Saturday, March 3, 2012

Inspired by...Bead Soup!

Welcome to the fifth Bead Soup Block Party, hosted by the super-amazing Lori Anderson! This time around, I was paired up with the uber talented Karyn Lewis Bonfiglio of Plus Size Bangles. She is an illustrator, writer and jewelry designer. I told ya she was uber talented!

Here is a peak at what Karyn sent me...

raw brass sunflower
raw brass leaves 
carnelian calla lily beads
 o-rings
coral colored Swarovski pearls
tagua nut pendant
red bronze leaf hook clasp
orange colored wood ring
carved wood beads
8mm mahogany agate beads

I view each of the blog challenges that I sign up for as an opportunity to try something new. After all, the idea is to work outside of your comfort zone. I wanted to work from the heart, all while trying new design techniques. I envisioned creating a collar that opens in the front.

Here is my result...


I knew that I wanted to place leaves at each end of the collar, making that area the focal point. I formed the collar from 4mm wide aluminum. It was too soft to hold it's own, so I wrapped wire around it, all while adding in the leaves, beads and silver spacers. From the left, I started with the two small brass leaves, organic shaped silver spacers, then added in the carved wood beads, following with the agate beads and finishing with tiger eye pattern Czech crystals from my own bead collection. I finished with another one of the brass leaves Karyn sent me.



I felt the design was missing that oomph I was envisioning. I looked through my leaf collection (I have a bit of a leaf obsession) and found two larger brass leaves and a Vintaj brass leaf. I wire wrapped those elements in, sat back and took a deep breath. It was just what the design needed!

This is the first time I have ever created anything like this. It is also my first attempt at lengthy wire wrapping (almost 8 yards)!


I then created dangle earrings to match the necklace. I wanted to keep the design simple and modern.


My next plan was to create a bold accessory with the brass sunflower. I thought about making it the focal of a necklace but then realized that the best way to showcase it's beauty and boldness was to create a bracelet. I envisioned a cuff. Again, I was venturing into uncharted territory as I have never designed a cuff bracelet before.


I started with a 1/2" wide piece of raw brass that I purchased last summer at Old Forge Hardware during my annual Adirondack Mountain vacation (I absolutely love this store). I textured it with a ball peen hammer, then shaped it with a bracelet mandrel I recently purchased from Rio Grande.

My dilemma was how the heck was I going to attach the sunflower! I don't have any metalsmithing experience with brass, so that was out. I decided the best way to attach the two was via cold connection, aka rivets. I hammered the top of the rivets to help them blend in with the hammered pattern of the flower.


I wanted this piece to work in with the necklace and earrings that I created, so I decided to add some silver wire near the edges of the bracelet. It also added some weight to the ends, balancing out the heaviness of the sunflower.

So I had incorporated the focals and beads into designs, but had not yet made use of the gorgeous red bronze leaf clasp Karyn sent me. I knew that I wanted it to be the focal point of the design. I played around with some of the chain I recently ordered from Best Beads, with an idea to link in some of the o-rings. I acquired inspiration from Chain Style, a really wonderful book focusing on designing with chain.

This is the result...



And last but in no way least, I wanted to create a piece with the beautiful coral colored Swarovski pearls. The color reminds me of a tropical island or fruity rum drink (either one makes me smile)! I decided to create a dangle style bracelet as they are my favorite bracelets to wear in warmer weather...




This has been a creatively rewarding journey for me! Thank you for joining me.

Please visit the other participants, I know you will be inspired!...

Hostess, Lori Anderson


Special Book Sneak Peeks, Cindy Wimmer
1.  Adlinah Kamsir (Singapore) and Hajer Waheed (Kingdom of Bahrain)
2. Adrienn Lukacs (Hungary) and Agata Grygiel (Poland)
3.  Agi Kiss (Hungary) and Carolien Muller-Genger (the Netherlands)
4.  Agnes Asztalos (Hungary) and B.R. Kuhlman
7.  Alicia Marinache (Canada) and Dita Basu
15.  Bonnie Coursolle (Canada) and Fay Wolfenden (Canada)
16.  Carmel McGinley (Australia) and Tracy Stillman (Australia)


