A chronicle of the meanderings, false starts (which in retrospect, while sort of embarrassing turned out to be highly instructive), epiphanies, selective apathy (still evolving), wild mood swings, opinions (subject to frequent change), and life lessons of an inveterate dabbler (and her latest dabblings).

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Bead Soup Blog Hop

This was my very first Bead Soup! Many people know I don't like being told what to do (so I rarely do things like color challenges or kickboxing classes), so this was a real stretch--not only being told what colors to use, but what ACTUAL BEADS to use. Good thing my partner was Donna Millard! She sent me some fabulous lampwork, and some great accompaniments for them. I don't usually go for bright colors, but I had admired this set of beads in Donna's shop, and bless her heart she sent them to me!

Here's a picture of the raw materials from Donna (lampwork spacers and large tablets, Czech glass flowers, vintage tin discs, beadcaps and connectors, a brass toggle clasp, lucite flowers in various colors, and metallized plastic coppertone beads.)

There was more than enough to make a few pieces. I started with a necklace, and decided copper would go nicely with both the orange and the aqua in the lampwork beads.

The little lampwork spacers Donna sent with the large tablets were, of course, perfect accents, so I used those, and threw in a few favorite copper beads, some of my own copper beadcaps, and the vintage tin caps, linking all together with copper wire. The Czech glass flowers in aqua were just perfect to dangle from the lampwork focal, along with a copper flower charm. I just happened to have some fabulous hand-dyed silk ribbon in lime green, which tied in the lucite flower in lime. I added some rectangular link chain, and that was that!

Next I thought I would do a bracelet. I used essentially the same elements as for the necklace, minus the copper beads:

I created a toggle clasp with the focal bead, and again used the lampwork spacers, tin beadcaps, lime lucite flower, Czech flowers, silk ribbon and carnelian. I also added a little verdigris patina beadcap by Shannon LeVart on top of a faceted round of red agate.  I strung the beads on Beadalon in "satin copper", with tiny emerald green seed beads in between to give some drape between the beads.

Next I decided I would try some earrings with the little tin discs, combining them with some patinated copper rings by Shannon LeVart, and seed beads. The vintage floral design adds a nice touch!


I also wanted to do some earrings with the tin beadcaps. I ran out of the lampwork spacers, so I pawed through my stash to find some gemstones that would work. These green aventurine roundels below were just the right shade of mint green--like a lighter version of the kelly green in the lampwork. I mixed them up with tiny turquoise heishi, and hand-formed copper earwires embellished with bright turquoise blue seed beads.



I'm so tickled to have a few of the wonderful focal beads left. I can't wait to use them again!

Be sure to visit the other Bead Soup participants!

Hostess, Lori Anderson


Special Book Sneak Peeks, Cindy Wimmer
1.  Adlinah Kamsir (Singapore) and Hajer Waheed (Kingdom of Bahrain)
2. Adrienn Lukacs (Hungary) and Agata Grygiel (Poland)
3.  Agi Kiss (Hungary) and Carolien Muller-Genger (the Netherlands)
4.  Agnes Asztalos (Hungary) and B.R. Kuhlman
7.  Alicia Marinache (Canada) and Dita Basu
15.  Bonnie Coursolle (Canada) and Fay Wolfenden (Canada)
16.  Carmel McGinley (Australia) and Tracy Stillman (Australia)


21.  Cheryl Brown (Canada) and Diana Ptaszynski
22.  Christina Stofmeel (the Netherlands) and Eva Kovacs (Hungary)
24.  Cilla Watkins (Canada) and Elaine Robitaille (Canada)
25.  Sabrina Straub (Switzerland) and Kathy Combs


32.  Dee Elgie (UK) and Joanne Lockwood (UK)
33.  Dian Hierschel (Germany) and Eniko Fabian (Austria)
37.  Doris Stumpf (Germany) and Eszter Czibulyas (Hungary)
39.  Elke Leonhardt-Rath (Germany) and Marjolein Trewavas (UK)


