Monday, February 18, 2013

Bead soup - let the simmering begin!

Have you entered the giveaway? only a few days left: enter here

Both Stacy, my partner, and I have received our soups. Kindred souls - we picked a similar palette: mine to her was turquoise and silver, Stacy's to me: teal and brass.

Her soup is adorable:

Bead soup: ceramic, brass, glass :: All Pretty Things

A gorgeous focal as a nest, birds and connectors in brass, a bird clasp, along the teal ceramic and glass beads. If you know me, you know I already hoarded that ceramic beads in all sorts of shapes and sizes. And the birds and nest?! She somehow read my mind: I was just thinking a couple of weeks I want to get some birds: now I have them! spring arrived earlier for sure.

The challenge for me? Using brass - I admit brass and I aren't friends. Not at all. But, as usual, I will approach this challenge as a friendly push forward, and I will overcome my 'fear' of brass. Who knows? Come March I will figure out I love brass (it had happened many, many, maaany times before). The important thing is: I will try my best and I will not be prejudiced against brass :)

Step 2: designing with this fabulous ingredients!

For the soup I sent to Stacy I decided to make the focal: wire wrapping is something I simply adore lately, and wire weaving is  a technique I just started on (this is my second attempt, after the heart in January):

Wire weaved pendant: turquoise, silver :: All Pretty Things

A teardrop stabilized turquoise wire wrapped in wire weaves - in silver plated wire. I hope Stacy likes it as much as I do (of course I am biased).

To complete the soup I added a handmade clasp (coiled wire), 2 large turquoise, and a pack of turquoise chips.

bead soup: Turquoise :: All Pretty Things

Wire weaved pendant: turquoise, silver :: All Pretty Things

bead soup: Turquoise :: All Pretty Things

I am looking forward to seeing what Stacy will make - we'll have to reconvene here at the end of March, on the 30th (we are on the 1st reveal) along the other ~150 participants.

Wishing all the participants a good encounter with their muse and inspiration :)

17 comments:

  1. What a fun soup. I actually really like brass - I discovered it during my steampunk phase - and use it a lot now. I especially like it with teal!

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    1. It is, isn't it? I hope I will grow to like brass too, fingers crossed :)

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  2. Both amazing soups, I love turquoise a lot.
    You'll surely have a lot of fun!

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    1. Turquoise / teal is my favourite colour ever - I will have so much fun with Stacey's soup!

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  3. I love the teardrop, wire-wrapped focal you made! Fabulous. Stacey must be delighted.

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    1. Thank you, Bonnie - I hope she is, I sure had tons of fun making it :)

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  4. The pendant you wire wrapped is awesome. I am using more brass lately and really liking it. Looks like a fun stash.

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    1. Thank you, Becky - I'll have to start working with brass... soon... if everyone is liking it, I will find what it is to make it likable :)

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  5. Very pretty soups on both ends!

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    1. Thanks :) can't wait to start working with mine!

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  6. Looks great! Your wirewrapped pendant looks lovely and those little brass birds are so sweet!

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  7. Both soups are really great. Looking forward to see the end result

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  8. I'm trying to visit as many of the blogs as I can. I love the soup that you got! I can't wait to see what you've done with it.

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  9. Starting my journey to visit everyone's blog. I got my soup yesterday. This is going to be such fun!

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  10. Hi, I'm a new beader and part of the bead soup party. love your bead soup. I'm a new follower.

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  11. What beautiful soups !! I hope you enjoy your adventures with brass. I love working with copper but did add brass to my designs about a year ago. Love the warm colors of both.

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  12. Hi Alicia =)
    Visiting all the blog before the party begin.

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate and love to read your comments!