It's Party Time!!

YAY!! It’s time for the first group of the 6^th Bead Soup Blog Party to reveal their creations. My Bead Soup came from the mega talented Dana James. If you check out my previous post you can see all the goodies she sent.

The first piece I wanted to use was the hand soldered pendant. In addition to creating the pendant, the picture in the pendant is Dana’s art work. You can see more of her artwork on her art blog.

The pendant and the pink and green crystals Dana sent reminded me of Spring, so I added some Czech flowers to keep with that theme. As I went through my (huge) stash of beads, I found the cute little butterfly. I’ve had this for several years and never had a design that really called for it. But I think this is the perfect place for it. The pearls and chain were also sent by Dana. She sent a great mix of sparkle pieces so I dangled one from the sari silk tied on the pendant. I finished the piece with a lovely flower toggle clasp that was included in my soup.

The second piece I made is this necklace. I took a rhinestone pin from my soup, cut off the back, and attached it to one of the large floral pendants. I think it is a great mix of bohemian and bling. The copper clasp on this piece was hand forged by Dana. I used some of the sari silk from Dana and then to accent the pendant, I added the beautiful black coral beads Dana bought on her trip to Columbia and mixed them with some metal accent beads from my soup. The copper connector pieces are from my stash.

Next was I made a bracelet using more of the black coral accented with smoke crystals.  The brass connectors and copper clasp were from my stash. 

The final piece I made was this pearl bracelet.  Everything except the clasp came from Dana.  I love this with it's spring colored Swarovski crystals mixed with the pearls.  It's a little difficult to see, but there is also a dainty rose gold colored chain that I added to the bracelet just for a little something different.

I still have some beads, chains, rhinestones and pendants left from the package Dana sent.  I've just run out of time!

Please visit the other designers participating in the Blog Party.

Hostess, Lori Anderson, PrettyThingsBlog.com

Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles

Alicia Marinache, All The Pretty Things

Amanda Tibbetts, Amanda Made

Amber Dawn Goldish, Inventive Soul

Annita Wilson, AW Jewelry

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool

Birgitta Lejonklou, Create With Spirit 

Candida Castleberry, Spinning Spun Sugar

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Cassie Donlen, Glass Beadle

Cheri Reed, Creative Designs by Cheri

Cheryl McCloud, One Thing Leads to Another  (you are here!)

Cheryl Roe, BeadRoe

Christina Hickman, Vintage Treasures Jewelry

Christine Hendrickson, Clamworks

Cilla Watkins, Tell Your Girlfriends

Cindy Wilson, Mommy's Dream

Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio

Cory Celaya, Art With Moxie

Cory Tompkins, Tealwater Designs

Cris Peacock, Cris' Page

Cynthia Deis, Shiny Little Things

Cynthia Machata, Antiquity Travelers

Cynthia Wainscott, Exotic Peru

Dana Hickey, Magpie Approved

Dana James, Dana's Jewelry Designs

Dana Lang, Tumblestone Handmakery

Debbie Price, Green Shoot Jewellery Designs

Denielle Hagerman, Some Beads and Other Things

Diane Valasek, Dragonfly Close

Doris Stumpf, Glaszwerg

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell, Dee-Liteful Jewelry Creations

Elaine Robitaille, Too Aquarius

Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life

Enikö Fabian, Perl-eni

Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found

Heather Davis, Blissful Garden Beads

Heidi Post, Ex Post Facto Jewelry

Hilary Frye, FryeStyle

Ilenia Ruzza, Ilenia's Unique Beaded and Painted Jewelry

Inge von Roos, Inge's Blog

Jami Shipp, Celebrating Life

Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle

Jean A. Well, Jean A. Wells Handcrafted Artisan Jewelry

Jean Yates, Snap Out of It Jean! There's Beading to Do!

Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions

Jennifer Pottner, Rock Candy Beads

Jennifer VanBenschoten, Jewelry, Art and Life

Jenny Davies-Reazor, Jenny Davies-Reazor

Jenny Vidberg, Shyme Design

Jessica Dickens, My Jewelry, My Life, Me

Jessica Klaaren, Beadful-Things by Jessica

JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions

Joan Williams, Lilruby Jewelry

Judith Johnston, Judith Johnston

Judy Riggs, Rigglettes

Judy Turner, Silver Rains

Julie Anne Leggett, The Peaceful Bead

K Hutchinson, Jumbled Hutch

Karen Meador, Dreamcatcher Ranch

Karyn Bonfiglio, Plus Size Bangles

Katherine Gale, Terra Beadworks
Kathleen Lange Klik, Modern Nature Studio

Katja Benevol Gabrijelcic, Slovonske Technobe

Kelli Jacobson, Creative Moon

Kelly Ramstack, Adventures with Kelly

Keri Lee Sereika, Pink Lemonade

Kim Ballor, Vitamin C... A Daily Dose of Creativity

Kim Bender-Hora, KimmyKat

Kirsi Luostarinen, Kirsi Luo Korut

Kitty Bozzini, Kitty Lampwork

Laura Demoya, The Bead Therapist

Laurie Hanna, Laurie's Jewelbox

Leah Curtis, Beady Eyed Bunny

Lesley Watt, The Gossiping Goddess

Linda Inhelder, Must-Haves Jewelry

Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog & Meanderings

Lisa Liddy, Metal Me This

Lori Dorrington, Lori's Adventures in Etsy Land

Lori Poppe, Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean

Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads

Marge Beebe, Rock Creek Creations

Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things

Marion Simmons, Shade Tree Studio

Marla Gibson, Spice Box Design

Marta Weaver, Marta Weaver Jewelry

Marti Conrad, Marti C's Clay Blog

Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens, GlassBeadArt, Lampwork Beads

