.
I was partnered with the generous and talented fellow Texan, Angela May of Canterbury Cottage. This is what I sent her . . .
And this is what she sent me.
I love the subtle colors of lavender and moss with a swirl of ivory. I was challenged by this lovely mix, not because of the colors, but because of the scale of the focal. The stone rectangle is two inches by one and a quarter inches with a slight wave. Beautiful, but larger than what I usually use in my jewelry..
I waited for the mix to speak to me. What came about is called "Mistral" after the cleansing storms of the Provençal region of France.
Along with the focal, I used some of the other beads Angela sent and added colored crystals with brass chain. Isn't the chain beautiful? Angela and I did a little swap of our own -- I sent her a custom Renaissance Angel Wing for the generous length of the twisted brass chain she sent me.
The clasp is at the back and is especially lovely with short hair or a dramatic "up-do".
Earrings use the same cracked agate as at the back clasp and paired the pink irregular Lucite beads with sparkly pink crystal.
Now, get on over to the first couple of batches of bead swappers:The Hostess, Lori Anderson and her partner, Manuela Wutschke
1. Aimee Wheaton and Barbara York
2. Alice Craddick and Sandra Richardson Check out my mom and her partner too!.
3. Alison Sachs and Amy Severino
4. Allison Scott and Cynthia Abner
5. Amanda Cargill Austin and Charlene Sevier
6. Amanda Davie and Patsy Evins
7. Amber Dawn and Kim Ballor
8. Ambra Gostoli and Christine Hansen
9. Amy Freeland and Christine Altmiller
10. Ana Krepel-Novak and Eleanor Snare
11. Andrea Morici and Hope Smitherman
12. Andrea Trank and Jayne Capps
13. Andrea Turini and Charlene Jacka
14. Angela May and Emanda Johnson Me and my partner
15. Anitra Gordy and Elizabeth Owens Dwy
16. Ann Rishell and Debbie Price
17. Ann Sherwood and Lynne Bowland
18. Anna Lear and Barbe Saint John
19. Anna Sabina and Erin Siegel
19. Nan Emmett and Erin Siegel
20. Astrid Boyce and Birgitta Lejonklou
For the rest of the fun, check out Lori's blog HERE.
112 comments:
Nice! I love what you did with the clasp!
Beautiful bead soup!! You rocked it, as always!!
Your creation is certaintly stunning and so imaginative.You could certainly wear this on to the Ball
Be Blessed to be a blessing
Absolutely beautiful!!
Lovely, I love that color combination.
I love your necklace! especially the dangles both in front, and from the beautiful clasp in the back!
What a beautiful soup you made my friend, your work is truly stunning!! I LOVE that clasp!!! Thanks for sharing & all I can say is yummmmmy!!!
Wow! I really like how you used the clasp, not sure I would ever have thought of that. I am finding all sorts of ideas running through my head now..better go out and buy more beads!
Your concept is stunning and unusual. I would have had a lot of problems with that focal. You made it look effortless. You're right, that twisted chain is awesome!
Great use of that large focal, I really like it, you made good use of the other things to well done!
Really like the back of the necklace! I often wear my hair up so it would suit me perfectly! I would have had a hard time figuring out what to do with that focal... it looks great!
you really 'overcame' the focal size. I love the dangles from the clasp, I find myself adding them more & more lately too. great job :)
Very nice, I can see that the focal was a beautiful challenge. You really rose to the occasion.
Lovely work! I would have been overwhelmed by the focal too, but I love how you kept it simple. Just enough.
what beauty and creativity! love them!
Absolutely beautiful, I'm stunned!
Wow, I love the way you used the clasp as a focal. The earrings are gorgeous too.
Deb x
Such an interesting perspective!!
Terri
Oh wow! That is certainly a challenging focal, but your design turned out fabulous! Great job!
Love the focal...and such a brilliant idea for the clasp!
Nice! :D
You did a great job! I think the necklace is just fantastic and it's amazing how you worked that large focal with a delicate necklace :)
I am SO sorry for being late — today our internet provider decided to crash. My stress level is through the roof, to say the least! They’re still working on it, but it’s like dial-up.
That's really unique! I love what you did, and how you mirrored the dangles from the front with the back!
