Finally, a Look at My Bead Soup!

Okay, you all know that I moved.  I think we all know that if something doesn't get broken during a move, you're not working hard enough.  Well, this move's victim was my camera.  So I'm going to show you my bead soup from my wonderful partner, Shirley, but they are pictures taken with my cell phone.  Sigh.  I am doing research on a camera this week and will have purchased one and taken pictures by reveal day.  If it's not one thing, it's another!

Do you all know about Bead Soup?   It's hosted by the lovely Lori Anderson of the Pretty Things Blog.  You put your name in, she matches you with a partner, you send each other beads and make something, then blog about it. 

So, without further ado, here are the soup ingredients that Shirley sent me:

 

Seriously, Blogger?  Upside Down?

Okay, so I fussed with the pictures and they're all UPSIDE DOWN!  What the heck???  At any rate, here is my bead soup - if your head is on a 360-degree hinge, it will be a bit easier to see, and if you know how to fix this in Blogger, let me know.  Here's a picture of the whole soup. 

The turquoise focal and the clasp.  I love stars!  Doesn't the focal look like a mitten or maybe Michigan?  So fun!

A selection of glass beads.  I especially like the shape of the black ones!

Seed beads.  I am not a seed beader and they tend to give me a bit of a headache, so I have to admit, I was terrified!  She also sent directions on a stitch and I tried it.  Not pretty. I think I need to be shown, not read directions off a piece of paper.  And I needed an extra hand.  Maybe once science catches up and I grow a second arm, I'll try it again.  :)

Wait...this picture is right side up?  Is someone messing with my head?!

Antique gold chain.  See how they're double links?  I love it.

I spent this whole weekend organizing my beading stuff in a nifty new container I found at The Container Store and bought with my gift card from a Christmas gift. 

Picture from The Container Store website.

I got the big one in the back.   The drawers are about 5 inches deep and they sell little plastic dividers.  So I have all my beads in there, sorted by material and color.  I love having a space in this new house where I can leave my beads out all the time instead of having to shove them all back in little boxes and put the boxes under the table!

After I completely unpacked everything, I sat down to make a few things and looked up five minutes later and realized it was actually five HOURS later!  I haven't made a thing in MONTHS!  So, I've got some things to show you and I whipped out my bead soup design in about 20 minutes.  Er...once a new camera is procured, I will be showing you what I made.