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Saturday, September 17, 2011

Bead Soup Blog Party



I  am participating in a HUGE bead blog hop.  There are 350 people in it. You can look at beads and beading projects to your hearts content.  The BSBP goes like this:

  • We were assigned a partner. Mine is Amber Dawn. She is a jewelry maker who works a lot in polymer clay. Check out her blog, she makes miniatures that are pretty impressive.
  • We send a focal bead, a clasp, and some filler beads to our partner.  
  • We use what we receive to make a piece of jewelry.
  • We blog about it today!
 So, just about the time we were mailing beads to each other, Amber was going into the city (NYC) and asked me if there was anything I wanted. I said, "Please send me the cast of Hair."  She did not send me the cast, but she did send me photos of the theater marquis.

She also made me specially designed polymer beads. Another interesting note: the beads I sent Amber also have some purple in them. I am not normally a purple girl, and since I am a lampwork bead maker, purple polymer beads were awesomely different for me. It was fun to do something out of my ordinary. I think that is the point of the party.

 She sent me enough components to make 2 or 3 pieces of jewelry. These are some of my favorites. She made these. They are jewelry sized, so the words are very small.  Remember, she works in miniature? And she pays attention and made them about Hair and one of the songs from the musical. Doesn't the metal piece look like a sun?  Love it.

She has little (literally) notes on the pieces. 

 Since I had the Hair theme going, and it is set in the 70s, I thought that I would make a macrame bracelet. I did a lot of macrame in the 70s, so they seem to go together to me.

To begin, I tied two strands of lavender cotton braiding thread to my clasp...taped everything to the table, and started knotting.

 I tied everything with a large enough hole into the knots.


 The green beads had holes too small, but I wanted them on the bracelet, so I put them on head pins so they could be added.

 I knotted a long enough piece to fit my wrist and tied the string to the other end of the clasp.

 Then, I tied two lengths of a deeper purple cord to the clasp and started knotting. I added 7 green bead dangles before finishing and attaching it to the bracelet at the end.

 The bracelet has two strands.  Groovy!

Below, you will find links to each person in the BSBP.  Visit as many blogs as you can! Enjoy!

Take your Vitamin C, and, I leave you with this to stick itself in your brain:



The Hostess, Lori Anderson and her partner, Manuela Wutschke















 
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89 comments:

  1. Amber Dawn Inventive SoulSeptember 17, 2011 at 1:06 AM

    ~*Hi Kim!*~
    You really put it all together so nicely!
    What a fun piece! & a fun post!
    I love how you "tied it all together" ;o)

    Wait till you see what I made...
    8 pieces! (2 sets of earrings, 4 necklaces and 2 bracelets!
    :o)
    THANK YOU for the inspiration!
    ~*Amber*~

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  2. bwheatherSeptember 17, 2011 at 2:54 AM

    Simply gorgeous. I totally love the colours and details. Yummo. ;-)

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  3. JenniSeptember 17, 2011 at 3:16 AM

    Love how you tied the "Hair" era together with the macrame! Great work...and thanks for the music.
    jenni

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  4. coffeeaddictSeptember 17, 2011 at 3:48 AM

    Groovy :-D

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  5. la mar de bonitaSeptember 17, 2011 at 4:11 AM

    Great bracelet - I love these colours and your style!
    Greetings, Michi

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  6. JoSeptember 17, 2011 at 6:14 AM

    I love the story behind your bracelet! A great fun piece.

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  7. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2011 at 6:26 AM

    That is a really cool journey you went on whilst making this piece - the inspiration makes it truly yours! Lovely colours, I'm glad you've worked with something different.

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  8. EB Bead and Metal Works, LLCSeptember 17, 2011 at 6:35 AM

    Love how she came up with the polymer clay theme. I also love how you incorporated the macrame and the beads all together! Awesome!

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  9. earthlyjewelsSeptember 17, 2011 at 6:50 AM

    OOh everything's just so pretty! I love the colors!
    Penny of Earthly Jewels

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  10. TracySeptember 17, 2011 at 7:01 AM

    What pretty shades of purple, I love your creation. :)

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  11. moonlitfantaseasSeptember 17, 2011 at 7:25 AM

    love the purple!