I hope you’ll participate again!
Love, Lori
Gorgeous necklace! Purple and green is such a stunning combination, and add that lovely brass? Can't be beat! I love what you did with that clasp...super cool!
That focal would have had me stumped as well!! I love what you did with it!!! The clasp is wonderful as well!! Now I am off to see what your partner did with your soup! Delightful to meet you!!!
Needless to say that I would have been intimidated a lot by the size of the focal.
But what a super work you did.
I already see somebody wearing this in a simple black evening dress with here hair up.
Love what you did - what a creative way to work with that unusual focal! Great job!
You certainly rose to the challenge of that large focal, and a three strand clasp. Well done, love the pieces you have created, very innovative.
love, love, love your clasp. I have short hair and love this. Thanks too for your comment on our little Phoebe, mini schnauzer. We rescued her 6 months ago, she is 5yrs. We are long time schnauzer lovers and owners.
very nice, love the dangles
Beautiful job! Love that vintage looking clasp and dangles!
I really enjoyed your necklace I have never seen one like it.
Now THAT is a focal! I love the way you used it! Beautiful work!
Lovely work. The way you handled that focal was perfect!
That looks like a really large focal. Kudos to you for coming up with a cleaver way to use it. I hope you had a good time with the soup party and I feel like I met you as well as your mother.
(I really like what you sent your partner as well)
Alice's Beads and Baubles
Lovely - and love what you did with that beautiful clasp.
I can certainly see why the focal would be a challenge, but you've done a fabulous job balancing it out!
I would have struggled with a focal that large. You did a great job! I love the soft colors, and your photographs are really pretty too!
Wow, you did a great job with your bead soup! Love the dangles! :)
really like the attention you gave to the clasp - pretty!
Fabulous pieces, such an unusual focal and you've given it a real wow factor. Love the earrings too.
An ingenious use of the focal :-)
Good job! Like the focal this way.
Fabulous all round..... love the use of the clasp and the focal!
Great colors in the soup you sent! I love the way you mirrored the dangles around the focal and on the clasp.
Lovely work, Emanda! The oversized focal works well in your design. The soft colors are very feminine. Love it!
Fun to see what you created Emanda! You turned out some lovely creations with your ingredients. Always fun to see what you're up to. Looks like you had a great time and they turned out beautiful!
You really rose to the challenge on this set! Great success keeping the necklace visually light with the large focal and you kept the look going with the other pieces. Wonderful.
Gorgeous necklace front & back! The chain is beautiful & unique!
Very pretty Emanda!
Emanda, I love what you did with the focal piece. That would have been a big challenge for me also. The simple design of the necklace and earrings are beautiful!
Therese
Gorgeous pieces! Classy and delicate.
That is am amazing stone focal. I really like the way you incorporated it in with the twisted chain.
beautiful! great use of that BIG gorgeous focal!
What a unique focal but you did good with it by adding the chain and dangles, love how everything coordinated. Good soup!
Holy, that focal is HUGE! I love the necklace you created, with the dangles in front and back. I never would have thought of using a multistrand clasp THAT way. Love the color selection too, it's got an almost byzantine feel to it. =o
That looks great!! :) Using it sideways most likely would not have occurred to me, Love it!!
NIcely done, love the detail on the back as well as the front!
Those turned out beautiful. I love the way you attached some beads to the clasp. Really sets it off. And the focal is so pretty with the bead dangles on either side. Very nice.
Where in Texas are you? I just north of Austin a little ways. Nice to meet another Texas beader.
I'm loving the purple!
beautiful bead soup, that focal is big, I was freaked by how big mine was too. I love the tails in the beck great idea.
Shannon C
Beautiful! I love the way you added more detail to the clasp.
Loved everything!
Lovin' those earrings!
Really, really neat use of your soup components Emanda!
Yes the focal could be a challenge. But you know what I'd do with it? Stack it with other stampings or found objects. And aren't you clever with how you resolved the multi-strand clasp! Nice job!
I love the dangles on the clasp - what a great idea. Lovely pieces!
What a beautifully unusual design, so sophisticated and feminine, wonderful work!
