The lovely Lisa Lodge has launched another blog hop, with bead packs of lampwork and clay. I needed a challenge.
I got it. I received these beautiful beads... with REALLY big holes for my usual bag of tricks. And they were so beautiful that they needed to be set off in interesting ways.
I paged through books of designs looking for guidance.
I tried new techniques with laughable results.
Finally I turned to my stash.
And a story started to emerge, and from the story, three new pieces: asymmetrical earrings, a necklace, and a pendant.
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Once upon a time there was a box of beads and they could not get along.
"We come from the sea, so we are better than you," said the beach glass.
"We lived deep in the earth, alongside the Morlocks," said the gemstone beads. "Clearly we are superior."
"We're nuts!" said the nut beads. "We don't care."
"We're recycled glass. We're morally superior," said the recycled glass beads.
Finally a bead of lampwork glass spoke up. "Can't we all just get along?" she asked.
This sounded vaguely familiar to the beads, so they stopped rolling for a moment to listen.
"It is true we come from all the corners of the earth," she continued.
"The earth doesn't have corners," muttered the polymer clay beads.
"It is true we come from all the corners of the earth," she continued.
"The earth doesn't have corners," muttered the polymer clay beads.
But the lampwork glass bead pressed on. "And from the seven seas... and lots of oceans, too."
"Hath not a bead holes?" she asked. "Hath not a bead edges, drill marks, mandrel scratches, finishes... blasted in the same kilns, tossed by the same waters, dug out from the same earth?"
"If you drop us, do we not roll away? If you string us, do we not make harmony with the beads beside us? If you wrap us too tightly, do we not crack?"
"If you discard us, do we not trip the family dog? If you string us, are we not strung? If you wire us, are we not wired? If you wrap us, are we not... um... wrapped?"
The beads murmured and rolled amongst themselves. They considered the words of the lampwork bead. "She has a point!" said the pearls.
"No, that's just a flaw," said the lampworks. "Happens to the best of us."
"She could be right," said the pressed glass beads.
"I don't know. I'm nuts! said the nut beads.
But as they looked at each other (through beady little eyes) they had to agree that, no matter what their origins, they had a lot in common.
And so, without further ado, they rolled together, joined holes, and decided to bead all that they could bead.
And they all lived in pieces of harmony until the next time they had the same discussion. In fact, they are all up for auction to provide aid for the Phillipines. Check out the auction on my FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/Cornerstoregoddess. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the asymmetrical earrings, the necklace, and the pendant will go to International Relief Teams, who rate in the top 1% of all charities in terms of financial performance, accountability and transparency.
Now go see what the other beads are up to. Here's the hop list. And remember: bead all that you can bead.
Your hostess: Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist
Mary Govaars, MLH Jewelry Designs
Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes
Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design
Laurie Vyselaar, Lefthand Jewelry
Annette Rivers, MamaOwl's Mess
Karin King, The Sparkle Things Blog
Shaiha Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings
Mimi Gardner, Baubles, Beads and Other Curiosities
Dee Alcalde, Agape Creations Jewelry
Kay Thomerson, Kayz Kreationz
Karla Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams
Lori Jean Poppe, Lorillijean Creative Corner
Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life
Leah Mifflin Tees, My Beady Little Eyes
Terri Wlaschin, Dances in Fog
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson, Sharyl's Jewelry
Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation
Veralynne Malone, Designed by Vera
Linda Aspenson Bergstrom, TBD
Toltec Jewels, Jewel School Friends
Judy Turner, Silver Rains
Gloria Allen, Gloria Allen Designs
Kathleen Douglas, Washoe Kat's
Connie Tipton, TBD
Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry
Andrea Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade Creations
Michele Dotson, Star Jewels
Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware
Jennifer Clifford, TBD
Kathleen Breeding, 99 Bottles of Beads on the Wall
Molly Alexander, Beautifully Broken Me
Loretta, Loretta's Boutique
Carolyn Lawson, Carolyns Creations
Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread
Bonnie Coursolle, Jasper's Gems
Alice Craddick, Alice's Beads and Baubles
