Hello, darlings!

Today's the day we've all been waiting for: the big Bead Soup Blog Part reveal! Are you excited? I know I am! Just a quick recap, here's the soup that my lovely partner, Dhea Powers, sent me:

This was my challenge soup she sent.

And this was to be my comfort soup; things that I'm more familiar working with.

I've been really strapped for time thanks to moving and still being in between places (and between states for that matter, lol), but here's what I managed to cook up for this round of the Bead Soup Blog Party.

First, I wanted to make sure I worked with everything in the "challenge" soup my partner had put together for me. I immediately dove in and used the polymer clay focal and matching beads. They are so lovely, and have such a nice, soft, matte feel. I really wanted to bring out the pink, so I added some hot pink rubberized glass beads.

This necklace features the focal Dhea sent me along with the matching accent beads.

The photos were a little dark, but for some reason I couldn't get the camera to really pick up the neon pink color of the beads I added to the design. They came out pastel and barely there when I was outside, even when adjusting the white balance.

I chose a floral toggle clasp from my own collection to match with the flower-theme of the piece.

And of course I just had to make matching earrings.

Then I moved on to the black Tiara crystals that Dhea had sent. I work with Tiara crystal fairly often (thanks ZNETSHOWS! ♥), so this was a lot of fun. I just so happened to have some black Tiara crystal in my collection of beads already, so I paired them up to create a couple of necklaces along with some extra violet Tiara crystal and Czech glass.

I turned the little black moons into focal points with some dangly wire wrapped beads.

Kind of reminds me of Sailor Moon. Don't judge me. I'm getting ready for several anime conventions. ;)

And a heart clasp in a matching gunmetal tone. ♥

Then I used my last two black round crystals Dhea sent me in these earrings.

The earwires were also made by hand by me.  :)

 I decided I liked this necklace so much, that it ought to have a twin. I'm actually considering making some Sailor Moon-esque illustration to match both pieces for the upcoming anime conventions I'm going to. Should be super cute! Here's my first moon necklace's twin:

This one has far less bead work (and oops... forgot to take a picture of it with the clasp!), and I used shiny silver instead of gunmetal alongside some glass pearls and more black Tiara crystal.

It's a little different from my usual fare, and I do so like dangly beads and chains, lol.

Of course, since the other necklace had matching earrings, this one clearly needed a matching set, too.

I think I may have to shorten the chains a bit. These came out a bit longer than I anticipated.  X3

After this, I still had the lovely clasp Dhea sent and the vintage Swarovski crystals to work with. I was briefly stumped on what to make out of them. I really wanted to create something that did them justice. I managed to find some matte bone colored Delica beads in my collection, and I also realized the crystals had the same sheen and finish of some of my mother of pearl beads. The clasp was meant for something with multiple strands, so I decided a bracelet had to be made.

I may have already worn this bracelet to work. Like... the very next day after I had finished it.

It's so shimmery and classy. I love it!

Yup. I totally snuck in a pair of earrings.  ;)

At this point, I had used up every single bead in the challenge soup. Time to move on to the other stuff! I decided I definitely wanted to work with those large nut/seed beads. They are way cool looking, and the size was much larger than what I am accustomed to, so it was a fun to tinker with and figure out how to put it all together.

I turned the seeds into focals, added a bit of vintage lucite (that Lori had sent me in a Cup of Bead Soup from ages of ago, even), some textured rings, used two of the beautiful agate rounds Dhea sent, plus the red aventurine, and finally another pop of turquoise blue from seed beads and magnesite from my own stash.

They're so pretty and glossy and ... wow! Definitely a statement piece.

A little more detail. I really love how this piece came together. It is very "southwest," which I love. Because, guess where I'm from?  ;)

I love how the colors pop. So bold!

I picked out this rope clasp to match the textured rings. I think it really matches the southwestern look.

You know at this point I couldn't pass up the oppurtunity to make matching earrings. :)

The agate rounds were from Dhea, the rest was from my stash. ♥

I still have about two to three designs planned out for the remaining beads I didn't quite get to. So, expect a second helping of soup in the next couple of days.  :D

In the meantime, don't forget to visit my partner, Dhea Powers, and for a full list of the other participants, stop by the hostess' blog and visit the lovely Lori Anderson.


Much love,

I am very excited to announce all the nifty new changes I've made to my blog and my store. A lot of those things are rather minute and would probably only be noticeable to me. The rest are a little more obvious!

Like for instance, check out those new buttons on the navigation panel! Heck yes! New things! I also stopped being lazy and went ahead and re-updated my rollover images. So fancy. Now the "Buy Jewelry" links directly to my jewelry store, and the "Buy Artwork" will link to where you can buy artwork. There's not any artwork available just at this moment, but oh man is my jewelry store looking shiny. I've recently updated it with several items to include my necklace from the ZNetShows' Spring Glossi!

