First, I have to say that participating in my first ever Bead Soup Blog Party has been a blast! Thank you so much Lori Anderson from Pretty Things for setting this amazing experience up for me and other beaders like me!
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| by Karin Slaton |
I was paired up with Karin Slaton from Back Story Beads. Her site is full of amazingly intricate, and thoughtful seed bead woven designs. I have to say that at first glance, I was intimidated. I know find this really funny because if you read her initial post, it seems she felt the same way! I may own a bead store, but as many store owners will tell you, we hardly ever bead anymore! I've always gravitated toward the instant gratification, shall we say, style of beading. I know how to weave, know all my stitches, have even taught (gasp!) beginner classes on it over the 18 years we've been here. But I am always in awe of bead weavers who always have a project going & can whip around a free-form cab faster than I can get my kids off to school in the morning. Anyway, Karin is clearly a very talented bead artist & I was very excited to be paired with her.
And then I got my beads!
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| Pretty Packaging with my Bead Soup |
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| Carved Horn & Tibetan Beads |
Talk about Christmas. And again, you might think me jaded. Actually, I'll confess. I AM jaded! I see beads 12-20 hours a day, 6-7 days a week & pretty much year round... well, I see them a lot. And beads of all kinds. However, the beads Karin chose for me were so varied from the typical beads I work with & even more impressive, not typical of the types of beads we carry here at The Beadin' Path. One thing that was really cool however, is that she sent me some amazing carved beads. I believe they are carved from horn, but they have similar qualities to a vintage carved Bakelite bead. I love my plastics & hardly ever work in 'naturals'. So this was the perfect cross-over bead for her to send. And here's the funny part: I sent her carved jet beads, along with her mixture of lovelies. We must have been on the same wavelength!
You have to see the lovely packaging & labeling she took time for. Another reason, this was such a fun package to receive.
OK, my finished piece:
I'm thinking I might rework one section of chain & add in some more of the aged brass. But I'm wearing my necklace to work today & I have the rest of the staff drooling over it & claiming they're going to steal it off my neck. That's a good sign. They're jaded too!
Thank you Karin & thank you Lori!
Can't wait for the next Bead Soup Blog Party!
