Bead Soup Has Arrived

What could possibly be better than sitting by the ocean listening to the waves wash away any cares I might have?  Well to be doing that, and writing about something else I love...beads.

I received my soup from my partner Regina Santerre of Regina's Writings a couple of weeks ago and it killed me that I couldn't take the time to post about it.  What a yummy mix! (Click on the link if you'd like to check out her blog and maybe get a peak at what I sent her.)

I absolutely love the colors and warm metals she picked out for me. Copper and brass are real favorites of mine...and Red, who doesn't love red? The day it arrived I had dragonflies on my mind.  I was trying to come up with how to make one in copper.  Imagine my surprise and delight when I opened my package to find a lovely handmade clay dragonfly pendant by Golem Design Studios!
I immediately got sidetracked from what I was doing and started to play a little, thinking of what I was going to come up with. I'm not quite sure yet , but I think I have a plan for that sweet little clasp that's a little different from the norm. Wish me luck!  This is going to be quite a challenge for me and so much fun in the process.

Tomorrow it's supposed to rain so I'm going to take a little break from soaking up the ocean's energy and check out a fabulous local bead store here in Virginia Beach to see if I can find something equally amazing to complement my soup. Have a great week!

Eye Candy Soup

Golem Design Studio

Vintaj Natural Brass Waterlily links and tiny little brass spacer beads

Week in Review

I haven't been writing because I've been busy making.  This week held some fails, some challenges, lessons learned and some really neat explorations.

I finally got to try torch painting...AWESOME!!!  I love it and the colors you can get.  I won't be including any pictures because they may go in my bead soup Just in case, Mum's the word.  It's definitely a lot of fun and will be a frequent activity I suspect.
The biggest challenge I had this week is a piece I absolutely love and still haven't finished.  I'm at a stuck point.  Again, I can't show it either because I really hope I solve the issue so I can send it to my partner.  I really love it and it was lots of fun and easy enough to do until I got stuck.  The last step has been attempted and failed for three nights in a row!  So I'm getting lots of experience in what doesn't work. LOL  Once I get it, I'm definitely going to make a few more. I love it that much!
I took a much needed break from it all and spent today with a childhood friend who's recently discovered the joys of jewelry making.  We drank tea, and I showed her how to do a bit of wire weaving and Viking knit. She was glad to learn a couple of new techniques and was looking forward to putting them into practice. Bonus! It's so nice that we can share this passion, it's added another dimension to our relationship that I quite enjoy.
We decided to hit a few bead stores and stopped for lunch on the way and ran into my hubby and grandson at the restaurant. What are the chances of that?  The four of us visited and laughed over a lingering lunch, then Sue and I went to indulge in all things beady. Yay for bead therapy and good friends!
We capped the day off with a nice dinner at the local pub.  I had a really nice day that restored my determination to work on my project again tonight.  Alas, still no success.  Maybe next time.

Tomorrow will be spent with another dear friend at the garden show in Toronto so that should be another great day.  I love my garden and I treasure my times with Cindy.  We share three passions; good books, gardening and 'crafts'. I enjoy her creativity and verve, her energy is contagious.  On that note, I best consider slumber at this point, so I can fully enjoy our time tomorrow.

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Have a great weekend!

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

Marcus Tullius Cicero

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Partnered Up!

I managed to fall prey to a cold bug and haven't had a clear enough head to write the last couple of days but I was happy to see I've been paired with my Bead Soup partner. 
My partner, Regina, is in Florida, where I truly wish I was right about now; as I watch yet more snow falling endlessly from the gray sky.

Here's a link to her blog:    Regina's Writings

As Lori Anderson (the organizer) wrote on her blog "It's quite the task to get all the participants matched up.  "We have 30 countries, 48 states (come on, Colorado and North Dakota!) -- North America, Asia, Europe, Australia as continents.  THIS ROCKS!"  I agree,Lori, this does rock and so do you!

If you'd like to read more about how she matches people up please hop on over to her blog to get a feel for the process.  She is nothing short of amazing as she is doing this while fighting a very serious illness.  Thank you Lori for all you do.

Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party