8th Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal

Welcome everybody to the 8th  Bead SoupBlog Party Reveal!!!

An amazing event created by Lori Anderson with about 500 partecipants every year!

Let me start by saying how life is a never ending learning experience, and the Bead Soup Blog Party is one of the most exciting occasions to learn: not only you meet a new fellow beader, but you get to know new materials, new countries, costumes and tastes - yeah tastes, because there’s often a lot of chocolate involved!

Last year I was blessed with an incredible partner, Dorota, who spoiled me rotten with a huge amount of goodies.
To honor her generosity I decided that this should also become a way of learning new techniques, so I tried myself at bead embroidery, a bit of chain maille, knotting and new shapes in general. I was very proud of the result, which you can see here. It was a celebration of spring and happiness and colors while I was actually spending a lot of time at home, looking for a job.

This year my situation is completely different, as I moved to Austria 3 months ago and I am going to school (again) to learn the language, I am proving myself at living in a foreign country with a really different mentality – and did I mention German is not exactly the easiest language…but I am loving every second of it.

And again I was lucky to be paired up with a really interesting woman, Rosantia, who chose the most beautiful variety of beads and materials for me.

If you would like to know her better, jump to my post about her and visit her blog, because I am sure she will have prepared something amazing for the reveal!

I MUST APOLOGIZE AS I AM STILL BEADING FOR THE SOUP, SO I WILL PUBLISH FURTHER WORKS DURING THE WEEK. What can I say, my Muse likes the last minute inspiration!

With no further ado, here is my main piece, which is so close to my heart

I used the focal and the toggle clasp from the soup, with the matching ceramic beads, and added some beadweaved elements – I just love this shade of light aqua turquoise with orange and blue.
I felt so alike to the little birdie, I guessed he was looking for a place to call home just like me.

The second piece, quite simple, was made using the crazy washi paper beads that Rosantia made herself for me. They are so luscious and beautiful, but I decided to use them in pairs instead of all together

Something about this pendant I won last year looked like the perfect match. Wood, gold and aqua green.

I had a lot of fun playing with the 12 mm beads Rosantia sent me. They are the perfect size for a variety of designs that can really make a difference out of a simple stringed necklace. So again, I played with both beadweaved elements and simple beads.

I love this green chrysocolla, a gorgeous, rich color. Patterns here are from Kerrie Slade (flower pendant) and Eveline (3er Kringel).

For these yellow quartz beads I used Carol Ohl’s tutorial Earthly Hues and just continued with other beads in my stash. 

Did I ever mention how much I love grellow??? :D I guess I did.

Finally a sneek peak of another piece I am working on...

More washi paper beads, a czech button from my previous partner Dorota, some beaded beads and gorgeous ceramic beads. Still have to figure it out!

Take a look at what my partner Rosantia created, here you'll find her blog which is so full of inspirational handmade creations!

I hope you enjoyed this hop, which continues here:

http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2014/05/welcome-to-8th-bead-soup-blog-party.html

or, for a fast look, on our BSBP Pinterest board here:

http://www.pinterest.com/limamike/8th-bead-soup-blog-party/ 

So many eye candy goodies are waiting for you on all these blogs, please take the time to jump over and scroll over and you won't be disappointed!

June Bride EBW challenge

This month theme for the Etsy Beadweavers challenge is "June Bride":
"June has traditionally been the most popular month for weddings for centuries around the world. That is where the term "June bride" comes from. Historically, there are several reasons for that. The month of June derives its name from Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage. In ancient times it was thought that couples who married in June would be blessed with prosperity and happiness. There were also many logistical reasons for brides to consider June weddings. Brides married in June were likely to give birth to a first child in spring (also thought to bring good luck) and recover in time for the fall harvest. During medieval times a person's annual bath usually fell in May or June, meaning that June brides still smelled relatively fresh. 

In modern times those things are not so important, but weddings still take place in June more than any other month. It’s the month that summer begins (northern hemisphere), the flowers are all in bloom and the weather is warm without being too hot. So for this month’s challenge, channel your inner bride to create the perfect wedding accessory for a June Bride. Perhaps a decorative barrette for her hair, a cuff to set off her new wedding ring, a beaded sash for her dress or the quintessential necklace full of luster and sparkle. There’s nothing as stunning as a Bride decked out in white, but also think about the red silks of a Chinese Bride, the Henna Mehndi of the Indian Bride, or the bright colors of the Moroccan Bride. "

I couldn't resist the temptation to use my white Swarovski stash, even though I would usually go with something colored. I think I made something unusual though since I decided to go with a relaxed style

I just made a bunch of donuts and knotted them together with waxed cotton thread, like in my Cherry blossom necklace.

I imagined a beach wedding with a barefoot bride or a country style ceremony

(even though this pic looks like a Renaissance painting)

Maybe it's just I don't like stiff, traditional weddings and love those relaxed ceremonies where everybody feels comfortable and actually has fun! I'm not really a wedding girl, if you hadn't got it, but I certainly appreciate the beauty and fascination of a bride as anybody else.

As usual you can vote for your favorite entry fron the 9th to 15th of June on our team blog. 

Don't miss it!