21.  Cheryl Brown (Canada) and Diana Ptaszynski
22.  Christina Stofmeel (the Netherlands) and Eva Kovacs (Hungary)
24.  Cilla Watkins (Canada) and Elaine Robitaille (Canada)
25.  Sabrina Straub (Switzerland) and Kathy Combs


32.  Dee Elgie (UK) and Joanne Lockwood (UK)
33.  Dian Hierschel (Germany) and Eniko Fabian (Austria)
37.  Doris Stumpf (Germany) and Eszter Czibulyas (Hungary)
39.  Elke Leonhardt-Rath (Germany) and Marjolein Trewavas (UK)


41.  Erika Nooteboom (the Netherlands) and Giorgia Rossini (Italy)
43.  Evelyn Duberry (Canada) and Gaea Cannaday
45.  Ginger Bishop (military, Okinawa) and Martina Nagele (Germany)
48.  Helene Goldberg (Australia) and Karen Vincent
54.  Joanna Matuszczyk (Poland) and Julianna Kis (Hungary)
55.  Joanne Tinley (UK) and Michaela Pabeschitz (Austria)
65.  Kristina Johansson (Sweden) and Penny Neville (Canada)
66.  Krisztina Erlaki-Toth (Hungary) and Nicole Keller (Germany)


76.  Lori Finney (Canada) and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp (Canada)
78.  Marta Kaczerowska (Poland) and Milla Starchik (Canada)
83.  Michelle Jensen and Sandra Young (Canada)
92.  Rosa Maria Cuevas (Mexico) and Tejae Floyde
93.  Sabine Dittrich (Germany) and Sally Russick
95.  Shanti Johnson and Tracy Mok (Canada)
97.  Sonya Stille and Traci Zeller (Canada)
98.  Stefanie Teufel (Germany) and Tania Hagen (New Zealand)

72 comments:

  1. Wow! What beautiful pieces you created! I love each piece! The necklace and the big bold cuff is great. I love the orange bracelet to!

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  2. Kathleen,

    I absolutely love how adventurous you were. The collar necklace is so organic and I love the leaves, and all the wire wrapping. The cuff! LOVE! The Chain Style inspired necklace is a wonderful mix of metals, and so chic! and the coral pearl bracelet is so light, but substantial, perfectly balanced. I love them all, and I am so glad I got to know you through the hop!

    Karyn

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  3. Oops! I forgot to mention the earrings. I wanted to say, I wish I could still wear earrings, because they look like they'd go with anything and be so light and feminine! :) --Karyn

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  4. I love them all :)
    I'm a partecipant from Italy, I'm trying to visit all of you.
    this was really a great experience!
    ciao ciao

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  5. Wow! What a rich collection - love it all!

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  6. Love that collar! and omg rivets, I am having the hardest time teaching myself to rivet, your look great I am so jealous.
    I love every piece but that collar is stuck in my mind. Stunning.
    I stumbled on your blog while on pintrest the other day Lorelei had pinned your booth set up. Love it. Can I ask where you got your tablecloths? They are so well made.
    Thanks,
    happy hopping
    Shannon

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  7. Wow, amazing bead soup and what you did wit hit is awesome! I love the collar with the leaf, so original!

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  8. All very lovely pieces! I expecially like the mixture of different chains with the o-rings and bronze leaf clasp. Beautiful :) x

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  9. Kathleen,

    The brass leaves and the flower are stunning, and I love the way you incorporated them into your jewelry pieces. I'm so impressed by the necklace -- I've always wanted to try one that opens in the front!

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  10. Beautiful jewellery! They're lovely and creative, not least the first wire wrapped necklace, but I must say what really caught my eye was actually the last piece. There's something about the clean lines, the minimalism, the colour combo and the shapes that makes it very attractive. (It's that scandinavian minimalism again.)

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  11. This is amazing! The first piece with the leaves is so eclectic and elegant
    Beautiful work

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  12. I am very impressed with your necklace, I could see you wearing it with a little black dress and it would look stunning. I love the color palette you had to work with it is beautiful.

