Bead Soup Seven Reveal!

And here it is, the day we've all been waiting for, Saturday! It also happens to be the First Reveal for Lori Anderson's most recent Bead Soup Blog Party. This years event is the biggest to date! Over 500 blogs and a second hop has been added for those beady peeps who don't have a blog but really wanted to participate. Wow! This has become one heck of a party! This is my third time to participate and I can tell you the fun and excitement over reveal is just as great the third time as it was the first! Kids at Christmas is how I can best describe it! Ok Ok no more tortuous wait. You came here for pics and pics you shall have!

But first....a reminder of what I received.



Welcome to My Reveal - Woodland Fae

This first photo, while not strictly Bead Soup as none of the components came from my partner, is I think still appropriate. You see some time back Lori had a caption this photo contest on her blog. I won! The focal on this neck piece was a part of the prize package she and Zack sent me. I wove the collar and added a second piece of filigree and as it felt a part of the rest of todays collection I choose to show it here. Thank you Zack and Lori!



I love the stamped brass filigree rings you see all over Etsy. I had one, once upon a time, I loved that ring. Paige has claimed this one.



Courtney, my first partner from Party #5 sent so many wonderful beads that I ran out of time before I ran out of beads and ideas. Jennifer sent these cool little enameled gears. The color on the gears made me think of Courtneys beads and sure enough the first pair of earrings was born!


I realize the clear crystals become one with the ice, so a second photo


The filigree of the ring kept whispering to my muse "wouldn't more flowers be sweet?" So I faux enameled some head pins and answered my Muses call.



Another pair of earrings she said to help beckon the spring.



Now those sweet little butterflies spoke to my muse. Reminding her I had a clasp to use. A bracelet became of that.



Now you've heard the story of my evolving design. That is if you've been reading along with me the last several weeks.
When I pulled the beads together for my design I began the process of taking away and creating several other pieces in doing so.
This second bracelet was born of the remaining Soo Chow Jade as I noticed how sweet it looked next to the Art Nouveau stamping when I had accidentally knocked over the container while reaching for the bead caps.



I love this three stranded necklace. It was the first of the take aways. I began by creating the beaded chain and quickly realized the Soo Chow Jade worked beautifully where I had planned for the chain. I remembered I had the abalone heart and quickly went to work creating a filigree design to grace it.




My second necklace was born of the same taking away process. This time I wanted to see how the glass drop looked with another piece. I had had it as the center of the floral focal. But I had to take it off the flower to see when I noticed how much more beautiful it looked with the lamp worked focal Jennifer had made. Wrapping the lamp work with several pieces of filigree it became the focal belonging to the Soo Chow Jade.








My final piece was the first designed and the last made. It was a learning experience that I'm very happy with. It proved to me I am capable of the fine art of taking away. It can be a hard lesson to learn, exuberance often overloads a design and knowing when to stop can be hard. Taking away is sometimes the best thing you can do for a piece.
As I was very happy with the floral, filigree, and scrolling design of the front I didn't want the back to detract from it. Once I had learned to paint the copper with a flame I knew I could back the pin adding to the design rather than detracting from it. But I also wanted the back to be as pretty as the front. Enter etching. It made my pin back as pretty as the front.

The Pin itself however proved a little tougher, I had intended it to be a fibula. The position of the etching on the metal though, restricted where I could saw. This turned out to be critical. Twice, just as I was finishing the pin and about to turn it - it snapped. Out of room to saw a third attempt I used what little room I had left to create a bracket. Using a large gauge wire I balled one end and forged the other until I had a nice clean sharp point. The results, I'm quite happy with!




So, there you have it. I've used almost all of my soup. I hope you've enjoyed your visit with me today. I've really enjoyed cooking for you and hope I've served up a small feast worthy of the Fae who inspired it. Before you go please join me in hopping over to Jennifer's blog, Dry Gulch Beads and Jewelry, and let's take a peek at what she has cooked up for us!

Thanks for stopping by!
THE REST OF THE HOP!