Phew! I'm finally done with the Bead Soup Blog Party visiting! It took me an entire week, but it was well worth it. I saw tons of eye-candy and was suitably impressed by the creativity and talent on show. I think everyone did a fantabulous job with their bead soup. I also did my best to leave a comment at each blog I visited. If I missed you out, I'm so sorry - drop me a comment to let me know, and I'll hop over to read your post.
I want to thank everyone who popped by, read my post and commented. I appreciate the time you took; your kind words mean the world to me. I was tickled that most of you liked my funny little egg best. You may not know this, but when I design and make a piece, I try my darndest to ensure it comes out as 'perfect' as possible. You wouldn't believe the agony I go through when I realise my earrings aren't exactly the same length or when my stamped letters aren't spaced evenly. Your response to my 'Faberge' piece was a reminder and an encouragement that I should stop being so anal retentive about these things, and to embrace the flaws and imperfections that come with making something by hand.
Showing posts with label Bead Soup Blog Party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bead Soup Blog Party. Show all posts
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Finally! It's March 3rd!
Happy BSBP Reveal Day everyone! Since there are 199 other blogs to visit, I'll do my best to be brief and not ramble as I'm prone to do. I'd hate for fatigue to set in so soon :-).
So to recap, these were the beads I received from my partner Hajer, who works primarily with seed beads. Hajer, btw, was busy with her university exams during much of February.
She sent some beaded rings she'd made, seed beads, glass and ceramic beads. I rarely work with seed beads and have never used bead-woven components in my designs, so I was initially stumped as to what to create. I was also worried about what to do with that egg-like ceramic bead, which was a little larger than what I'm used to.
Since I didn't have a clue as to what to make, I set Hajer's package aside and didn't touch it for a couple of weeks. But clearly, my subconscious must have been working overtime, because when I started making my pieces about 2 weeks ago, they came together pretty quickly. Which is rather rare for me. I'm a great one for agonising and over-thinking designs.
I made 4 pieces in total. Below are 3 of the pieces - a necklace, a stretch bracelet and a pair of hoop earrings.
Hajer sent me such a truckload of beads that I used very very little of my own stash - just some beading wire, crimp beads and covers, stretch cord, artistic wire and some gold seed beads with an iridescent finish. The pieces are all very simple. I think my brain registered the bright colours and decided "hmm, this calls for something summery and casual and non-fussy". I think the pieces are something you'd wear on a beach holiday - with a tank top and a long, white floaty skirt.
The 4th piece turned out quite, quite different. It involved this guy below:
He's all big and tough and kinda scary looking. Well, I don't know what came over me, but I turned him into this:
I know, I know. Christmas is over and Easter isn't here yet. I was really aiming for a Faberge egg feel but my execution wasn't as great as my idea :-). In making this ornament/decorative item/watchamacallit (which features Swarovski crystal flatbacks, and lucite leaves and moonglow beads), I learned that glue and tiny crystals are not my best friends and that I also need to have a better relationship with wire. That said, I think I like this piece best. It's the oddball out of all the items I made, and the most flawed.
Well, that's it from me! Thank you for reading all the way through - I'm sorry I wasn't as brief as I said I would try to be. I'd like to thank Hajer for being such a generous partner, and many many thanks also to Lori Anderson for putting this wonderful blog party together. It took an enormous amount of work and what with all the pain she's been in these past months, this BSBP was really a superhuman effort on her part. So, thank you Lori! I had such a fun time playing and can't wait for the next BSBP!
Now, let's go visit the others, shall we?
So to recap, these were the beads I received from my partner Hajer, who works primarily with seed beads. Hajer, btw, was busy with her university exams during much of February.
Since I didn't have a clue as to what to make, I set Hajer's package aside and didn't touch it for a couple of weeks. But clearly, my subconscious must have been working overtime, because when I started making my pieces about 2 weeks ago, they came together pretty quickly. Which is rather rare for me. I'm a great one for agonising and over-thinking designs.
I made 4 pieces in total. Below are 3 of the pieces - a necklace, a stretch bracelet and a pair of hoop earrings.
The 4th piece turned out quite, quite different. It involved this guy below:
Well, that's it from me! Thank you for reading all the way through - I'm sorry I wasn't as brief as I said I would try to be. I'd like to thank Hajer for being such a generous partner, and many many thanks also to Lori Anderson for putting this wonderful blog party together. It took an enormous amount of work and what with all the pain she's been in these past months, this BSBP was really a superhuman effort on her part. So, thank you Lori! I had such a fun time playing and can't wait for the next BSBP!
Now, let's go visit the others, shall we?
1. Adlinah Kamsir (Singapore) (<-- you are here) 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
5. Alesha Conklin and Becki Mendivil
6. Alice Peterson and Carol Dillman
7. Alicia Marinache (Canada) and Dita Basu
9. Amanda Tibbetts and Andrea Trank
11. Andra Weber and Christine Murrow
12. Ann Sherwood and Diane Welte
13. Barbara Bechtel and Kerry Bogert
14. Barbara Lewis and Cat Pruitt
15. Bonnie Coursolle (Canada) and Fay Wolfenden (Canada)
16. Carmel McGinley (Australia) and Tracy Stillman (Australia)
17. Cassie Donlen and Deryn Mentock
18. Cathie Carroll and Janel Dudley
19. Cece Cormier and Morwyn Mullins
20. Charlene Jacka and Christina Hickman
21. Cheryl Brown (Canada) and Diana Ptaszynski
22. Christina Stofmeel (the Netherlands) and Eva Kovacs (Hungary)
23. Christine Damm and Deb Brooks
24. Cilla Watkins (Canada) and Elaine Robitaille (Canada)
27. Cory Celaya and Rhea Freitieg
28. Courtney Breul and Dana Hickey
29. Cynthia Abner and Jennifer Boreck
30. Cynthia Tucker and Jean Peter
31. Debbie Goering and Heidi Post
32. Dee Elgie (UK) and Joanne Lockwood (UK)
33. Dian Hierschel (Germany) and Eniko Fabian (Austria)
34. Diane Cook and Lyn Foley
35. Donna Bohler and Lisa Lodge
36. Donna Millard and Kiersten Giles
37. Doris Stumpf (Germany) and Eszter Czibulyas (Hungary)
38. Elisabeth Auld and Eva Sherman
39. Elke Leonhardt-Rath (Germany) and Marjolein Trewavas (UK)
40. Ema Kilroy and Laurie Keefe-Cecere
41. Erika Nooteboom (the Netherlands) and Giorgia Rossini (Italy)
42. Erin Grant and Jean Wells
43. Evelyn Duberry (Canada) and Gaea Cannaday
44. Genea Crivello-Knable and Heather Powers
45. Ginger Bishop (military, Okinawa) and Martina Nagele (Germany)
46. Heidi Kingman and Lori Greenberg
47. Helen Kemp and Lisa Wangeman
48. Helene Goldberg (Australia) and Karen Vincent
49. Jamie Hogsett and Jeannie Dukic
51. Jennifer Cameron and Tania Spivey
52. Jennifer Justman and Kari Carrigan
53. Jennifer Tough and Lorelei Eurto
54. Joanna Matuszczyk (Poland) and Julianna Kis (Hungary)
55. Joanne Tinley (UK) and Michaela Pabeschitz (Austria)
56. Julie Anne Leggett and Kelley Fogle
57. Karen Hess and Linda Landig
58. Karyn Bonfiglio and Kathleen Lange Klik
59. Kashmira Patel and Kat White
61. Kathy Lindemer and Rose Binoya
62. Krafty Max and Sandra Miller
63. Kristen Latimer and Pam Ferrari
64. Kristie Roeder and Lea Avroch
65. Kristina Johansson (Sweden) and Penny Neville (Canada)
66. Krisztina Erlaki-Toth (Hungary) and Nicole Keller (Germany)
67. Lara Lutrick and Lisa Suver
68. Laura DeMoya and Lisa Hanna
69. Libby Leuchtman and Melanie Brooks
70. Linda Koch and Rosemarie Cowit
71. Lisa Chapman and Menka Gupta
72. Lisa Liddy and Marion Simmons
73. Lori Anderson and Marcie Abney
74. Lori Bowring-Michaud and Mary Govaars
75. Lori Dorrington and Maria Rosa Sharrow
76. Lori Finney (Canada) and Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp (Canada)
