Bead Soup Blog Party- Genea Crivello-Knable and Gail Vanderster-Zwang

Hello friends!

Wow, can you believe it?! It's finally the reveal day!! So I will apologize now if my blog gets lengthy. Please feel free to just skim for the photos ;)

Let's start out with what each of us got in our soup.

 

Gail sent me a fantastic collection of fun Mixed-Media elements from Industrial Chic , some of her GORGEOUS beaded beads, an enameled toggle and flowers, some pressed czech glass rectangles, Swarovski crystals, a super stash of seed beads and raku fired clay beads.

 

Here is the soup I sent to Gail(You can find beads like Gail's by visiting my shop here). I wanted to know a little bit about her so I could pick something that she would like, but would also challenge her. I snooped through her Etsy favs and asked her some questions to get me going. I created this SUPER set based on some of her and my favorites. Her set included: recycled sari silk, my FIRST ever lampwork heart focal headpins, some of my "Desert Serpent" lentils, some raku spacers, an "Ancient Tablet" style focal, a glass toggle and some droplet style headpins using silver leaf.

Did you know they got LOST in the mail?! Yep, for 3 weeks. We were both extremely heart broken. You can't file a claim with the post office until 21 days. So in the mean time Gail purchased some of the components like the ones in her soup, I sent her the second soup below and Lori sent her some goodies so that she could get started on her designs.

Here is the second soup I sent Gail. This one has my FIRST ever "Ancient Tablet" style heart focal! Didn't it turn out AMAZING?! Gail had bought 2 sets of headpins like what was in her soup and the glass toggle. So I thought I would send some different style clasps. I knew Gail liked winged-hearts so I decided to try my hand at some buttons! I couldn't decide on which to send, so I sent both ;) I also sent another set of spacers and the few other extra beads I had left over from the creation of her first soup.

Before we go on, I would just like to let you know that the first soup ARRIVED! It turns out the package never got "scanned in" in Portland and was a phantom package until it hit Kearney, NJ. It sat there for a few days and then was found by her amazing postal woman, Janet, and Janet's supervisor Darrell!! We were both totally STOKED!! So just had to share our loss and triumph of a happy ending!

So while I created Gail's soup I got so many ideas! I just kept creating, and creating, and CREATING. I thought you might like to see the ideas I had along the way...

 

So in honor of the metamorphosis of my designs I posted this super sweet art by M.C. Escher called "Metamorphosis"(He is and was one of my very favorite artists when I was in highschool). I thought this photo was a perfect start to my designs.

 

Well I had an idea for my first bit of Gail's soup, but I needed a pin with some glass on the end. From left to right: a bubble button swirl, a bubble button with a trapped air bubble, a head pin with a bubble button, a headpin with a pod. I did the first two on the end of a mandrel to do a quick experiment and did the last two on wire for my piece. These weren't the colors I used, but I needed to try them out to see if they would work.

 

Those designs spring boarded me to these: a fire pod, and a flame pod. Then while I was showing a friend how I created beads I did this eye bead for a demo. I did the top eyelashes with a thick line and the bottom, I did with a thinner one. I had been trying to work out a design like this for a long time and just tucked the eyedea ;P away in my mind until this moment. 

Some of these ideas I will go back to now that the Bead Soup is completed and I have more time to try some new things out ;)

 

When I was creating some components for Gail's set I started with the far left bead. This was going to be my toggle bar for this toggle.  I then had an idea for another bar(like the one to the left of the ring part of the toggle) where I tweaked the design a little to have pretty bubble buttons on the middle and ends of the bar. HOLY CRAP, are they PRETTY! Not only did I trap an air bubble on the inside(which was one my favorite things I learned when first lampworking), but I also trapped gorgeous rainbows of colors! After creating the toggle bar I thought how cool it would be just as a bead. I decided to call this style "Rainbow Sticks". :D:D:D

 

I ended up making some of my "Desert Serpent" style lentils for Gail's set as well. I took this design a step further and created the "Desert Serpent Jewel" style by adding a bubble button to the middle! So awesome!

 

After making those I thought OMG, those would be sweet on a GLASS HEADPIN! So I made one in a tear drop shape and then one in a paddle style! HOLY FREAKIN' YUM! They are SOOOOO pretty! I then got the idea to make these rainbowy heart headpins! I plan on going back to re-create some of these as well. I just kind of physically glass doodled my ideas to go back to when I had an opportunity. This is kind of like sketching in a sketch book, but with created samples :D

MY DESIGNS FROM GAIL'S SOUP....

