Saturday 17 September 2011

WAAAAHHHOOOOOO THE BIG REVEAL DAY IS FINALLY HERE!!

Well today is the day for the Bead soup blog hop! I am excited and nervous at the same time, nervous because I hope Kristi my gorgeous partner is proud with what I have done.


Firstly here is a reminder of what I received from Kristy :) Who can be found here>>> http://kristibasket-itsanewday.blogspot.com/2011/09/bead-soup-reveal.html?showComment=1316268997156#c3741685155649574593 

Now this "natural" mixture sure did have me stumped for quite a while, but alas my creativity came through in the end PHEW!!




My first piece is a simple pair of earrings that just seemed to go together.


This next pair of earrings are a rainbow of wire wrapped 4mm Swarovski crystals and lamp work beads, the reason for the rainbow, well of course in TYPICAL Mandy form I could not decide on just one colour and thought these would pull the colours out of the lamp work beads.


This little baby is bead maille, which incorporates bead weaving and chain maille.
I used a Montana blue size 11 Czech seed bead and wove them into 2 strips of circles using a right angle weave technique. Then added the jump rings to form the chain maille. I then used the gorgeous Vintaj brass toggle, doubling as a focal piece.  I just love this bracelet! 


I HAVE to add, that this is the FIRST time I have attempted this sort of thing!





 And the piece I think I am most proud of, a wire wrapped cuff using the ceramic pendant as the focal piece :)
I thought out of the box on this one that's for sure!  
I have used natural shell nuggets, fresh water pearls, coral, sea sediment jasper and shell pieces I received in the bead soup. 
This is something I have never done before. No that's not quite true, I have made one other wire wrapped cuff but I used an already made frame for it, THIS one I made all by myself out of 18 Ga wire and the fine wrapping out of 26 Ga wire.
I set the focal inside a flower shaped stamping which I bent around and glued it in tight and then hung the charms off the pendant loop.
I hope you like this as much as I do :)




Happy hopping xoxo

Friday 16 September 2011

Silly me....

I am silly.
I forgot I could post the soup mix we received and sent  and even sillier That I didn't take a picture of my soup I sent, Thankfully my partner did!



Hope Kristi does not mind me using her pictures ;) 


Here is what I sent Kristi.
The huge focal is a Murano pendant and I included Brown pearls, Gold rondelle crystals, Gold spacers with black glass feature, Brown Agate gemstones, assorted gold tone bead caps and tubes and the toggle in the middle. :) 




And here is what Kristi sent me.
  A ceramic focal from Spirited earth on etsy (and it is gorgeous) The toggle is from Vintaj Earth on etsy. 
The rest you see are Czech glass, Czech flowers, bone beads and assorted miscellaneous beads.

And I am impressed with what I have done! I can not wait to show you all.


Only 2 more sleeps till the big Blog hop!! WOOT WOOT     


How awesome is THIS!! A map of all of the participants and where we are all from! 






And one last thing to look at, the link to Lori Andersons bead soup blog party that has all the information so you know what is going on and all 362 participants!! WOW what a job Lori must have had doing all this :) 

http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.com/







Tuesday 6 September 2011

FINALLY making a start!

After being away for a week and a half over the other side of the country, I have received my beads for the Bead soup blog party and boy are they nice!

I can not show you what I have here, you will just have to wait until the big unveiling day.

I have a few ideas going in my head so I will start with the first and see how it goes.....If that's no good i'll try another ;)

Happy beading beady buddies xoxo