Ok, so I know I’m a day late (and a dollar short, as usual, lol) I just honestly didn’t realize how LONG it was going to take me to photo all of the pieces I created and then EDIT…. I have to say, I was so excited about the colors and materials, I was very inspired and set to work almost immediately. Altogether, I ended up making a dozen different pieces, and still have a few laid out to put together, tho in talking to Rochelle last week I learned that most people don’t usually make quite so much… At any rate, without any further ado, I hope its worth the wait!
I started by separating the beads into different color groups. The pearls seemed to have a little red in them, giving them a purplish cast that I didn’t feel matched well with the solid blues of the glass beads, so I set them aside. Then going through all of the glass beads, I found a group of green crystals that didn’t quite match the peridot glass or chips, and I set those aside as well. Immediately, I had a design idea for the focal, and set to work on an asymetrical piece inspired by several of Rochelle’s designs. I really dig the chunky feel of the large, square glass beads, and I wanted to balance them against a couple smaller strands – one of peridot, one of silver chain and one of mixed glass beads. The peridot strand features a single silver bead I also incorporated into the dangle of the focal and the strand of mixed beads, each of which is otherwise unique. The strand of chain in the focal’s dangle is a finer weight of the same pattern of the strand in the necklace.
The focal came with copper findings, unfortunately, however, I have been working exclusively with silver since I started and did not have the findings to complete the piece with copper. I incorporated some glass chips beads and a few other odds and ends from my stash to complete the piece at 26″ plus the 3″ focal with dangle.
The pattern of the earrings is a smaller version of the dangle of the focal, 2″ total.
The next piece uses the same colors with a different multi-strand design. Filigree bead caps turn an odd, single bead into a small focal for the main strand of mixed glass beads and peridot chips. Three strands of glass seed beads accent the main strand and fill out the piece which is finished to 20″ with silver chain and the clasp from my soup.
To match these pieces I designed a couple bracelets. In the first, an assortment of glass beads dangle freely from a section of medium weight silver chain finished to 6 and 1/2″ with a small, simple silver toggle give this fun, summery piece a lot of movement. The other mimics the multi-strand design found in the first piece, with glass seed beads replacing the strand of larger glass beads, the chain featuring a unique silver bead and the strand of peridot accented with a blue glass cube. Finished to a length of 7″ with a silver ropework toggle.
The complete set:
For the next piece, I switched gears to a different color set, combining a strand of peridot accented with one of the pearls with several strands of seeds beads scattered with some silver beads and a single coin of russian serpentine. Finished to a length of 18″ with some beautiful shell bead caps and a swirl accented toggle. The matching earrings have a dangle of peridot chips bouncing below a pearl hung from the last two coins of russian serpentine in my collection for an overall length of 1 and 1/2″.
The final necklace, another multi-strand (I KNOW I mentioned that I’ve been making quite a few of these lately, lol) combines the pearls with the dark seed beads once again, but adds in some glass chips, natural freshwater pearls and the green crystals from the soup which didn’t match the other beads. Silver chain and a small, simple silver hook finish this piece at 22″. The matched earrings combine the central elements – pearls and crystals – together on an elegant filigree diamond for a final length of 1 and 3/4″.
For these final servings of bead soup, I combined the lovely pearls with some rounds of leopard jasper I been trying to figure out what to do with for about ten years now, lol. The earrings are a simple, stacked design with a flash of silver dangling from the bottom reflecting the movement of the wearer.
The first bracelet features another Rochelle-inspired asymmetrical design where a beautiful swirled bead cap balances a cluster of pearls set in a strand of leopard jasper rounds accented with grey-blue Czech crystals. Finished at a final length of 7 and 1/2″ with a patterned, silver toggle.
The final piece is (yet another!) multi-strand and also asymmetrical piece. A single strand of leopard jasper rounds alternated with tiny rounds of blue lace agate balances two strands of small, dark glass seed beads sprinkled with pearls, silver and blue lace agate. The sections are connected via a silver infinity loop and the bracelet is finished to a final length of 7 and 1/2″ with a silver toggle.
Again, my apologies for the delay, I really, REALLY didn’t plan to spend quite so much time writing, photoing and, mostly, editing (14 hours!) this piece, but I had a great time and can’t wait for the next Bead Soup! Please check out what my partner, Katie Nielsen-Nunezhas created with the assortment I sent her, and what ALL the artists of the second reveal created! Thanks again!
mixfolios.wordpress.com 
I realized after a bit of reading and double checking the date that this wasn’t the current bead party but still had to comment. So I do hope you see this. lol
You came up with some very nice designs. I really like them all. The first collection in the brighter greens and blues feel so fresh. I love each piece. The one piece that kind of took me by surprise and captured my heart is the last multi-strand necklace with the black combined with the baby blue chips and green crystals. Each color just really pops and complements each other. Beautifully done!
I like the pieces you created, and I realize this is last year’s post. Hope all is well.
All of your bead soup pieces turned out so elegantly. Though the bright blues and greens are usually my speed, I’m especially fond of that black and green set you created. The multi-strand thing is totally working for you!!
I love all your work, I can only imagine that you had so much fun making the pieces…. and I know it takes a while with the pictures!!
Great work!
Thank you so much!! I really do enjoy mixing the colors and creating the designs! And I’m a complete noob with photoshop and unfamiliar with Windows, so I really flounder at editing. Thank you so much for looking!