So what did I created with Gail's soup? Well this first idea I created the same day! I was really excited :D

 

First I took one of Gail's beautiful beaded beads and did a quick proto-type to see if my idea would work. It did, so I needed to create one of those glass pins I did the experiment for above(the lime green and aqua photo).

 

I call this "Jeweled Wreath". Didn't it turn out AMAZING?! I made a glass bubble button and strung it through Gail's bead and created a band! :D

 

Here is that metamorphosis thing again.... I had a pod pin and decided to put it with one of my "Vortex Flower" beads and make a ring in that same style! Pretty f*ing amazing, huh?! I just love it when my ideas turn into just as amazing designs!! :D

So what else did I make? Well I was pretty stumped for a long while. I wanted to make some glass beads to go with my soup, but nothing worked out. I then decided that maybe this design just didn't need any of my lampwork beads(crazy, I know, but what are you gonna do? ;)

So off to the antique stores and thrift stores to look for some goodies.

 

After combing store after store I returned home with these items: an old dictionary, a keyhole, a key, a printer's key with a "?" on it, and this brass necklace with oval links and tear drop shaped jump rings.

 

So come with me and take a peek through the key hole of my design.....

 

Remember that old dictionary? I took a scrabble tile, distressed it and adorned it with some pages from the dictionary! I was so pleased with how this turned out! I even used this same idea for my roommates birthday present!

 

Here is where my design started....

 

I was really enamored with this little Witch Hazel tin so I chose that for my focal. I really loved the big flower focal, but it just wasn't talking to me so I based my entire design around this sweet little tin!

I decopaged the inside of the tin with the dictionary meaning for "Tincture," I thought it was fitting since that is what you would do with Witch Hazel to create. 

If I would have had some resin, I think this would have been a perfect opportunity to do the same page idea, but fill it with resin. I really like how you could add little treasures to your tin while you wear this piece :D

 

Here is a more close-up shot of the key hold portion of the necklace. I just adore it! It took me awhile to find a keyhole that was small enough to make into jewelry. I really love the ornate design on it as well. See how I used those sweet tear drop shaped jump rings from the necklace to attach them to Gail's beaded beads?! They worked out just perfectly! 

 

Here is a shot of the little wire-wrapped dangles and enamel flower dangles I made. See Mary Harding's flower beads as well? I actually got those from her from my last Bead Soup! I was excited to add her things to this years bead soup as well since she wasn't able to participate. I bet she would be excited ;)

 

Here is a shot of the entire necklace. Didn't it turn out AMAZING?! I am really pleased with the results! It really has such a wonderful vintage look to it. I called it "Discovered Treasures". I wanted the necklace to have the feel of an old inventor/artists discoveries.

 

Here is what it looks like worn. :D

I hope you enjoyed reading about my creative process and designs! Please hop on over to Gail's Blog to see what she did with her soup from me :)

Want to see what everyone else created with their soups? Hop on over to Lori's Blog to get the complete list of participants for the September 2011 Bead Soup Blog Party!

Have fun hoppin'!

xo Genea

NEW earrings and Wing Dings flying into the shop along with some NEW recycled designs!

Hello friends!

I have some new shop goodies for you today! Some new Wing Ding sets and some funky new earrings!

 

"Flying Raindrops"- WOW, so much fun huh?! I just love this design! I bet you can see why! They are full of wonderful negative space for interest and they are so light weight!

 

"Rainbow Falls"- SUPER spirally fun and rainbows, of course! I love these swirly spacers. The rainbow colors make it great for matching to every outfit ;)

 

Wing Dings "Crantangerine"- Yummy pink, orange and coral! I picked my favorites for this set including some sparkly tangerine :D

  

Wing Dings "Cream and Sugar"- super neutral in wonderful warm ivory tones with a bit of blush.

 

Wing Dings "Juicy Melon"- Lime and PINK?! What? I know, not my normal mix(it's usually aqua ;), but super BRIGHT and delicious!

 

Wing Dings"Lime and Apricots"- Remember that earthy brownish, orangish, and limeish set I listed a few weeks ago? Well this baby is it's bright evil twin ;)

WHAT ELSE IS NEW?...

Well I am SUPER EXCITED to tell you that Gail's first soup ARRIVED! It turns out that when we shipped from the postal machine the package was never scanned in. This means our package was a phantom sneaking by under the wire.  It showed up in Kearny, NJ for a bit before finally making it "home" to Gail. We are both SO relieved!

 

 

WOW! Now look at all of the fun things Gail will have to work with for her soup! I can't wait to see what she creates!!

A NEW RECYCLED DESIGN....

So my roommate, Jodi's birthday is this Saturday. I was trying to think of what to make her for her special day. While creating my pieces with my bead soup, I used one of the elements in her design!