77. Lynn Bennett and Mandi Ainsworth
78. Marta Kaczerowska (Poland) and Milla Starchik (Canada)
79. Mary Harding and Shannon LeVart
81. Melinda Orr and Molly Alexander
83. Michelle Jensen and Sandra Young (Canada)
84. Nan Emmett and Nicole Valentine-Rimmer (Canada)
85. Nancy Boylan and Suzette Bentley
86. Natasha Lutes and Patti Vanderbloemen
87. Pam Hurst and Rebekah Payne
88. Patty Miller and Sara Rhoades
90. Rebecca Sirevaag and Sharon Driscoll
91. Rochelle Brisson and Shannon Chomanczuk
92. Rosa Maria Cuevas (Mexico) and Tejae Floyde
93. Sabine Dittrich (Germany) and Sally Russick
94. Sandi Volpe and Sarah/Saturday Sequins
95. Shanti Johnson and Tracy Mok (Canada)
96. Skylar Brez and Theresa Buchle
97. Sonya Stille and Traci Zeller (Canada)
98. Stefanie Teufel (Germany) and Tania Hagen (New Zealand)
99. Stephanie LaRosa and Vonna Maslanka
100. Terri Wlaschin and Wendy Blum
Saturday, 4 February 2012
As promised....bead soup from Bahrain
I hate being kept in suspense. I assume most of you are the same. So here, without further ado, is the bead soup I received from Hajer in Bahrain.
And a close-up of the beads:
Top left: seed-beaded rings. Made by Hajer herself from glass seed beads. I think I appreciate these rings the most cos she had to take time away from her studies to make them. FYI, she's currently preparing for her 2nd year university exams (good luck Hajer!)
Top right: silver toggle, plastic seed beads and black glass rounds
Bottom left: ceramic oval bead (kinda like an egg. and big!)
Bottom right: off-white/beige rounds which Hajer thinks are ceramic (I dunno, they could be some kind of stone, I'm not sure), blue/green/white glass bead mix
What struck me when I opened Hajer's package was first, how many beads she had sent me, and second, that the colours she chose mirrored mine very closely. How odd is that? I love that she gave me so many options - there are seed beads in there, glass, ceramic. I'll have a fine old time figuring out what to make. I haven't heard from her if she's received my package. When I do, I'll be sure to post pics of what I sent. I really hope she likes the beads.
I've been visiting the blogs of other BSBP participants and have really been in awe of the quality of beads that people have been sending their partners, and the quantity as well! To be honest, I didn't send very many beads to my partner and am starting to feel a little bad about possibly disappointing her. It's my first time playing in the BSBP, and hers too, and I so want us both to have a great experience.
And a close-up of the beads:
Top left: seed-beaded rings. Made by Hajer herself from glass seed beads. I think I appreciate these rings the most cos she had to take time away from her studies to make them. FYI, she's currently preparing for her 2nd year university exams (good luck Hajer!)
Top right: silver toggle, plastic seed beads and black glass rounds
Bottom left: ceramic oval bead (kinda like an egg. and big!)
Bottom right: off-white/beige rounds which Hajer thinks are ceramic (I dunno, they could be some kind of stone, I'm not sure), blue/green/white glass bead mix
What struck me when I opened Hajer's package was first, how many beads she had sent me, and second, that the colours she chose mirrored mine very closely. How odd is that? I love that she gave me so many options - there are seed beads in there, glass, ceramic. I'll have a fine old time figuring out what to make. I haven't heard from her if she's received my package. When I do, I'll be sure to post pics of what I sent. I really hope she likes the beads.