Melanie Brooks, Earthenwood Studio

Michelle Hardy, Firefly Visions

Mikala Coates, Maybe Just Perhaps

Mowse Doyle, HoCArt

Nan Emmett, Spirit Rattles - Spirited Earth

Nancy Boylan, Snazzy Doodle Designs

Nancy Peterson, Beading From the Heart

Nicole Rennell, Nicole Rennell Designs

Niki Meiners, 365 Days of Craft

Niky Sayers, Silver Nik Nats

Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas
Paige Maxim, Paige Maxim Designs
Pamela Gangler, She Always Loved Pink

Patricia Johnson, Patricia L. Johnson Glass Art

Patti Vanderbloemen, My Addictions ... Handcrafted Jewelry by Patti

Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs

Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads

Renetha Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts

Shannon Hicks, Falling Into the Sky

Shannon LeVart, Miss Fickle Media

Sharon Driscoll, Right Turn Art Werks

Shelby Foxwell, Sundown Bead Designs Rhetoric

Shelley Graham Turner, Fabric of My Life

Sherri Stokey, Knot Just Macrame

Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread

Skylar Bre'z, Brising Beads

Stacie Florer, Soul to Substance

Stacie Stamper, Park Avenue

Stacy Alderson, Iridal's Attic

Stephanie Haussler, Pixybug Designs

Stephanie Stamper, Rainy Day Designs

Sue Hamel, The Bottle Cork and Crystal

Suzette Bentley, Ellie's Bijoux

Szarka, Magpie Gemstones

Tammy Jones, Jewelry Making Daily

Tania Tebbit, Glass, Craft, & Artful Goodness

Tanty Sri Hartanti, TJewellicious by Tanti

Terry Matuszyk, Pink Chapeau

Tina Bosh, Every Good and Perfect Gift

Tracy Bell, Copper, Glass and Recycled Trash

Vonna Maslanka, Just Vonna

A big THANK YOU so our hostess, Lori Anderson.  You wouldn't believe all the work she has put into this.  She is remarkable!!

Is It Soup Yet?

I'm working on my jewelry designs using the bead soup I received from Dana James.  The big blog hop hosted by Lori Anderson starts at 12am EDT Friday night/Saturday morning.  Thank goodness that's 9pm for me.  Here are the goodies I got from Dana to use in my designs.

Included in the package of beady goodness was a pendant created from a piece of her original art and soldered between glass.  It's beautiful!  Another handmade item is a lovely hand forged copper clasp.  The beads include some black coral from Dana's trip to Columbia, pearls and Swarovski crystals.  She also sent along some sari silk which I LOVE, some chain, some sparkles and lots of different metal beads and focals.  

I've already made several pieces and still have enough for more jewelry.  So check back Friday July 27 at 9PM for the big reveal...

The Color Run

On Saturday, I got together with some friends and we participated in the Color Run in San Francisco.  It's a crazy, fun event where you run (or walk) a 5K and they have color stations set up along the route where volunteers throw colored corn starch at you.

By the end of the race you are covered in color.

There was a fun post-race party with color being thrown everywhere.  Lots of fun!!  We are planning on doing it again next year.

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer 2012

The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer was held July 7th and 8th  in San Francisco.  This was my 8th year to participate in this event.

It's a 2 day walk.  26.2 miles (a marathon) on Saturday and 13 miles (1/2 marathon) on Sunday.  The walk starts at 7am on Saturday in San Francisco, wanders through the city and then over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, Mill Valley and Corte Madera.  There is camping in Corte Madera with Mt. Tamalpais in the background.

Sunday begins at 7 am with the walkers heading back to San Francisco in a shortened reverse route.

I have had so many health issues this last year that I wasn't able to train for the event so I changed my participation status to a volunteer.  I helped take down the tents, load sleeping bags and gear, worked the information booth, and cheered the walkers at the finish line.  

Here's the finish line with the GG Bridge in the background.

The BC Survivors at the closing ceremonies.

I've already signed up for next year!!

I Love a Parade

Each year a neighborhood near us has a 4^th of July Parade.  It’s just like an old small-town parade—mounted and motorcycle police, floats created by the neighbors, vintage cars with people throwing candy to the crowd, kids on bicycles, tricycles, and wagons all decorated in red, white and blue.  

At the end of the parade, all the spectators along with their kids and dogs, follow along as the parade winds through the neighborhood streets to the local park.  

The local fire department is at the back of the parade and when they reach the park they plug into a hydrant and start shooting huge plumes of water into the park.  The kids (both young and old) race around in the spray having the time of their lives!!  It's a great way to celebrate the day!

6th Bead Soup Blog Hop

I'm so excited that I get to participate in this fun event hosted by the fabulous Lori Anderson.   I've wanted to participate before but the schedule never worked for me.  There are 399 people participating this year.  It's gotten so big that the blog hopping will be done in 3 different groups.  I'm in the first group revealing on 7/28. 

My swap partner is Dana James of Dana's Jewelry Design.  She's very talented as a jewelry designer and an artist.  She was very fast sending out my Bead Soup.  We can't show pictures until the reveal...but I can show the wonderful package she sent it in.  You can see the packages of beads peeking out of the top.

And here's a picture of what I'm sending Dana.  Of course, all you get to see is the box....but I did make it pretty.  Something a little special for Dana and help brighten up the letter carrier's day as well.

I'll have the list of participants on here later with links to their blogs so you can hop along with me.  I can't wait!