What's In YOUR Soup??

Here they are, the ingredients my partner Moncia Phillips and I exchanged for Lori Anderson's 7th Bead Soup Blog Party!  I really can't say what has been more exciting, putting together a bead soup mix for Monica or receiving one :D

First, a little background...I recently moved to San Diego, California and am living in Pacific Beach, a short stroll to the ocean.  Although it has been AMAZING, coastal living is nothing new to me.  I grew up in North Carolina and spent my childhood playing in the waves and soaking up the sun in the Outer Banks.  In my heart, no beach will ever top a NC one, but I must admit the shores here in Cali are wooing me and tugging at my heartstrings for sure!!

So...here's what this beach girl cooked up for Monica.  I started with a clay seahorse focal pendant by Lisa Boucher. Her work is so beautiful and the colors were a perfect match to my patinas.  I raided my own personal stash of vintage lucite beads, gemstones and silk ribbon to compliment the focal, and then patinaed a few brass elements in verdigris and coral to make it all pop!  The antiqued brass clasp I made was inspired by the soft curves of the seahorse.  I tried to emulate the spiny ridges of its body by wrapping it with faceted amazonite rondelles.  Finally, knowing that Monica used to live in Cali and is a beach girl at heart too, I included a lil' bit of Pacific Beach sand in a tiny glass bottle that I turned into a charm. 

Here it is...

 

Here's what Monica sent me...needless to say I was jumping with joy when the package arrived :D  My pot is simmering for sure!

 

 

One of the main goals of Lori's Bead Soup Blog Party is to challenge each designer by partnering them with a fellow artist who uses materials different from their own.  We are required to send (and use) one focal piece and one clasp, the rest are just extra yummy ingredients to be used at the discretion of the participant.  Each designer may create as many pieces as they like as long as the focal and clasp have been incorporated somewhere. The rules to the bead swap make the collaboration not only fun, but a rewarding experience in artistic growth.  Monica works mainly with silver and makes her own dichroic glass pendants and beads.  She's very talented and I'm excited to see the soup she cooks up with all that brass I sent over.  Our reveal date is April 13th, so please come back then for a taste of what we both dish up ;)