Soups On - 7th Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal - Part 1

    That's right, I said Part 1. I've used most of my soup. Regrettably, the piece with my focal isn't quite ready. I got really brave and finally fired up my torch to make those enameled components. Now that I've gotten over my fear of lighting it, I'm totally hooked. There'll be no stopping me. My torch fired enamel pieces are turning out awesome. Unfortunately I ran out of gas in the middle of the night  : (  Trust me, nobody is sorrier about this than me. I made the most awesome paper mache pieces for the set. I'm dying to show them off, as well as my new enameling skills. Please return next Saturday for Part 2.

                              Part 1
     My partner Kayla Potega  http://www.teejewelry.blogspot.com/  sent me a  vintage Chinese cloisonne ball focal with tassel in a lovely shade of green. Blue and gold faceted Czech glass beads, wooden beads, a mixed strand of green gemstone nuggets including Moss Agate, Adventurine, and Fluorite, silver chain, lacy silver art nouveau links, a silver colored botanical toggle clasp, and a silver coin charm with a dove on one side and stamped "PEACE" on the other. (see last picture)
    I love the cloisonne focal. All things Asian really. So I immediately had ideas for a theme and where to go with that. I've been working on that for weeks. Making components to go with it, etc. I was then left with a whole lot of silver pieces and the wooden beads. I don't do much silver, so this is a challenge. I set these pieces aside and let them simmer while I worked on my main piece. So here I was 2 days before go time and I have no idea what to do with my clasp. This set was the last conceptually, but the first to fruition. I started tinkering and came up with a variation on my original theme, (you'll have to check back next week for the original theme, trying not to give too much away) and the set just flew together.

  Introducing "Shambahla - a Place of Peace".

"Shambhala - a Place of Peace"    Tibetan Prayer flag bracelet

Inspired by colorful and festive Tibetan prayer flag banners waving in the wind, spreading wishes of peace. I used sari silk snippets for the flags. Reinforced with Fraycheck on the tip and seam. Edges are left to fray naturally. I love the way the frayed edges give motion to a piece and bring it to life. Hung on a knotted leather cord. Weighted with gem stones. The silver dove charm stamped "PEACE" on the back brought thoughts of prayer flags. I've never made a double strand bracelet before. I really like the way it turned out.

    I used all the round silver links, and my toggle clasp in the bracelet. I also used some of the yellow Czech glass beads from Kayla's stash. Then I pulled an array of gem stones and an accented of vintage Chinese bells from my own collection. I punched extra holes in the silver dove charm to dangle gem stones there.  Carnelian, Citrine, Honey Jade, Orange Chalcedony, Buttered Rum Chalcedony, CherryQuartz,  Red Banded Jasper, Dragons vein Agate, Turquoise, Orange Jade, Aqua Terra Jasper, and orange creamsicle Quartz. All of the silver I have hammered to distress, and patinaed with liver of sulfer. My intent was to age it and make it look like Tibetan silver.

  Then came the earrings. The Hamsa hand charm I used as an accent in the bracelet becomes the focal here. The "flower of life" symbol in the palm. This ancient talisman offers protection from the evil eye. Hung from the leaf shaped silver links. Sporting a prayer flag and a bevy of dangly gem stones.


 I was done with this set at this point. I had used all the links and the clasp here, which is what I had set out to do. I tried to move on. Yet it kept asking for a necklace. What do I even have left to work with? hmmmm, I have a chain, and some wooden beads, and........... not much else. So I pull out my "silver" bin and start digging. I found this elephant charm I've had since.....high school maybe. He's a bell. Totally forgot I even had him. I wrapped him with some colorful Sari silk snippets and wired on some sparkly gem stones and voila        
                 "Painted Pachyderm"

I love the way my little painted Indian Elephant turned out. An orange wooden "urn" shaped bead embellished with sari silk and vintage Chinese bells, tethers the chain. The wooden urn bead reminds me of the water vessels that women carried on their heads. Seems appropriate, and somehow regal balanced on his back. I spaced out a few chunky gemstones and some of the wooden beads on the chain on one side and wove leather in between through the links. The other side has a portion wrapped in sari silk fiber and wrapped with gem stones. Handmade clasp closure hooks right into the chain and has an adjustable length and features lots of dangly charms on both the hook and the extension.

 

    I was initially unsure about the color combo, because I don't wear silver myself. It's a cold metal, and I went with a warm color palette. That made me uneasy. I've now come to think of it as Tibetan silver and the color of "monks" and I'm warming to the idea of how it all plays together with my theme.

Here's my soup from Kayla

Please go check out what she made with her soup. http://www.teejewelry.blogspot.com/

Thank you to the hostess with the mostest, Ms Lori Anderson. I'll refer you to her site for the hop list cause it is soooo long. While you're there, why not buy her a slice of pie  ; )   http://www.prettythingsblog.com/   Happy hopping! see you next Saturday for Part 2.