If you've been a follower of my blog, you're already familiar with my
Cup of Bead Soup
project. In 2011, I purchased beads, sight unseen,
from various bead makers and tasked myself with creating things with
components I didn't choose myself. It's been a
fantastic way to push my design skills and break out of making the same old/same old. In essence, it's a one-woman-production of the
Bead Soup Blog Party (and sign ups for THAT
are coming so SOON!)
Anyway, I changed the process for 2012 to include three additional designers, the same
set of beads, and made it a mini-hop. Each Cup of Bead Soup, you'll
have the chance to sign up to participate and be chosen randomly.
This month's bead artisan is
Nan Emmett.
Nan and I met online when she first started making beads and I've loved
her work ever since. To remind you, this is the set the four of us
used:
I started with the bird pendant. I wanted to make something
spring-like, and thought of tree blossoms on the branch. I followed the
color of the pendant with the green and the yellow matching links and
the blue in the Czech glass and lucite flowers. To stay spring-like, I
added purple, pink cording, and to top it off, a leaf toggle clasp.
To make the pendant piece, I took a 10-gauge piece of sterling silver
and hammered it as flat as a I could into a slight curve. I touched the
ends of the silver to the torch to round them out a bit, as cutting
this heavy a gauge of wire usually leaves some rough ends.
Next, I took 24-gauge wire and lashed a profusion of flower charms to
the branch. On either end, I made sure to leave one loop slightly above
the surface so I could connect the pendant to the rest of the
necklace.
The flowers are a mix of Thai silver and vintage lucite.
I used one purple patinaed link from a chain by
Miss Fickle Media
to attach the bird pendant. I just liked transferring the pastel colors
instead of adding a silver jump ring, and it's all about the details
for me.
Once again I challenged myself by using waxed linen instead of wire
linkages or beading wire. I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable
with it!
My next piece is much more delicate, and uses
Nan's disk with the hole in the middle, a few of my lampwork beads, Czech glass, and seed beads.
I took one of the leftover Thai silver flowers and gently mashed the
round
loop to a narrow rectangle. I then threaded a piece of wire through the
rectangle and the hole in the disk, bent it upwards, and make a bail.
Again, details -- a pretty dangle on the end of the extender chain. I
like doing this because it also adds a small amount of weight as a bit
of a counter-balance to the necklace.
Next, I used
Nan's organic faceted ceramic beads in blue and green, one of my lampwork beads, and a few purple patina beads from
Miss Fickle Media.
This is a double-stranded bracelet, incorporating the remaining purple
chain I'd taken a link from for the first necklace and a matching purple
toggle clasp.
Once again I went for the waxed linen, this time in purple. Fiber and
cording works wonders on large-hole beads! The silver beads are a
recent find from
AD/Adornments.
Lastly, Nan gave us all a surprise -- a Cup of Soup pendant! This one I
worked up in copper, blue Czech glass from the first necklace, the last
of my Miss Fickle Media purple rings, a bit of peach and ivory to
balance the pendant's colors, and some touches of coral pink. A double
strand of copper and a hook clasp that closes on the side of the
necklace complete the look..
Now visit the three jewelry designers who used
the same components
but put their own style into them!
and
Stay tuned for the next Cup of Bead Soup lottery sign ups
featuring a special focal from
