Welcome to A Hot Piece of Glass!

WELCOME to my colorful corner of the world! I write here about the things I make, in glass, fiber, metals, and whatever else I can find to play with!

**And if you want to read more about me, check out Adventures In Living!, my personal blog, or The ScooterMom, where I write about my adventures on two wheels! If you're interested in medieval, ancient and Renaissance glass, check out my history blog, The Medieval Glassworker!**

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Hey, Hey, The Party's HERE!!

Okay, so I got an amazing collection of fantastic beads from my Bead Soup partners, Beth and Evie McCord, of EB Bead and Metal Works. At first, I didn’t know what the heck to do with the big enameled frog, but after a little while of sitting with the beads and playing with them, and looking at the gorgeous enameling job on that frog (not to mention the seriously good sawing!) the design came to me.

Ta-DAAAA!

The first of my three projects is this one….called ‘Reach’.


Rather than hang the frog from a necklace, I wired it to a piece of heavy-gauge copper wire that I bent into a branch-like shape. Then I made a length of braided and beaded cord and combined it with copper chain. I added the green beads as accents on one side and to, along with the green beaded cord, suggest leaves or rainforest trees. That’s what I had in mind, anyway.

They had sent me a silver toggle clasp, but I didn’t like it for this design, so I made my own. It’s a toggle of 18g copper wire with a copper washer I stamped. I added the copper tag to the bottom of the necklace, attached to the loop on the ‘tree branch’, and stamped it with the word ‘reach’. I thought it kinda looked like the frog was reaching for the next branch, and it seems a good sentiment to have on your person as you go about your day.

The whole necklace fits over your head, so you don’t really need the clasp, but I liked it as a design feature anyway.

The next piece is a pair of earrings to go with ‘Reach’. Nothing terribly fancy here; I wanted them to be simple, so you could wear the necklace and a pair of coordinating earrings without feeling like you were totally draping yourself in jewelry. Two lampwork beads, each hung from a short section of the same chain in the necklace, and finished with copper earwires I made myself.


For the last piece, I used the remaining set of beads and the silver toggle clasp that I couldn’t put into the first piece. This necklace is called ‘Wise In The Ways'.


I strung the beads on a length of silver 18g half-hard wire (hey, it was all I had on hand! Remind me to never buy half-hard wire again…). I made simple loops on each end, then hammered them slightly to flatten. I cut a long piece of hand-dyed silk ribbon in half (I bought it from JamnGlass), and looped it through the silver bar with the beads, then sewed it to the toggle clasp. Finally, I wired up one of my white owl beads and made him the centerpiece of the work. These earthy beads just reminded me so much of woodland areas, and the layered dot patterns on them reminded me of an owl’s feathers, so I think this is a fitting piece to use these beads in, overall.

This has been so much fun! I feel like I stretched beyond my usual style a little bit, and really got into trying to make a piece that was not only wearable, but different, and captured the essence of the beads and other goodies I was given. I know my partners TOTALLY rocked their design with my beads!

I think I might try to do another swap or soup party again.

This party goes on all week, so there’s still lots more to see! Here is today’s list of blogs to visit. I’ll post the day’s list every day of the Blog Hop!

27. Lisa, Alterity
28. Dale, Dales' Flights of Fancy
29. Melanie, Kookie Designs
30. Christine, A Hot Piece of Glass (MEEEE!)
31. Nancy, Beading From the Heart
32. Laurel, Rue's Daftique
33. Sandi, Do Be Do Bead Do
34. Nicki, Nicki's Reef
35. Virginie, ViviBijoux
36. Janeen, Wild Vanilla

56 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Christine, what a brilliant design idea to wire the frog on the "branch!" Awesome work!

Carol Tannahill said...

Love how you've used your elements. The frog especially is such a unique presentation, and fits perfectly. You've taken the idea and made it your own.

Cindy said...

