Wednesday, June 23, 2010

At Last....my Soup has come along! (Bead Soup, that is!)

My lonely nights are over...and life is like a song!  Or something like that :)

Wow,  this was really more of a challenge than I thought it would be...it was that dang, gorgeous, ginormous, glass leaf pendant that totally threw me. Thank you, Kate Clawson!!  BTW, go see what she did with the soup mix that I sent her!  Brilliant!

Okay, back to my piece...I really didn't want the pendant to be a pendant...I was going to wrap it in some way to have it connect to the necklace at both ends, then have something else, like the metal leaf drop.  Well, as pieces have special ways of evolving, that didn't actually happen, but my goal of making the leaf more than just a glass pendant hanging on a necklace was acheived, IMO!


I wrapped the leaf with tiny gauge copper wire in a needlelace sort of technique, a la Mary Hettmansperger and Eni Oken, with the addition some hammered spirals here and there, at the bottom of the leaf, and again in the bail I decided on.  I embellished with some tiny copper beads, then set out to create a necklace to hang this behemoth on!

I utilized my new mad skillz (thank you Barb Lewis!) to add an enameled filigree bead to the mix of chartreuse and brown glass beads Kate sent, as well as the pleated metal beads, for one side of the necklace.  Since the bail was asymetrical, I decided the whole necklace should be, so only used the chartreuse beads on the clasp side.  Speaking of the clasp, I love this little "leaf-within-a-leaf" toggle...Kate, you will have to divulge your source, my dear!

The whole thing brought together with copper wire wrapped loops and rollo chain, and then I oxidized it to within an inch of it's life.  Whew....that is it, I believe!

Please click on this photo...the sizing is off here, but the big picture is beoooteeeful! :)
I have some left over glass beads that I intend to add to a bracelet or earrings soon, most likely for a giveaway.  I feel the need to give back to my peeps, especially after having won a few fab giveaways lately m'self!

Thank you all for waiting for me...hope it is worthy!!

29 comments:

  1. I think I am in love! I love this necklace, I love the leaf theme, and the leafy colors its wonderful!

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  2. I love what you have done with the glass leaf pendant, such original thinking. Love the necklace, great work. Bravo!

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  3. That is one fabulous necklace! I love what you did with the leaf pendant.

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  4. Oh my goodness! What a stunning piece! I love how you handled that massive glass leaf, and I love the colors....it's all fantastic!

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  5. Wow what an awesome job you have done - I would never think to use the focal piece like that... mind you wire and I don't agree so that might be one of the reasons!

    I love what you have created - well done!

    Karyn

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  6. Really incredible and worth the wait!

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  7. You really brought out the best in the pendant...you accented it perfectly, and the I love the whole design!

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  8. It is fabulous Melissa! I love what you did with that 'genormous' leaf! :) I thought that might be a challenge but with your wiring skills I was hoping you would come up with something totally new and unique and you did! I love the bead you made, it pulls it all together and the metal work is wonderful too! Very earthy and Springy at the same time, and great for Summer through fall as well. I'm glad you liked the leaves, and that toggle I had purchased for myself as I love copper and leaves,(I think it is like the piggyback plant, and will get my source for you, I bought it on etsy so will be easy to find) but I though it went best with the ingredients I was sending you. I know you do a lot of wirework clasps so I thought you might like a cool cast one to try. I really love it and I guess we both got to stretch in great ways! A pleasure being partners with you!

    I checked early this morning and saw you would be delayed but it was worth the wait! :)

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  9. Very nice, indeed! I love what you did with the large leaf.

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  10. This Soup was well worth the wait! What a really splendid pc you made wow! Its just soooo wonderful. I sure heart it too! You have an outstanding pc that really stands out!!

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  11. Very unique wrap for the glass leaf!! I love the copper chain, the enameled filigree bead and the smaller leaves. They tie it all together like a bundle of herbs spicing up your soup!!

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  12. Beautiful design. I love that leaf pendant.

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  13. Melissa, your talent with wire is incredible...you always come up with something new and amazing. Your Bead Soup necklace is just gorgeous, inventive, and would be just so wonderful to wear!
    'Hope you had fun at the beach!

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  14. Spectacular, just spectacular. I wish I had your skill and patience to wire encase items, if that was the case every pretty stone or shell I find would be wrapped within a fragment of its life ;)

    Your enamel bead suits the design really well. i just loved the whole compostion of the piece.

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  15. That wasn't an easy challenge and you met it with brio! well done! smiles, Virginie

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  16. simply beautiful! wait to go! your technique is gorgeous!

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  17. what a great mix you got and i love what you did with it!

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  18. Wow. This necklace is sooo beautiful. Well done.

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  19. Melissa, I love love love it!!! The organic natural look my favorit. You did a great job.

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  20. Wow! Melissa that is some tasty soup! I love that caged wire look. How did you do that? It looks like some relic brought up from the sea floor by a fisherman's net. I love that clasp(yes, Kate, you need to 'fes up to where to find that!) and the wire spirals. This is something I would wear any time. Thanks for sharing your talents! Enjoy the day! Erin

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  21. Absolutely stunning! And I'm actually glad it was a stretch for you because that's what this party is all about -- pushing you to try new things. And you did AWESOME!

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  22. It is worthy indeed - I love what you did!

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  23. Wonderful, creative, unique and cool!

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  24. Anonymous3:47 AM

    So cool!! I love the pendant and what you did to it with the hammered spirals and all. And to just enamel a piece on the fly, I'm impressed. Great work!!

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  25. This is stunning, Melissa!

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  26. Oh, I love this SO much; your wirework is fantastic! And you created such an original design for the whole piece; it totally works, and is also really inspiring. Brava!

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  27. Love, Love Love what you did with your focal!
    Bead Happy!
    Michelle

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  28. wow, so much to look at. i love the bezel you made. very cool.

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