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.

Jen Velasquez http://jenjuddrocks.blogspot.com
Johanna Rhodes http://firephoenixcreations.blogspot.com
Laurel Steven http://laurelsteven.blogspot.com
Loretta Carstensen http://www.designsbyloretta.blogspot.com
Lori Anderson http://www.lorianderson.blogspot.com/
Mallory Hoffman http://rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com
Marianna Boylan http://www.stargirlshop.blogspot.com
Norma Turvey http://www.moonlitfantaseas.blogspot.com
Sharon Misuraco http://goinoffthebeadinpath.blogspot.com
Stacey Curry http://starhitchedwagon.blogspot.com
Tyne Bodenburg http://www.tynebodennecklaces.blogspot.com

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!