The earrings have already sold, but the necklace is still available. ♥

But wait! There's more! There is now a Tutorials button. That's right. I have been meaning to make jewelry tutorials for a lonnnng time. Well. I finally got started. What prompted it was an innocent question posed by my current BSBP partner, Dhea Powers.

Here's what I sent her:

Silk ribbon, Czech glass, Serpentine "Peridot Jasper", Chinese Crystal, and Parawire in Antique Bronze 22ga

In the past, I think my Bead Soup that I've sent to my partners, while lovely, has been a bit watered down when it came to my own personality. This stuff? Very, very me. Rocks, wire, and crystal. Oh yeah!

Anyhow, my charming partner does not work with wire, and was a little intimidated by that adorable little spool of wire (It's actually a thread bobbin! So cute!). To help her out, I sent her links to some tutorials, and showed her some examples of what I like to do with wire that's pretty basic. I also sent this picture:

I received my soup for this round of the Bead Soup Blog Party from my partner Dhea Powers on Monday, and oh man am I feeling terribly spoiled. She sent me some seriously beautiful things to work with. And not only that, she sent me two different batches of soup; one as a challenge, and one for comfort of things I am more familiar with.

Here's her challenge to me:

Artisan polymer clay beads & matching pendant, vintage crystals, plus Tiara & Swarovski crystals in black.

And let's not forget that three stand clasp! Pink isn't usually my color, but I so love the combination with the earthy beige and black.

Still in awe at how pretty those polymer clay beads are. Dhea mentioned that she loves those beige vintage crystals. I am inclined to agree!

Next, she sent me a batch of soup with ingredients she thought I would feel most comfortable with. Such a sweet gesture! I really like the idea of "comfort soup." That totally needs to be a thing I do next time around.

Dhea sent me gemstones, bone, natural seeds, two toggles clasps, and some vintage lucite!

Bone feathers, red aventurine, agate rounds, agate toggle clasp, vintage lucite, and look at that big silver clasp! There's a signature on the back of it, so I'm willing to bet it's PMC/artisan made.  :)

Those big seeds are going to be such a challenge! I work with mostly tiny things. Really love that turquoise magnesite slab and matching beads.

This batch has a very southwest / Native American feel to me, and I love it!

Aren't these beads divine? I'm already busy dreaming up all sorts of beautiful things, and I'm certainly looking forward to the challenge of working with some of these chunkier beads. I'm excited, and I hope you are, too!

Also, don't forget to check out Dhea's blog so see the beads I sent her.  :)

Much love,

Woohoo! The Spring glossi is out and ready for viewing! Remember my recent post about the beautiful beads that ZNetShows sent me? The designs I created from those beads are featured in this issue. Check it out:


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The glossi is full of fantastic jewelry from other fellow artisans, beautiful spring color palettes for your own design inspiration, and other awesome beading tips. I'm really loving this new issue, and I will most definitely be using a couple of those aforementioned color palettes in the near future for my own design work. Go take a peek and get a little spring inspiration for yourself!

Much love!

Bead Soup Blog Party time!

I know, I know, I'm a bit late on joining in on the party due to work and other such responsibilities that inhibit all my fun. ;)

The actual party and reveal day isn't until May 3rd, but today was the deadline for mailing goodies out to your partner. Speaking of, my lovely new partner for 5th BSBP (oohhh mmmmm geeee... five times?! Time where have you gone???), is the lovely Dhea Powers of Java Bead.

My very first partner was a lampwork bead artist, so I'm pretty excited to have come circle with that. It was such a challenge, and I have no doubt Dhea will send me something amazing. I've really enjoyed getting to know her, and I'd like you lovelies to meet her, too.

Dhea's design from her 1st BSBP reveal. Such fun colors!

You can check out her blog here, and you can ogle her hubby's fantastic lampwork glass beads and the jewelry she designs here.

Looking forward to more Soup!

Much love,

So, I'm in Oklahoma visiting family currently, and this past weekend I went to The Bead Market with my auntie. I've been to this show a couple of times before in Fort Worth, TX, but it was fun to visit with my auntie and check it out in a new location. I spotted some familiar vendors (one of which was even from the Richardson area where I spent most of my time as a kiddo in Texas), and some new ones. The show was a little smaller than the one I'm used to, but that didn't hurt my feelings. It's almost kind of overwhelming looking at the rows upon rows of sparkly beads. 

Anyhow, here's all the fun stuff I picked up at the show:

Some very vibrant crystal beads. I was recently sent some yellow beads on two different occasions recently, so I was on the lookout for something yellow since it's an uncommon color in my collection.  :)

Kind of wish it wasn't so darn cold outside to better show off the vibrancy of these beads. That red is actually closer to a garnet color and it is lovely! ♥

Neon rubberized glass! Such a strange, interesting texture. And the colors! Woah. This photo doesn't do them justice.

