Bead Soup Reveal!

Many thanks to Lori Anderson of Pretty Things for organizing the largest Bead Soup Blog Swap blog hop party ever -- with 362 participants! It was a herculean task just sorting and pairing all the members, but she also had computer crashes, horrendous migraines, and jewelry shows. WOW.
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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.
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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.

Two-Color Quilt Exhibit

The exhibit reception was this past Sunday and it was wonderful! We all thought our show would be slated in the smaller Gough Gallery, but it now hangs in the larger Meadows Gallery. The quilts "LOOK" like the art they are. This poster is great too, designed by Tonya Littmann, whose green and blue quilt is just below mine in the upper left corner.


If you are in the Denton area, please check it out. The show is up until October 30th.

Also, Stay tuned for Bead Soup Part Blog Hop reveal this Saturday!

Treasuries!

One of the things I love about Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Swaps is the community that it builds. Yesterday I had a pair of earrings in a Treasury, now I have pair of Vampire Vamp Wings included in a Treasury inspired by "things with wings". What fun! And my piece is next to my former swap buddy's Lynne Bowland of Island Girl Aztec Lovebird


The curator of this particular Treasury is Heidi of Expostfacto. Check out her shop!

My Bead Soup Partner, Angela May, has received her package from me and has blogged about it here -- I think she likes is!

Look what I got in the Mail (and email)!

I have been emailing back and forth with my Bead Soup Partner, Angela May at Lady Hawthorne about our bead soups. We were both having a bit of a time getting it together and, come to find out, our soups crossed in the mail. I have not heard whether she has received hers from me yet, so I will not show what I sent, but I will say that the color scheme of what I received is very similar to what I sent. Yes, we do have a lot in common -- maybe we are telepathic too, who knows!

Here is a close-up of that gorgeous stone bead -- this digital images does not do it justice! Crack quartz, glass and Czech beads with silver end caps and a lovely filigree clasp. I cannot wait to begin designing in my head. I already have some ideas.

Also, there has been a flurry of activity on the Bead Soup yahoo Group with several of the participants making Etsy Treasuries. Here is one by Hope Smitherman of CraftyHope where my amber and honey quartz earrings have been featured. I just LOVE that! (click on the image to enlarge)


Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Hop has a reveal date of September 17th, so go on over to her blog and check out the list of over 360 participant's blogs.

Other than that, I have been busy trying to prepare for next weekend's four day Quilt Retreat. I usually end up bring almost everything but the kitchen sink, but I am trying to pare it down this time. We shall see if I succeed.

Bead Soup Teaser #1

I uploaded a photo of the lovelies I sent to my Bead Soup partner, Angela May at Canterbury Cottage and then whiled away the better part of an hour playing with photo effects on Picnik. I cannot wait to see what Angela does with them. More sneaks to come . . . stay tuned

I have been looking forward to this day for a while, . . .
The list is out and I know who my Bead Soup Blog partner is. It is Angela May (a.k.a Lady Hawthorne). She has a lovely blog called Canterbury Cottage. It looks as though we have some of the same interests and we are both Texans.Stay tuned to see what we get up to in the next few weeks.

There's an App for that

In 1991 Hersey's had a Valentine's promotion where you could send chocolates and tulips to your sweetheart. My husband and I were to be married just two months later and we were separated by half a state, so I did it. I sent him chocolates and tulips. The message on the card from me said: "Tulips for now, two lips forever."
Yeah, I know, kind of cheesy. But now, every time my husband sends me flowers, there is a tulip or two included -- and our florist loves it!

The little quilt (17"x17") below has been accepted into a juried exhibit at our local art center. The theme is two-color quilts. It is called "Tulips for Now". If you have a smart phone, you probably know what it is. If you don't, it is a QR code, sort of like a SKU code read both directions. Guess what this one says.

I will be offering patterns for different short saying to be made into quilts or cross-stitch pieces in my etsy shop really soon.
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UPDATE: I have a listing for custom orders HERE Please check it out.

Here's why you haven't heard from me . . .

You guessed it . . . my laptop and my netbook have been in ICU for over a week. Do not click on fake security alerts. I'm just saying . . . .

It's my Birthday I can to what I want to . . . tomorrow

Today is a very special day for many special people. Two weddings today: a sweet young couple with families from far away places, and a lovely, mature couple on the second time around. Beaming and blushing brides, proud and nervous grooms, beautiful music, flowers, dresses and jewelry. What's not to love about a wedding? And twenty-three years ago today, on my birthday, my husband was ordained as a deacon in the Episcopal Church, and the next day I met him for the very first time. I'd say I received the best birthday present every (thank you, GOD!)

Now that I am celebrating my 39th birthday (yet again), I think it is time to get out the fire extinguishers.

Oh, and tomorrow is Father's Day -- I Love you daddy.

Pewter Wings Take Flight

What do you do when your beloved pet dies? I was contacted by Marlene, who missed her sweet cockatiel Miah. She has a little shrine for her and wanted to add my parrot wings to the arrangement.
Marlene asked me to used Miah's coloring to inspire me and this is what I just finished.

I hope she likes it

In other news, it is my birthday week (39 . . . again!) and I will happily send a little something extra for purchases from my Etsy Shop from now until June 19th 11:59pm.