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  12. AliceSeptember 17, 2011 at 9:40 AM

    Your piece is amazing! Love the purple. Love the macrame. Love the 'Hair' theme. I grew up in that era, so thanks for bringing back some wonderful memories.

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  13. UnknownSeptember 17, 2011 at 9:56 AM

    Purple! I think more of Jimi Hendrix, Purple Haze. I auditioned for Hair in 1968, didn't get it. True Story, I worked at the Free Store Theater in the East Village.
    Thanks for the time warp.

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  14. BluMoonSeptember 17, 2011 at 10:08 AM

    Love all the purple shades very nice inspiration!

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  15. DaviniaDesignSeptember 17, 2011 at 10:30 AM

    I adore purple, I always go for that color, don't ask me why. But, you did a gorgeous work with these lovely goodies...

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  16. AnnSeptember 17, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    Very interesting piece. The seventies revisited:) I really like the way you used the macrame to bring it all together.

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  17. Angel WhispererSeptember 17, 2011 at 11:27 AM

    lovely bracelet and a lovely color I am a purple girl :)

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  18. I LOVE color!September 17, 2011 at 11:53 AM

    What a treasure trove you have created. Awesome colors
    Be Blessed to be a blessing

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  19. cw whitedogjewelrySeptember 17, 2011 at 11:58 AM

    Very eye-catching, interesting and fun piece. 'love the texture and color.

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  20. Karyn BSeptember 17, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    Loving the decision to go with the macrame. And love that you shared your process. Great soup!

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  21. EmandaJSeptember 17, 2011 at 12:53 PM

    What a hoot (in a Groovy way!) Love the idea and the execution of it. Isn't collaboration wonderful?!

    Enjoy the hop,
    Emanda

    http://artemisiastudio.blogspot.com/2011/09/bead-soup-reveal.html

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  22. CraftyHopeSeptember 17, 2011 at 1:32 PM

    You received such a fun soup. How creative of Amber to make those Hair themed pieces just for you!

    I love the macrame and the yumminess of the whole piece. You really knocked this out of the park!

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  23. Tammy JonesSeptember 17, 2011 at 1:34 PM

    That's so clever! You pulled the pieces together so well. Macrame was a brilliant idea and it looks like such a fun piece. Congrats!

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  24. Recycled Cottage & GardenSeptember 17, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    Purple is my favorite color so of course I loved your bracelet. It is truly wonderful.

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  25. Christine AltmillerSeptember 17, 2011 at 2:18 PM

    fantastic!

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  26. Shay StoneSeptember 17, 2011 at 2:49 PM

    I love what you did with your soup! Very nice :)

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  27. JLYNNJEWELSSeptember 17, 2011 at 3:20 PM

    Love your creativity and inspiration to the hair song :) - purple is one of my favorite colors and have to say your design is a lot of FUN :)

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  28. Courtney BreulSeptember 17, 2011 at 3:27 PM

    I love this! Hair is one of my favorite musicals of all time and the music is great. I love how you tied this all together. Congrats.

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  29. T...September 17, 2011 at 3:43 PM

    very nice.......

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  30. MariannaSeptember 17, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    very pretty! Love that color!

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  31. ChrissySeptember 17, 2011 at 4:02 PM

    Very fun! Purple too is one of my favorite colors. Its great too that you put your pieces together with using HAIR as your inspiration.

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  32. UnknownSeptember 17, 2011 at 4:49 PM

    great color and very creative work! Have a nice day hopping through the world wide web ;-) Yours, Doris

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  33. CharlieSeptember 17, 2011 at 6:09 PM

    I love the purple. I never use that color but it works great for your piece. Great work.

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  34. ChristineSeptember 17, 2011 at 7:25 PM

    I love the story about how it all came together - such a fun bracelet!

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  35. Lupe MeterSeptember 17, 2011 at 7:45 PM

    What a fun and pretty bracelet and the color combinations are lovely! Beautiful job!

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  36. Stories They TellSeptember 17, 2011 at 7:56 PM

    Love the macrame! Great use of the components and a fun concept!

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  37. MaggieSeptember 17, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    Love the macrame look!

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  38. KayzKreationzSeptember 17, 2011 at 9:49 PM

    How fun. I used to macrame, too, and that bracelet is too cool. Like the colors and the "Hair" theme, also. Wonderful job.

