Saturday, May 10, 2014

Bead Soup!

Hurray, hurray! It's time to reveal what I made for this year's Bead Soup Blog Hop!

As a refresher, my partner was the amazing and talented Keri Lee Sereika of Pink Lemonade, and this is what she sent me:

So talented! That focal, and that clasp, and those enameled beads, and those
etched disks? She MADE all of them!!

And, yeah... I used everything that she sent me!

I started out simply enough--I had an idea for one necklace. Then, I got an idea for another one. And then another one. Overall, I ended up making twelve pieces--four sets. And they are themed! Each set is inspired by one of the classical Elements: Water, Earth, Fire, and Air.

And, since I made a lot of pieces this year, I'll get straight to the pictures!




Water
This set was made using my soup's focal and enameled beads (all handmade by my partner), as well as the pearls and some of the crystals.



This necklace was the first piece that I made--and also what inspired the elemental theme. As I was making it, the colors and the pearls and the patina all made me think of something found in an underwater archaeological dig... like a crown from an undersea kingdom. In fact, I ended up making it long enough to be a crown--it fits very nicely on my forehead--as well as a necklace.

Since I had some of the enameled beads leftover, I then made some matching earrings:






And then some matching hairsticks:




All together, these pieces make up my Water set.



Earth
This set was made using my soup's clasp--handmade by my partner.




Since the Water set did not use the amazing handmade clasp that my partner sent me, I tried to figure out another design to do it justice. I mixed the clasp with some thick copper chain and green charoite, and the Earth set was born.

Here are the earrings:




And the hairstick:




...And here is the Earth set all together:



Fire
This set was made using my soup's hammered copper discs--handmade by my partner.



By the time that I made the two previous sets, I was committed to making something for every element. That was why I decided to use the hammered copper discs paired with brilliant Chinese crystals for this Fire necklace.

I also used the two smallest discs in the earrings:




And, because I had some of the crystals left over, I wanted to make hairsticks as well:




Here is the Fire Set, shown all together:




Air
This set was made using the last of my soup's crystals.



Since the last pieces of my soup were clear crystals, I thought they would be perfect for the air set. I used them both in the necklace above, and the earrings seen below.




The last item of this set is a little different... Since I had used up all but the last pendant crystal, I didn't have the materials for hairsticks.

So, I grabbed my knitting needles, and created this:



That is indeed a necklace scarf--and, perhaps, the piece that I am most proud of. It is certainly the piece that took the longest... Since I hurt my wrist, my knitting is significantly slower than it used to be. But, it was totally worth it. This scarf looks absolutely fantastic when worn, and there are even crystals and chain hidden in the tassel.

So, complete with necklace scarf, here is the set that I made for Air:



So, there we go! Those are all of the pieces that I made for this year's Bead Soup! Thank you so, so much to my partner for your incredibly generosity--your work is beautiful, and it was a thrill to create with it! And, of course, thank you Lori Anderson for making this possible!

Last, but certainly not least, thank you, wonderful readers who've made it all the way to the end of this epic post. I am honored to share these pieces with you, and I hope you like them. I certainly had a blast making them!

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Since this is a Blog Hop, I wouldn't be complete without including a link to the list of participants... Please go here to see the list. There are so many talented artists, I hope you get to check them out!

Have a wonderful day, everyone! Happy Hopping!

108 comments:

  1. AMAZING - all your creations are so beautiful. I so love the first necklace with the "water" focal. Wish I could see those hair stick in action ~smile~

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  2. love the hair pins and your creations are contemporary ,clean and modern, great work

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  3. I love the hair sticks. I have not tried to wear them yet. But I love how they match all the sets. Water is my fav. Great job.

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  4. Lovely work! Water is my favourite too, mainly to do with the necklace and how you used the focal piece.

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  5. All sets are beautifull, "Water" is my fav! very inventive projects!congrats!

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  6. I really love the way you've used the four elements to guide your jewellery pieces. Such a clever idea and you really have captured the qualities of the elements in each piece too.
    Gosh it's hard to pick a favourite, I would be happy to wear any of them!
    Yours are some of my favourite pieces I have seen so far :-)

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  7. Whoa!!! I love that you went with the element theme!! All your pieces are great and I am so impressed with how much you did!!!! Great work and use of your soup!

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  8. Such lovely pieces well done!

