It's Party Time...

Ya Hoo!!!  It's finally time for the "Bead Soup Blog Party."  

Again, a big thank you to Lori Anderson of Pretty Things for hosting

this party.  You can Click Here to see the blog hop list..

My 'Bead Soup Blog Party' partner is Valerie Norton of Hot Fused Glass.  This is the

wonderful 'Soup' she sent me.

And now to end the suspense, this is what I created:

 

The pendant that Valerie sent me was so beautiful, that I didn't want to make the necklace too busy.  I wanted the pendant to really stand out.  The clasp and the bezel for the pendant were both 'hard anodized' copper and I wanted to stick with the very rustic, elemental feel of that.  So picking through my 'Soup,' I chose the Venetian glass beads and a few of the spacer beads.  From my stash, I chose a piece of black Greek leather and a length of chain that was similar to the finish of the clasp.

I used the leather to string the Venetian glass, spacer beads and the pendant.  I really wanted the

pendant to be showcased.  Separating the clasp, I linked the chain to one side of the clasp and then used the loop tied on one side of the leather to attach the other side of the clasp.

I think my necklace turned out fantastic and I can't wait to wear it.  It's one that I think is truly a statement piece. 

Thank you Valerie, for sending me such wonderful 'Soup' ingredients.

Please go out and follow the above link to see all of the other 'Bead Soup's.'

I almost made it...

Well, I didn't exactly post when I said, but it's only been a few days.  I have been busy coming

up with some designs for new beading classes I would like to teach at a local bead shop.  It's also time

to start working on my 'Bead Soup'.  It's been simmering for a few weeks and as the party date is Saturday, February 26th, it is time to get cookin.

Click here to see all of the Bead Soup Blog Party Participants.

Again, a big thanks to Lori Anderson for hosting this party.

Participating in this Blog Party has helped me discover so many others who

love to bead, create, and craft,

I have mentioned before that I have many creative interests.  I do like to knit and crochet also.  I think I mentioned that in a previous blog.  Last week while on a little getaway, I was able to visit a wonderful yarn shop in Port Orchard, Washington. 

I don't know if many of you have read Debbie Macomber's books, but she has written many enjoyable books.  Many of which have taken place in the Seattle area (as she lives in Port Orchard).  She has a Blossom Street series that uses a yarn shop as the center of the lives of the characters of this series of books.

A Good Yarn Shop is a wonderful place to visit if you have a little time while in
Port Orchard.  And right across the way is the Victorian Rose Tea Room where my husband and I enjoyed a very nice lunch.  (I should let you know that he is the one that discovered this was nearby and suggested we go visit.  He must know I like these kinds of places. He's a very, sweet guy.)

Well, I'm off to get my 'Bead Soup' cookin....

Poor excuse for a blogger...

Well its been awhile since I posted on my blog.  No excuses.  I just didn't.  I really need to make

this part of my routine so that it becomes habit.  With that said, I think I'll just talk about

what I did do. 

Martha's influence visited my kitchen in the form of organizing my cooking utensils in a few

different pitchers.  I think it looks pretty cute.  It took my husband well over a week to

realize that I had make that little change.  I guess it felt huge to me.

Since I last blogged, I also finished crocheting an afghan and actually sewed together an

afghan that I knitted over a year ago.  It felt great to get that bag of yarn out of our office

and out into the family room to actually be used.  I have such a huge stash of yarn that I

hope to make afghans out of all of it until its gone.  You know its bad when you have

to keep your yarn in the attic because you have no other space because of all of your

other crafting supplies all over the house.

My husband and I have the most unique anniversary, Valentine's Day.  This year

we decided to go away to a very nice resort, The Alderbrook Resort in Union, Wa.

We had a very nice time.  It was very relaxing and peaceful.  The food was wonderful and so was

the service.  I highly recommend it if you are need of a night or two away.  We even woke up to a beautiful rainbow, which was very nice considering all the rain we have been having (of course we do live in the Pacific Northwest and that's kind of par for the course here).

That was enough to put a smile on my husband's face and mine too.

But as with all things, our little escape came to an end and it was back to reality.  My next focus is to

work on cleaning up my beading table/room.  I have a Bead Soup that needs to get cooking and I don't think I have any space to do any work.  Although I will say that I find it equally challenging to create in a neat area.  I need to create an organized, clutter that feeds my creativity and lets me walk around my bead room without tripping over things.

I am vowing to write again. tomorrow.  Til then......