Bead Peeps Swap Blog Hop Is HERE!!! And A Giveaway Too.
I think that most people know what this is and what to do but I will give a little info in case you don't. Bead Peeps is a facebook group that I belong to and Linda Anderson cooked up a little fun for the members who wanted to join in and exchange some beads and create something from those said exchanged beads.
My partner for this exchange and hop Loretta Carstensen If you give her name a little click it will take you to her blog. Okay a quick bit of info on Loretta she's retired, likes to travel with her hubby, lives in Utah and creates beads and pendants with polymer clay.
Okay also I will show you again what we swapped. This first picture is what I sent to Loretta all 4 pendants were made by me 2 are soldered butterfly wing pendants,one soldered peacock feather pendant, a pendant made from cutting and doming a vintage tin and adding that to a hand painted wooden bezel, then of course matching beads glass,crystal,ceramic and loads of vintage beads that I LOVE!
This is what Loretta sent to me to work with wooden beads,leather cording, a couple of tiger eye beads, some beautiful lamp work beads and her polymer clay pendant and matching beads.
Okay to be honest here I was way beyond stumped with what to do, as I seem to always be whenever I do a swap like this. I will share my obstacles with you. First of all I adore color the brighter the better and these happen to be very neutral in color. Secondly I don't often work with animal prints but I love and often use elements of nature. Third I have been off the chart busy so finding time to create was a little tough. So I decided to hustle and get everything I needed done so that I could stay home all day Sunday and work on making some jewelry for this hop.
I will tell you that when I was working ideas just started coming to me some good, some not so good at all. The necklace with the pendant that Loretta I'm sure painstakingly made was the one that gave me the most trouble, Oh I had ideas 3 to be exact and I was not at all happy with a single one. Yup that means the necklace you will see is my fourth try,but I LOVE the way it turned out!
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| So I was able to use the polymer pendant and the leather I was sent and some added beads and chain from my beady stash. |
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Next up is how I used the tiger eye yup just one for the next piece oh and the clasp I was sent too. I was so inspired by the necklace that I had to make earrings (I was able to use the handmade ear wires Loretta sent me in these) and a bracelet to match.
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| This is how I used the Tiger eye bead and the Clasp. |
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| Earring made from coordinating beads that I used in the necklace and the handmade ear wires Loretta sent me. |
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| Bracelet has coordinating beads and a brass tube that I added patina to so that it looked a touch weathered and not so shiny new. | |
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And then two more bracelets one using a very pretty lamp work oblong shaped bead and the other with two leopard printed lamp work beads. I'm not a huge fan of most Lamp Work beads but these were very lovely I now have a new appreciation for them and will be using them a touch more. I especially love the one with the oblong shaped bead that bracelet is totally going in my personal jewelry box.
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| This is my keeper. I made it to fit me. |
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| You can see those lovely leopard beads up in the front and then a spattering of added beads |
I wanted to give a great huge thanks to Loretta for sending me beads that would stretch my creativity, as this is a challenge based swap, meant to put beads not typically used by your partner into their hands. I still have some leftover beads that I am going to tuck away until the time they call to me a beg to be made into a pretty little something!
Oh I almost forgot about the giveaway the rules are simple all you have to do is comment and when you do follow my blog and you will be entered to win this necklace. Please leave me a way to get in touch with you in case you are the winner. I will draw on May 20th.
This is the list of the other participants:
