It's The Bead Soup Block Party 8 Reveal!

Thanks to Lori Anderson the organizer and founder of the Bead Soup Block Party. She tirelessly matches people around the world to trade beads and they make fabulous jewelry with what their assigned partner. Then we have a big reveal date and we get to hop all the blogs to see who made what and with what.

One of the things that I was the most excited about in getting my Bead Soup Partner 

Patricia Johnson from PLJGlassArt

was her love of recycling!!!! 

What Patricia sent me.

 I absolutely adore that about her.  Looking at my soup she has all these components that she pulled out of an old printer and even used some of the enamel in the printing ink to use in the lovely fused glass bowl that I now have on my jewelry desk to hold beads.

What I added to the mix. Plus a little more that I didn't get photo'd.  Just not that organized.

In the spirit of recycling and following Patricia's lead I dug in to my recycling drawer.  Looking for older beads, necklaces etc.....that I can add to the mix of what she sent.  So here is a photo of most of what I added to the mix.  Unfortunately sometimes I don't know what I am going to add until I put it together, so not all beads that I added to my Soup are shown.

I used Patricias lovely large lampwork bead as my color palate for the first set of jewelry I made.  The lampwork had a celestial feel to it, note the galaxy looking swirl in the large lampwork bead.  I took my lead from that.  I just so happen to have a old necklace in my junk drawer with a celestial feel to it.  So I dismantled that and pulled some moon and star shapes out of it.  I added some holes to some of the moon pieces so I could sandwich the large bead in between.  The Chain, Faux Cinnabar, Blue and Red Sponge Coral, Clay beads and Red Coconut Chips are all from old jewelry.  I added some Dumertierite, Kyanite and a Quartz dagger from Dakota Stones.

This necklace hangs asymmetrically and I added multiple dangles at the bottom of the lower moon to assist in its balance.

The bracelet I used her handmade clasp I believe made with aluminum from a printer her lovely lampwork and natural Coral.  I added the Red Sponge Coral, Faux Cinnabar, Metal Beads all from recycled jewelry pieces. The Kyanite I added was from Dakota Stones.

I made the following earrings with Paticia's Lampwork and some Dumortierite and Kyanite from Dakota Stones.

Now the soup got really interesting!!!!!!!  What to do with the gears and those very stiff aluminum sheets.  I just happen to be so lucky to coordinate the look of the following pieces with Stinky Dog Beads.  She happened to email me around the time as I was contemplating my next Bead Soup Pieces and I asked her what she thought of adding to my mix.  I told her what I had left to work with. So she sent me those vanilla Czech Glass Beads and some lovely Greek Mykonos Charms that I used in this piece.

I made a coordinating bracelet with Patricia's gears and at the base for the focal and her lovely lampwork at the center.  The large bead caps were from Michaels and some more of the vanilla Czech Glass from Stinky Dog Beads along with the Greek Mykonos dragonfly.

I had all these really lovely Red Coral and Natural Coral pieces and originally I thought I would use the gears.  I decided to go back to some of my roots as a jewelry designer and make a earthy chunky statement necklace with a messy layering of these beads on chain.  I added the quartz daggers from Dakota Stones and the Red Czech Glass, chunky chain were from Stinky Dog Beads.

I made a coordinating bracelet with bead caps, Coral Chain, Greek Mykonos from Stinky Dog Beads and added one of Patricias Natural Coral beads.  I added the chain and lobster claw to the mix.

I am pleased with the outcome of what I made. Not sure which are my favorites.  I suppose the biggest challenge for me was working with the recycled metal pieces but 

THAT WAS THE MOST FUN TO!

TO SEE WHAT PATRICIA MADE WITH WHAT I SENT CLICK HERE!

If you are interested in some of Patricia Johnsons Glasswork and Recycled Bits you can find her on Etsy. Just click the below link.

PLJ Glass Art

To find my jewelry for sale go to the following link on Etsy.

YaY! Jewelry

Want to Hop All The Beads Soup Blogs and see what creative genius is spread across the country.  Got to the following link below.

CLICK TO BLOG HOP HERE!!!!!

Krista Artista Gallery Trunk Show in Picturesque Anoka Minnesota

I recently had a trunk show 

at 

Krista Artista Gallery 

in 

Anoka Minnesota.  

Anoka Minnesota is a lovely blue collar river city with picturesque bluffs and an old world feel. 

 I have been in this gallery under a year and I have developed quite the following up there.  I guess it is not surprising when you look at the community.  I love it!  They have all kinds of lovely little shops, antique, clothing boutiques just my kind of shopping place.  It is alluring to the eye.  So I made some jewelry for my new trunk show that is alluring to the eye.

Good Morning Sunshine Necklace - Sold

This was the necklace I wore to the show and this was my favorite one so I kind of shed a tear when I sold it.  I know though it is in the hands of a very appreciative owner.  Just this year I have begun my goal into making some of my own jewelry components.  This is a long necklace and that copper swirling shape is one I have been remaking and playing with in different styles.  This is my first long necklace and I think it works quite well.  Although it is asymmetrical the balance of the swirl is offset but the Titanium treated Druzy at the side.  I love the cheerful feel of the necklace.  Brings that fun song to mind, "Because I'm Happy" by Pharrell Williams.  It is how I felt when I made it.  I added some really fun lampwork beads by studioJules, 2 types of corals, Greek Mykonos and Sunstone.  It's a Happy Necklace.