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  9. gorgeous pieces. I love that you've turned your soup ino the 4 elements. The necklace scarf is my favourite too :-)

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  10. ohh my goodness, these are so, so beautiful. you really outdid yourself! i can't pick a favorite (though i'm leaning towards Fire, and you'd know why ;) ) -- that Air necklace scarf is stunning, i've NEVER seen a piece like that before. you are so, so talented and i'm so lucky to know you. <3 -Emily!

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  11. Just beautiful-all of it!

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  12. so creative using elements as your inspiration. you did each one beautiful justice! earth is my favorite :) beautiful soup!!

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  13. Great idea, divide the soup into four elements. The jewelery looks wonderful. My favorites are earth and air. The hair sticks have become very smart and a wonderful idea. Fantastic!

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  14. WOW! Everything is simply amazing, but I love the water necklace and Air scarf simply because I think they are so creative! You are so talented!

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  15. Well done, Jenny! I love the pieces with earth theme. Such wonderful, warm colors! And the idea with the hair sticks is great!

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  16. Holy WOW ! So many pieces ! I love how you themed everything on the four elements ! Water has to be my favorite, though the knitted necklace for air is an head turner ! Earth is also very, very lovely. I would wear all these pieces in an heartbeat !

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  17. Love that you used beads in unique ways :)

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  18. Love the themes! And you did such a great job with your Bead Soup. I can't pick a favorite as they are all beautiful.

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  19. Great themes! Thanks for sharing your beautiful creations with us. Water is my fav...love them all.

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  20. You did the elements and your partner proud. Beautiful work, I am very envious.

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  21. Gorgeous components, the hair sticks are ingenious!

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  22. What a great idea to use the four elements! Your work is fabulous - all of it!

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  23. Thats all , Thats a lot...lol....I found your soup yummy, your presentation of your designs brilliant, your designs mesmerizingly beautiful ...So elegant, stunning, brilliant and breathtaking....ty for sharing with us all

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  24. All your designs are lovely. The knitted necklace is especially creative!

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  25. A fabulous soup and amazing pieces !! Love your Earth Air Water and Fire theme!!!

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  26. You've done some beautiful things with your soup. I love how you were so creative with your knitting - very very nice.

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  27. What a wonderful soup you got, and you did great things with it. I love the elements theme! Water is my favorite, but they are all really amazing. Such a fun post.

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  28. Really gorgeous components and pieces. You did them justice. Great designs and colors!

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  29. Great themes with so many beautiful pieces!! Love your necklace scarf!

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  30. Fabulous soup = Fabulous Designs! Wow! Really Really Soup-er!

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  31. You absolutely did complete justice to the soup and to the elements, I don't know which set is my favorite - I couldn't choose. I love that you make matching hair sticks, I used to use those all the time and yours are gorgeous!

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  32. wow, what a great idea for themes! they were a very pretty, but I like water and then maybe air...hmmm it's hard to choose.

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  33. Jenny You did a fabulous job with this amazing soup. I think my favorite was the amber, copper pieces. The hair sticks are great!

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  34. Wow! So many wonderful pieces. Your muse was on fire...which by the way is my favorite in this collection. Superb!

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  35. Oh my, too many beautiful choices!!! love the Hair sticks, that is a fabulous idea, love how you created sets with themes. You Rock!!!!

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  36. Hurrah! I've been touring the other blogs over the past day or so, and you're the first person I've found who makes hair accessories other than me.

    They're all beautiful, but goodness, I'm suffering from serious Scarf Envy.

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  37. I love your knitting necklace. Simple but chic. Love it =)

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  38. Wow! So many beautiful pieces. Love them all. But the scarf necklace is amazing. So nice! And I love the hairsticks, really great.

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  39. Did you create some beauties, such a great job. Must have been fun too, with ♥amazing results! Love it!

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  40. Wow Jenny, what a fabulous collection you have created! You certainly did justice to the wonderful soup you were sent. Your necklace scarf was a real inspiration, beautiful work, well done.
    Jackie

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  41. Beautiful sets! The hair sticks are different and fun!

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  42. Wow! So many beautiful and romantic pieces! Wonderful job with your soup!

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  43. That soup is delicious looking! Love the hair sticks. Your pieces are absolutely stunning. Great job.

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  44. Beautiful jewelry sets, great work!

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  45. You've created some beautiful designs with your soup. I love how you were so creative with your knitting - Cheers!
    Lori in Atlanta

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  46. You really got some great stuff out of that bead soup. Thanks for sharing it with us!
    Hannah Rosner
    http://goodrivergallery.blogspot.com

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  47. Earth, air, fire, water....and knitting!! Boy, you really did some terrific work!