I've been visiting the blogs of other BSBP participants and have really been in awe of the quality of beads that people have been sending their partners, and the quantity as well! To be honest, I didn't send very many beads to my partner and am starting to feel a little bad about possibly disappointing her. It's my first time playing in the BSBP, and hers too, and I so want us both to have a great experience.
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Apologies...
..... for not blogging much lately. I was away on a short holiday - we had a 4-day Chinese New Year weekend here in Singapore - and have also been in a bit of a funk thanks to my (poor) health.
But I've slowly been gathering the bead soup to send to my partner and will be mailing it to her by the end of this week. I'll post pics soon of what I'm sending - but first I'll have to learn how to disguise them; I don't want to ruin the surprise.
I really hope I haven't left it too late. For those of you playing in the BSBP, have you mailed your packages yet?
But I've slowly been gathering the bead soup to send to my partner and will be mailing it to her by the end of this week. I'll post pics soon of what I'm sending - but first I'll have to learn how to disguise them; I don't want to ruin the surprise.
I really hope I haven't left it too late. For those of you playing in the BSBP, have you mailed your packages yet?
Monday, 16 January 2012
O frabjous day!
Callooh! Callay!
Why all the excitement, you ask? It's because I've been lucky enough to be picked to participate in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party. There are 202 people taking part this time, from all around the world. What's the BSBP all about? Go here to find out the details.
In brief, you get paired with a partner and then exchange with them several beads that must include a focal bead, a special clasp and some coordinating beads, which you then use to make a piece of jewellery. The whole point of the event is to get you to make something that's out of your comfort zone and I think more importantly, to connect with other bead lovers and....just have fun!
I've been paired with Hajer who lives in Bahrain, in the Middle East. She tells me she likes to try everything beading-relating so I'm going to have a heck of a time figuring out what to send. Check out Hajer's blog to find out more about her and her jewellery. She's got a pic of a lovely peyote cuff and promises that there are more pics to come. I can't wait!
Why all the excitement, you ask? It's because I've been lucky enough to be picked to participate in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party. There are 202 people taking part this time, from all around the world. What's the BSBP all about? Go here to find out the details.
In brief, you get paired with a partner and then exchange with them several beads that must include a focal bead, a special clasp and some coordinating beads, which you then use to make a piece of jewellery. The whole point of the event is to get you to make something that's out of your comfort zone and I think more importantly, to connect with other bead lovers and....just have fun!
I've been paired with Hajer who lives in Bahrain, in the Middle East. She tells me she likes to try everything beading-relating so I'm going to have a heck of a time figuring out what to send. Check out Hajer's blog to find out more about her and her jewellery. She's got a pic of a lovely peyote cuff and promises that there are more pics to come. I can't wait!
Sunday, 2 October 2011
BSBP
For those not in the know, BSBP is short for Bead Soup Blog Party - a one-of-a-kind online party where beaders from all the world swap beads with assigned partners and challenge themselves to think out of the box to create often spectacular and always pretty jewellery. The organiser of this amazing party is multi-tasker extraordinaire, Lori Anderson of Pretty Things. This year, the BSBP had over 300 participants who revealed their masterpieces on their blogs on Sept 17. Lori, in all her efficiency, has already started on preparations for the 5th BSBP. If you're interested to find out more about the party and the rules, you can go here.
I didn't participate in this year's party. I contemplated it. But in the end I chickened out. I have a long-standing relationship with feelings of inadequacy and they got the better of me unfortunately. I'm looking to beat those feelings into submission in time for the sign up for the next BSBP which will be in January 2012. There'll be a cap of 200 participants though so I'll have to trust to luck that I get a chance to play.
I didn't participate in this year's party. I contemplated it. But in the end I chickened out. I have a long-standing relationship with feelings of inadequacy and they got the better of me unfortunately. I'm looking to beat those feelings into submission in time for the sign up for the next BSBP which will be in January 2012. There'll be a cap of 200 participants though so I'll have to trust to luck that I get a chance to play.
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