15 November 2010

Can Procrastination be an ingredient?

"I do my work at the same time each day
                    - the last minute."  
~Author Unknown

There is nothing like a little fire under your ass to get you to fly into high gear. I swear to you... Procrastination must be my middle name. If it isn't than it is high on my list of ingredients for the latest and greatest Bead Soup Swap.

Bead Soup Blog Hops are the brainchild of Lori Anderson of Pretty Things.  The idea is simple... send a coordinated set of beads and a clasp to the partner you are paired up with and create something new. Except this time we were asked to do a swap with our partner. Not any old swap... but a swap of any old thing. We were asked to send each other a piece of jewelry that didn't sell, wasn't quite right or has not kept pace with our evolving styles. I have an entire drawer filled with such neglected treasures awaiting reincarnation, so this was perfect!

I was lucky to be paired with the delightful Jen Judd-Velasquez. I admire the spirit of playfulness and fun that Jen brings to all that she does. I knew that this would be so much fun!

Jen sent me this necklace...tons of raw material to work with...



There are unpolished sunstone cubes, rainforest jasper coins, a big ol' chunk of green garnet, melon beads and glass disks from Heather Boardman of HMB Studios {have been secretly coveting Heather's glass for years! So glad that I have some now!}

I started with those melon shaped beads. Not sure what they are made out of but I love the shape. They remind me of fall and acorn squash. My mom always made acorn squash with butter and cinnamon and some other spices like nutmeg and clove. Bake it in the oven for a few hours {okay, you got me. I have no idea how long to bake it. Until it's done!}. It is such a beautiful topaz color glistening and moist. Tastes a bit like candy, but it's a vegetable!

{Baked Squash}

For this bracelet I used the melon beads and some glass that I picked up at the Bead & Button show on some ridiculous clearance. Three colors of crystals - mocca, peridot satin and topaz - connected with two leaf connectors from Nunn Designs and finished off with some copper chain and a simple clasp. I call this one "Baked Squash."

This is the last one that I just whipped up at, oh, 1:00am. {Yea. I told you that Procrastination was an ingredient.} I used the rainforest jasper coins connected with Vintaj brass etched jump rings {one of my 'can't live without 'em' staples} and some love knot connectors from AD Adornments. I call this one "Love in a Forest."

{Love in a Forest}

What I loved most was the colors of the lampwork. So I decided that they needed a showstopper all their own. I have been having so much fun with Kerry Bogert's Totally Twisted book. I love the Bang Gals bracelets and have translated that into a necklace form. Twisted coils of orange wrapped in bronze wire pull out the colors of the Heather Boardman beads. From my own stash I added a felt sushi roll bead from TaraTaraTara on Etsy, green labradorite, carved bone, a clear encased lampwork bead from Julsbead {who coincidentally is having the mother of all giveaways. Go and post a comment now!}, a vintage brass mesh encased olive green glass bead, and a tiny bottlecap bead from Glass Garden Beads.

{Hunter's Moon}

The glowing orange color of the lampwork and the Swiss cheese holes in the bone made me think of that peculiar time in the fall when the moon seems bigger, brighter and more mysterious than at other times. This blaze orange orb is known as either a harvest moon or a hunter's moon. Since my boys will be traipsing through the woods come Saturday at the ass-crack of dawn, I have named this one "Hunter's Moon" to honor the impending hunt. {I think I will wear it on Monday...like in a few hours. You know, just to be sure that it isn't pokey or anything. ;-}

There are even beads left over that I didn't get a chance to play with {I kind of need to get to sleep. It's 1:45am right now....}

Thank you to Lori Anderson for coordinating this fun hop, to my partner Jen Judd-Velasquez for providing me with some amazing raw materials {did I put enough orange in there for you, girlfriend?}, and to all the ladies participating in the Bead Soup Revamped Blog Hop. Do be sure to check out all of the transformations.
P.S. Be sure to stay tuned to my blog for the first Challenge of Color blog hop happening on Friday, December 3rd. Click the link on the right for more information.
Enjoy the day!

25 comments:

steufel said...

Erin - all three pieces are pure eye-candy!

Mary Harding said...

Theses are gorgeous Erin. I love the double rings as a focal for Love in the Forest. And the orange coils are stunning in the Hunter's moon. The Baked Squash bracelet is so fun and so is the bird supporting it. And you used almost all the beads. Super job.

Courtney Breul said...