Christine, your "Reach" necklace is truly a cool piece of art jewelry. It is SO you...with your amazing wire work and creativity. I love all of the design aspects...from the focal to your string of green beads around the sides... yes, invoking a rain forest. And your "Wise" piece is stunning. Those are some gorgeous lampwork beads and such pretty ribbon... BRAVO!!
Cindy

moonlitfantaseas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
moonlitfantaseas said...

very cool, I think I like the owl necklace best

steufel said...

The frog is totally awesome!

Nancy said...

I love that frog necklace!! It is such an innovative piece. I love that you used all the soup components. The earrings and second necklace are just wonderful!

Kella said...

When I saw the first piece I though WOW! looks like a rainforest, then I saw your referance to the rainforest with your sead bead chain you created, so your piece is certainly mirroring your inspiration. It is fabulous and I love the frog's position you wired him into.

The second piece is certainly woodland in its vibe. I love the idea of creating a bar of wire to string the beads onto and to hang your focal from, very inspiring.

Lorelei Eurto said...

Both are outstanding! I love your use of that frog!

EB Bead and Metal Works, LLC said...

OMG Christine we love, love, love it. This is absolutely amazing. We love how the frog is sitting on the tree branch it is flipping fantastic, and what you did with the red beads, words cannot describe it! You are amazing girl!

Spirited Earth said...

great idea to make it into a tree frog..the addition of the inspirational charm ,Reach, is wonderful

Marcie Abney Carroll said...

How absolutely creative! I love your idea of adding the word reach. The whole thing is just perfect. Congrats.

Unknown said...

Who would think of this frog as a focal?! But he is very exotic!! Your pc is so rain foresty and spicey all drenched in a very beautiful necklace! I cant say enough for this pc its really great! So well done! And the other one how very lovely wow youve stood out well in this party!

Pretty Things said...

You ROCKED your soup! Totally amazing! The frog was a serious "out of the box" piece for your normal style and looks fantastic with your work. Awesome!

Unknown said...

the frog is really fun, nice thinking on the way to use it. I really like the second necklace, so pretty

Nicki said...

ok if you ever decide to sell this frong necklace, then let me know. I need it ;-). This is outstanding.

Courtney Breul said...

I love your necklace! Love that frog and how you incorporated it is great! Love the green also!!

Barbara Bechtel said...

WOW! Those are spectacular! I love how worked out the design with the frog! Very very interesting!

cindydolezaldesigns said...

Love the rainforest Frog necklace. Green and copper. Can't go wrong.

Cathryn said...

I love that frog necklace--it's unusual and it's very creativity screams "WEAR ME! WEAR ME NOW!"

I also like the light as air earrings and the owl necklace--all your designs show ingenuity and creativity that inspired some truly fascinating wearable art!

elisabeth said...

Absolutely stunning - love all three of the pieces. My husbands Mom is obsessed with frogs and would love that necklace for aure!

Carol Tannahill said...

If you ever list that frog, make it on Ebay! You're going to have a bidding war on your hands, and I'm going to be in it.

Aquariart said...

Christine- I love what you did with that fabulous frog and all the green beads. Totally jungle minded inspiration that works to a T. The branch is ingenious!! I love it all the way to the toggle and tag you made yourself. As you know I am partial to copper too. Great job!!

diane hawkey said...

I love how you attached the frog. Brilliant!

Denise Yezbak Moore said...

Love the frog - I have a "thing" for frogs! The green seed beads on the sides is very creative. The design is fabulous! I also love the owl necklace!

Pearl and Pebble said...

I love what you did with the frog!!! Awesome:)

Christine said...

Awww, thanks, everybody! You've all made my day! :)

Loretta said...

All three pieces are incredible. Love the frog especially. You really did Reach!

Megilon said...

What a brilliant use of the frog! I don't know that I would wear it as a necklace I think I would frame it and hang it on my wall. Beautiful!

ViviBijoux said...

