Serving a Cup of Soup!

Pull up a seat and have a cup of soup with me.  This is  a wonderful bead soup hosted by Lori Anderson of Pretty Things.  The main component of the soup that we were all required to use as our main ingredient is a beautiful lamp work bead created by the extremely talented Lea Avroch.   

When I received my bead all sorts of different recipies started swirling around in my head.  One of my ideas was to do a simple spiral rope and keep the bead as the main focus of the necklace.  I went thru my stash and also went to my local bead store, YaYa beads.  I found beads that really pulled out the wonderful colors in the bead and decided I would alternate the spirals in my necklace.  I actually had almost 3/4 of the rope done when I decided that I really did not like it. It was just to busy.  I am not opposed to designing a piece that has a lot of elements but I just felt it detracted from the bead and was not accenting the bead the way that I wanted.

Sorry not the best pic.



A small pile of some of the beads when I took the rope apart.

 I knew that I still wanted to do something bead woven.  I settled on the St. Petersburg chain, that I have never done and did not know how to do!  I usedthe original core beads from my spiral (that were very covered up in the spiral). I went to youtube and searched for a tutorial.  Aunties Beads had a good one.  So I sat down watched and learned.  The center of the chain are garnets.

I really am pleased with the final result. 

I stitched the toggle clasp.

Please visit the other participats to have a taste of their amazing soups! 

Lori of Pretty Things

Marlene of Amazing Designs by Marlene

Sonya of Dreamin' of Beads/SAS Jewelry Designs

Shaiha of Shaiha's Ramblings

Please also visit the amazing Lea Avoch

http://www.LAJewelryDesigns.Etsy.com

http://www.LAJewelryDesigns.Artfire.com

https://www.facebook.com/LAJewelryDesign

If you are interested in participating in future cups of soup please visit Lori's site.  You can go to her regular blog, http://www.prettythingsblog.com/,  or you can visit the following site. http://lorianderson-cupofbeadsoup.blogspot.com/ You can also see past soups here.

Give away

 .The Gossiping Goddess   is having an awesome giveaway. Please visit her blog and see the amazing bracelets that she has created. She created a tutorial showing how to make them and in celebration of that she is giving away a bracelet stack.  I sure hope the randomizer favors me on drawing day!

There were 4 in the bed!

There were four in the bed.... a Mommy, a Daddy, and two little ones, Jacob and Noah. 

 
 I have mentioned my two sweet boys before, Jacob (five) and Noah (two).  I have always wanted kids and did not have Jacob until I was 36.  When he was a baby he did not sleep in his crib until he was about six months old and even then I would hold and rock him in my arms until he went to sleep.  I am not sure if that was the cause of him being a kid that wakes in the night or not.  With Noah I put him in his crib from the beginning.  I think a big part of it was just the sheer exhaustion of  now taking care of two kids.  Even after Jacob went from our bed to his crib and now into his big boy bed he has come to sleep in our bed during the middle of the night most nights.  Keith would prefer for this not to happen, but I love it.  They grow up way to fast anyway!   And waking in the morning a cuddling with my little ones is just awesome.  Well now Noah has become aware of Jacob sleeping in our bed and is wanting to get in the bed during the middle of the night too!  I love having both my boys with me but is sure does make for a crowded bed...makes me think of the nursery rhyme   "There were ten in the bed".  When they are in our big king sized bed, it is a tight fit and if some one tells Mommy to roll over I may be on the floor....OH NO! 

As you can see they don't just like to sleep with Mommy and Daddy but Jacob will often climb into Noah's bed and they will sleep together, after much playing mind you!

But as I said before "Let them be little".  I hope you all are having a wonderful Thursday!

Worktable Wednesday!

I made this necklace with some wonderful beads that I received from the very sweet and generous  Lori Anderson.  I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the cross pendant.  I would tell you how made it but I seem to have lost the card Lori sent me that had that information. :(  Maybe if Lori sees this post she will let us know.  I really hate that I lost the card, I kept up with it for so long...
She also sent me some really cool purple lava beads.  I had never used these before and they are really fun. I also used copper wire, jump rings, fresh water pearls, Czech glass, and Swarovoski crystals
I had such a good time making this necklace and really like how it turned out.

