Isn't It Revealing?.....The Soup, That Is

This was my very first Bead Soup Blog Party, and I had so much fun! 

    This is the soup I started with. A blue/green/purple peacock colored palette really, but with lots of shades of blues. Blue's not really my strong suit, so, what to do?
    I immediately split this up into three different color palettes to go with each of the pendants. The lavenders, the soft icy aqua blues, and all the shiny silver in one cool color palette to go with the butterfly pendant. That included the silver heart toggle as well as the crystal and iridescent glass.
    All the deep turquoise and lime green with the crocheted and polymer flower pendant, in another color palette.
    All the French blues and the lacy vintage style metal brass stampings in a third group with the bird pendant.    

"Let Your Spirit Soar"

    I started with the butterfly first, not really sure where I was headed with it.I knew I wanted the butterfly to hang asymmetrically though, so I started with the dangling tails. I added some sparkle to the butterfly to blend with those crystals and all the shiny silver. I also added "intention" to the back with a message that reads "Let you Spirit Soar" applied on vintage sheet music. I really liked the blue eyelash and how it has a very "flighty" feel to it, so I chose this as my fiber to string on. I set out to wiring the aqua colored polymer Chrysanthemums to my fiber. I've never worked with polymer clay before and actually damaged a couple of pieces in the process of trying to wire them. I used a heavier gage wire than I'm used to and apparently was a little too rough with them  : (  Lesson learned. I had a much gentler hand there after.

" Soaring Spirit" nuno felted handbag 

                                                                                                                                                               I wired the eyelash with silver and polymer pieces and used the silver heart toggle closure. I made a separate, chunky length of silver flowers, dyed (purple) turquoise and iris crystals, that runs parallel down one side. I used the lacy aqua metal discs, the glass donut spacers, and two of the purple Moroccan lanterns for the earrings, embellished with Aquamarine, Amethyst and silver plated leaf beads from my own collection. Lastly, I made this nuno felted hand bag with lots of awesome hand dyed Wensleydale lock fringe, and needle felted a butterfly design on to match. I used the last of the blue eyelash and a handful of the remaining beads to make the tassel tails.


    The next group is my French song bird, who calls to me "Chanter". There's a short French film called "La Voix du Rossignol" (1925). It's a fairy-tale version of why the nightingale only sings at night. A young girl who has caught a Nightingale dreams about the Nightingale and it's mate, and comes to realize that birds are not made to be captive but free. In return for it's freedom, the Nightingale loans the child it's voice for use in the daytime, which is why the Nightingale only sings at night. There's a lesson in there somewhere about using your voice for freedom.
    I used two of the silk cording pieces, wrapped with a peacock blue and copper eyelash yarn and strung it with large ceramic donut beads in French blue, and pink glass. The shiny gold clasp I patina to match the vintage metal stampings that Lupe provided for me.I matched those with a couple of vintage buttons in a copper tone with a natural patina of age from my own collection and alternated those with the blue Venetian glass bulbs. I layered lots of pretty danglies for the pendant. Pink fresh water pearls on a brass stamping rosette. A copper key wired with blue Czech glass blossoms  The brass bird house stamping sparkles with a blue Czech glass bead. The rectangular brass tab hangs asymmetrically from a blue Moroccan cage bead and embellished with pink Czech glass blossoms. The tab is embellished with a lotus blossom, a bat and a butterfly, which in Chinese symbology represents continuous harmony (lotus), good fortune (bat), and long life (butterfly). I just love symbology, don't you. Go on now.......SING!

"Nightingale"

    The last group, my deep turquoise and lime green collection. These pieces reminded me of the ocean. The deep  marine blue, and the seaweed green. The patterns made me think of the swirl of waves crashing on the rocks. I used this Mary Oliver poem for inspiration.  

West Wind #2

You are young.  So you know everything.  You leap

into the boat and begin rowing.  But listen to me.

