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Saturday, May 10, 2014

Bead Soup Reveal Day

It is finally here-"Reveal Day"-can't wait to show you what I made...

My "SOUP" partner is Loretta Carstensen of designsbyloretta.blogspot.com.  Loretta lives in South Ogden, Utah.   She is retired and along with making jewelry loves to travel with her husband.

This is the "bead soup" I received. 

Thanks, Loretta for a beautiful "soup"!
The large red beads are glass African trade beads 
and the small ones are red jasper. I don't know what the focal bead is. 
Please let me know if you do.

In the beginning I didn't think this would be such a hard challenge but the more I looked at it the harder it became. I wanted to complement the focal and not overpower or take away from it. After much thought and deliberation, I finally decided the focal needed some wire wrapping...but that was only part of the necklace.  Again, I had to set it aside and ponder how to add just the right chain to set it off.  This is the design I came up with.




The toggle clasp was bright brass that I patinated to match the bronze wire links.

I also made a pair of earrings using the red jasper beads.

The African trade beads will remain in my stash for a while waiting patiently for an idea to "pop" into my head...so until later be sure to check out Loretta's blog along with all the other participants in the Blog Hop.

I'm off to blog hop and see what you made...

Thanks again, Lori for a fun Bead Soup Blog Hop!

74 comments:

  1. You did a beautiful job with the soup. I love it. Thank you for sending me such challenging soup. I really had fun playing with it.

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  2. great job, love that focal and the way you used it

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  3. Love how you used your focal and patinated the clasp.
    The large soldered links on the earrings are wonderful.

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  4. I'm not sure what that focal is, but I know you used it very well. It definitely has a romantic feel and the clasp is integrated perfectly! I'm a new follower. Well done :-)
    Liz at Bead Contagion

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    1. So happy that you liked what I made and that you are following my blog.

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  5. Lovely wire work. Very well done. Especially like the decision to patina the clasp to make it blend better with the rest of the necklace.

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  6. Wirework is one of my passions too. You did an outstanding job on your necklace. Bravo!

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  7. Your wirewrapping truly enhances the focal! Love it!

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  8. Yow! I have one of those stones, and i don't know what it is either! Your design is very well executed, and I love the wire work, especially playing the large focal against the airy rings.

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    1. Thanks Beti. I would love to see how you used your stone.

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  9. Beautiful wire wrap and necklace !! I love how you toned down the harshness with the patina!! Brilliant!!

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  10. Beautiful! I love the wire work and they way you kept the design simple so the focal would remain center stage.

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  11. Very, very pretty Linda. I think you are absolutely right to keep the focal the main feature and not overwhelm it with unnecessary detail.
    Rose

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  12. The necklace is very much to my taste with its' simplicity, charming!

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  13. Oh Linda - your necklace is sublime! You've done a beautiful job of showcasing that stunning focal and the earrings match perfectly. Wonderful!

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  14. Wow! I love the focal and what you did with it. Very nice!

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  15. I love the wirework you did. You managed to enhance the beautiful focal bead. I wonder what it is. I have some jade with similar veining. Beautiful pieces!

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  16. Oh, wow. I am thrilled with your jewelry creations. The necklace is a dream and the earrings are the perfect complement to it. so beautiful!

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  17. I love your loopy and swirly design! Negative space adds such interest to designs :) xo Genea

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  18. I'm in love with that gorgeous necklace you created! I love how the focal IS the focal and everything works to compliment it-it really is a stunning piece and I'm a big fan of your wire work!

    All in all both beautiful pieces :)

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  19. I LOVE the necklace. Love the wrap and how you kept the solder joints natural. Beautiful work!!!!

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  20. Love that focal, it can be difficult to not overpower sometimes, you did well! Echoing the lines of your wrap in your links was a very nice touch.

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  21. Really pretty, you really made a necklace that complements the focal. Well done

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  22. The red jasper is gorgeous!! I like how you wrapped the focal. Fantastic!!

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    1. Happy you liked my necklace-red is one of my favorite colors

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  23. The custom made chain is just the right touch for this necklace! What a nice design to show off the beautiful focal!

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  24. Linda, I love what you made with your soup. The chain is wonderful. I also fell in love with the soup you sent your partner. Im not looking for left overs but hey, It really was nice. :)

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  25. Oh, I am sooo impressed. Jewelry is one craft I have not tried...I am just sure I would not have the patience for it. This necklace and earrings are gorgeous! What a talent!

    Carol

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    1. Thank you. With the talent I see in all your posts, I'm sure you can do anything!

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  26. inspiring designs,super work with wire! congratulations!

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  27. I have a thing for circles myself - LOVE this! Thanks for stopping by and for the lovely comme

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  28. Great chain and Wireworking. Very attractive

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  29. Lovely hand-made chain - I love how it ads character to the whole piece. Beautiful set!

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  30. Simply and utterly beautiful! You did a fantastic job showcasing/balancing your focal... and I simply love the colors! I am very impressed... wonderful work!

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  31. Thank you for such nice comments-

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  32. Oh, wow! I love your wirework; the copper works beautifully with the beads.

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  33. Wow, I love your designs especially the wire work. Great!

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  34. Elegant AND understated, Linda :) That amazing focal demanded to be the center of attention, and your beautiful design is just the ticket.

    Those trade beads would make wonderful feature beads in bracelets with lots of orphan lampwork or ceramic thrown in the mix. Can't wait to see what you create with them!

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  35. Love love love the wirework in the necklace! The chain perfectly compliments the focal. Great work.

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  36. What great wire work to highlight your focal. Love the colors and how metals compliment them. Love the earrings too!

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  37. that chain was perfect for that focal. It's so pretty on its own, you were wise not to overpower it. Nice wire work to draw attention, but again,just enough to show it off. Beautiful

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  38. I love your soup results. I aspire to wire work like this.

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  39. Love, love, love your pieces and love your wire-work!!!
    Alenka

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  40. I REALLY loved your simple wirework on the focal piece. It gave me an inspiration for a piece I've been struggling with for many moons - THANK YOU! =)

    Linda A.
    http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com
    http://cherryOnTopDesign.co

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    1. So happy you were inspired. I think we draw from each other!

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  41. You did a really wonderful job accenting the focal without overpowering it. Your simple but stunning wirework was perfection.

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  42. Hmhm - very romantic Linda! Love your cooking!

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  43. WOW.....that focal was amazing and the way you highlighted it with the wirework.....just awesome.....those few red dangles were just enough. Sometimes less is more and you hit it on the head. Great job

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  44. Very ♥elegant and feminine♥ necklace... 'Simple' meant in a very very positive way (-: I love your work!

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  45. Beautiful necklace and earrings, the wire working is exceptional and really showcases the soup!

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  46. Your wirework is exceptional, not only in quality but also how you balanced different shapes and materials. Gorgeous

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  47. Thank you-I appreciate your comments

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  48. I love the chain, the bail, the whirled links, the small red beads hanging discreetly from the big round links, the wirework in general - amazing! And the subtlety of the earrings is just right for this necklace!

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