I love what you did. The colors are scrumptous! You pieces are oh so wearable! :) Love that felted sushi roll bead. Have to check those out......

mairedodd said...

how great are all of those pieces? i do love them all... for different reasons, but hunter's moon is so great! have to go and see what others have done...

Off the Beadin' Path said...

Procrastination seems to work for you, Erin! You have to set the dial on "high" and get it all together! 3 pieces from 1, just shows again how brilliant and creative you are! You had a fun assortment there, but made some impressive decisions on which, what, and where! I like all of your choices and was hoping you needed someone to wear the bracelet for a while, mustn't have pokies anywhere! Also liked your seasonal theme with the squash, late autumn forest where only the evergreens show up now, and the Harvest/Hunter's moon. Beautiful!

Unknown said...

Oh Erin you Rocked!!!! Oh and since orange is my favorite color I say there is an ample amount (LOL) I have to say that "Baked Squash" is my favorite but really I want them all!

Hugs

Cindy said...

Wait a minute! Procrastination happens to be MY middle name too! You know Erin, you and I are birds of a feather. Both up super late working on our projects...but we gotta work with what little free time we have, even if it means borrowing from our sleep!
I love your earthy pieces - especially Hunter's Moon. Hey, that would look great with the brown sweater set I'm wearing today!! Just love it.
My Dad made acorn squash the same way - lots of brown sugar involved. In fact, we had some just last night! Enjoyed visiting your neck of the woods today! :-)

Alice said...

Wow, the pieces you created are beautiful! It's amazing that you took one necklace and were able to have beads left over even after making several pieces.

And, yes, procrastination is an ingredient. In face, its a staple at my house!

Enjoy your week.

Kerry said...

thanks for the twisted love erin! the pieces all turned out WONDERFUL!! i love the fall palettes your using, it is all so comforting. and hunter's moon is AWESOME!! well done!

Judy said...

You certainly had a lot to work with...Wow! I love what you did, simple elegance with great colors and textures. You rock Miss Erin!

Anonymous said...

I love them all, but 'love in a forest' is my ultimate favourite. Hope you manage to come up with yet more wonderful creations with what's left!

Laurel said...

Unstoppable creativity! What a wonderful array of lovelies you've made from the one necklace!

Rickie said...

What a lot of fun you created from Jen's design--love them all, but the bracelet is my favorite!

Brandi Hussey said...

I think procrastination is totally an ingredient. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Btw, I LOVE the results! Hunter's Moon is fabulous!

rosebud101 said...

Erin, I love what you did with your necklace! You are so creative and truly do find inspiration everywhere!

Pretty Things said...

I am SO in love with that necklace! You did an amazing job!!!!

Jen Judd said...

You're a nut!!!! I'm in awe of your late night productivity...you really got into an amazing groove. I'm loving on the "totally twisted" influence--it really makes that whole art bead collection come together!

Thanks sooooo much for being such a wonderful partner!!

Jen

Unknown said...

And you knocked it out of the park! I am NO good under last minute pressure. I love all the pieces you created but my fav is definately Hunter's Moon.

Loretta said...

I love what you did with all 3 pieces, but I think Hunters Moon is my favorite. Love all the colors.

stregata said...

Your muse does get a kick out of pressure, that's for sure. Wonderful work, Erin!

Michelle said...

All of them are just gorgeous. I love the melon beads (and yes, they remind me of acorn squash as well). I think my fave is Love in the Forest. The love knot focal ROCKS! LOL
Bead Happy!
Michelle

Stacey said...

Wow - what a cool piece to start with - so many fun and beautiful elements - the colors are gorgeous - perfect for this time of year!!! Your turned all of those beautiful elements into three gorgeous pieces! Way to go Erin!

Jenners said...

Well, if procrastination is an ingredient in your work, don't leave it out. These are lovely.

Barbara Bechtel said...

I love all three but I really like hunter's moon, the one inspired from Kerry's book. Your color palette is always so pleasing!

I am the world's greatest procrastinator! You're going to have to fight me for the title, WWF chair-fight style. We'll schedule it for....I don't know but we'll think of a date. Except the champion will get a gorgeous beaded title belt instead of the ugly gold thing....heehee!

Infogal- K Lohse said...

Erin,
I was catching up on my blog reading and the word procrastination caught my eye! Dear me, not only can you create under pressure but you can write coherently about it, too! Your work is amazing, your stamina is amazing, YOU are amazing!

Kari

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