Without fanfare, without embarrassment, without

any doubt, I talk directly to your soul.  Listen to me.

Lift the oars from the water, let your arms rest, and

your heart, and heart’s little intelligence, and listen to

me.  There is life without love.  It is not worth a bent

penny, or a scuffed shoe.  It is not worth the body of a

dead dog nine days unburied.  When you hear, a mile

away and still out of sight, the churn of the water

as it begins to swirl and roil, fretting around the

sharp rocks – when you hear that unmistakable

pounding – when you feel the mist on your mouth

and sense ahead the embattlement, the long falls

plunging and steaming – then row, row for your life

toward it.

~ Mary Oliver ~

"Row into the Swirl and Roil"

         

    I used a set of three blue/green Venetian glass bulbs that replicated the wave pattern, wired between the two blossoms for my focal center. The larger crochet flower has one of Lupe's polymer blossoms with a blue Czech glass center. The other crochet flower, I wired a Serpentine Jade blossom to and added a blue Czech glass center to coordinate with the other bloom. I paired this with lots of bright shiny gold plate for a really striking contrast.

   Thanks for stopping by. Hop on over to Lupe Meter's blog to see what she made with my soup. 
   
      Here's the list of everybody else. BON APPETITE! 

 Hostess, Lori Anderson, Pretty Things

Agi Kiss, Moonsafari Beads
Alice Peterson, Alice Dreaming

Alison Sachs, Beads by Earthtones

Amanda Dittloff, Passion Smashin'

Andra Marasteanu, Bijoux de Monanage

Angie Szlovak, SweetBeads

Anitra Gordy, Leelu Creations

Ann Sherwood, Ann's Blog

Arlene Dean, A Glass Bash

Audrey Belanger, Dreams of an Absolution

Barb Solem, Vivi Magoo Presents

Barbara Blaszczyk, laboratorim Flory

Becky Pancake, Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Beth Emery, Stories by Indigo Heart

Bianca Odenthal, Zydies Glasperlen

Birgit Klughardt, GitesBeads
Bobbie Rafferty, Beadsong Jewelry
Bonnie Coursolle,  Jasper Gems
Cece Cormier, The Beading Yogini
Charlene Jacka, Clay Space

Cherrie Fick, En La Lumie're
Cheryl Foiles, Get Your Bead On
Christie Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Christina Miles, Wings n Scales
Christina Stofmeel, Feng Beads
Christine Stonefield, Sweet Girl Design
Cindy Cima Edwards, Live to Design
CJ Bauschka, 4 His Glory Creations
Claire Smith, Embergrass Jewelry
Cynthia Riggs, Cynth's Blog
Dana Fowler, Trunk Full of Treasure

Dawn Pierro, Turtle Moon Designs
Dee Elgie, Cherry Obsidia
Donetta Farrington, Simply Gorgeous
Dot Lewallwn, Speedie Beadie

Eileen Snyder, Dorset Hill Beads
Elizabeth Bunn, Elizabeth Beads
Eva Kovacs, Ewa gyongyos vilaga!
Evelyn Duberry, Sheba Makeda
Fay Wolfenden, Torch Fairy
Fen Li, Bead Flora Jewels
Gail Zwang, Angel Moose Enterprises
Geneva Collins, Torque Story
Grace Dorsey, Fan of the Flame
Gretchen Nation,  Art Food Lodging
Hannah Annear, Squintessential

Hajer Waheed, My Beaded World
Heather Goldsmith, As I Bead It
Heather Otto, The Craft Hopper
Heidi Kingman, My Bead Therapy
Hope Smitherman, Crafty Hope
Isolina Perez, Isolina Perez
Jacqueline Keller, CreARTelier
Jane Haag, Did You Make Something Today?
Janeen Sorensen, Wild Vanilla Designs
Jean Peter, Jean P. Designs
Jennifer Judd, Jen Judd Rocks
Jennifer L Justman, Soul's Fire Designs
Joanna Matuszczyk, Bizuteria z filcu
Joanne Brown, Jo's Jewels