Niceeee! Lovely colors and the focal solution is very interesting! Almost tribal. I love tribal :)
You've done really well. What a great mix you received. ;-)
Oh my...beautiful as it is,the focal must have been a challenge. But, you made it work and the piece is amazing. I love the chain, and what you did with the clasp...way to go!
Thank you so much for the kudos, looks like our focal challenge was similar.
Beautiful!!!!
that focal would've done me in but you made it work beautifully :)Fantastic job!
Great Job!
This is so pretty! I love the detailing on the back with the clasp as well. I would be very challenged by a focal this large - but you nailed it!
Very nice. Turned out great.
~cryssT
That focal is as big as beautiful. I am sure that its colour gradations are even more stunning! The clasp is great and chain... Well, it is very inspirational! Great work!
Ambra
Gorgeous!! I love the title too! :)
I really like how you used the focal and put the dangles on the sides...cool
You made lovely pieces with your soup...I would have been stumped by the focal, but your necklace works great!
I would be freaked out by the size of the focal too - but you rocked it!
Lovely soup and designs...
Hi Emanda, I love what you did with that huge focal piece. Simple and elegant. The clasp at the rear is one of my fetishs too. I like to have a little bling in the rear view of a piece. Love that brass chain too. Very nice soup!!
Don't you love it when the piece speak to you. Lovely designs,
I love what you did with that huge focal bead!
What a gorgeous set that is definitely an up-do set. That focal would have been a challenge for me, and I love how you incorporated it into your design. Great job! :)
What an ethereal palette she gave you to work with! Truly lovely results!
Very nice!
The way that you constructed your focal is so wonderfully unique!!
This makes a statement! Very unusually lovely! You rocked it!!
I really like the way you tackled dealing with so large of a focal. Your solution is just beautiful. As well, the way you did the clasp with the dangles is really very pretty. Well done!
That really was a challenge... and you met it well. I especially love the detailing you added to the clasp. I agree, it would look great with a stylish up-do.
I often look at your blog as it's one of my favorites. Really interesting design. Very nice.
A very original design, nice job!
Lovely design, Emanda. I would have had a little trouble with the large focal, but you came through with a winner. That's what the challenge is all about.
I too work on a smaller scale with pendants and such, so the focal would have challenged me as well. I like what you did with it. Nice work!
Wow that clasp is amazing!! Nice job!
What a creative use for that beautiful focal. I love how you did not detract from it but enhanced it.
Thanks for commenting on my bead soup blog entry. I love your piece - so delicate and ethereal (sp?) - really feminine!
Very pretty. Love the dangles on the clasp, I really think the dangles make the piece more elegant. The focal bead is a bit large but you made it work so well.
Love what you made with your soup! Very unique! I love the dangles!
Beautiful colors to work with, love what you created, especially like the dangles on the clasp. Great idea.
Fantastic job using that large pendant! Looks beautiful!!!
i love the simplicity of this elegant piece! the dangles on each side of the clasp really finish your necklace off! i would not normally be drawn to such a large focal, but boy did you do it well!
Love what you have done with the large focal, quite a challenge and it looks amazing. The idea of the dangles on the clasp is so pretty.
Gorgeous!
Love the way you used the pendant!
How cute what you have done with the clasp!
For me the size and complexity of my focal was also a challenge for me.
Now that's some focal. Love your solution as to how to incorporate it into a necklace. Soup-er job!
Very pretty! I really like the little dangles you did both in the front and the back. Know what you mean about working with such big focals, but I think you solved it well. Great job!
I love your elegant, refined necklace. It has a wonderful antique aura to it. A wonderful reflection of your personality!
I got my BFA at North Texas University (they changed their name since I graduated) I live in Hallettsville, Texas now.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
I don't know if you had time to watch my new video while you were at my blog? I'm not sure if you are familiar with glass lampwork but my video explains what glass lampwork beads are (history & such). Would love for you to check it out and help me share it with others if you enjoyed it. Working on getting the word out about glass lampworking.
http://www.PatsyEvinsStudio.com/blog
Patsy
Nicely done! I enjoyed reading your blog, and seeing the creative soup recipe...delicious! Thanks for your visit to both of my blogs!
You really turned the large bold pendant into a delicate feminine piece! Great job!
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