Bead Soup Blog Party #2 Reveal

Lori Anderson puts on the most amazing blog parties.  This is the sixth Bead Soup Blog Party she has hosted and what an amazing amount of people wanting to come and cook up something wonderful with her.  Lori puts out an announcement on her blog and now a Facebook group calling for those who want to experiment and met new artist with similar interest to participate. This time around there were 400 people rising to the challenge.  Lori decided to split the Reveal dates into two groups.  Originally, I was given the third reveal date with a fellow seed bead artist.  Each person is assigned a partner whom they exchange beads with.  The rules for this Bead Soup Blog Party Hop is that you have to send at least one focal bead and one clasp that your partner has to use in their design.  Each partner can send more items and can be seen in this post I made of what my second partner sent to me.  I had already got assigned Geneva Collins as my partner, but on the Facebook Bead Soup Cafe, Judy Jacobs called out that her partner had to step back, and she was looking for someone else.  I love challenges and so even before I saw what JJ does, I stepped up and told her I would love another chance to push myself.  As you read in the earlier post, I was just amazed by the fabric, painting and glass work JJ does.  And when I got her Bead Soup with so many different hand made glass focal beads and the clasp, it sent me off to Muse over load.

Bead Soup Mix JJ sent me with possible color ideas

Ancient Dark Star

Ancient Ocean Ripples

I began working with my favorite focal bead that JJ sent me along with a grouping of crystals.  I started out with yellow Nicole's Bead Backing, and decided to make a choker collar.  I wanted colors that were bright and colorful to make the browns and blues of the hand made beads to stand out.  Because I used the yellow backing, the crystal Rivolis actually took on a different hue to their shine.  I was very happy with this color path.  I had to figure out how to make a choke collar fasten with the clasp that JJ sent to me.  I thought a piece of nice ribbon on the NBB which had been beaded on might work well with a loop and the clasp put through it.  I left some of the yellow backing material exposed to give even a more bright appeal.  I also thought about something heavy nestled against the neck so I also wanted this to be light weight.  I chose my favorite focal bead and dangled it from the center with two matching glass beads.  I as very please with this design.  On the mannequin the choker looked lovely, but once I put in on myself I noticed that the clasp wasn't strong enough to hold the piece snug against the back of my neck.  The top portion of the choker bowed which looked fine, but it did not please me.  I realized that I had made a mistake in not tapering the choker sides to make the weight distribution for the clasp to work effectively.  So, I decided to remove the clasp and instead use hooks on the back so that the collar would be secure on the neck.  Lesson learned: design for a clasp that will look nice and also have the strength to keep the necklace secure.

JJ had told me that she thought the Bead Soup she sent me looked like pieces from an Ancient Ocean, so this choker I've called Ancient Ocean Ripples.  Below are pictures taken during construction:

Working with Nicole's Bead Backing and crystal Rivolis

Notice the color change from blue to yellow

Planning the attachment of the crystal dangles

My favorite focal bead JJ sent me with the dangles

But from the rules of the Bead Soup Blog Party reveal, I had not met the expectations. Therefore, I had to come up with another piece using one of the other glass focal bead and clasp that was sent to me.  I looked at the clasp once more and realized that this time I needed to think about the weight of the back of the necklace an how the clasp would be able to hold that securely in place.  I decided to go with a light weight strung chain using seed beads and other accompanying beads JJ sent me.  I only had a week to complete this so I had to come up with a simpler design.  I thought about using fabric and went through my desk top trying to find something that would match the colors of the focal bead I chose to high light.  I was going through piles of discarded unfinished pieces, when I came across three glass buttons that had been already beaded and laid aside.  They at first were a possible bracelet, but after completing the three, I lost interest in them.  Until, I laid the focal bead and clasp next to them.  They "screamed" at me that they all wanted to be a necklace.  I was saved.  I chose to attach the three dark stars together they same pearls that I had in the peyote design.  I thought they would look nice in a triangle configuration. Then I took the remaining focal bead with two complimentary colored beads and dangled them from the apex dark star of the set.  I then used the two other dark stars to attach the final strung chain and clasp.  It worked perfectly.  I've already worn this many times and gotten compliments.  It is light weight enough to wear to work and elegant enough to wear out at night.  So I met my challenge!  I decided to call this piece Ancient Dark Stars.

Three Dark Stars with focal bead

Planning stage

Ancient Dark Stars

Focal Bead and Clasp sent by JJ Jacobs

I have learned a whole lot from this Bead Soup Blog Party.  I never thought of myself as a true designer using Math and measurements to complete a piece of jewelry, but I think first off from reading the books Lark Craft has sent to me this Summer to review, I realized that to make a piece of jewelry that is attractive and strong enough for long wear there needs to be some planning before the first bead is picked up.  I'm sure my husband will cheer when he reads this.  He's always told me to plan, plan, and plan some more.  I think if finally sunk in.  

Now take a couple hours and stroll over the the Blog Soup Blog party list of all the participants in the first and the second reveal.  I hope you enjoy looking at them all.  Go here and go to the top left hand corner and chose the current #6 Bead Soup Party. It will open to another page and you'll be able to keep track of your journey a little bit better.     Or you can just click on the Bead Soup Blog Party stamp on the right hand side of this blog.  Enjoy & don't forget to leave me a comment and come back for the third reveal later this month.