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  13. Very lovely pieces! Every one of them! ;)

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  14. I love your designs, they are all gorgeous. I too have a bit of a leaf obsession, so I totally get that!

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  15. That first necklace is the bomb! So unique! You don't see that type of style too many places these days. I love it, the leaves totally make this piece!

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  16. Your work is amazing. Each piece is better than the last. I really like your sweet earrings.

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  17. Wow! Just stunning designs! There is an elegance to them that I really love! I have a thing for the coral pink shade with gold so I am really in love with that bracelet! :)

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  18. Your last bracelet and the cuff are killing me...I couldn't chose between them if I had to!

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  19. For working outside of your comfort zone, you did an amazing job! Something I need to do more of in the next bead soup..to really push yourself out of our comfort zone and really try something different. It worked out beautifully for you!

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  20. OK, seriously? That collar and the cuff are AMAZING! Fabulous job! Love the simplicity of the last 2 pieces as well.

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  21. I love your autumn soup and your necklace design with the focal leaves is fabulous. I also love the simplicity of the orange bead bracelet.

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  22. The leaves on the first one, all that wire work, its all just yummy, I also like the simplicity of the earrings, the set is great...the triple layer necklace...the orange set, wow you did you so much work...all look great and I find myself wanting to wear them...

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  23. I adore your collar! This is very similar to some designs I have had in my head but have not attempted yet.
    The earrings are too cute!
    I love the cuff !!
    The simplicity of your last necklace and earrings is great!
    Thank you for basically giving us a tutorial along with your post!

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  24. Wow! That first piece is spectacular! You did a lot with your soup. Lots of gorgeous pieces! Great job.

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  25. You've showcased all the beads in the most stunning fashion. These are amazing pieces!

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  26. Your designs are just stunning!! You did an incredible job with everything! I love it :)

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  27. LOVELY! I liked following your thought process. The cuff turned out wonderfully, and I got some of those melon Swarovski crystal pearls in my bead soup, too, and love the color!

    Everything is gorgeous! I hope you'll join me again in the summer!

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  28. Great creations. I could see them on the Project runway models.

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  29. Your torq is beautiful! I don't see them very often anymore but I love that style.

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  30. The collar necklace knocked my socks off. So beautifully bold and organic.

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  31. I love all the pieces you created! Beautiful and original, love the leaf necklace, I have a bit of a thing for leaves too, so I totally understand!!

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  32. Oh my goodness - that first necklace is a work of art that should be in a museum - stunning! I love the pieces you made from Karyn's soup ingredients - they are all so modern and wearable. Amazing job! :)

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  33. Wow, just wow! The necklace is incredible, the design is gorgeous. I love the shape and the movement that the earrings and bracelet have as well. You did an exceptional job!

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  34. the first necklace you made is amazing! what a conversation piece! also, love the sunflower cuff. you did a great job and i love that you tried new things!

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  35. Wow, you made so many pieces! All of them wonderful. That first necklace is really cool. I love the leaves on the ends.

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  36. Wow, you're a very talented and very creative jewellry designer! The first necklace is so wonderful extraordinary - I like the way you wrap all these little beads! Just great!

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  37. What beautiful work! I love taht you used so much of your soup in so many different designs. I think your first necklace with the leaves is the most unique I have seen I love how it just sits around the necklace!

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  38. Oh my Kathleen, that collar is just magnificent! Totally inspiring! Love the sunflower cuff also. Very nice work!!

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  39. The necklace is so lovely and unique! Great JOB!!! I like how you worked with the gold leaves.. Very cool! Everything is wonderful!

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  40. Charming, wearable, interesting ,...Well done!

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  41. Holy heck that collar is gorgeous - suitable for a Grecian goddess no doubt! :) Love it!

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  42. Oh, my! Beautiful collar necklace. Love it. And, I love the brass cuff bracelet. Everything is beautiful. Great job.

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  43. You've created some amazing bead soup pieces. That necklace is absolutely stunning. And I think I'm in love with the sunflower cuff. Gorgeous work!

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  44. Oh my gosh! What a beautiful job you've done with your soup ingredients. The necklace is stunning, a wearable work of art. I also love the simple red coral bracelet, it is just my style and I would love wearing it layered with other simple bracelets. Cheers!
    Lori D.

