It’s time once again for the Bead Soup Blog Party 8!! As always, BSBP is led by our lovely internet host Lori Anderson. This year my partner is seed beader extraordinaire Enikö Fabian from Austria and this is the soup she sent me (not all of it since i’d already used a lot of those little floral beads to make the necklace before remembering to take this picture, OOPS!): 
Now, if you’re familiar with my work then you know pastels and tiny printed florals are not at all themes that i work in but of course, the whole purpose of the BSBP is to push us out of our comfort zones. I considered making a big peach and green glass floral heart to work as a focal but again, my personal goal is always to work primarily with what i’m sent. Soooo…tiny round peach and white flowers it is! I tried to work in the big bronze butterfly but i just wasn’t feeling it – esp. when i saw what else Enikö sent – some of her awesome beadwork (see it there under the butterfly?)! This beaded focal was meant as a gift for me and strung simply on a black rubber cord but i couldn’t resist immediately taking it off the cord and working it into my bead soup design. I mean the butterfly is cute and all but handmade is always best!
After playing around a bit, this is what i made and i’m pretty happy with it. Just to clarify – all that precise beadweaving is by Enikö. Those ivory seed beads piled in the centre of the woven star? That’s me. I lack the skills (and the patience) to work with tiny beads plus i find the contrast of the loose vs. the tight design quite appealing.
I I also added some tiny metal spacers as accents to go with the bronze chain she sent, a couple vintage faux carnelian olives and some pale yellow serpentine and dark peachy-toned aventurine spears to break up the roundness of the design. I wasn’t too keen about the tiny lobster clasp on the chain so took that off and MacGyvered this toggle clasp from the four bronze beads in the soup.
This year’s BSBP is running about a week behind schedule due to health issues with our host Lori and folks being out of town for the Mother’s Day weekend. Enikö hasn’t posted what she made with my soup yet, but in the meantime, you can look at her other work here: http://www.perleni.blogspot.ca/. Here’s a sneak peak at the soup i sent her – it’s one of my glass focals with coordinating ribbed spacers, freshwater pearls, gemstones, laser-cut coconut shell discs and a gunmetal chain and toggle clasps.
If you’d like to view the other BSBP8 creations click the pic below and scroll down to the list on Lori’s site. Enjoy!
Evelyn Duberry - Glass Artist 
Hi Evelyn, What an awesome focal to be sent. You did a wonderful job of putting the necklace together. Great clasp that you made too..
The combo of tussled beads next to those very precise rows really does work well together. That’s some serious out of the box creativity there. Great job!
I would be tempted to use that focal, too! I like the design with the floral and chip beads and hats off for the MacGyvered toggle!
Nice necklace! I’m actually organising a mass bead soup where all the crafters get the same set of beads 🙂 i think it ll be really cool too see what 10s or even 100s of people make with the same beads! planning to send out the beads 2 aug with designs revealed end aug. Would be cool if u d like to take part (details on https://hapinesswherever.wordpress.com/bead-soup/) 🙂
Very nice beadwork and such pretty flower beads I love your necklace!
Jackie
Pretty soup! I like how you’ve mixed the pastels and the vibrant colors perfectly. And the focal is very unique and lovely.
What a great design! I love how you mixed the tiny seed beads with the larger ones.
You did a really nice job working with that complex pendant from your soup. I especially like the way you made the toggle from those tube beads. Super cool!
Beautiful! Love the beads in the middle of the star! Excellent job and soup, will be back for refills!
I love your designs and impressed with your MacGyvver clasp creation 🙂 Bravo, Evelyn!
Beautiful, I love how you piled the seed beads inside the star, totally set it off and made it so unique. Gorgeous piece.
Beautiful beadwork – love the Macgyvered toggle!!
I’m amazed by seed bead-ers! This necklace although elements of it may be out of your comfort zone…it turned out Amazing! Soup-perb!
You are right, the spacers make the look! Great job, all the pieces come together perfectly! ~KM
Your necklace is stunning. Absolutely love it! Great job.
Beautiful! Also, to McGyver is the best verb ever!
I think you made exactly the right decision- that focal just sings beautifully in it’s environment! Christie
Absolutely amazing design.
I can’t figure out the ssed bead pendant, are those beadsin the middle glues on? Of course you had to use it, how could you not
Beautiful design. And oh how I love that MacGyvered clasp!
Oh gorgeous! I’m with you on the loose contrasting with the tight. Absolutely gorgeous pendant (lucky you having such a talented partner). I love the little touches in the necklace, I spy a little bead woven bead in amongst the daggers and beads. A lovely necklace.
You may have been out of your comfort zone with the colors, but you made a great necklace. Nice job!
I totally have never seen anything like that lovely necklace with the cluster of beads in the middle like that – it’s like a bead soup all its own! I love it – just beautiful.
Love the contrasting texture you’ve created in the focal and your Macgyvered clasp.
I love the idea about the seed bead in the center of the pendant. Beadweaving is matching with abstract design =) love love the idea…
That bead weaving… THAT BEAD WEAVING !!!!! Oh my god, my mind is BLOWN. I have to say I love the necklace with the butterfly placed over the focal, though I personally would have colored it to match.
the contrast between the precise and loose seed beads, as you put it, is certainly unique! It does make for a very beautiful pendant – nicely done!
What a creative use of your challenge pieces — I know you’ll get special joy every time you wear it!
The necklace is really beautiful, I love the design and the colours :o)
Awesome, I love the colors and how you added the loose seed beads in the middle of the star.
Gorgeous! Love the seed bead pendant…clever.
what a great beaded necklace, perfectly composed beaded elements and the rest of beads! I love it!
You both chose a lovely soup! Your necklace is so pretty! I love your seed beaded pendant, too!
Very pretty. I love how the beads are placed in the middle of the star.