Challenges

Last year threw challenges at me that had nothing to do with polymer clay. I did not complete the polymer clay challenge I began last year. I signed up for the Polymer Clay Adventure online retreat, and only really looked at a couple of the tutorials.

Depression hit in March. My dad's health suddenly went south shortly after (I take care of him here at my house, normally not terribly overwhelming, he has Parkinson's) because of a toe infection. I would never have thought a toe infection could set someone back so badly, but that's apparently not uncommon for Parkinson's patients. He was not able to walk or talk or even feed himself properly. This setback took him months to overcome. Fortunately my husband retired at exactly the same time everything went to hell in a hand-basket.

From December of 2014 to December of 2015 we had to say goodbye to 3 out of our 4 remaining kitties. And we are now back to having a full house of people since my daughter and her husband came back to live with us (temporarily. Really, just temporarily.)

So here I am in January 2016 and I'm not promising any long-term goals at the moment. But I am going to sign up for the Bead Soup Blog Party!

The 8th Bead Soup Blog Party is here!!

A reminder of what I was fortunate to work with from Genea (click on her name to visit her blog and see what she made with the soup I sent her!):

Packaged so neatly!!

THE NECKLACE

No matter how I looked at it, Genea's soup screamed "BOHO"!! So I first whipped up a herringbone tube, which I threaded a piece of wire through for stability. At each end are lampwork beads from my stash (made by Patsy Leblanc of Killer Beads). 

I square stitched a golden bail and hung the "sea urchin" focal from it with a swarovski crystal and some copper spacers. I then hung a MOP leaf from it. 

Wooly wire is wrapped around the tube and up past the beads. 

The copper chain Genea sent me is attached to the wire threaded through the tube, and then her recycled sari silk forms the ties at the end so that it can fit any size neck.

focal by Genea

wooly wire wrapped around my herringbone tube

THE BRACELET

Next, I created a bracelet using more of the antiqued copper chain. The sea urchin wing ding and silvered ivory spacers were joined by more of Patsy's lampwork, lampwork by Amber Ballard and flat discs, all from my stash. The button closure made by Genea is part of the clasp that holds it together.

wingding by Genea

lampwork button closure by Genea

Here is a link to the other participants in the blog hop (500 links is a bit long for one post!!) 8th annual Bead Soup Blog Hop

More bead soup stuff!!

I've been gathering potential extra ingredients for the bead soup Genea sent me, and waiting for her to receive my soup. She received my package today and says she likes it (insert smiley face here) so I'll post pictures of that tomorrow.

(My friend Bonnie and are also going to do a side swap of bead soups, since she was not able to sign up for the "official" bead soup swap. I'll post that swap separately after she and I meet.)

In case there are those who do not know what this Bead Soup Blog Party is all about... Here is some information from Lori Anderson's blog.

 She says:

Basic Facts:  

::  I pair you with another jewelry designer
by February 28th.  ::

::  You send each other a quality package of beads
by March 14th.  ::

 ::  You make one or more pieces of jewelry or art with those beads, 

incorporating beads from your own stash as needed.

The focal and clasp you were sent MUST be used, 
but don't have to be used in the same piece.  ::

::  You post your creation on the blog hop reveal day, May 3rd,

and you try to visit as many of the other designers' blogs. ::

My Bead Soup has arrived!! Ingredients revealed!

My creative bead soup partner has sent me my bead soup, and it's lovely. It's going to make me think outside my comfort zone/box and that's something I love to do.

I'm sorry, I put the neat little card upside down in this picture, but look at all the little numbered wrapped parcels!!

Clever recipe card!!

Unwrapped!!

My brain is full of ideas. Let the simmering begin!

Now, if the dang clasp I ordered to send to my partner would arrive, I could send hers to her. Here is a creatively distorted picture of what I have put together for her soup (sans clasp). I have also been cleaning and sorting in my craft room, so there are things that will be included in the box that are not in the picture.

Meet my Bead Soup Bead Party swap partner

This is Genea

And she makes beautiful lampwork glass beads (check out her blog)

I love the headpins. Wow.

And she is sending me a package with beads in it so I can make jewelry and show off what I make!! I'll be sending her some, too. It's all a surprise, what's in the package. Sometimes surprises are good. I'm pretty sure this one will be.