Soup's on!

I was motivated by the promise of spring when I selected the soup ingredients for my new friend Alice!  Lavender and silver bugle beads with lavender seed beads and translucent green drops create an subtle stock.  In the foreground are beautiful swirling carved stone pieces by an amazing (but sadly newly deceased) artist in Madras Oregon.  The focal is a silver wire-wrapped heart I selected to symbolize this new friendship and a little prayer box that was added after reading Alice's blog.  The very boring, but at least shiny, clasp is a statement of my "newby" status in the beading world.  After seeing some of Alice's work online, I know that her finished piece with this humble offering will be amazing!

And this lovely pile of wonderfulness is my soup from Alice.  Oh I can tell that this girl is up for a challenge!  I have been simmering this soup in my mind since receiving it a while ago and I must admit that I feel a bit out of my league!  This is exactly what I needed though to help me grow as an artist and develop aspects of beading technique that are not in my repertoire.  The focal is a beautiful hexagon cut red jade and the larger round stones are carnelian.  The pile of multi-sized rich, rustic colored seed beads has captured my imagination and they are complemented nicely by the bronze toned fittings and clasp.  Orange and green bugle beads lend an earthy, garden feel to the mix and the soup is seasoned with a pinch of interesting, spicy tidbits.  Oh my goodness . . . thank you so much to my wonderful partner for this incredible concoction. I will try my best to do justice to it!