The BIG Day!! The Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal Day has arrived ~ and The Year of Jewelry Project ~Week 15

And believe it or not ~ I am ready!

Yay!!

 (I was ready on the original reveal date but I was also grateful for the extra week to 
improve the photos and tweak the blog post ;~)
(I've also submitted the necklace as my Week 15 project
in The Year of Jewelry Project  ☺ Killed two birds:~)

My partner for this hop is Sheryl Stephens
of  The Babbling Beader
She is a very talented seed beader
and also has an Etsy shop where she sells some really cool
jewelry and some very unique beads.
Check it out, you won't be sorry☺

Dyed Pink Jade, Dyed Purple Magnesite, fresh water pearls,
Swarovski bicones, Bali Star toggle clasp and two types of seed beads

This is what Sheryl sent to me♥

As strange as it may sound, I absolutely LOVE the colors,
but they are not colors I would have actually picked out
if I was bead shopping.

So, without further ado, it's time to show you what I made☺

When I first saw this gorgeous pendant,

Dyed Purple Magnesite

I knew I wanted to try wire wrapping it.
I am just learning this technique.
  I need a TON of practice, but I like the way it came out.
(That little oval up front is a charm I made from pmc a while back,
it is actually covering a wonky join)

Dyed Purple Magnesite focal wrapped in sterling silver with
three little swarovski crystals

I had "grand" plans to make this a

"statement piece".

I was going to use leather cording with the pendant as the focal.

I planned to use at least some of each of the types of

beads that Sheryl sent and have several bunches of wire

wrapped beads cascading at intervals along the length of cording 

ending with the gorgeous toggle.

Making for a full,  flirty and fabulous statement necklace☺ 

But as I was attaching the beads it just 'felt' wrong.

It looked more than "busy", it just looked... messy? crowded? ;~(

I'm not sure exactly how to describe it, but
it just wasn't coming out like what I had in my head.

So I ended up going in the complete opposite direction
and kept it very simple.
And I'm happy with it☺

I wanted the toggle to have a more prominent
(i.e. visible) place in the design so on this necklace I used a

 button from the stash I inherited from my grandma as the closure
and kept the toggle for the next project.

I had a bunch of beads wrapped, in preparation for the full and flirty

 necklace that never happened, so I decided that I would do

a full and flirty bracelet instead☺

Besides, what better way to show off a beautiful toggle clasp, than in

 a bracelet. Right?

I loved the colors of the seed beads, and I have plans for them in

a Micro-macramé  project, but in the mean time I thought I would try

something a little outside the box for me.

 I don't know if those little top pieces are bead caps or cord ends,

but they work pretty good for earrings☺

I also had a couple of teardrops left over.

4 to be exact☺

The cute little ribbed lampwork beads are from Juls.

I added a couple of Swarovski crystals to the first pair

and a couple fish leather "leaves" to the second pair.

And there you have it!

My bead soup☺

Please take a few minutes to visit my partner

Sheryl Stephens at http://www.babblebead.blogspot.com/

to see what she made with the beads I sent.

What I sent Sheryl

HAPPY HOPPING!!

For a complete list (with links) of the other participants
go here☺

http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2013/04/the-7th-bead-soup-blog-party-second.html