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  45. These are just eye popping, drop dead gorgeous! It's like looking at art work in an exhibit

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  46. Your pieces look very sophisticated! The combination of different metals like silver and gold are give a gorgeous touch to them! Great idea! I never would have come to this kind of solution.
    The way of wrapping the beads matches perfectly to those wonderful leaves.
    Sabine

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  47. It looks like we both were involved in the same challenges this week. Your bead soup creations are stunning! You did a beautiful job and created so many fantastic pieces.

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  48. Holy Cow that collar is just stunning! I can't imagine all the work you put into wrapping all the beads on the wire.

    I love all the piece you made for this challenge, and after that collar, my favorite would be the sweet bracelt with the coral pearls.

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  49. Beautiful creations. Love the collar necklace - gorgeous! Cute earrings and love the dangly bracelet - such a sweet colour!

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  50. WOW! You did such an awesome job on your pieces! Your creativity leaves me speechless (almost!) That is the most creative necklace I have seen yet...so beautiful! Nice job!

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  51. Oh wow! That first piece is a real stunner. I have never seen anything like it and it is SOOOO beautiful (you should know that I don't usually blog comment gush). Amazing job!

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  52. Wow your collar necklace is inspiring!!! I love it! You may inspire me to use larger gauge wire!

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  53. HOLY MOLY!! That collar literally made me GASP when I scrolled down to it. It's fantastic!! In fact, all of your pieces turned out beautifully. I think I would have been stumped with the color palette of your soup, but you turned it into some really stunning accessories!

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  54. Great soup! All your pieces have a wonderful organic feel about them! Love the torque necklace!

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  55. Kathleen, your designs are fantastic!! I have to say that the last bracelet is my favorite, I know you get a tropical vibe, but I see a rustic vine of berries on the forest floor! I could just go on and on about those earrings and THAT RING and all of the pieces in this beautiful bead soup collection! Great work!!

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  56. Oh WOW! Beautiful. I'm especially loving the top necklace and bottom bracelet - so delicate.

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  57. Gorgeous beads=gorgeous jewelry. It looks like you had a great time.

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  58. Kathleen, I'm really amazed at all of the variety you have showcased here with the beautiful bead soup mix that you were given. Each so different but could be worn together easily. The necklace/cuff is so stunning, and I'm really drawn to the metal bracelet. It is another eye-catching piece. And the riveting turned out perfectly! Your photography is beautiful as well.

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  59. Kathleen - you created beauty there, true art pieces! I love every one, and I simply adore your design on the leaf necklace, it is very fresh!

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  60. Freakin Amazingly Awesome! Ur Earthy Organic Vibe hit me hard! The collar is so stellar! SupaStar designs! I luv all ur designs!! U hit a home run!!!

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  61. I LOVE what you have created! That leaf necklace is so amazing!! I have a bit of a leaf fetish myself. :) Beautiful work!

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  62. I really like your first necklace that's wire wrapped, I think it's a wonderful way to use those brass branches!

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  63. All your pieces are great, but I'm absolutely in love with your first necklace and the open collar design and the Sunflower brass cuff bracelet. They turned out gorgeous. Nice job.

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  64. Oh Kathleen!! Everything is just gorgeous!! I am so amazed by how each piece is so different and yet they all work together, a collection? I don't know, but I love them!

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  65. Wow! The collar is simply wow! Very creative.

    Ambra

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  66. Fantastic group of results from your soup!! The collar is very creative and so bold, I would love to have it in my jewelry wardrobe. And the cuff bracelet to go with it:) I really like the structured look of both of them. The other pieces are sweet as well.

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  67. You made such beautiful jewellery with your soup!

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  68. Love the collar style necklace, well thought out and looks stunning!

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  69. Oh my gosh Kathleen! These are stunning! I'd wear any one of them in a heartbeat. Really gorgeous! Especially love love love your first necklace with the leaves - divine!

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  70. WOW! I love love love your collar necklace, really one of my BSBP favorites. I also really love the cuff bracelet...I want that Sunflower focal, it is stunning.

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