41.  Erika Nooteboom (the Netherlands) and Giorgia Rossini (Italy)
43.  Evelyn Duberry (Canada) and Gaea Cannaday
45.  Ginger Bishop (military, Okinawa) and Martina Nagele (Germany)
48.  Helene Goldberg (Australia) and Karen Vincent
54.  Joanna Matuszczyk (Poland) and Julianna Kis (Hungary)
55.  Joanne Tinley (UK) and Michaela Pabeschitz (Austria)
65.  Kristina Johansson (Sweden) and Penny Neville (Canada)
66.  Krisztina Erlaki-Toth (Hungary) and Nicole Keller (Germany)


76.  Lori Finney (Canada) and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp (Canada)
78.  Marta Kaczerowska (Poland) and Milla Starchik (Canada)
83.  Michelle Jensen and Sandra Young (Canada)
92.  Rosa Maria Cuevas (Mexico) and Tejae Floyde
93.  Sabine Dittrich (Germany) and Sally Russick
95.  Shanti Johnson and Tracy Mok (Canada)
97.  Sonya Stille and Traci Zeller (Canada)
98.  Stefanie Teufel (Germany) and Tania Hagen (New Zealand)

82 comments:

  1. A wonderful set for a happy summer-look - I like it! I'm also totally impressed about the components you sent to Donna. And your Carribean Queen Design is simply fabulous!

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  2. great job keirsten! i think the first thing you have to be open to when you do this is the fact that it is going to make you stretch... it can feel painful in the beginning, but by the end, you really feel pretty good about doing something different or working with something different...

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  3. I love everything you make and this is no exception. I love how you used the colorful flower tin snippets in the earrings for such a happy spring feel.Love the bracelet!
    Beautiful!
    Cilla ( #24)

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  4. For your first bead soup I'd say you got it down girl!!! Everything looks great as always!!! I'm sure someone could drop a pile of sticks and rocks in your lap and you'd still come up with a beautiful masterpiece!! You're a truly talented artist!!

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  5. Fabulous jewelry!!!! Bring summer already in my heart. Love love xoxoxo

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  6. I love bright colors. I really like those first earrings! They would be so fun to wear. And that necklace. ooooo, awwwww!

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  7. Hi Keirsten, you did an amazing job with the beads I sent you. I would have been challenged myself but you pulled it off seamlessly. I love the way you added the silk ribbon into both the necklace and bracelet. Adding elements like that just make the pieces stand out from the crowd and I like that. And the earrings are so darn cute too! A thousand thank-you's for making some great peices of wearable art jewlery with the Bead Soup I sent you!

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  8. Beautiful work, I love the colorful earrings and the way you includet the ribbon:)
    Lovely greetings
    Sabrina

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  9. You did a fantastic job on every piece as I would have expected!! So sorry I couldn't participate this time but I'm having fun hopping so far!

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  10. Congrats on your first soup party! These pieces are GORGEOUS! And I mean I am drooling gorgeous!! I'm shaking like I just had a coke and a snickers bar they are that fabulous:)

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  11. Lovely! I absolutely love the necklace and bracelet! I was so anxious to see how you would incorporate the flowers and the glass lampwork beads. You did an amazing job!

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  12. Earrings and necklace ....... perfect summer!
    Biz as usual.
    I really like the silk ribbon ... different and original,
    A kiss.

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  13. Beautiful blend of your style with Donna's beads. Great job!
    sandi

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  14. I really love what you did! this is one of my favourite from the entire party!!
    I'm a partecipant from Italy, I'm trying to visit all of you.
    this was really a great experience!
    ciao ciao

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  15. Kirsten, I am a huge fan of yours and I love your bead soup. You are so talented with mixing media in your designs. And those hand made caps are just awesome!!

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  16. I love everything you made, but especially the earrings - what a great design!

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  17. Wow you did Donna good! She is one of my favorite bead makers. I love, love, love what you did.

