Cup of Bead Soup with Clayworks (and a lesson via Zack)

What is a "Cup of Bead Soup"?

Well, I wanted to continue the exciting challenge of the Bead Soup Blog Party, but this time for myself, challenging my skills by working with one artist a month.  I receive a package of beads each month, sight unseen, and then I create with them.  I blog here about the creations for a month, explaining techniques, thought processes, and obstacles I meet along the way.  It's also a great way to introduce you to new and exciting beads!

 July's Cup of Bead Soup is sponsored by Clayworks by Lisa Boucher.  I'm excited about working with Lisa's hand-painted clay beads and pendants because when I saw them, I thought about using a stringing form I rarely use -- fiber.  I'm not sure I'll be successful at translating my ideas into reality.


So let's take a look at what Lisa picked out!

I love this pendant with two Atlantic auger shells.  The hues of purple and blue/green are right up my alley.  Zack and I have spent some time searching for shells, beach glass, and shark teeth, and this pendant reminds me of that.

Another sea-themed pendant and more of her pretty beads.  I love these colors!  How about those swirls for the ocean waves?

This is really cool -- not only an awesome pendant, but one of Lisa's handmade ceramic toggles!  I already know the design I want to work with on this one, but still need to figure out if I can execute it.

My challenge with this month's Cup of Bead Soup is going to be transferring what's in my mind to my hands.  I have this problem with drawing as well, and recently Zack and I had a serious discussion about it.  Zack and I share the same perfectionism gene, and while it can be a good thing if controlled and understood, it can be devastating when you're little and each day seems to be your whole world.

It's important when creating, whether it's jewelry design, altered art, knitting, or what have you, to allow yourself to fail.  Some of the most exciting, interesting things have been brought into the world by what at first looks like a mistake.  This link talks about a LOT of cool things -- Post-It Notes, the Slinky, and potato chips weren't made intentionally.   And I just ordered this book to help Zack understand that mistakes aren't the end of the world.

Please visit Clayworks at the following sites:

Shop: Clayworks by Lisa Boucher

Blog: Lisa's Clay Happenings

Happy Creating!

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off.  She's also a contributor to Art Bead Scene.  She is also the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.

Last Cup of Bead Soup from Miss Molly's Designs

It's that time -- time to say goodbye to a last helping of Bead Soup from Miss Molly's Designs.  Today I'm showing you a bracelet and a necklace I made with the purple and green enameled beads she sent.


Remember these?

I knew these would be my favorites -- they're SO in my color palette.  

First the necklace.  I decided to make a very simple necklace from the get-go.  The question this month was, what sort of beads would I decide to use as accents?

I left the pendant on my beading table (along with ten million friends) and hoped the right beads would roll along and snug up next to this pretty thing.  Lo and behold, they did, in the form of a bead swap package I received at some point along the way.  Green pearls.  Awesome!  I added purple Czech glass I bought at Bead & Button and here you go.

 I also made some earrings to match.

The last piece I made incorporated the large enameled beads in purple and green with tiny lampwork beads from yet another bead swap.  I strung the enamel beads with five or six tiny daisy spacers in between each bead.  Next, I made a bunch of dangles with little lampwork beads (these are truly tiny, only about 8mm in size).  I added two dangles to a jump ring that's large enough to slide back and forth over the daisy spacers, and there you go -- charm bracelet without chain.

I hope you enjoyed this month's Cup of Bead Soup with Miss Molly's Designs!  Stay tuned for next month's featured designer, and be sure to continue to visit Molly:

Molly Alexander

Shop:  Click here

Blog:  Click here

 

 

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off.  She's also a contributor to Art Bead Scene.  She is also the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.

Cup of Bead Soup with Miss Molly's Designs -- #2

This is my second design with the bevy of beads from Miss Molly's Designs.  This time, I chose to work with the pale blue and brown set, with beads that ranged from the chunky to the more sedate.

Enameled beads by nature are lightweight, and I wanted to make a "half-and-half" necklace, meaning, half the necklace would be predominantly enameled beads, and the other half would be something else.  What that Something Else would be remained to be seen.

The challenge was three-fold -- one, find beads that matched the size of the large enameled beads, two, find complimentary colors for the unique blue shade, and three, find beads that were of equal weight to the enamel beads.

After much poking around, I found a solution.  Large fluted bleached wood rounds, natural wood triangles, and these awesome Czech glass beads that couldn't have had a more perfect coloration if I'd designed them myself.