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  39. Therese's TreasuresSeptember 17, 2011 at 9:59 PM

    Kim I love how creative you were with your bead mix, the bracelet is pretty neat.
    Therese

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  40. WendySeptember 17, 2011 at 10:20 PM

    Very pretty, love the colors!

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  41. rosebud101September 17, 2011 at 10:27 PM

    How fun! I love what you did with your soup!

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  42. UnknownSeptember 17, 2011 at 11:37 PM

    way groovy! nice bracelet

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  43. Pam @ The Blue BetweenSeptember 18, 2011 at 12:29 AM

    pure purple funk! Fun to see how you put it all together too - happy blog hopping :)

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  44. SandraSeptember 18, 2011 at 1:00 AM

    Am not a big fan of purple (anymore), but how fantastic of her to create those beads just for you! I'm not a polyclay person at all, but I'd really love to figure out how she did these ...

    I love what you came up with, yay macramee. I keep wanting to get back into it (had a very short macramee period when I was ... 12? something like that), but books on it are so hard to find now. D=

    And, thank you, that song will be stuck in my head all day now, hahah.

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  45. Clayworks by Lisa BoucherSeptember 18, 2011 at 7:59 AM

    Beautiful work with that royal mix of purple and gold, and you do capture the spirit of Aquarius there!

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  46. JenniferJanglesSeptember 18, 2011 at 9:12 AM

    Very, pretty, love the fibers incorporated with the beads.

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  47. The Last Day OneSeptember 18, 2011 at 10:58 AM

    Beautifully done, I love how you wove the musical into the piece!

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  48. Marie CrampSeptember 18, 2011 at 12:32 PM

    Super fun!! :)

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  49. horimarikaSeptember 18, 2011 at 2:42 PM

    You worked with cool beads! And your work is cool! Love that!

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  50. BobbieSeptember 18, 2011 at 3:10 PM

    Love the groovy macrame, dude! You did a great job of finding the feel of the beads and running with it. I'll bet this bracelet will bring a big smile to your face every time you wear it.

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  51. UnknownSeptember 18, 2011 at 3:13 PM

    Oh wow what a peice of prettiness! What a great story! I love the macrame you used! Really lovely lovely what youve made!!

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  52. KateSeptember 18, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    Gorgeous colors and brilliant technique! love it!

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  53. Laura TwifordSeptember 18, 2011 at 4:40 PM

    Purple is one of my favorites! Such a fun soup creation you made!

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  54. AndreaSeptember 18, 2011 at 4:47 PM

    When I first saw your piece, I thought the macrame was kumihimo. There is a braid very similar. Love the way you put everything together.

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  55. ShirleySeptember 18, 2011 at 5:43 PM

    Ok, love purple. Love macrame. Love your design!!!! What a fun piece!

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  56. Lori AndersonSeptember 18, 2011 at 6:09 PM

    LOL -- the cast from Hair! And I'm not the least bit surprised she took your request to heart.

    Very well done!


    I hope you'll join me again next time -- the blog button and dates are on my blog now!

    Love, Lori

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  57. CorySeptember 18, 2011 at 7:37 PM

    Love the piece, love the colors, love the design.

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  58. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    Everything about this is wonderful. Those polymer "Hair" beads are amazing, and your creation is fun and beautiful! So talented!

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  59. SkyeSeptember 18, 2011 at 8:50 PM

    I love how you went with the macrame to keep with your 'theme';)

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  60. BrynaSeptember 18, 2011 at 9:45 PM

    Very cool!

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  61. Heidi PostSeptember 18, 2011 at 9:45 PM

    How fun that Amber made everything so personal for you. Great story, fun bracelet!

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  62. ElizabethSeptember 18, 2011 at 9:51 PM

    I do so remember doing macrame and when hair came out on Broadway and it is just like Amber Dawn to remember every little detail that you told her and to include it all in your soup!! that is just how awesome this woman is!!!
    I love what you did with all the fabulous purple!! Stunning!!!

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  63. OhAllisonBeadingSeptember 18, 2011 at 9:58 PM

    Wish I had saved my hand-me-down bell bottoms. Love the piece and the story behind it.

