BEAD SOUP BLOG PARTY THE GREAT REVEAL TODAY!

Well here it is at last the day to reveal what we have made with the soup our partner or partners sent us. First I would like to thank Lori Anderson who although she has been so ill made the decision to hold the party again this year, bravo Lori.

Ok here goes my first partner was Hannah Annear her blog is at Wordpress www.quirkyhannah.wordpress.com
You can see in a post below the items both of my partners sent me. I used the piece of Labradorite to make a focal with some lovely bronze wire which I hammered and textured it could actually be used as a focal on a chain or with the addition of a pin a brooch.                                                                                                                                   

My second partner was Sarah Strover of www.beaupepys.blogspot.com 
I had a lovely assortment of items to challenge me from Sarah. First up is a necklace, the focal was most unusual, I used two of the smaller green goldstone beads above it and I really liked how the Moonstone nuggets looked with the white wash that had been used on the carving. I felt the five Ugandan paper beads gave a feeling of spring freshness to enlarge on that I made two leaves of Polymer Clay and used a couple of my round red and green clay beads for a pop of colour I finished off with some of Sarah's silvery feathers and the clasp she sent me. Oh yes I added a bit of chain and some tiny silver beads.

I made a pair of earrings with the rest of the feathers Sarah sent and a second pair with some really cute glass pepper lamp work beads.

Next I made a ribbon necklace with the Kokou seed beads ( not sure if I got the name right) I had some gold ones in my stash so added two of those and threaded them onto hand dyed silk, I could have knotted between the beads but then they couldn't be moved up or down to change the pattern so I left them free for now.

The last piece I made was a composite of Hannah Annears pretty flower Clasp and Sara's beads with the addition of some faceted Aquamarine, silver beads and bead caps and tiny freshwater pearls from my stash. I used Sarah's Kashmiri Lac bead for the focal, more of the lovely green goldstone rounds she sent me and a pair of green tree Agate beads. I put two pictures below so you can see the whole necklace with Hannah's clasp.

Well that's it for this year folks, I will be doing some giveaways, not decided what yet though if you are interested please mention you would like to be included in the draw when you leave a comment.
Thank you so much for visiting my blog, every comment is much appreciated.

Here is a link to the rest of the party, I hope will enjoy visiting some of the other blogs! 
http://www.prettythingsblog.com/2014/05/welcome-to-8th-bead-soup-blog-party.html

~Jackie~  
  

New Nefertiti Necklace & A Walk in the Woods

Well I am still here for the time being hoping that blogger will fix the glitch that won't let me post to some blogs, so I thought I had better show you some new necklaces I have just put up for sale on our web site Kydo Jewellery with the help of my daughter and web master.

The first necklace I called Nefertiti. It came about this way, I was looking through one of my books on Ancient Egypt for a completely different reason and came across some lovely wall paintings of Nefertiti with flowers, which inspired me to create this necklace. I had recently bought some large and beautiful Lapis Lazuli cabochons in that lovely royal blue colour so out came the sketch book as usual. I decided on a lily shape with the central cab of the Lapis I added three Carnelian cabs and engraved a lily design into the gold clay. I used my only strand of lovely Lapis nuggets with Carnelian rounds and little gold plated rondels it closes with a little vermeil S hook. It is signed on the back as are all my Gold Collection pieces. I think it turned out rather well.

The second picture is of a fresh green and white necklace. I chose a leaf or teardrop shape which compliments the shape of the Agate cab I textured the background of the gold clay and added a round Turquoise cab, which kind of set the whole piece off nicely I think. I used some high quality white pearls and tree Agate rounds to string it with and a few gold vermeil flower spacers, the clasp is a gold plated lobster claw. I think it makes a refreshing change the green and white, I called it A Walk in the Woods, I can almost smell the leaves and ferns lol.

Hope you like them I would love it if you left me a message.

Florentine, New Boulder Opal Necklace

I thought it was about time I posted another of my gold collection necklaces this one has just gone on the web site, sadly I couldn't get a photo of the pin fire in the opal it is red and green. I  also cut the back away as the pin fire goes right through this piece of boulder Opal. The cabs are Carnelian and I strung the necklace with baby Agate nuggets and little peachy gold pearl nuggets!





New Jewellery at last

The London trip was nice but would have been a lot better if Lara and I had not both picked up some old virus there, which really spoilt the week! I have been unwell with it ever since which is a really long time and why I did not feel like writing anything as it was all doom and gloom lol. Now I am feeling much better and I have been moving forward with 'The Gold Collection' if your wondering why gold? Well gold polymer clay simply makes my art necklaces and pendants affordable, most people couldn't afford to buy my art designs in high carat gold, so this was a way of making them affordable.

I am useing many beautiful handcut Jaspers, Agates, Fossil materials and rare stones. Faceted and smooth gemstones in variety and choosing the most beautiful high quality gemstone beads and pearls for stringing. It has also been a time of experimentation, I am trying different things and cut the templates from my sketches, finding ways to set gemstones in the clay and I am loving it!

My ideas are moving forward, I have been especially inspired by ferns of all kinds recently; a number of different ones grow in my garden I am particularly fond of the Hart's Tongue fern. The hedgerows and places around here abound with ferns hiding between rocks and carpeting the moss grown floor under trees. So here is a necklace and pendant from The Gold Collection celebrating the Hart's Tongue and other ferns. The necklace will be for sale but the pendant I made as a gift for a dear friend.

I would love it if you would leave me a comment.