 

Here were my materials. I took one of her old wine bottles that she had her special wine in(one she created and bottled at a local winery), some of her saved wine bottle corks and some scrabble tiles I had in my stash.

 

I made THESE along with some wine charms like the cork earrings you see on the left. So from left to right: Wine cork earrings the cool wine stained side of the cork(I used the clean sides for the wine charms), glass droplet headpins made from her melted down wine bottle, a mixed-media pendant with a spiral stamped lentil and glass headpin made from her melted down wine bottle, and a tortured scrabble tile with a decopaged wine bottles image on one side, and a set of spiral stamped lentil glass beads from her melted down bottle with recycled jewelry brass chain :D

OMG, aren't they SOOO cool?! I think I might need to make some of this stuff for my shop!

 

Here is a close-up of her pendant. I chose a "w" scrabble tile for "wine" and "White"(Jodi's last name). I was really excited to create this new tortured scrabble tile charm! I took the idea from the "U" I made in this sweet "Eye Love You" art frame and took it a step further by adding an image on one side!

 

Pretty sweet eh?!

Well thank so much for stopping by! I would love to hear what you think about the new shop additions and Jodi's presents!

Well I should be hopping in the shower! We are SUPER excited to be picking up our best friend, Lucas from the airport and going to the Mord Fustang party later! I am totally IN LOVE with his music! Have a listen!

Have an incredible weekend!

Talk with you soon.

xo Genea

LOST BEAD SOUP- Just maybe this will work?....

Hello friends.

I awoke at 7:25am thinking of Gail's lost bead soup. I didn't post on here about it.

 

Yes, this is LOST. Doesn't your stomach just turn? It was even insured. It got all the way to Kearny(I think NJ) and got marked "Undeliverable". Gail spoke to her post master and they said sometimes this happens if the ink is smudged. So I think to myself, ok I did write her name in scroll text and sometimes my address labels don't like to stick to that recycled envelope paper.... Then I thought some more. Ok so even if BOTH addresses were gone then the insurance number sticker should still be on it, right?

So if the insurance sticker is on it and I call EVERY post office in Kearny someone is bound to have it, right? Even if the whole package got wet inside the beads are in a bag, in bubble wrap and in tissue and my BUSINESS CARD  is in there and my GB tags with my web address. So if they opened it I could tell them the contents of the package verbatim to prove it was our long lost package, RIGHT???!!!

I just can't give up yet. It's my ART! It awoke me from a sleep thinking about it. I kinda feel like my beads are like a horcrux(you know like in Harry Potter.). Each one has a bit of my heart and soul inside. I keep thinking it made it ALL the way across the US to get LOST in a city close to Gail. I imagine our package in the post office on a shelf with the other lost packages or maybe it's in one of those huge white bins. I feel like maybe that's where it goes until it can be claimed? God, do they just throw the packages away? Do the postal workers get dibs on the undeliverable ones???!!

If you aren't aware of the process you have to wait 21 days before you can file a claim on the package. We didn't insure the package for it's full value. I don't want the damn money! I want the beads on Gail's bead table getting made into something amazing! That is what I want!! *sigh*

In the mean time sweet, sweet Gail did end up purchasing some of the things that were re-makes of what was in her soup. I added in these and sent another package out.

 

A NEW design heart focal in the "Ancient Tablet" series style, NEW 2 winged-heart buttons, some "Cream Rainbow Ribbon" spacers and some extras from the other beads I made, along with another piece of sari silk.

I am happy to say that these beads DID make it! This time around I shipped priority, added insurance and delivery conformation!

Well thanks for listening to my rant. I hope everyone else's packages made it safe and sound. 

Have a wonderful holiday!

xo Genea

Etsy shop UPDATE- and other matching beads by Floridity!

Hello friends!

I'm excited about today's shop updates, but I guess when am I not? lol. You know I've been on this ivory and raku kick so I decided to finish up some designs I started when I was back living in Kansas City. Wanna see?

 

"Green Tea Rainbow Affections"- this baby was inspired by my "What Lies Beneath" beads(picture below). I am all about this wonderful new 2 colored glass that's kind of mint greenish and aquaish all in the same rod! I thought this color would be amazing with some raku and silvered ivory! 

 

The original beads that inspired these designs.

 

"Green Tea Rainbow Ribbons"- what are beads without some matching spacers? Can you believe all of that COLOR I got in this set?! Wow!

 

"Green Tea Rainbows"- and here is what that design looks like on a minty greeny turquoisy base! YUMMY!

  

"Love's Midnight Rainbows" glass headpins.  

I'm sad to say that Gail's package with the original set is LOST. I had another alternate that I put in the shop and I just happened to get one more heart to turn out. This might be the last. There is no telling...