It is refreshing to see people get my earthy interesting style.  I live south of the river, southern metro area and lets just say these ladies like their bling.  Blingy Jeans and Blingy Jewelry.  Nothing wrong with a little sparkle but sparkle really isn't my forte.  I love very earthy, textural jewelry that focuses on stone and mixed media.  I love to incorporate lampwork beads in my work.  The necklace below is my Wigwam Necklace.  Working with some very flowing copper shapes that I made and adding my unique bent to it.   The lampwork is from Donna Millard and is gorgeous!!!

Wigwam Necklace

I added some really great stone into this design.  The AAA quality Kyanite is from Dakota Stones as is the Angelite and Bronzite Nuggets.  I also added some Ostritch Egg Shell beads, wood and a super spikey pendant from Scorched Earth.  This is really a fun and sexy necklace on.  

African Trade Beads Necklace

Not everyone is into long necklaces so I had to make this short tied necklace that has been in my head for quite sometime.  I purchased these lovely Blue and White African trade beads at the Rings N Things show.  I wanted to make a necklace with my twisting tying technique but without the large pendant.  So this is a spin off of that style.  This necklace has some brass beads to the front but at the back I added some fine silver bead caps and clasp from Hill Tribes Silver.  I twisted in some bone and Lapis beads from Dakota Stones.

Of course I made some earrings to match!!!!!!!  But I am all about the necklaces!  I could make them 24 hours a day.

None of the jewelry here is in my shop yet.  I will be adding styles like these to my shop the week after Mothers Day.

The one thing that I really like is how the styles you come up with can spin off into similar pieces and that is what I have going on here.  Cant wait to delve in and make more longer styles with the copper!!!!!

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Pendant Grouping Jewelry

I am always interested in taking materials and attempting to use them in atypical ways.  You can see what a typical design would be, all the pendants grouped together.  I am drawn to the unique and atypical uses of materials.  I can't tell you how many times I have ogled over a designers jewelry and said now "Why didn't I think of that"?  I love to see those designers work.  Seems that they just have a special place in their brain for that type of creative thought.
I strive to be one of them!!!!

So I received these really lovely pendant bead sets by Jeff Elvin of Dakota Stones and he asked me to  come up with with some designs for him.  Jeff was launching them to his website and he wanted a few designs to show his customers how they could use them. What I love the most about them was the rough hammered surface. It also has a smooth surface to but I only see myself using the rough surface.

Khaleesi Necklace

With this necklace I used all 5 of the pendants in the grouping. I love Game of Thrones and new season was airing soon and I was thinking about Khaleesi. I made some copper accents, added some Brecciated Jasper and Greek Mykonos and tied it all up with waxed linen.  I primarily tie all my jewelry and I am always looking for different ways to added the texture of tying into my jewelry.  I did a tying technique in between my copper points.

Lapis Necklace - SOLD

I was really excited that these pendant groupings came in Lapis and couldn't wait to get my hands on those for my Between the Lines collection that is one of my newer styles this 2014. Here I used only 1 of the pendants.  I do have to tell you if you are planning on tying it is helpful to have an 

Euro Tool Electric Bead Reamer.  

This is my go to tool!!!!!  I bought mine at Rio Grande but you can find them and extra bits on Amazon.  All of the stones are from Dakota Stones and the lampwork is from Outwest.  Good part about this design is that now I still have 4 LAPIS PENDANTS LEFT!!!!!!

Fossil Coral Necklace

I have an obsession with peachy coral and that has been going on for nearly 2 years.  I love Sunstone, Moonstone and Fossil Coral.  I used all 5 pieces in this Fossil Coral Set.  Added some Sea Urchin, Wood, Greek Mykonos and Pink Agate.  This was an interesting design to tie as I had to start from the clasp and move in from their to do that tying technique at the pendant.

Some simple designs with tying in Lapis and African Turquoise.

Sunset Over Water Necklace

I love Dakota Stones for many reasons really but this is a big one.  They have so many beads in the same type of stone in odles of shapes, drills finishes you name it.  I am a very textural jewelry designer and they are a stone lovers dream come true and personally they do it like no other.  Here I used one of the pendants in Rough Sunset Dumortierite.  They recently came out with these great rectangle beads in matte and glossy finishes and in many types of stones.  I added one of them here and was fortunate enough to have some nearly identical Lampwork by Bokamo Designs.  I also added Sunstone, Lapis, Jade and Greek Mykonos.  The clasp and copper bail were handmade by me.

 Winding River Necklace

Made with Red Creek Jasper, matte carved Amazonite, Brecciated Jasper, Wood and Lampwork by Bokamo Designs.  One of my friends called it Lyrical and I think she got that right.

Tribal Turquoise Necklace

Another very Tribal piece using African Turquois Pendants.  Here I use only 3.  I added Rough Carved Onyx, Greek Mykonos and some handmade copper components by me.

Butterflies From Heaven Necklace - Mine

I know my mom was smiling down on my from heaven as I made this necklace.  She loved butterflies!  This one was made with Amazonite, Carved Matte Amazonite, Greek Mykonos, Lampwork from Firelily and some fancy wire work made by me.  For now this one is mine.  I will be making some for my shop.  I have a few kinks to work out.  One of my favorite colors!!!!!

Many of these designs can be purchased here or click through the links to the above necklace.

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