The Big Bead Soup Reveal

Hi everyone, 

This is the day all of us, 

the Bead Soup Blog Party participants,have been waiting for. 

Here is the link to our gracious host Lori Anderson Click Here,  

and the entire list of jewelry designer's websites so you can follow the blog hop.

My partner is Beth Bricker    

Click Here  or  Here to see the wonderful and generous amount of ingredients 

she so carefully packaged, labeled and sent meand the stash I sent her. 
Here: Vintage Sweets to meet Beth and see  her creations. 

I loved how Beth labeled all the beads because 

I am not an expert about different types of stone and crystal and 

I haven't labeled my stash carefully so I tend to forget what a lot of my beads are called. 

I really love the smokey quartz, the czech beads and 

those chunky black tourmaline beads are just amazing. 

There are some beads totally new to me that really intrigued me; 

the amber red deer horn beads, the antler button and the deer bone beads. 

Fortunately I was so inspired  that I got started right away because I have been sick this week.

I could not be the queen of the last minute this round. 
I was unable to use all of the goodies she sent but have plans to use them in the future. 

Not only did these beads inspire jewelry but they also told me a story, 

  So grab your coffee or tea and relax and enjoy a little Mountain Romance.

The air was cool and crisp, perfumed with a refreshing balsam scent from the glorious pines all around her. It left a fine mist on Mira's skin contrasting sharply with the crackle of dry fallen leaves under her feet. They both stopped at the same time without saying a word.  The music of  water trickling in a rocky bedded stream was not so distant now.  He knew they were almost there. She had no idea what he had in store for her, simply put he had said: "I have a surprise for you today and had handed her a rusty old key."  

"What is this for?" she had asked and he simply smiled and said: "You will see soon enough." Mira loved the way that smile made her heart flutter and as she looked into his eyes she knew how much she trusted and cared about Josh. She could almost see the thrill of being surrounded by nature coursing through his Inuit blood and just before he turned to continue their hike, she looked down from his eyes, and between the lapels of his plaid flannel shirt  to the dream catcher he always wore around his neck, just over his heart. 

Mira loved the feathers that hung on either side and the unusual seed in the center. She wondered had he made it as a child on the reservation and what dreams had he captured in that tiny net. She was going to have to ask him more about that one day but for now she simply followed him through the forest paradise.  Similar to a slow crescendo in a Beethoven Symphony, the soothing but exciting music of the stream was getting louder and the forest brighter as they approached a clearing.  Like little fairies playing hop scotch with magic wands glistening in their tiny hands , the light of the sun flitted on the green and sandy brown pebbles and floated away down stream on the fallen leaves, temporarily blinding her to what lay ahead. 

When Mira's eyes had time to adjust to this sudden burst of light, a gentle gasp excaped her lips.  There before her was a bridge, surely hand made from logs in this forest that led over the stream bed to the most perfect little log cabin she had ever seen. She had always dreamed of living in the woods someday, relishing the clean air and the beauty mother nature hid in the emerald forests of these rugged Northwest Mountains, away from the noise of the city and all it's frenzied occupants.  Josh took her hand and led her to the center of the bridge. Then he did the strangest thing.  Still holding her hand in his he knelt down on one knee and said, 

" Mira, you are holding "The Key To My Heart" 

and the key to this log cabin I built with my own hands just for you.  Will you spend the rest of your life here with me?" And like a gentle breeze  he whispered "... I love you..."  

Mira dropped to her knees in front of him, tears burst from her eyes and trickled like the stream down her cheeks but the smile on her face said,  "Yes... yes, a thousand times yes." She would never have to ask about the secrets in his dream catcher, she would live them with him for the rest of her life. 

Okay,

 now you know I have read a few too many romance novels in my lifetime 

but with 360+ blogs to read 

I thought you might enjoy this little enhancement to your reading pleasure. 

Before the necklace I made a bracelet and earring set too. 

Here they are:

For the mountain loving women like Mira; 

an everyday casual type bracelet and earring set 

she could wear with jeans and a nice flannel shirt 

while cozying up to the fire in her perfect little log cabin in the woods.

 

I loved the contrasts between the turquoise (Josh the inuit), 

the round horn beads (mother natures creatures recycled) 

and the chunky black tourmaline beads (like the charred wood in a fireplace) 

so I wired them together for the dangles.  

The smokey quartz (smoke curling from the chimney in the log cabing) could stand alone. Copper was my main choice of metals for this set 

The necklace has both copper and antique brass components. (Male and female characters)

 I added the stone chips and leaf chain to the bead soup 

because it helped to let your eye trickle (like the stream) 

from all the details of the key clasp on the left (key to his heart and cabin)

and the dream catcher on the right side of the necklace.

(Josh's dreams to be shared with Mira) 

The tawny czech glass beads reminded me of split logs with some bark left on. 

(inspiring the log cabin and the bridge) 

and I used the fabric Beth wrapped my soup in, 

torn to create the plaid ribbon to evoke a casual feel to the necklace.

(the lapels of Josh's flannel shirt)  

Lastly (For all of you who are cynics)- 

I wrapped one piece of the smokey quartz with copper wire 

in the head of the rusty key to symbolize 

how slightly clouded our heads get when we are in love!!  

Just kidding.... LOL 

I for one am a hopeless romantic and isn't that what jewelry is all about? 

Enjoy your blog hopping!! 


PS Check out the  HUGE CLEARANCE SALE  in my heatherp22 Etsy shop-  
starting Tuesday Sept 20th, ending Sept 30th!! 
BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!! 

Heather-Aquariart

My February ABS Challenge Piece

I have been following the Art Bead Scene Blog for over a year now and decided that this year I would do my best to enter each monthly challenge.  So here is February: John Singer Sargent's beautiful painting "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" was not difficult to be inspired by.  I love all those colors and just let my mind take me on a little creative journey which ended up becoming this beautiful bib necklace. 

Thanks to Heather Powers of Humblebeads and all her great advice 

I was able to create this collage on Picnik. They have free aps and it is very easy and fun to use.  

As you can see my colors are a slightly brighter hue but none-the-less in the neighborhood.  

The bib background is quilted batik fabric 

with two layers of medium weight stabilizer and wool batting

necessary to support my handmade, delicate polymer clay White Stargazer Lily art bead.  

It was a left over from a polymer clay wedding purse custom order. 

I had fun free-motion stitching leaf shapes with metallic thread. 

I then beaded it with all those beautiful glass and lucite flower beads, 

faceted glass and ceramic leaf beads. 

I found some really wonderful teardrop shaped miyuki glass seed beads 

which look like drops of clear water (dew) and sprinkled them about. 

 The lavender fringe represents the little girls lovely dresses 

which seem to be white but have a lavender cast 

due to the artists amazing sense of color and lighting. 

In the necklace portion I used white shell chips and peach colored coral pieces 

to imitate the glowing lanterns in the painting, more flower and leaf beads for continuity 

I love everything about this painting and really enjoyed making this piece. 

Come back Saturday for the Bead Soup Party!!!