Bead Soup - continued


So not only did I receive a package from Janna, I also sent her one. And I need to say, with this one I had the most fun of all three bead soups. You might remember one of my previous posts where I explained about the metal-smithing class I took at the end of last year.


So I decided that I will not only challenge Janna in terms of my beady components, but also myself in getting her something handmade. You know Janna is talented, she makes really nice enameled beads and resin pendants, so I thought I should make something just for her. She told me she liked brass, so off I went to buy some and sawed, filed, sanded and polished a little flower pendant for her. The same process led to a tiny copper heart, which I attached in the end to the flower pendant.What you see in this picture is the pendant in an unfinished state, since the drilling of two holes became a major event (i.e. my dremel multi-tool came without drills, and when I finally got the ones I ordered, the fixture of the tool was too large for the tiny drills, so we had to buy a new fixture, plus obviously that I was not very skilled in drilling...) The whole time while I was making this, I was thinking of the words "un coeur pour une fleur" (a heart for a flower - with Janna obviously being the wonderful flower :) - yes, I know this is kitsch....)....

But for sure the bead soup wasn't complete with that. I showed the pendant to Stefanie of Stefanie's Sammelsurium, and she had the perfect matching clasp - thanks again !


I need to say that I head a hard time finding matching beads for the brass pendant. I have not been working with brass very often (= never), and that yellowish color is not something I use in general. So I went with greens and browns, hoping that one of them would suit Janna's color scheme. I got her a variety of gemstones, ceramic beads and a pendant from Indian Creek studio, lampwork beads from Kelley Wenzel and an unknown lampwork artist based in Plymouth, MI, some industrial chic components from Michaels (which you can't get in Germany, so my dear US friends, if you ever want to make a German girl happy, you know what you have to do, right, Janna and Stefanie?). 


There is also sari silk, rubber tube, and a alcantara ribbon, nut beads, wood beads, a nut charm and a bronze bead and some glass beads from France, chinese lacquered paper beads and a copper dragonfly charm from Summersstudio.
So Janna - ready steady GO!
Let's see what we can come up with. I am so ready for beads again - work has been keeping me away. Worked the entire weekend last week, this past weekend was purely dedicated to taxes, but now I am having a break before I need to go to Valencia, Spain (hello sunshine!) for work next Monday and Tuesday... so this weekend will be very beady.......

Shoes and cell phones


This is a picture of my shoes.
The story behind it is that they are new (see the part that is still shiny and white). I just bought them when we were in the US, at DSW (THE store, I just love it). They are Ryka's, running shoes. I didn't buy a new pair of running shoes in, let's say, 10 years? Or more? Why? Well because I did not need them - did not go running. But since November, I got on this trip, that noise in my head that tells me that my "youth" is almost over, and if I do not get slim right now, nobody will care in 10 years from now. So those shoes became an icon.


I started my fitness program in November. And it is working. Ok, slow in terms of weight loss (plus it keeps me a bit away from blogging you might have noticed), but it took quite some time to collect all of it, so I guess it is only fair that I need to be patient. I do my little hour every day, and added running to the plan since the weather is getting a bit dryer (not nicer, but dry at least).
That heavy mud on the bottom actually makes me proud, that I can do it, and stick to it. And eventually get to where I want to be. So to you, my friends who are hesitating of going where you want to be.... if I can do it, you can do it too.


The only suggestion: if you go running, make sure your cell phone stays at home or is secure in one of your pockets, otherwise you will lose it on the way, and have to re-run all the path, only to discover somebody else has picked it up before you. But if you are lucky, this person who found it will actually answer the phone when you call her, and let you know that you can pick it up at her house. Ok, you might be stepping into a deep puddle of mud while getting out of the car when you pick it up, as you are so excited to get it back. And your (formerly suede) shoes may look like that... But that's life.
Have a happy day and keep smiling.
And don't forget to kiss your valentines.



Bead Soup from Janna has arrived !

I know, work, baby and all that daily life stuff is keeping me really busy. And yes, I know this is no excuse to stop blogging...
But I have been active in the meantime. I prepared a bead soup for my wonderful partner, the lovely Janna of Palimpa Lim. She lives in Germany too, although a few hours away from me, but it is soooooo nice to finally meet some more people that have fallen for beads as well. 
Janna makes beautiful jewelry and I really like her blog as well. But I won't tell you too much about it, I would rather like you to hop over there yourself, and read and shop and leave comments (because in the end, that's what this is all about, right?)
So more about what I sent her in another post, but in the meantime, I need to share this package she sent to me.
This is so cute, I do not even have words for it. But looks at it yourself.


 This is what I saw when I opened the envelope. The large package even include a tiny sweater for my baby from the store where Janna is working (it is really really cute, but she hasn't worn it yet, so I do not have a picture to share - but it will follow....).





Janna packed all the beads in these cutest envelopes - each envelope is different - and she labeled them like soup ingredients (in german, in case you wonder what these weird words might mean): Herbs, Pasta, Bones, glass noodles, spring onions and so on.



And when I opened the envelopes (with Stefanie by the way, and these are her pictures - yes, I know the quality is a bit different :) ) - there were lots of ooooohs and aaaaaahs. 
I love the colors of this soup (Janna was kind with me and did not send me bright pink flower and heart beads), but I got pearls in a wonderful brown and dark blue color, enameled beads (by Janna), a number of gemstones (Onyx, Nephrit, Prehnit, Howlit and Garnet - no guarantee for gemstone name translation into english). What you can't see well on this picture are the beads in the lower right corner - cast glass beads - GORGEOUS ! Then there are a few bone beads, metal components, and these cute glowing "Atlas" seed beads - I love this color. Janna took them from her treasure box as her source for them is drying out, so I feel really honered to get some of them. The glow is just great. And sari ribbon.
And I know - I saved the best for last, as I realize I do not have a close up shot of the pendant and clasp that Janna made for me - Copper with resin - TOP! If I ever learn to do resin pieces like those, I will get rich. I thikn we need to convince Janna to start to sell them, so I finally get a source for resin pendants in Europe and do not need to buy them always in the US (I am learning, but it will take some time until I get there).
The pendant is a leg - so cute, and the clasp is a toggle with the word "unendlich" which means infinite in german. This soup is perfect as it is. I don't even know what I would want to add.... I need to get close ups of that too.
Dear Janna, thanks a ton for this lovely soup. And I am so glad that I have met you. I can truely say you feel like a new very close friend, even if we have just met a few weeks ago.
And to Lori - thank you for hosting this party. All of my bead soup and bead swap partners have become really close friends. And who does not need more friends.
Have a good night all you beaders and readers.