New in my Folksy shop today...

Woodland Pool Bracelet

Giveaways

ANOTHER giveaway! Jump over to Lisa's blog and comment for the chance to win these sweet earrings.

And, did I mention MY giveaway...??? Leave a comment here and follow to be in with a chance to win this book!

Check out Virginie's giveaway! Leave a comment by Sunday to be in with a chance.

My Bead Soup!

So, better late than never, here is what I came up with yesterday (!) with the soup that Nicki sent me. Thanks so much Nicki! I think we both challenged each other but (I hope) in a good way. I don't usually use LOTS of larger elements in one piece although I do like the look of it when other folk do so.

Nicki was SO generous with what she sent me, I just didn't know where to start! I think that's why I procrastinated so much in getting my ass in gear and making something with my German beads...I have made two items so far (still have quite a bit of soup left!) and I do feel quite pleased with them. I was a bit scared of using all the items together as it seemed like it could be too much but my sweetheart said "get over yourself and just do it!". So I did! And here are the results.

What do you think? I am pretty pleased as, like Nicki, I've done a couple of things new to me. One as I've already said, use many larger elements in one piece

and also, use two different metals in one design.

To be honest, I'm still not totally sure what I think about this, somehow I feel it can cheapen the look of the metals to have them side by side but perhaps I'm wrong...Looking at these pictures, I think I will switch the large white bead and the copper filigree in the necklace around to achieve more balance. Any thoughts? I'm open to any suggestions!! Would you switch, or stick?

I got a nasty shock when I first plugged my camera into Cagney (my wee MacBook)....look what the pictures first turned out!!!

Lordy. Thank goodness for iPhoto is all I can say! One click on

***ENHANCE***

and it does what it says on the tin...

I made these pieces sitting at a picnic table at a lovely wee local park after I finished work yesterday and here

is the reason I didn't get around to taking completion pictures yesterday! All I can say is I feel it was well deserved :-)

Check out everybody else's finished pieces for today;

37. Filomena, Pink Velvet Bird

38. Lyn, Lyn Foley

39. Tari, Pearl and Pebble

40. Rebecca, Song Beads You are HERE!!!!!!!

41. Regina, Regina's Writings

42. Nancy, The Rabbit Muse

43. Whitney, Whitney Lassini

44. Maria, Garden Path Beads

45. Michelle, Life in the Bead Lane

46. Ann, My Critical Eye

47. Lisa, Lucid Moon Studio

that's what I'm off to do once I've posted this!

And P.S. Don't forget my GIVEAWAY........

A MONSTER giveaway and today's Bead Soup

Check out Denise's AMAZING, super monster-sized giveaway! Check out this AWESOME pile of gorgeous-ness...what is she thinking??!!! And also, look at just how much of this pile is TURQUOISE. Anyone who knows me, knows that can only be a good thing. Seriously, is ther any colour better than turquoise/teal/aqua? No, I thought not. Beeeeeeautiful.

Don't forget I'm having a (teeny tiny compared with this!!) giveaway myself. You can win THIS BOOK:

if you leave a comment here. And become a follower. I've only got FOUR entries so far so you'd be in with a good chance! It contains lots of art bead designs and quite a few by the lovely Andrew Thornton so why not throw your hat into the ring?

And here are today's bead soups:

27. Lisa, Alterity
28. Dale, Dales' Flights of Fancy
29. Melanie, Kookie Designs
30. Christine, A Hot Piece of Glass
31. Nancy, Beading From the Heart
32. Laurel, Rue's Daftique
33. Sandi, Do Be Do Bead Do
34. Nicki, Nicki's Reef
35. Virginie, ViviBijoux
36. Janeen, Wild Vanilla

Enjoy!

PS PLEASE check out NO. 34 and see what my soup partner Nicki did with my selection!

Bead Soup and new pieces in my Folksy Shop

Today's bead soup ladies are:

14. Jen, Jen Judd Rocks

15. Kella, Me But a Little More In Depth

16. Emanda, Artemisia Studio

17. Marie, Skye Jewels

18. Loretta, Designs By Loretta

19. Stacy, Sissy and Jack's

20. Joanna, Filcowe

21. Diane, Diane Hawkey

22. Marianna, Pretty Shiny Things

23. Anna, The Laughing Raven

24. Marcie, La Bella Joya

25. Lois, Que Onda Q'town?

26. Jayne, Mama's Got To Doodle

They are all fabulous and really worth checking out - I think if I was held down at knife point and forced to choose (!) I would have to go for Lois's gorgeous piece - possibly because of the lovely seed bead elements she's included in it. Hey, I'm a sucker for a seed bead; what can I say?

However, here are my pieces I have completed today - seed bead free!

I have had this lovely polka dot button from The Little Bead Shop for months now, just waiting for the perfect piece for it to go into, and I had this sweet green and pink gemstone soup left over from a magazine submission and they just seemed made for each other!

I have used Vintaj and Patina Queen brass to complete the earrings and bracelet. I have also used some HOT pink dyed quartz - isn't it gorgeous??? It has a real glow to it, in real life as well as these pics. Hope you like. Listed here and here in my Folksy shop.

Don't forget to enter my pass on the love giveaway - I'm giving away a beading book edited by Barb Switzer and featuring designs by Andrew Thornton amongst others. Leave a comment here to be entered into the draw :-)

Interview

I forgot to tell you...check out Beads Perles blog for my first interview! :-) The top interview is in Spanish (sadly a translation rather than my being bilingual!) but if you scroll beneath the pictures, you will see my original answers in English.

And don't forget about my pass on the love giveaway, drawing next Sunday, 27th June.