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  18. Io non ho capito se questa bead soup è un concorso, una gara. se fosse così... io di sicuro voterei te! Ho visto altri lavori interessanti, ma il tuo è sempre elegantissimo e bellissimo!!!

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  19. Bright and Beautiful works of art! :) x

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  20. Oooh! I totally love all the earrings! Funny, I used one MFM saffron ring in one of my pieces too. Everything is awesome, of course - those lampwork beads are fabulous. Why, I'd say you scored a real bingo with your soup. Har har har ;)

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  21. Oooo & Ahhh! I love that bracelet and the hoop/dangle earrings! The colors are gorgeous -- and now that I'm writing this comment, I also am noticing how they coordinate with your wallpaper on your blog. Great style! :)

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  22. Great pieces....I bought a bunch of those tin beadcaps but I've been hording them! I like your use of the silk ribbon too... fibre scares me!

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  23. For someone who doesn't usually work with bright colors -- you could have fooled me! I love how your pieces look like YOU yet use other people's beads! That's not easy to pull off, but you did it so well. I love everything you make, so I'm not surprised!


    I hope you'll join me again in the summer!

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  24. Gorgeous jewellery! Love the look of that soft green silk against the copper. My fave's probably the second pair of earrings -- really like the colours and style. Fab job!

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  25. these pieces are to die for. The colors and use of combinations of textures is great. I loved the little colored bead caps on the earrings.

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  26. Keirsten, I love all the bright colors and the copper together. They are all wonderful. Congratulations on your first bead soup! You did amazing work.

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  27. What a beautiful bead soup your partner sent you! I love what you made with it -- especially that sari silk necklace. Wow! <3

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  28. Everything is beautiful, but I find I keep going back to those sweet earrings. I love the bright colors, and those metal discs beadcaps sure make them unique.

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  29. Everything you made is beautiful!!! I love the Sari necklace and the matching bracelet. The colours are gorgeous!!

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  30. You have such a great eye for colour. Everything in the pieces you made seem to go with each other so well. Love the earrings - so fun! - especially the second pair..the rich jewel-tones really appeal to me.

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  31. You have awesome wire working skills going for you.....the beadcaps, the toggle clasp, THE EARWIRES ARE SO COOL! I love everything that you made...and her lampwork beads are drool-worthy!

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  32. everything looks great but the earring are my favorite.
    happy hopping

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  33. The necklace, bracelet and earrings are all amazing! You did such an incredibly job!

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  34. Everything is just so colorful and pretty, and I'm drooling over your earrings! Wonderful soup!

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  35. I'm really digging the pieces where you mixed the copper bead caps with the tin. It's a nice little unexpected contrast!

    How did you like working with the vintage tin discs! I purchased some awhile back and just loved them!!!!

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  36. Such bright and beautiful jewellery - so summery! Donna's lampwork is gorgeous. The first necklace with the silk is my favourite.

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  37. The colors are great! Your creations are inspired. They remind me of sunsets.

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  38. I love all your pieces! Your style is super!

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  39. I love bright colors, and all of your pieces turned out just beautiful! I especially love the 1st pair of earrings with the disks in the center. So Yummy!

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  40. Oh, my word! Such gorgeous pieces and beautiful lampwork beads from Donna. Even though these might not be some colors that you would normally work with, the style is still very recognizable as yours, which I absolutely love. I adore all your handmade components.

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  41. Outstanding use of color! Love your work and your style. You really got my creative spark fired up this morning! Good job.

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  42. All of the jewelry turned out so beautiful! They are all so perfect for spring AND summer. Great job!

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  43. Your bead soup is wonderful. I went back through your previous posts and you are very creative- I love your eye for design.

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  44. How fun! What a great soup to begin with and you sure did this justice. Love the flower earrings!

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  45. Your pieces are wonderful and perfect for Spring, I like how you incorporated the focal bead as part of the toggle in the bracelet!

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  46. Great colors and use of the ribbon to set off the beads. I really love your pieces, they look so fun to wear.

