Was it only a week ago?

Wow - remember last Saturday, when I was so relieved, because the light bulbs had come on, and an idea for my Bead Soup had formed? I had pored over my Bead Soup stash, carefully pulling the components I wanted to combine, and proceeded to patinate my clasps accordingly. Which is a commitment, by the way - once the metals are patinated and sealed, you're locked into a path!

I worked on some other things this week, and on Thursday I started to work in earnest on my BSBP project. And ran into a huge roadblock: the components I had been so excited about last week? No longer go together. Seriously. Has this ever happened to you? I blame the Bead Fairy, who isn't always kind to me. (She gets a big kick out of coming into my studio and HIDING things from me - devilish imp!)

I spent several hours Thursday, and many hours yesterday, moving the chosen pieces around, playing with them. But it was a definite no-go. I promise, the individual components I chose last week DID go together! But anyway, inspiration (of sorts) struck me last night, while I was fretting about it at home.

The BSBP rules require me to use the focal and clasp (both of which are now patinated, though I didn't reveal my patinated focal in this post) - so I am going to split them into 2 different designs. I didn't want to do this, but I just can't force a design I'm not happy with. Does anyone else see the resemblance between the Bead Soup Challenge and arranged marriages? Not the partnering, but trying to make the soup components go together - sometimes it's a harmonious design, and sometimes the components just fight each other and have to be separated!

So instead of one discordant creation, now I'll be making 2 designs that I love!


For one, I'm going to fire up the torch and work a little flame magic - I love torching beads! I just wish I could show you my process and progress (or lack thereof) as I work through this Bead Soup Challenge. It's frustrating to sit on all this stuff until the reveal date! I'm trying to take pics as I go, though - but sometimes I forget.
Have a great weekend! It'll be 99 degrees here today, as I fire up the torch - yuk!