My other challenge was to NOT use metal spacers between any of the beads as I'm used to doing.  I just automatically go for them every. single. time.  I was determined this time to just leave it alone, choosing to finish the necklace with an antiqued vermeil clasp.  

Question is, what do you think?  Do you think I SHOULD have used small gold spacers between some of the beads?  Is the bleached wood too pale?  I know I got the size right, but tell me what you REALLY think.

You can find more of Miss Molly's work at the following:

Molly Alexander

Shop:  Click here

Blog:  Click here

 

 

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off.  She's also a contributor to Art Bead Scene.  She is also the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.

 

 

 

Cup of Bead Soup -- Fleur de Lis necklace, and a vintage book

Today I'm showing you a necklace I made with some of Miss Molly's Designs enameled beads.  I chose the red and blue beads with the fleur de lis pendant because another friend's gift in the mail reminded me of a piece of random metal I had from Metalliferous.  I had originally thought of using a vintage key, but I this bit of bronze made me think of old 1700's gates leading into elegant gardens.

So, here we go!

I wanted to use an asymmetric pattern but not go too wild, as my mind has been dwelling on a historical fiction book I'm reading, "Now Face to Face".   There are so many intrigues and assignations behind elegant closed doors and decorative garden gates, and while the jewelry of that time period is glittery and glamorous, I didn't make this necklace with jewelry in mind, but architecture.

I had a large vintage bead that worked well with the enameled beads, and the oxidized copper chain blended well, I thought, with the mix of metals (I put a tiny bit of brass on the vintage bead, see?).

Overall, I'm pleased with how this turned out.  And a note on the book the necklace is photographed on -- in keeping with the vintage theme, I used a recent acquisition "Young America" by Aldine Book & Publishing Co.  In my search to learn more, I found out that this book, which I paid $15 for, was published in 1887 and is available through three sellers here from $350-$400.  Woah.  

But I couldn't possibly sell this book.  I believe in rescuing history, and holding this treasure in my hands, and opening it on the rare occasion (the pages are SO fragile, I have to be so very careful), brings me joy.

 cover

Advertisements on the inside covers, and several pages in the back, almost like this was a bit of a hardcover magazine.  I have to research this more.

And a sample of the inside -- lots of stories and illustrations, and I've even found some scraps of paper inside with notes from whomever used to own this about their favorite passages and their own bits of poetry.

I hope you've enjoyed this Cup of Bead Soup!  

You can visit Miss Molly's Designs here:

Shop:  Click here

Blog:  Click here

 

 

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off.  She's also a contributor to Art Bead Scene.  She is also the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.

 

Cup of Bead Soup with Miss Molly's Designs

What is a "Cup of Bead Soup"?

Well, I wanted to continue the exciting challenge of the Bead Soup Blog Party, but this time for myself, challenging my skills by working with one artist a month.  I receive a package of beads each month, sight unseen, and then I create with them.  I blog here about the creations for a month, explaining techniques, thought processes, and obstacles I meet along the way.  It's also a great way to introduce you to new and exciting beads!

This month I'll be working with some lovely enameled beads from Molly Alexander of Miss Molly's Designs.  When I opened the package of beads, I was overwhelmed by the ideas that exploded out of the box and into my head.  For now, I'll show you all the lovelies, and stay tuned on this page for the month of June to see what I make!  (Don't forget to become a Cup of Bead Soup page Follower so you don't miss a thing!)

For some reason, this set makes me think of "American Pickers" on The History Channel -- maybe because last night, Rick and I watched the Civil War episode and these beads evoke thoughts of the American flag.  Now, that doesn't mean they'll end up in a piece like that, but one never knows......

Good Golly, Miss Molly, but you know what I like!  Purple and green -- it's going to be hard to let anyone else have a chance at whatever I make with these beauties.

I LOVE this color combination so very, very much.  But I'll let you in on a secret -- when I love something this much, I worry the most about doing it justice.  (Hands twist together nervously....)

And finally, these two very lovely pendant pieces.  The one on the left has a cool gradation of purple in it, while the one on the right is more muted.  I am feeling like pairing ceramic with one, polymer clay with the other -- hmmm. Lots of possibilities.

Molly made a bunch of awesome beads and findings for you and posted them in her store today (and hurry -- FREE SHIPPING!), so please click the links below to not only visit her store, but to visit her blog.  By the way, her jewelry?  Divine.  I own several of her pieces, in fact!

Stay tuned!

Molly Alexander

Shop:  Click here

Blog:  Click here

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and wrote the blog An Artist's Year Off.  She's also a contributor to Art Bead Scene.  She is also the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.