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  64. Palimpa LimSeptember 19, 2011 at 3:43 AM

    Hahahaaa! I love the idea of wishing for the cast of Hair as a "little" souvenir, LOL
    And it is so funny of Amber to make some Hair components especially for you...!
    What you came up with is a fun and stunning piece! Macrame...wow...I am still smiling :) This really lets the sun shine on me :)

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  65. Snazzy Doodle DesignsSeptember 19, 2011 at 10:42 AM

    That is so cool that she tied it into something you love. Really neat bracelet

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  66. Amy S.September 19, 2011 at 12:25 PM

    What clever components!! I really loved the colors in this soup and you did a beautiful job putting them together - that pbarcelet is so pretty!

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  67. BeadaholiqueSeptember 19, 2011 at 4:03 PM

    That is too great! I really love what you did, especially the macrame... How clever!! I also love the fact that you and your partner sent each other very similar color stories! :) Brava!

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  68. AquariartSeptember 19, 2011 at 7:27 PM

    I love purple, love the beads your partner made, so unique and the bracelet looks fabulous. I can hear that song in my head when I look at it. I used to play it on the piano in the day. Great story and bracelet!

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  69. alisonSeptember 19, 2011 at 9:36 PM

    purple...oh how i love purple! i love how your bracelet has such a fun story. very cute!
    cheers!

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  70. LorettaSeptember 20, 2011 at 9:43 AM

    Very thoughtful partner you have there. Love the tie in to Hair. The soup is beautiful, and I love the bracelet. It will be fun to wear.

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  71. JennySeptember 20, 2011 at 2:55 PM

    Wow that was amazing!

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  72. SueBeadsSeptember 20, 2011 at 6:03 PM

    Gorgeous and such an inventive blog post!

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  73. Sweet Willow DesignsSeptember 20, 2011 at 8:10 PM

    Really pretty with the macrame.

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  74. diane hawkeySeptember 20, 2011 at 10:29 PM

    I love that you used macrame in your piece.

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  75. Myléne HillamSeptember 21, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    How fabulous! You two make a great team! I love that you stuck with the period and incorporated macramé into the bracelet... that was a stroke of genius!

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  76. RebeccaSeptember 21, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    Love the cool pieces you were sent! Beautiful colours.

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  77. Elysian StudiosSeptember 21, 2011 at 12:44 PM

    I love purple, and the inspiration for this piece is so fun! Great job!

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  78. Sweet FreedomSeptember 21, 2011 at 9:17 PM

    Delightful funky bracelet!

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  79. ManekiSeptember 22, 2011 at 11:12 AM

    Fun and funky bracelet! I liked that you used purple cord (purple's my favourite colour), adding colour and texture. Great job!

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  80. Clarity Of PurpleSageSeptember 22, 2011 at 1:55 PM

    Love the macrame weaving, like the friendship bracelet weaves. purple is my color love all that you did with it !! Great interpretation!!!

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  81. ~IngridSeptember 22, 2011 at 11:55 PM

    Love your reveal and the way you put it all together. Awesome!

    Ingrid~Wrapped In Silver

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  82. vonnaSeptember 24, 2011 at 8:26 PM

    Thank you for sharing, love your story almost as much as I love what you made with your soup! Great Job...

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  83. SoulsFireDesignsSeptember 25, 2011 at 2:09 PM

    Gorgeous pieces! Love love the bracelet! And the necklace is really creative! Great job!

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  84. Alice CraddickSeptember 25, 2011 at 7:30 PM

    I love the fact that your soup has personal meaning for you and were picked out especially for you. Macrame brings back memories of some of my first "beadweaving" It was fun then and probably still is- Have not tried it again in a million years!
    Alice's Beads and Baubles

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  85. Cheryl K RoeSeptember 25, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    Very pretty design.

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  86. AnonymousSeptember 26, 2011 at 12:41 PM

    Using macrame was a thoughtful choice and I love the colour!
    Amnbra

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  87. TesoriTrovatiSeptember 27, 2011 at 6:20 PM

    Love the purple macrame. I have never done that and it seems so complex. I love the texture that brings to the piece. That is some tasty soup! Enjoy the day!
    Erin

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  88. TerriSeptember 29, 2011 at 5:20 PM

    Soup-er cool designs!! Great color palete too! Fantastic pieces!

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  89. Chris HansenOctober 3, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    Kim - what a lovely serving of Bead Soup - purple and green and fuschia play together so well, and I think your purple macrame pulls it all together perfectly - you certainly rose to the challenge with style! Great work!

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