This Brooch does Double Duty!!!

 They're both pretty awesome brooches (well at least I think so), but the brooch on the right was more awesome than I thought it was when I purchased it at a local antique shop. When you turn it over you can see that the pin part of the brooch is also a frame for what becomes two shoe clips. Pretty kewl, huh? I've not seen anything like this before but maybe it's more common than I'm aware of.  Not sure what I will do with it but it was an interesting find.

Until then.....keep shopping for the unusual!! 

The Third Reveal -- It's Here, It's Here!!!!

I saw the mailman and I thought one of those has just GOT to be for me!  And I was so excited when one of those boxes had my name on it from my partner, Kay Mallery. There it was....a box all taped up just waiting for me to tear into it.

I've been given some really kewl bead soup........

Vintage Findings, Beads, Czech Glass, MOP

 But I had to take another pic to show off the awesome vintage rhinestone pin that Kay sent along with that very French box it's laying on.

Vintage Rhinestone Pin, Sardonyx chunky beads and Tourmalated Quartz

But WAIT......there's more more more~~~~~lampwork beads that Kay has made herself.  And look at all those colors. Green's that represent the lushness of Oregon's Willamette Valley, shades of Blue off Oregon's rocky Pacific coast, and the Amber's that are all the shades of sand the ocean splashes up on.

Kay's Lampwork Beads

Well, I better get busy thinking about what I'm going to do with all this bead soup goodness I've been given.....time to get creative!  Thanks, Kay, for your beautiful bead soup.

Until then........let the creative juices flow!!!

The Second Reveal...It gave me a Challenge!

It's taken me a few days but I think I got it......Kay's Bead Soup, that is.....I put a few extra little touches to her Soup that I hope Kay will enjoy.....

and here it is 

You didn't really think I was going to show you, did you?  But I just left a small hint.....

Until then......relax and enjoy!

The Alchemy of Objects

Deryn Mentock is offering an online class called The Alchemy of Objects.  I'm very excited to be taking this class and learning techniques to include my vintage jewelry and objects along with my costume jewelry in future designs.

You may also want to check out her new book The Jewelry Maker's Design Book, An Alchemy of Objects.

Deryn offers a weekly challenge in this online class.  I hope to be able to participate in a couple of these challenges but my main focus is technique.  Hopefully I will have a beautiful piece of jewelry from my found objects to post in the future.

Until then......Keep Focused!!!

It's OK to be a Queen!!!!

every woman is a queen and

we all have different things to offer

Queen Latifah

The First Reveal of the 8th Bead Soup Blog Party

The first reveal of the 8th BSBP has arrived.....that being my partner for this Party.

Kay Mallery of Kay Mallery-Reflections and I will be exchanging our stashes and ramping up our creativity.  Kay enjoys using a variety of techniques and mediums in creating her jewelry. This gives me a lot to consider when putting Kay's Bead Soup together.

Stay tuned for three more reveals......

• my Bead Soup to Kay
• my Bead Soup from Kay, and
• what I did with my Bead Soup on May 3.

Until then.....Happy Creating!

It's Kinda Like......"Are we there yet"?

I'm like that kid in the backseat of the car asking mom and dad....."are we there yet"?  I'm filled with anticipation that my BSBP partner will soon be revealed to me.  I'm on the edge of the backseat of the car bouncing up and down until mom and dad finally say....."almost"!

Lori Anderson has performed a mind-boggling task of pairing BSBP participants together.  Thanks for all the many hours you've spent to make this event fun, exciting, and challenging for all of us.

Until my partner is revealed......Happy Beading!!!!