I absolutely LOVE how you put the 'reach' necklace together.That's one piece I wouldn't mind wearing ^_^ Honestly, one of the best pieces so far! smiles, Virginie

TesoriTrovati said...

Yowza! That is a lot of fun. I love that it stretched you. Those green beads would have put me in a tizzy, but I really really like what you did with that frog. And the extra beads have the same colors as your owl's eyes. Lovely servings of soup, dear!
Enjoy the day.
Erin

Anna Lear said...

Wow, you totally rocked this -- I just love both pieces! The contrast between the patina'ed copper and the bright green beads totally evokes the rain forest, and I love the elements you added to make and adorn the clasp. LOVE IT.

Rebecca said...

Love the seeds, love the lampworks, love the copper...what a wonderful selection!

Laurel said...

Really, really lovely - both of the pieces! Perfect setting for the froggie!

Jennifer Cameron said...

Great job! I adore the branch you made out of copper wire and the sentiment you included.

Jen Judd said...

That is a great froggie piece!!! I love how you manipulated it into a big copper centerpiece with the branch. Plus, the whole variety of textures in both of the pieces is really fun. Jamnglass ribbon is some of my favorite!!

Unknown said...

Wow Christine, love the Reach necklace. How cleaver to attach the frog to the "branch". Both necklace are fabulous!

Valerie said...

You did an awesome job. I love all of the pieces you designed. One of a kind and very creative!

Karyn said...

I love both pieces but that frog on the wire looks awesome! Fantastic work... well done!

Karyn

Kate said...

What a fantastic job! I love what you did with the copper and the branch, it's just stunning! Wrote a bit about it on my blog today!

http://organicodysseys.blogspot.com/2010/06/beads-beads-and-more-beads-plus-3.html

Stop by for my reveal on wednesday!

BahamaDawn said...

WOW!!!! what a brillant piece!! you really lucked out getting that awesome frog!! and i love how you attached him to the copper!!! GREAT JOB!

EmandaJ said...

Oh my goah, these are gorgeous!

Emanda

Emerald Window said...

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! I Love the tree frog. How fabulous.
You were very creative with your beads.
Cenya

Michelle said...

What an amazing necklace! I love the froggy!
Bead Happy!
Michelle

Jo said...

Wow! I would have been really stumped by the frog, but I love how you've used it and made the whole necklace tell a story. Brilliant work!

Dale said...

Wow, Christine, this is so very fantastic! I love the wirework, with the little loop for the dangle. I love teh unusual use of the frog. I really love all the green, used as braided and strung beads... so very very lovely! Beautiful work, something truely different.

Marie Cramp said...

That frog is incredible!! You are very lucky to have been paired up with Beth and Evie :) I absolutely Adore what you made!!Every piece is absolutely speaking to me :)

Regina said...

The frog focal and what you have done with it, it is stunning. Love it! It is my favorite of your two pieces. The owl necklace is cute, but the prize goes to the frog, thank you. Excellent job!

Anonymous said...

I love this design! Love the frog and your toggle is the best!

Silver Parrot said...

I love what you did with the frog piece - you really added your own touch to such a great component. I think your pieces are some of the most creative "soup" I've seen so far!

Unknown said...

Gorgeous!
What an incredible frog necklace!

one-eared pig said...

Wowowowow!

Anonymous said...

That is an amazing focal, but what you did with is leaves me speechless!! What a great idea and it fits the focal so perfectly. Fantastic job!

Anonymous said...

I am late coming to this party...just found out about it the other day and am working my way through all of the entries.

I LOVE what you did with your soup! The frog is awesome! He looks like he is trying so hard to get to the next branch. I was drooling all over my keyboard when I saw him.

I also love your owl! I will definitely be checking back in on your blog!

Joanna Matuszczyk said...

Stunning and spectacular! The frog rocks:) Love it!

Patti said...

I love everything you've created! Love the frog... outstanding!!!

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