Bead Soup ~ What I sent

Here is what I sent my bead soup partner,  Elisabeth Auld.  She received it the other day!  Yayyy!

A little bit of vintage silk sari, woven wire knitz in copper, strand of clear quartz beads, hand made copper headpins in cranberry, some brass and stainless steel wire(I was thinking for making glass beads with?) a vintage chandelier crystal, light amethyst faceted beads, rhodochrosite square beads, ceramic squares, faceted copper crystals, 16 gauge jump rings, large and small soldered copper ring, 2 focal beads and clasp.

I made the toggle clasp out of a copper washer.  I used my dremel to texture it then I domed it, tumbled it and made a most awesome patina on it with heat, then lastly I sealed in the color with spray and wax.  The subtle colors did not come out in the photos.  There are splashes of orange/gold, and green/blue with a little bit of pinkish.  That was fun!  I couldn't decide on which focal piece to give so I sent both.  The one on the left in the last photo, I wrapped 24 gauge wire on a mandrel, then I heated the whole thing up and melted some silver around the whole thing, so it just peeks out.  I then hung a beautiful quartz crystal that is faceted just on the sides.  I had a ball making the one on the right.  That one is a penny I hammered and hammered and polished.  I took my scrap silver and placed it in a pattern on the penny and heated it and let the silver flow as it wanted.  I love the way it looks.  I had such fun doing it I made 2 more.  I made the bail out of copper and put a silver ball in the middle like a nest.  I soldered it on to keep it nice and tight.  I made a bunch of these "nest" things thinking I would make earrings out of them, but I just keep using them for other things!  Maybe one pair will make it to earrings someday if I don't use them all in other projects.  I hope Elisabeth enjoys all the things she got.  I will enjoy seeing what fun things she will create.  I am so excited for the reveal!  That will happen March 3rd.