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Sunday, May 15, 2016

Bead Peeps Swap Reveal

It's A Long, Long Time from February to May...whoops, that's not how the song goes...ok, I know, you're not surprised to find a blog that's been quiet for a while until TODAY!!!  Yes, folks, it's time for the 2016 Bead Peeps Bead Swap REVEAL!  Welcome - I hope you enjoy discovering what I created to share even just a bit as much as I enjoyed working with my swap "goodies."

First, a reminder, I received this wonderful assortment of goodies from Maria Rose Sharrow of  Willow Street Shops.


The requirements of the swap are that you send at least one focal and at least one clasp which are to be used in the final designs.  As you can see, Rosa  was very generous, providing me with lovely soldered and bezeled focals (which she makes herself!!), two clasps, and a great variety of "supportive players" (game talk for lots of fun beads!).

My first designs came together out of the "necessity" to have some new jewelry for the Easter holiday, and I knew that Rosa's yellow flower pendant would be perfect.  I used some of the yellow and blue vintage beads as part of the necklace chain and added my own blue chrysocolla rounds and amazonite nuggets along with the sterling silver toggle clasp from the swap.



The matching earrings with more chrysocolla beads and amazonite use the textured silver links from the swap.



After thinking that I had an early start in preparing for today's reveal, I, naturally, procrastinated on any more work...until, yes, just a few days ago (some things never change).  But once I settled on using another one of Rosa's unique focals - this time the soldered pendant with a butterfly wing - things quickly fell into place.  The swap included brilliant teal glass rounds which highlighted the wing's color along with added chrysocolla rounds, turquoise rounds and accents of freshwater pearls in coral and white.



For the matching earrings I used gorgeous turquoise drops from the swap along with the accent freshwater pearls.


Finally, I used more of the swap's teal rounds in a memory wire triple wrap bracelet that features the same turquoise rounds and freshwater pearls as the necklace along with a variety of gemstone chips and sterling silver rounds.



My muse decided that the lovely darker pieces of the swap will need to wait for cooler weather, I think!  I just could not get focused with those pretties, but I know I will love working with them this fall!  Thanks, Rosa - I had a great time!

Here is the swap that I mailed to Rosa.


I'm excited to see what she has created.  You can join me by heading to Rosa's blog here Willow Street Shops.  And of course, please enjoy browsing all of the participating blogs and see what I know will be incredible, beautiful jewelry!  Happy Hopping!

Linda Anderson (our hostess) http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com 


Teresa Schurter http://treezstreazurs.com/
  
Terry Jeanette Carter http://tappingflamingo.blogspot.com 
Kelly Hosford Patterson http://travelingsideshow.blogspot.com/

Rachel Mallis http://mintmonarch.com 

SEEDERS

Palak (aka Pallavi Asher)http://kalaabhushan.blogspot.in/ 

Bobbie Rafferty http://beadsong.blogspot.com