BSBP8: Soups On! Meet my Partner Bobbie Rafferty and See the Beads!

Bead Soup Blog Party 8 is underway and it's time to reveal the bead soups and introduce you to my fantastic and talented Bead Soup Party partner this year, Bobbie Rafferty of Beadsong Jewelry! 


What's a Bead Soup Blog Party? 

The Bead Soup Blog Parties are an international jewelry arts event, one of the largest bead swaps and design challenges in existence, with almost 500 jewelry designers and artists participating annually. The BSBParties are hosted by author and jewelry designer artist Lori Anderson, who pairs participants with her talents as an organizer extraordinaire. Participants then send their partners the finest beads to design with, or as Lori describes, "a Party Pack, something nice we would give our best friend" that includes:

::  A focal  ::

::  Some coordinating spacers or beads  ::

::  A special clasp (not just a lobster claw)  ::

Participants blog about the bead soups given and received, sharing info about their partners & their partner's jewelry and art, and last but not least, create jewelry with the beads exchanged. The jewelry designs made for the Party are revealed all at once, together in a grand event for one day (this year on May 3rd) as everyone visits each other's blogs (the "hop") to see all the jewelry created with the exchanged beads.

The Last Bead Soup Party? 

Lori has mentioned that this may be the last year for the Bead Soup Blog Parties as we know them, and thus I'm holding every part of this wonderful event dear to my heart. 

Lori shared that she may very well have to let the pairings, partnerships and bead swaps fall away from future Bead soup blog Parties. Thus I am cherishing every step of the process and appreciating all I can: the fun of making a new friend, the challenge of exchanging great beads, the process of photography and blog posting, and the excitement of creating with beads chosen by another artist. 

Whether this is the last BSBParty or simply the 8th in a long line of annual events, I'm relishing each step of the event. The Bead soup Parties are not just blog hops -- they transform the jewelry arts community. BSBParties create new connections, foster unique and empowering interactions, and manifest an abundance of beautiful beads and exceptionally outstanding jewelry art!

Muchas Gracias, Lori Anderson! 

Meet my Partner, Bobbie Rafferty of Beadsong Jewelry

This year I'm paired with the warm and lovely Bobbie Rafferty of Beadsong Jewelry. Bobbie immediately amazed me with her exquisite jewelry designs, especially those found on her website and gallery, featuring incredible beadwork and jewelry designs such as her free form peyote necklace, "Aphrodite, Queen of the Sea." Treat yourself to some gorgeous jewelry arts eye candy and visit her website, Beadsong Jewelry. You'll find an array of outstanding jewelry designs to delight as she works in bead weaving, stitching, wireworking, and stringing! 

"Aphrodite, Queen of the Sea" by Bobbie Rafferty, BeadSong Jewelry Gallery.

Bobbie is also the hostess of the whimsical yet infamous "Hat's Off Challenge" -- a blog hop celebrating the many styles and fab fashions of the hats of the Kentucky Derby! Bobbie had planned on making the popular challenge an annual event, but had to do some rescheduling when the timing was exactly that of this year's Bead Soup Blog Party 8. She plans on hosting the event again, however, so be sure to visit Beadsong Jewelry blog to sign up for email posts so you won't miss the next gala Kentucky Derby design event!  

Also, check out Bobbie's spring collection of jewelry designs as a Znet Design Team artist. She has several pieces published in Spring 2014 issue of Creative Spark, including an elegant "centerfold" with a colorway that will surprise you, starting on page 34. 

See Bobbie's Beautiful Spring Collection of Designs

 The Soups! 

What Bobbie Sent Me: 

First Course: A Pink Soup

An exquisite soup featuring an ethereal cherry quartz butterfly focal that took my breath away when I lay my eyes on it! Bobbie may not know this, but my eldest daughter passed on during my first Bead Soup Blog Party. She had been very ill and had lived such a rich full life -- however short in time, and although we didn't expect her death, I know with all my heart it is ok, she is still the beautiful amazing person she has always been -- all of herself and now more -- and is with us still. Death is not loss, but with open hearts full of love and appreciation, is a new way of being with those we love if we can feel Heaven on Earth with our hearts. 

The butterfly is the representation Beads of Courage uses for children who have passed on. So I will create in her honor with my beautiful butterfly.

As for the coordinating beads, they are stunning! A nostalsia colorway mix of Czech flowers and fabulous rondelles, soft and smoky in a rainbow of soft, irridescent colors. There are fantasy faceted fine quartz crystals too -- magical! And an abundant overflowing gift of cherry quartz faceted flat pears! In addition, marble and more Czech in soft sandy shades abound, as well as rich chocolate freshwater pearls, shimmering white stick pearls, and delicious faceted fire agate rounds! 

I am in heaven and love everything.

Overview of the Pink Soup Bobbie Rafferty sent me: Lusciousness! 

And

Second Course: A Blue Soup

Second course! This blue soup features a powerful talisman as its focal! The handcrafted lampwork mandala (artist unknown) is a "kaleidoscope mandala" and an amazing bead! Imagine the possibilities in design. Coordinating with the lampwork art focal are ceramic beads, pretty crystal rondelles in two sizes and shades, Czech beads galore: coins, druk rounds, pinch beads, ovals, and the special Czech color edition of green and blue rondelles. There is also a lovely lucite flower matching Bobbie's handmade sterling silver clasp (see the lovely silvers photo too). The special blue bead with "grates" is actually a vintage treasure! And to top it all, there are seed beads made of gemstones: azurite! The moment I saw these gem treasures, I knew exactly what to do with them! I'm excited! 

Overview of the Blue soup Bobbie Sent me (along with the silver treasures above!): Sophisticated 

Silver Findings! Including Handcrafted Sterling Silver clasps by Bobbie.

What I sent Bobbie:

First Course: A Pink Soup

Overview of the Pink Soup I sent Bobbie Rafferty. With gold and gold plated beads, artisan treasures, vintage & gems.

And

Second Course: A Blue Soup

Overview of the Blue Bead Soup I sent Bobbie Rafferty. It's full of artisan goodies, gems, & seed bead shapes galore! 

Isn't that amazing synchronicity? We created and exchanged two soups for each other and we both sent along a soup in pink and a soup in blue! 

                                 

Suppliers of  beads & findings for Bobbie: 

Bead Boutique AGS (Apostles Gems)

Lima Beads

Fusian Beads

Art Beads

Handcrafted Artists of my soups for Bobbie: 

THEA Elements

NaOs 

Southern Gals Designs

Blu Mudd 

Tree Wings Studio

Get Your Bead On

Sweet Birch Designs

Lara Lutrick

Glass Bead Art

Glass Addictions

SueBeads

A Party Favor:

Comment on this post to be entered to win a $20 gift certificate to Lima Beads. Comment on our soups, visit Bobbie's gallery and comment here about your favorite design, or share the link in your comment to your Bead Soup blog Party soup reveal, and you'll be entered to win on Sunday, April 20th. I'll be using Random.org to pick the winner. Party on!