Now you can see why I love this cross, it is simply stunning!



This shows the lava beads and how I wired the other components.

 My goal is to show you at least one design a week!

Echo Creative Club Reveal

I have the privilege of having a Guest spot in Jeannie Dukic's  of http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog/ Echo Creative Club for the month of June.  Jeannie sent me a really beautiful Gin Blossom bead

 

My part was to design something using this wonderful polymer clay bead.  I had many ideas rolling around in my head but I really wanted to do something that would really complement the focal and still keep it as the center point.  I finally decided to bead weave doing a dutch spiral.  I LOVE how it turned out.  I made the clasp using a Vintaj ring that I embellished and peyote tube.  

The weave is more open as it approached the focal point.

I am very glad that I was able to be a part of the Echo Creative Club.  It was really so much fun and I love the end result.  Please visit all the other Echo Creative Club members blogs to see their creations  with Jeannie's beads.

Shannon Chomanczuk  http://www.formysweetdaughter.blogspot.com/

Jeannie K Dukic  http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog

Cindy Cima Edwards  http://www.cindycima.com/

Beth Emery  http://storiesbyindigoheart.blogspot.com/

Keri Lee Sereika http://www.pinklemonade.typepad.com/

Kristen Stevens  http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com/

Lola Surwillo  http://www.beadlolabead.blogspot.com/

Life can change in an instant!

It is amazing how fast life can change.  This past Saturday my Husband and I made a decision that has certainly changed the dynamics of our household!  We now have an 18 year old young man living with us full time.  He is a friend of my step-son and was in foster care.  His foster Mother kicked him out and for the last 4 weeks he has been staying with a friend here and there and even spent some nights on the street.  He had only the clothes on his back and a backpack :(  It was an easy decision for us, how can we let a kid sleep on the street!?!  It has been a big adjustment, having to more bedrooms etc. around.  Although our two boys, Jacob (5) and Noah (2) act as if he has been here forever and has always been a part of our lives. Jacob has such a giving heart for a five year old anyway, he often invites various servers to stay with us :) And when we have spoken about orphans in the past he always responds with a "Mommy, we can be their family".  Keith and I have often talked about the possibility of becoming foster parents and maybe this is the push for us to go in that direction.  I will imagine that this young man will only be with us about a year or so.    He has gotten a job and wants to finish high school and attend college.  I hope that we can make a positive difference in his life.  Change however it comes, fast, slow, expected or not is not always a bad thing.  Here is to making life more exciting!

Cup of Bead Soup with Lea Avroch

Lori Anderson of http://www.prettythingsblog.com/ does this really cool thing where she gets beads, often unseen from an artist and creates a great design.  She has opened it up to other designers too.  If interested you toss your name in the hat and hope the randomizer picks you.  This go round the main component of the soup is a wonderful lampwork bead from Lea Avroch (here are her links )http://www.etsy.com/shop/lajewelrydesigns  http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/lajewelrydesigns  https://www.facebook.com/LAJewelryDesign

Three people were choosen to participate in this Cup of Bead Soup,  and I am one of them!!! Yea!!  This year is all about trying to challenge myself and grow as an artist.  I received my bead in the mail yesterday and ideas are starting to swirl around in my head.  Please come back on June 30th to visit and see what we all made.

Gin Blossom bead

I received my bead from Jeannie Dukic of http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog/.  If you remember from a previous post http://dreaminofbeads.blogspot.com/2012/05/guest-spot-in-echo-creative-club.html I get to have a guest spot in the Echo Creative Club.  I asked Jeannie to surprise me and she sent me this lovely focal bead. This is one of her Gin Blossom polymer clay beads and I just really love it!

I already have a design idea in mind.  Please join me on the 25th of June as myself and several other talented designers show you their creations using Jeannie's beads. 

Free Earrings

They are giving away free earrings on this blog.  http://lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/
I hope I win they are really cute!