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  48. You captured the elements beautifully. I like them all but LOVE Earth and Water... So beautiful.

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  49. Great Ideas, nice theme! I love your Water collection.

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  50. I am smitten with the idea of an elemental challenge! That water collection makes me swoon! It really feels like it came from Atlantis. I have never seen a hair stick... makes me wish I had longer hair to see how that would work! They are all such different collections, but yet came from that same sample of ingredients. Very tasty indeed! Thank you for sharing your talents with the 8th Bead Soup. Enjoy the day! Erin

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  51. Oh wow! So many great pieces, and I especially love that you used element themes for your sets - that's so amazing! The hair sticks are awesome, and such a creative, different use for your soup! Well done :)

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  52. Oh my! I love how you used the elements as themes for your designs. The hairsticks are fantastic! I can't pick a favorite, they are all too lovely.

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  53. You were a busy girl. Earth was my favorite set.

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  54. I really liked the Earth set. The balance was stunning.

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  55. oh my...picking my favorite was not an easy task! Earth is just delish, I really love the scarf idea for air, fire is simply yum..... but WOW that water set!!!! yup, hands down the winner to me!

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  56. I am just blown away by these beautiful designs! Each has its own unique beauty. I suppose, as fire sign, I should be drawn mostly to that particular set but the water element just talks to me! (maybe to quench those hot fires?) And that final Air piece, the scarf necklace.......WOW!

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  57. wow....i have almost no other words. (ok maybe a few) You did AMAZING creating a set for all the elements. I was a little disappointed you didn't have hair sticks for the air elements (I've never seen them made before and you make them beautifully), however - that scarf!!!!! So amazing. your Fire set is ..... drooollllllll.......

    you really showcased ALL of the beads, so wonderfully. great job

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  58. Love your "Elements" theme very cool idea. What a fantastic group of handmade components you received. Great job on all of it. The scarf necklace is very clever. And I love that your "Water" necklace can also be worn as a crown. I recently upcycled a necklace into a crown for my Renaissance Faire costume, but mine isn't nearly as cool as yours. Excellent job!

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  59. YAY hairsticks! And YAY elemental sets! I love them all... but Water and Air are my favorites I think... the enamel pieces are stunning, and the necklace scarf is innovative and delightful!

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  60. Wow - you really went to town on this soup. Love the division of the various elements - what a great idea. The two clear drops in the first necklace are an awesome detail - they look just look water dripping off the ends of leaves. I'm also obsessed with the hair sticks - amazing!

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  61. Wow. What an imagination you have. Every creation is more beautiful than the other. I am very impressed.

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  62. You have some pretty amazing and unusual items in here, I am astonished by how many techniques you used and how wel you combined different medias!

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  63. You have an amazing soup! Well done for using all your soup up! Great pieces, really good to see something different (i.e. the chopsticks).

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  64. Oh shiny! Super creative use of components and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the hairsticks! I think the first set is probably my absolute favorite. It's almost Mucha-like. I could see it on a long-tressed beauty in an old poster.

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  65. Wooo ho wow!! Well written post with 4 elements theme.. I really can't decide which one is my favorite.. all sets are equally awesome. And the hair sticks... they rock!!!

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  66. Wow! I love the idea of the elemental inspired sets ... and that knitted scarf necklace is amazing =)

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  67. Wow! You made so many cool things. I love the idea of hair sticks. Such beautiful designs!

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  68. Great Job! Love everything you made, especially like the knitted piece

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  69. Love your four elements theme!!! All the pieces are really awesome! Fantastic use of your soup!
    Alenka

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  70. Hairsticks, wow! I love your earth-set <3 and Water-set <3

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  71. Stunning pieces! I can't decide which one is the prettiest. Every set has 'something'. And headsticks! Marvelous!

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  72. Love your inspiration and designs. Just beautiful.

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  73. Lovely pieces! I think you did a great job showing off the beautiful beads, and the theme was a nice touch! (:

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  74. I can't even decide which set is my favorite! I just love the theme and how you made sets of them all.

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  75. Oh my...BEAUTIFUL! You did some amazing creations! For me, it was the 'fire' set that caught my eye the most. Your hair sticks are simply WONDERFUL!!!! Great job...I'd wear them all! ~KM

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  76. What an AMAZING set of designs!!! I really really love them all!!! Your hair sticks are wonderful!! The necklace designs are wonderful and you earrings are the perfect accompaniment . Love Love the scarf!!! Just Amazing!!! Have a Blessed Day!