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  47. All three of your pieces are stunning, I love the edition of the lime silk in both the necklace and bracelet. I am just oohing and awing over them all!

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  48. I love what you made with your beads!
    Very unusual, but lovely!

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  49. I love all of your pieces. They are really wonderful. I don't think I could pick a favorite.

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  50. Wonderful work Love everything you do!!

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  51. Oh my, your designs are stunning! I gravitate towards bright colors, especially brightly colored lampwork so I really love what you created! I especially love that bracelet! :)

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  52. I really like the copper with the ribbon. Nice job!

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  53. How fun are those item. I just adore the beads you were sent. The copper earrings are beautiful.

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  54. Everything is great! Love how you incorporated so many different textures into the necklace. The earrings are gorgeous :)

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  55. Great colors, I really love them! The top necklace is my favorite, very cool! PS. I don't like kick boxing either!

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  56. All the pieces are beautiful especially the necklace and bracelet!

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  57. Lordy, girl, these are all so gorgeous! I love Donna's beads and you really nailed your 1st bead soup! I really like the silk ribbon - that lime green makes the other beads just pop!

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  58. I love all your soup! I am lovin' the necklace. Perfection!

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  59. Beautiful colors - the copper complements them perfectly! I love all you created - they are fantastic!!!

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  60. I love what you did wih your soup ingredients! the neclace is very pretty with the silk ribbon. Cheers!
    Lori D.

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  61. Loving the ingredients you got and the soup you cooked up! Great pieces and I love that copper!

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  62. I love the necklace you created. Absolutely stunning!

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  63. Being an earring person, I am drawn to the awesome earrings that you created. I think they are wonderful for the coming spring and summer. Great pieces!

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  64. I've always admired both yours and Donna's work so I was excited to see what the two of you would concoct from each other's materials and I wasn't disappointed. I love the color scheme - plays perfectly off the copper AND I love the touches of the lucite flowers and ribbon. Gorgeous!

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  65. Holy heck - LOVE the color combination on these pieces!! Those bright colors are just so fun and I love that green ribbon!

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  66. Very nice to see what you created. Such fun!

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  67. I love everything you made - but then I knew I would. I admire your jewelry very much. You seem to take direction very well even if you don't like being told what to do. I don't like being told what to do either and that is one thing I love about being a lawyer. No one tells me what to do. Now judges may tell me how its going to be but there is a difference a nd somehow I can live with it.

    Anyway, Great job! I really enjoyed looking at your Bead Soup jewelry.

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  68. WOW! Your necklace is fantastic! And the earrings- yummy! You did a great job-even though you don't take directions well! LOL

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  69. Every single piece that you created is so wonderful! You have done such a great job! I love the colors and what you have added to the soup. Really lovely jewelry. I am sure I will stop by, again...
    Sabine

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  70. Love, love, love the earrings! The mix of the vintage tin and Shannon's links is brilliant!

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  71. Love all the pieces you made. Especially like the way you included the silk in several. Wonderful. And your photos are fab.

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  72. Kiersten, you created such a happy and bright set: a true work of art! I love everything: colours, patterns, design, mix of media! Wonderful job!

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  73. I love the way you used colours in these pieces! They are really fantastic!

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  74. Beautiful soup! So happy and bright!

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  75. Your necklace and bracelet are really great, but your earrings really made me smile. I don't know what it is, but they seem to exude pure joy. Fabulous work!

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  76. Gosh darnit! If I do not go bonkers about every single piece you make. These colors seem brighter than your usual picks but you created such lovely pieces, I adore them just as much.
    You are seriously talented.

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  77. I love LOVE your style! Beautiful pieces..so many lovely pieces I am picturing myself wearing! Lovely!

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  78. I love your work. The summer colors and fun feeling of the pieces is so enticing.

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  79. I love what you created with your bead soup, I would have never guessed you don't really work with these colors. Really beautiful!
    Sonya

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  80. Still hopping..love the pieces you made! My special favorite is that bracelet. Beautiful work!

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