Ohh. These quartz points. I am in love. They're a natural quartz with a soft, smokey blue coating. So lovely!

And of course, there were fun magnesite shapes all over the place. I couldn't pass up these teensy skulls.

Aren't these beads fantastic? I am so excited! I had been wanting some neon stuff for quite a while, and those quartz points are divine. I got them 70% off the retail price, too. Bonus!

That's it for now!

Much love,

Wow.

WOW.

Oh my.

OHH MY.

AHHHHHHHH! (Pretty sure my roomies thought I was dying at this point.)

So. Many. Sparkly. Things.  OuO

Those were the words (or sounds, haha) that I uttered repeatedly as I opened my package I received from ZNetShows for the upcoming Spring glossi. It's almost overwhelming! (In a good way, of course.) I have so many ideas swirling around in my head right now, I'm not sure what to do with myself, lol.

As for what I'll make? Well. You'll just have to wait and see when the Spring glossi is published.  ;)

But in the mean time, here's some more pics of the beautiful things ZNetShows sent my way:

Pretty pink quartz like pinks in crystal and cultured sea glass.

Fiery reds, oranges, and brandy crystal and cultured sea glass.

Green crystal, AB finish crystal, and cultured sea glass in spring green and seafoam.

Crystal with all sorts of finishes. The dark one is kind of bronze-ish. Loving that milky opal-like crystal	.

Lemon crystal in a beautiful cut! Almost looks like lemon quartz. Oh my.

 Can't wait to show you guys what I made out of these beauties!

Much love,

I'm usually not one to make New Year's Resolutions. I think they're kind of hokey. The aspiration of it is a pleasant idea, but the reality is that making a goal and sticking to it is hard. On top of that, I don't think making goals should really be limited to the beginning of the year. That's a little silly.

Despite my pessimism on the topic, I have, after a little bit of goading from coworkers and friends, decided on a few goals I'd like to pursue.

• I am going to organize my beading and crafting inventory in such a way that it makes it much easier for me to work on jewelry, photograph it, and have it uploaded either here on my blog or in my store.

• After everything is organized, I have a goal of creating, or at least working on, one piece of jewelry a day. This will also help me maintain my store better which is, well, empty right at this moment.

• In addition to that, I will resume in my creating at least one sketch a day for my sketchbook blog to continue improving my own art. I was told a long time ago by a dear friend and fellow artist that I admire a great deal that I do not draw enough. That's still true, and it's well past time that I changed that.

• I am dusting off all my old projects such as my Shadow Fiends game on Gaia Online. I miss my community of friends that had built up around it. This game really helped me improve my art a great deal.

I've actually started doing a lot of these things even before the New Year of 2014 came along, but that's where my ambitions lie currently. It's always good to have a head start, right?  ;)

Anyhow. I had a pretty fantastic Christmas holiday with my family in Oklahoma, and I'm very much looking forward to creating wondrous new things this year. Speaking of wonderful, check out the goodies I got from the Bead Soup Cafe gift exchange:

Check out the color of that ribbon and silk cord! So beautiful!

Beads for enameling and a beadweaving kit, too!

My gift exchange partner was Jay Paramesh from Nchantme.com! You should definitely check out her store and blog. Her beadweaving is so beautiful.

Happy New Year and much love!

So! Remember these lovelies from this past Bead Soup Blog Party?





They were published in the autumn 2013 issue of Jewelry Affaire Magazine! This is my first published jewelry design, so needless to say, I am SUPER excited. I also recently received my complimentary issue of the magazine, and it is divine! I was also very surprised to find that my earrings ended up on a photo all to themselves amid the Bead Soup for the Soul article featuring Lori Anderson. I am so thankful to have been able to participate.

And check out this super cool badge they sent me:


Needless to say, I am over the moon. Here's to looking forward to more publications in the future! ♥

Much love,

I'm pretty much in love with ZNetShows beads, so I was super excited when I got an email about this quick challenge round. The goal this time was to pick two strands of crystals from their catalog, and then create some key chains.

Here are the fun violet and purple beads I picked out:


These were product code RS123-27 for the helix/faceted twist cut beads and RS107-107 for the pretty purple metallic coated beads. Both have a beautiful sparkle! If you're interested in these cool keychain findings, you can get them here.

Key chains have become a big deal to me working in a hospital setting. As are badge holders, so this challenge was super exciting to me. Check out the cool new key chain and coordinating badge holder I made for work:

I love the finish on these beads. Such a nifty metallic sheen.

It's a little difficult to capture the color of these beads, so here's a close up.

Woohoo! New badge holder with lots of sparkle. With some soft silk sari ribbon, even.

Badge holder + keychain together = a lot of shine!

Oh yeah. Totally made some ladies at work jealous. I will probably be making a few more keychains for some coworkers. Perhaps even a badge holder or two.

That's it for now. I have some totally awesome news to share about my first published jewelry! So exciting!

Much love,