ABS CHALLENGE APRIL

Sadly I wasn't able to make anything for last months post, whaich was a shame as Marianne North is one of my all time favourite artists I have several books about her and have great admiration for all the travels she undertook later in her life, when things were not quite as easy as they are today. 

However this months inspiration is a very colourful painting by the post imressionist painter Gauguin which you can see below and here is a link to the Art Bead Scene Blog if you would like to read more about the painting and artist. 
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/april-monthly-challenge.html

I have picked out some of the rich colours to translate into a necklace the focal bead is by Jean Cristin and I added coral, green turquoise etc, the metal is copper.

I hope you enjoyed looking and I would love it if you left me a comment.

~Jackie~

BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY REVEAL!

Today is the day for revealing what we have made with the bead I received from my partner Tracy Stillman

The bead from Tracy was a beautiful green color and as soon as it arrived I knew exactly the main beads I would use for a necklace some Australian chrysoprase a great match for the focal, I have had the beads for ever and now I am so glad I kept them as I think they look really nice, I also used Tourmaline rondels and some silver beads, the dangle is Jade with a silver bead cap. I hope my partner will like the necklace and I hope I have done justice to the bead you sent me Tracy!

Here is the link for the rest of the folk and I just want to say Thank You Lori Anderson for having the courage to start up your awesome Bead Soup again, so just click on the link below scroll down the page to take a trip round some great blogs. 
http://www.prettythingsblog.com/…/welcome-to-bead-soup-blog…

~Jackie~

BEAD SOUP PARTY

I have been looking forward to this party as I have been a participant in all except one of Lori Andersons Bead Soup Blog Parties and have sent and received beads from all round the world which is so exciting, as I love meeting new people who enjoy similar cragting to myself even if only online.

For this party I was partnered with Tracy Stillman from Australia and she sent me a lovely clay bead by one of her favourite bead makers who sells under the name of Peruzi 

I love the colour of the bead Tracy sent and immediately got a great idea for using it so as I have actually made something already I am only showing you the bead itself here as the great reveal won't be till March 25th when I will link to all the other participants and you can take a look at your leisure, at all the things everyone has made.

So here is the bead.

The beads I sent to Tracy were all lampwork the focal bead/pendant was one I had been saving and I have had it a long time as I couldn't bear to part with it, I no longer remember the name of the artist who made it but she came from the US, I chose a few toning lampwork beads to go with it from Janet's Beads, she sells from rakufountains.com and I have collected her beads for years as I love them.

Here are the beads I sent to Tracy.

~Jackie~

ABS CHALLENGE FOR FEBRUARY!

The Two Crowns by Sir Frank Dicksee 1900, is the challenge piece for this month and what gorgeous colours there are in this painting! Go here to see and read more........... http://artbeadscene.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/february-monthly-challenge.html

I really love all the colours in this painting and it was difficult to choose the ones to use so I ended up making a heart bead as it was February, not sure if I will get anything else done before the end of the month so anyway here is my offering this month a rather organic polymer floral heart waiting to be strung.

~Jackie~

ABS CHALLENGE FOR JANUARY!

The rich colouring in this painting by Schiele is a mixed media study in black chalk, gouache, gold bronze paint and white body color on paper. It inspired the bronze orchid I made in Polymer the colours seemed just right I chose green, bronze and red pearls with tiny Swaorvski crystals and gold vermeil beads and clasp. 

Sadly the picture is not brilliant as the light was not good!

~Jackie~