Swap & Hop, Til You Drop!

    I love a good challenge! And swap and hops are the best! They serve you up something unexpected, take you outside your comfort zone, and make you think outside the box.

    One of the most famous is the Bead Soup Blog Party. Created by Lori McDaniel Anderson, of Pretty Things, and the Bead Soup Cafe. (She's back! Yay!) Now in its 9th run! Anybody who is anybody has played at one point or another! She's even had a book published about it!
    This year's swap has a little bit of a twist on it...... a hoarders version. I'm to send my partner something special that I've been keeping for a long time. Something too precious to use. And I had to give it away! Eek!

    The second hop was sort of a spin off of the first, designed to fill the needs of the artists, during a time when Lori was under the weather and unable to continue hosting. With crowds of over 500 people participating in her hops, you can't even begin to imagine how much work is involved in coordinating one of these events! 

    So Linda Anderson, of Cherry On Top Designs, graciously gave all of us beady people a safe haven in our time of need, when she founded the Bead Peeps group during Lori's hiatus, and the Bead Peeps Swap & Hop sprung from there. (Those were some big shoes to fill! Thank you Linda) 

    The requirements for this hop, I send a focal, clasp, and/or coordinating beads to my partner. My choice of 2 of those 3, with one of the items being artisan made. 

    For the first time, these two hops are running side by side, with reveal dates being just a few weeks apart! So I thought it would be really fun to mix them up a bit! 

    Here's the kit that I sent to my Bead Soup swap partner, Heather Canepa.

    And here's the kit I sent to my Bead Peeps swap partner, Inge Von Roos. 

    But wait! There's more! I also have a third kit to play with myself! (sorry, can't show you, work already in progress)

        OOh! Now it's getting juicy! 

    The focal is a Raku cabochon by Wondrous Strange called "Pacific Seas Raku Barnacles". I bought several of them years ago, because I thought they were so cool! But I still haven't figured out how to set a cabochon. LOL! Both of my partners do wire work and bead weaving. So they should have no problem figuring out what to do with it. I however have a challenge ahead of me! 

    One of my signature hammered copper keys (Keys to the Kingdom), some "old ballet slipper" sari silk to bring out the pinks, and iridescent grey pearls accompany. 

   

   Since the reveal dates are a few weeks apart........ and I also have beads from my partners to design with.... I will have a third, and final reveal, for my coordinating piece, and a comparison of the 3 different design concepts, by 3 different artists, done with the same design kit!  

    First up, this Saturday, March 28th, is the Bead Soup Blog Party. I will be revealing what I made with this kit, that my partner Heather Canepa sent to me for the Hoarders' Edition. 

    Then 2 weeks later, on Saturday, April 8, I will be revealing what I made with these beads, sent to me by my partner, Inge Von Roos, for the Bead Peeps Swap & Hop.

    Then the following Saturday, April 15, I will do that special reveal to show the comparison of what three different Artist did with the same design kit! Ooooh! Awwww! 

           This is gonna be fun!