Jewelry Shop: Bead Soup Blog Party Revealing...and a Giveaway!

Time to show my Bead Soup Blog Party piece I designed using supplies sent to me from Diana of Vintage Blue Studio. She sent me some wonderful components!

Well, here is what I designed with her pieces.....

Designing this piece was tough as I am used to working with beads smaller than 6mm and I don't usually work with gemstones.

I actually drew several designs before I settled on this one. My first design included lots of bead embroidery around the components, but Mom is due here today from North Carolina for a week and a half stay and I had so much to do to prepare for her arrival. This design was my design of choice, but....darn time constraints! The second design was a blah and boring simple stringing design. If you have been following my blog for any amount of time, you know how I get so bored with simple stringed designs (no offense...I just don't find them very challenging :)

So, I settled on the sketch using wire work and lots of chain!

Starting with the focal, Diana sent a ceramic focal that she made herself which was finished with a watercolor glaze. This just screamed OCEAN to me! She sent a couple Swarovski crystals with the focal in which I worked into a combined drop with one of the stones she sent along with some silver beads I had leftover from a previous project.

I am obsessed with clasping in the front as they did with a lot of Victorian locket jewelry, so I put the fabulous sterling silver clasp she sent....in the front :) Of course, the waves reminded me of the ocean, too!

The design is asymmetrical (another thing I have been obsessed with, lately). The left side of the piece is constructed of wire work, delicate chain and some of the larger blue stones used in the focal.

The right side consists of two strands: One wire work with chain, One with intermittent strung sections with wire work and chain. This side contains the buttons Diana sent, as well as pieces of stone to balance the piece. I did add some green quartz that I had for the strung sections.

As I said before, this was definitely a challenge for me, but I am pretty pleased with how it all came together :)

Now for the Giveaway!

I made a pair of earrings with the left-over components which you have a chance at winning, both bead soupers and non-bead soupers alike! Entering is easy...just comment below! Follow this blog and earn another entry, just please comment separately for another entry or indicate that you are already following. Also, blog about this giveaway and the blog party to get three more entries - be sure to comment three times with the URL!

BE SURE TO COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH ENTRY!!!

Winner will be chosen at random from all the entries (comments). Enter until Saturday, June 26 at midnight EST...winner will be announced Sunday, June 27!

Good luck!

Be sure to visit the others who are participating in the blog party! To catch up on the first 26, visit Lori's Blog for the links!

Blog Soup Party Revealers:

Today:
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

Tuesday, June 22

37. Filomena, Pink Velvet Bird

38. Lyn, Lyn Foley