Summer 2012 Bead Soup Blog Party Goodies...

Take a peek at the goodies I received from Kayla Potega, my partner for the July 2012 Bead Soup Blog Party. Kayla from The Eclectic Element creates lovely jewelry featuring up-cycled vintage beads and findings. I love the fact that her designs are 90% recycled materials, even elements of her packaging is up-cycled. Based on her eclectic style and vast collection of vintage materials, I was excited to see what she would send.

I was delighted when I opened the package from Kayla, so many wonderful vintage items to play with! The goodies are spread out on my bead bench so I can think about how I will use them in my Bead Soup design. I want to really challenge myself this time, so in preparation for the event, I outlined 10 ways

(see them here) to improve my experience and grow as a designer.

Just look at all the treasure Kayla sent!

I removed the individual bags to reveal the materials I will use for this challenge. The idea is to work outside our comfort zone to design a jewelry piece using the beads selected by a partner. Kayla's selection for me included fabulous textures and shapes... there are so many great items, I don’t know where to start. The clasp is really wonderful and I have several focal beads to choose from.

Check back on July 28 when my finished design(s) will be revealed. I will also post a list of the other participants so you can hop around to the other blogs and see what they have created using the beads they received. Cheers!

 See Kayla's Etsy Shops Here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheEclecticElement

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheEclecticElement2

Wire Wrap Loop Tutorial

Wire wrapping is one of the oldest techniques for making handmade jewelry. In wire wrapping, jewelry is made using jewelry wire or findings similar to wire (like head-pins) to make components. Wire components are then connected to one another using manual techniques with no soldering or heating of the wire.

I use this method when making my pearl “Bubbles” bracelets. The technique is easy and with a little practice I learned to make a perfect loop every time. Basically, wire is bent into a loop or other decorative shape and then the wire is wrapped around itself making the loop permanent. I found a great tutorial that explains step by step how to make a perfect loop. Give it a try….

http://www.beadaroo.com/techniques/view/wirewraploop