And now for a new addition! These just popped into my head so I thought I would share. I don't know if you know Barbara Bechtel, of Floridity(and Second Surf), but she does some AMAZING things with polymer clay! I am really enamored with this new "watercolor" style she has been doing. Some of her new pieces match my new pieces so I thought I would share some of them with you!

 

Northern Lights- Watercolor Feathers - Earring Pair or Pendant Set

 

Grass Stains- Watercolor Wafers - Custom Drilled Tiny Charms or Earring Pair

 

Dark Northern Lights- Watercolor Toggle- Rustic Toggle Clasp or Focal

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

I was SUPER excited to become part of the "normal" world with my shiny new smart phone, the Samsung Replenish! Not only does it have a keypad and touch screen, but it runs the square and it's an eco phone :D

I downloaded this app for the android called "Pay it Square" you can find it by doing a search in the android market on your phone. 

As annoying as it is, I see why everyone has their faces glued to their screens. Am I going to be "that guy," hello no, but I sure will enjoy getting directions, taking payments and doing searches while I'm walking around! ;)

Well that's all for my update today. I hope you are having an awesome Thursday!

 xo Genea 

We have a WINNER!

And the winner is...............

SALLY ANDERSON!!!!

Thanks to everyone who helped promote this post and for following this blog! I am SUPER excited at how well this give-away went! You all rock my world!

xo Genea

"Coffee Lover's Cup" tutorial on the Art Bead Scene Blog Today!

Hello friends!

Have you been eagerly awaiting my "Coffee Lover's Cup" necklace tutorial on the ABS blog? I have! I am excited to say it went live today!  Just in case you missed it. Here is the necklace that you will create in the tutorial.

 

"Coffee Lover's Cup" necklace.  Coffee Lover's Cup TUTORIAL.

 

"Coffee Lover's Cup" bead set.

 

"Earthy Blend" spotty spacers.

 

"Coffee Bean Blend 2" If you miss out on the first set of headpins, you could use this set. Same styles just different colors on different designs ;)

 

"Coffee Bean Blend" glass headpins.

I hope you enjoy the tutorial! I would love to hear your thoughts!

xo Genea

Etsy shop UPDATE- NEW jewelry and beads!

Hello friends!

I am excited to have listed some beads and jewelry to the shop today!  Remember when I listed those beads for the "Coffee Lover's Cup" necklace tutorial(to be featured on the Art Bead Scene Blog)? Well I have just listed the necklace and of course some matching earrings! 

Did you see those awesome wavy vine daisy earrings a little while back? Those are in the shop too!

You'd rather make your own stuff? Well I have some more awesome Raku beads in the shop!

 

"Coffee Lover's Cup" necklace. I mean WOW! If you LOVE coffee like I do, then I'm sure you will love this necklace! It has all of that funk mixed-media goodness with lots of wonderful materials like: recycled sari silk, chain, leather and rubber and of course, lampwork headpin drops, with a coffee mug and heart focal!

 

"Coffee Lover's" earrings. What good is a FABULOUS necklace without some equally awesome earrings?!  The paddle droplet even has a teeny tiny coffee bean accent and a heart for the other ear!

 

Here is what they look like together. A match in heaven if you ask me ;)

 

"Khloris" named after the goddess of flowers. Remember these from my post on Facebook? Well here they are in the shop just for you! I just LOVE how bright they are! I had this idea in my head for awhile before they came to be and I couldn't be more excited about how awesome they turned out!

 

 

Here is what they look like on. They are so full of movement and so light!

 

"Cream Rainbow Ribbons"- a wonderful ribbon of rainbows on a super creamy base of delicious ivory. These would be perfect with the other raku sets in the shop!

 

"Desert Serpent Jewel Sampler" - a little bit of this and a little bit of that and some NEW designs! A new style "Black Ribbon Jewel" headpin, a "Rainbow Pod" headpin and a "Cream Swirled Sand" headpin. Did you see I even included a black annealed steel wired bail ready for your wire-wrapping finishes? I was SUPER excited about the new tweak on the "Desert Serpent" lentil design with a "bubble button jewel" dot in the center and let's not forget the newest additions.... "Rainbow Sticks" inspired by the glass toggle bar I made for Gail's bead soup!

 

Here is a closer look at those "Rainbow Sticks". Pretty sweet huh?!

SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW?...

So you may want to know if you won the give-away huh? Well I am waiting for my beady helper(my darling husband) to return home from work. We will be picking a name soon and let you know soon!

Well I better get ready to go to Last Thursday on Alberta street! I can't wait to see the art this month!

Have a fantastic weekend!

xo Genea