Joanne Lockwood, Jo Bunkum
Joyce Becker, Joyce's Joyful Gems
Judy Riley, Three Red Beads
Karen Mitchell, Over the Moon Design
Karen Williams, Baublicious
Karin von Hoeren, Creative Ideen
Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Kashmira Patel, Sadafule .. always in bloom!
Kate Richbourg, We Can Make That at Home
Katrin Lembke, AllesPerle
Kathy Combs, Torched in Texas

Kathy Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Kelley Fogle, My Life, One Bead at at Time
Kelly Hosford Patterson, Traveling Side Show
Klaudette Koon, Only Road
Lara Lutrick, Lampwork Beads by Lara
Laura Guenther, Blue Antiquities
Laurie Lalonde, Simply Mod Jewelry
Lilik Kristiani, Soul of My Embodiment
Linda Younkman, Lindy's Designs
Lisa Chapman, Beach Cat Beads
Lisa Lodge, Pine Ridge Treasures

Loretta Carstensen, Designs by Loretta
Lori Bergmann, Lori Bergmann Design
Lori Dorrington, Lori's Adventures in Etsy Land
Lupe Meter, Gem's PC Corner
Lynn Davis, LLYYNN
Malin de Koning, Beading by Malin
Mandi Effron, Craft-o-licious
Mandy Williamson, Mimi's Beading
Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter
Maria Rosa Sharrow, Willow Street Shops

Marianne Baxter, Simply Seablime Jewelry
Marina Dobrynina, Savon Feutre
Marjolein Trewavas, Room for Change
Marelene Cupo, Amazing Designs
Marsha Neal, Marsha Neal Studio
Marta Kaczerowska, uhuhu
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Menka Gupta, Menka's Jewelry Blog
Michelle Burnett, Reverie and Revival
Michelle Escano-Caballero, The Cabby Crafter
Miko Wiropati, Uniquely Yunikua
Milla Hope,  LB Creative Arts and Crafts

Mimi Gardner, Other Curiosities
Miranda Ackerley, MirandackArts
Natalie McKenna, grubbi
Noemi Baena, fuego, metal, y color
Pam Ferrari, Ferrari Originals
Pam Sears, Crazy Creative Corner
Penny Neville, Copper Penny
Rachel Baron, R. Baron Designs
Rachel Myers, Rockabead Jewelry
Rana Wilson, Definitive Designs by R. Wilson
Rebecca Anderson, Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag, Becca's Place
Riki Schumacher, Riki Jewelry 
Rose Binoya, Ahtee's Blog

Rossana De Gaspari, Rdegas Blog
Sandi James, Do Be Do Bead Do
Sandi Volpe, Sandi Volpe
Sandra Wollberg, City of Brass Stories
Sarah Goode, Pookledo
Sarah Small, blog by salla
Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings
Shawn Mills, Shawn Marie Designs with Bent Wire
Sheila Davis, Stone Designs by Sheila
Sheryl Stephens, Babble Bead
Shiraz Biggie, Secret Song Designs
Solange Collin,  Ahowin Handcrafted Jewelry
Sonya Stille, Dreamin' of Beads
Stephanie Dixon, The Dixon Chick

Susan Kennedy, Sue Beads
Susan Sheehan, Strands of Thought
Suzann Sladcik Wilson, Beadphoria
Sweet Freedom, Sweet Freedom Designs
Tabatha Dinger, Modernly Created
Tania Hagen, Pelima Jewellery Design
Tanya Boden, Fusion Muse
Terri Gauthier, Blooming Ideas
Terry Carter, Tapping Flamingo 
Tracy Stillman, Tracy Stillman Designs

 P.S. Sorry about all the weird text change, but it's 5:30 in the morning and I'm tired of wrestling with it. Mercy! Goodnight y'all. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz