Saturday, March 3, 2012

Bead Soup is Cooked!!

Finally this day is here and I am so happy to see all the creativity from around the world.

My soup partner is Lissa Hanna from LH Beads in Florida. She sent me beautiful beads including lampwork ones made by her, and a very challenging focal piece that pushed me to create beyond my comfort zone. I also don't buy many beads in brown so the color palette in my piece was something challenging for me as well.

I tried different things when it came to framing this awesome sliced seashell focal piece. It did not have a hole at the top. I decided to make this tear shaped sterling frame from 16 G wire and soldered it together. I then wire wrapped the shell around the frame.
The connector at the top of the frame is a clasp.   I tend to be very symmmetric in my designs and could not get away from this but I love the final result. And the clasp she sent me: I just adore it!!  I am a sucker for unique clasps and this one is no exception.

Thanks Lisa and I love how you cooked the bead soup I sent you!!!!





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)
20.  Charlene Jacka and Christina Hickman
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)

31 comments:

  1. Beautiful necklace. Bold and delicate at the same time. Makes we wish it were summer! Love the starfish clasp.

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  2. love the way you framed that shell..beautiful necklace

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  3. The lampwork is pretty, and I love your design...the starfish clasp is just too cute!

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  4. That frame is beautiful and very creative. I like the necklace - it is very delicate and makes me sigh for the summer now :) And the clasp is just the touch to make this all fun and happy!

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  5. Beautiful necklace! I love what you did with framing the seashell focal! Very cool! :)

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  6. What a cool focal! I love your necklace. Great job.

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  7. Cool necklace! Wonderful work.

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  8. I love the pendant and I think you did a wonderful job!

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

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    1. Thank you again Lori!!

      I have learned so much in this challenge and hope to participate in the summer as well.
      Thanks, Laura

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  9. Wow, that is so pretty! I suddenly want to go to the beach.... Lovely :) x

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  10. Love the necklace. It's very natural & beachy. Interesting treatment of the focal.

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  11. I love how you framed the focal. Really makes it stand out.

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  12. Love the warm and earthy colors. As cool as the focal is I'm not sure I could have figured out what to do with it, good job!

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  13. Oooh, I love that dramatic focal! Even if it's out of your comfort zone, you really did it justice. I love seeing artists really pushing their boundaries and trying new things!

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  14. A very exraordinary desing - I like it!

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  15. Beautiful necklace. Love the shell bead - wow, that is so cool. I never would have thought of that. Great job!

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  16. Thank you ladies so much!! You are all a source of inspiration for me

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  17. I am a big fan of earthtones, and I think you rocked this design! Understated, elegant and earthy. A great combo!

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  18. Love the frame around the focal piece - great necklace!

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  19. You did a great job with that focal bead! Beautiful necklace!

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  20. Laura - you did a wonderful job with your soup ingredients! I am so impressed with the wore wrapping you did with the focal shell - so unique and creative. Beautiful job! :)

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  21. Though your soup was a bit of a challenge for you, it really turned out beautifully. I adore that shell focal and the framing around it is neat. Nicely done!

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  22. WOW! Totally impressed with how you treated the focal! Brilliant! Such a pretty and natural looking necklace!

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  23. I bet this challenge was hard. You did an awesome job!

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  24. What a beautiful necklace. I love how natural looking it is. It will make a great piece to wear with so many outfits.

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  25. Ok hanging a shell slice upside down is a new one for my eyes. Well done! As a gal who's lived within walking distance of a beach for the last 11 years I really thought I'd seen it all in shell jewelry. Thank you for proving me wrong.

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  26. that is one cool design! I have not used many shells, this one would have given me trouble. You did it good!@

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  27. That would have flummoxed me. You did an awesome job!

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  28. What a great focal! I love how you've used it.

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  29. Great necklace, I love how you solved the issue of not having a hole in the top of the pendant. Your frame idea is just perfect!
    Sonya

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  30. beautiful focal, I like your necklace
    ciao dall'Italia

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