jewelry designer.  Laura has done a lot of patina work and enameling in her jewelry designs.    She just recently completed a class with Barbara Lewis at her new  St Petersburg Florida studio. (I'm sooo jealous).  I can't wait to see some of the work that Laura did in class.   I am just starting out with enameling myself and I certainly could use some help.  

Here are some examples of Laura's designs. I love the enamel components that she used in these.  They all are definitely my style.  What great work Laura does.  

I am excited to get to know Laura better and to see what she does with the soup ingredients that will be coming her way shortly.  We both selected the later reveal date and because of vacation that each of us was taking in early July we are sending our ingredients a little later than other folks.  No worries.  It is sure to be great!!