Monday, October 29, 2012

REVEAL: Kalmbach Bead Soup Party

 

I remember it like it was yesterday... I opened my mailbox very gingerly, just hoping that IT was in there and Ba-Bam!

 
 
I AM THE CHOSEN ONE!! Well, okay maybe not THE chosen one, but ONE of the chosen ones! I felt so lucky.
 
When Lori Anderson announced her new book, Bead Soup: 32 Projects Show What Happens When 26 Beaders Swap Their Stash , she told us all about an exciting opportunity being provided by Kalmbach Jewelry Books. If we signed up we might just be lucky enough to be selected to take part in a special Bead Soup Party! The entries poured in and all of us were just holding our breath, watching our mailboxes! One by one my friends were popping up on Bead Soup Chat, waving their golden tickets like Charlie Bucket! I crossed my fingers and toes, just hoping I'd be so lucky. And I was!
 
I opened my package and what did I receive? I was estatic to find a beautiful creamy green, brown, topazy mixed bead soup from Studio Baboo of Charlottesville, Va.
 
 
 



 

Also included in the package were instructions:
" Use enclosed soup along with other beads and supplies you have in your collection to create a beautiful necklace. You have until October 31, 2012 to finish....."
 
Uh-oh! A NECKLACE! I am terrible with necklaces! BUT I wanted to play so I had to follow the rules. I started to prepare by making loads of looped eye pins and wire coil pieces. Uh-oh! The wire was too big to fit through the holes in the beads! Hmmm...now what was I going to do? I had stringing wire but how would I fill all that wire? I had a few larger stones and some pearls of various sizes. plus a tube of seed beads. Oh Lord, help!
 
Finally I decided the best thing for me was to attempt a floating bead necklace. I decided to make it a multi-strand necklace. I had a nice clasp that was provided in my soup mix but I wasn't sure how to attach the strands. I watched a few videos on YouTube (don't you love YouTube? Always has something I need).
 
 
The necklace took me a full day to complete. The bead lineup wasn't the hardest part, it was lining up the strands to work together. I probably made it harder than it had to be but I got 'er done. I am satisfied with the results. Not my best work but for a first attempt it isn't bad.
 
I tried to take a full length photo and didn't have much luck. I took lots of closeups of the beads though. Here are a few photos -
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A special thank you to Lori Anderson and Kalmbach Publishing!
 



35 comments:

Cassi said...

I think that turned out gorgeous :-) I really like the balance you created between the open spaces and beads. Just beautiful!

Sea of Dreams said...

Gorgeous necklace! You did an amazing job!

Cynthia said...

I love what you made, it came out lovely!

LoriF said...

Oh, I really, really like that! Love the colors, and I like that your "floaters" are not just a single bead, and I love the way you've offset them. Great job!

Chandra Merod said...

Looks good! :)

dreaminofbeads / SAS Jewelry Designs said...

Your necklace is great. I would never have know it was your first!
Sonya

Shai Williams said...

It is just lovely! Isn't it funny that they managed to send up beads that would truly challenge us. Mine took me back to the sixties with the peace signs.

Skye said...

gorgeous! I keep thinking I should try a floating style, but keep putting it off... >.< you did beautifully though, especially for a first one!

Unknown said...

Thank you Cassi. Like I said its my first, have to work at it and try another soon. :)

Deelitful Boudoir Photography said...

I love your necklace. When you get tired of it I'll take it off your hands and put it around my skinny neck!!

Unknown said...

This is GREAT!!! Shelley, love the design, the way it floats, the colors, everything!!! Great Job!

ZenithJade said...

WOW! Your first floating necklace, huh? I don't believe it! ;)~ It's great!

<3,
Andrea

Unknown said...

Great work. I love your floating necklace ^_^

Unknown said...

Thanks so much!

Unknown said...

Thank you Cynthia!

Jami aka DaMamaShipp said...

Turned out lovely Shelley! I would have never guessed it was your first necklace... It really is lovely!

Lori Anderson said...

Excellent! And from a bead store I've been in, too!

Adaptable Kay said...

You know, if you hadn't shared the fact that this would be your first attempt at a necklace, I would have never known! You did a fantastic job in my opinion :) I'm in love with the symmetrical yet asymmetrical look of your piece as well as the beads used to create it.

I definitely think you should try your hand at more necklaces in the future ;)

Juli Cannon said...

Beautiful!

Unknown said...

Thanks Lori! It was an experience trying to get those all line up though! I really was just avoiding those seed beads, ha ha!

Unknown said...

Yup, my first floater. I like the look but its more work than I imagined. Thanks for the kind words Sonya.

Unknown said...

I loved my color palette and the beads were nice...just never know what to do with seed beads. I have to face my fears and try something else with them. I have to get busy and get around to seeing everyone's creations. I usually wait a week before I even attempt a blog but right now I am really behind! I will meet you at your site, K?

Unknown said...

Sandra if I can accomplish it creating it on a bed and using a door knob to get the spacing right then I have NO DOUBT you can too. Once you get that studio together that is! haha if ONLY you could see mine. The hurricane didnt do any damage here but TORNADO SHELLEY sure did! xxoo

Unknown said...

Funny girl...skinny little funny girl!

Unknown said...

Oh ROBIN how sweet of you to say that!

Unknown said...

Oh believe it Andrea, probably my first and last - at least for a while anyways! :)

Unknown said...

Thanks Ilenia!

Unknown said...

Well my first floating necklace. Designing jewelry doesn't come easily to me, so I tend to procrastinate. I am glad it came out. Thanks for the kind words Jami!

Unknown said...

Really...when the heck did you find the time to visit a bead store?! I mean as I am attempting to read all the blogs and comment on everything I am exhausted. I was actually thinking about you a few minutes ago. With your following you must have hundreds of comments to answer! Does the colorful hair have something to do with it?!!

Unknown said...

Thanks Juli!

Unknown said...

Awww Kayla so sweet of you to say that. Like I said it was lining up the beads on the multiple strands that gave me the hardest time. Of course it might have had something to do with the fact that I was doing it on top of a bed (at sister's visiting) and I was using the doorknob as my model! haha but a girl has to do what a girl has to do to meet her deadlines, right?! SO I especially appreciate your kind words! :)

Jennifer Cameron said...

Love it! It appears effortless...even if you claim it wasn't :-)

april grinaway said...

Love the floating effect...Beautiful job..

Unknown said...

Thanks for coming by Jen and for your kind words. NO it definitely wasnt effortless, well not for my anyways! :)

Unknown said...

April, thank you. I do like the look of the floating beads...PLUS, dont tell anyone, but I hate doing necklaces and giving up all those beads! hahaha

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