Today Is the day for the Swap and Hop Reveal...
I'm sure most of you know how this works, but if by chance you don't I will give you a quick summary. Our hostess for this swap is the lovely Linda Anderson. She painstakingly matched, everyone who signed up with partners. So then the object or rules are that you send your partner an artisan bead or focal, a clasp and if you really want any beads or other goodies to go along with them and then they create wonderful, gorgeous pieces of jewelry.
This is the second year that I have participated in this hop and had such a good time last year, that even with my busy schedule and really no extra time on my hands, could not resist signing up! I was partnered with the sweet Susan Kelly . I was so excited when my package arrives, I'm like a kid at Christmas, so I could hardly wait to open it and let me tell you she did not disappoint. Here's a look see at what Susan sent me.
I must have been a good girl this year, Susan sent me 3 focals, two were lamp work focals and the other was a copper heart with a working spinner!! Some jasper beads, daisy spacers, Greek donut beads, some resin beads, charms, cording and a handmade copper clasp.
Now a few pictures of what I sent to Susan, just so you know what we had to work with.
All of the focals were made by yours truly. I sent out a couple of my soldered glass pendants one features a real butterfly wing, the other a pressed yellow daisy. The other focal is a druzy quartz stone that I added to a couple of filigrees that I layered. Then a spattering of matching beads and beaded chain that I made using vintage beads, it a color combo that I LOVE!
Just so everyone knows and I love all sorts of beady things, for some reason, I don't gravitate to lamp work beads. I have seen so many that are true works of art and I have seen the amount of talent, creativity, skill and time that goes into them, it's just not my thing. Oh I have many lamp work beads that I keep in their own container, I just NEVER make anything with them. So here I have 2 to work with and I was a little stumped. I thought that there is no way, what the heck am I going to make with theses. So I set my sights on the copper heart focal, I thought yup this is the one I will make something with and guess what that is the one that I didn't use, oh I will I even made a copper heart clasp for it, but I just, as always ran short on time. Let's get real I shopped for matching beads like a minute after my package arrived and you would think I would have started creating then right? Well that would have probably been smart I started the day before yesterday. I know slacker!!! But I work better under pressure, doesn't do much for my stress level, but boy can I whip some jewelry out!
Okay enough of my yap trapping here is what I made.....
This is the whole collection so in about 2 days and roughly 4 maybe 5 hours 7 pieces were made.
These bracelets are bangles that I wrapped in silk, wrapped some wire around and add a couple of the charms that Susan sent me. These will be mine to wear. I love bangles!
This set is made using the jasper beads and clasp that Susan sent. I had to patina the toggle a bit, it was a bright and shiny copper and I needed it more of an antique copper color. Simple which is totally my style. Oh and I made the copper ear wires, I didn't have anything that suited my design.
This is the copper beauty that I'm in love with. I'm not even a heart gal, but I am totally a "this" heart gal. This is the heart clasp I made to match. Now I have to make something with it!
One of the lamp work focals, loved the colors just made and easy beaded chain with a simple pair of earrings to match. These will go to my beautiful momma!! She'll love them! I made these with her in mind.
This is the other focal. It is so pretty on it's own I didn't want to do to much, so that the beauty of the bead could shine. I just added a little chain fringe with a few color coordinating crystal to the end on a super long copper chain.
Oh and I almost forgot to show the ring that I made from the Czech beads I was sent. I wrapped them to make them into the flower shape you see here.
This is how it looks on.
Thank you Linda for hosting this swap and Hop, I'm sure it was a lot of work. I will now shut up, so that you can visit all of the talented jewelry artists blogs to check out there pretties. Here's a list and have fun hopping!!!!
I must have been a good girl this year, Susan sent me 3 focals, two were lamp work focals and the other was a copper heart with a working spinner!! Some jasper beads, daisy spacers, Greek donut beads, some resin beads, charms, cording and a handmade copper clasp.
Oh and I almost forgot to show the ring that I made from the Czech beads I was sent. I wrapped them to make them into the flower shape you see here.