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  77. wowwwwwww.......you are amazing....your pieces are all beautiful. Love how you categorized them. The hair sticks and the necklace scarf are brilliant ideas.

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  78. Another with a Wow.So inventive. So far no one else has made hairsticks.And yours looked so professional. I was also taken by the whole matched theme and at the end, the simplicity of thelast crystal. How amazing that you had enough beads for all the elements

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  79. How amazing that you got enough beads for all the elements. i was especially pleased bythe simplicity of the last crystal

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  80. They are all very pretty pieces. The enamel beads go wonderfully with the necklace. But my favorite is the necklace using the clasp. I love the chunkiness and texture in it. And the hairsticks are wonderful. I wish I had enough hair to wear/use one.

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  81. great themes, fantastic pieces on their own accord. There is no point in comparing them with one another but I really love what you created for Air. It is so classy and elegant. It reminds me of my grandma's chandelier and the hair sticks fabulous. I can picture a beautiful chinese warrior taking them out of her hair to fight off villians

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  82. I am completely blown away--by the beads and by the finished pieces. Such amazing talent.

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  83. Beautiful bead soup! And your Earth set is definitely my favorite! Never thought of using beads in a hair stick!!

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  84. Such beautiful creations! You are so talented!!

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  85. Such beautiful creations! You are so talented!!

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  86. The theme you chose for your bead soup mix was perfect. Your designs are very classic and beautiful, warm, and earthy. The hair sticks are beautiful. I love your idea with the scarf - very talented!

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  87. Wow! So many pieces..all very cool!

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  88. Wow! You are AMAZING! I love the hair sticks! Very unique! Your designs are absolutely stunning!!

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  89. Every piece you made was just gorgeous. I especially loved the hair sticks and earrings with the enameled beads. I have never seen hair sticks like yours before--very unique.

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  90. OMG but you have been busy and so creative. I love the elemental theme and those hairsticks are great . i especially like your necklace scarf.....ingenuous!

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  91. Speechless! That knitted piece is really interesting, and all the rest... awesome!

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  92. I was trying to keep track of everything I liked ...... and then it dawned on me it was ALL of it!
    Great soup, really creative use of it too! Love those hair sticks!! I broke mine awhile back, made new ones from copper, but it doesn't have the same feel as wood. Again, great soup!

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  93. Amazing!! how you created such beautiful things from your wonderful soup!! The hair sticks are such fun!

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  94. I love Keri's beads! So beautiful! And I think the knitted piece is my favorite. Although I'd wear every piece you made.

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  95. Hi Jenny, All of your pieces are wonderful. I like that you had an elements theme to link them all together. You showcased the enameled focal really well in the water set. The bumpy gray beads help convey the earth theme perfectly. The fire set is striking and the air set is elegant. Your knitted scarf is my favorite piece. The bail you chose for it really draws the eye to the beautiful crystal pendant. When you said sets I assumed the third piece would be a bracelet but the hair sticks are a good choice.

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  96. Amazing! Love ALL your pieces especially the enamel beads....oh and the copper ones...and the crystals. Like how you made sets and the unique way you used the focal on the first piece. Great Job!

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  97. You've created so many amazing designs! I love the earth necklace, and the fire necklace and, and… They're all so gorgeous!

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  98. Your soup was delicious and the pieces you made even better. I love the Air piece and the knitted piece is wonderful! And I really like all of your hair sticks, those are great! Wonderful work!

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  99. I love all your creations, Jenny, and especially your elemental themes :)

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  100. What amazing designs! You are by far my favorite I've seen in this blog party! I'm so inspired with what your created and each one with such different feel and theme. Bravo!!

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  101. Fantastic idea to make jewelry, representing the four elements of nature! Well accomplished, too! I like them all - the rich water design, the asymmetry and colors of the earth design, the bright copper and matching crystals "on fire" and the air is just divine with the snow white knitted cord! And the hair sticks will go to the unusual use of bead soup ingredients, of which I saw quite a bit while hopping!

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  102. Yep still hopping....beautiful pieces! Love the connection to the elements!

    http://veradesigns.blogspot.com

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  103. Oh WOW! Your pieces are really amazingly beautiful. I like that you went with the elements theme (cool idea) and used ALL of your soup, a feat I've never accomplished. My favorite of the bunch is Water (but as a beachy girl that's to be expected). You really outdid yourself. everything is spectacular!

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  104. Awesome! I love that you made something for each of the four elements, and that you use all of your wonderful soup. I am so pleased to have discovered your blog, full of beautiful inspiration. (still hopping).

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! :)