Welcome to the FINAL Reveal of 2013 
Bead Soup Party!

Charlotte De La Tour Necklace BSBP by Laura Guenther
Sari silk-fibers, ribbon, pearls, pendant,
handmade copper component-"grow"

Be sure to see the bottom of this post for details of my give away!

I was glad to have a little extra time with the postponed date.

A big thank you to Shay for the wonderful soup she sent me!
Visit Shay's Blog HERE for her reveal. I am so excited to see what
she has been cooking with the soup I mailed her!
Oh and please visit my other partner Linda,  who is revealing what
she created as well.  I have been waiting, impatiently!
Click here. Oh I cant wait to see it!

Another huge thank you to the KIND Lori Anderson for her
amazing Bead Soup Parties!

Well, My reveal is all about flowers!

(Scroll down here  to go directly to pictures of my pieces,  : )

Floriography -The Language of Flowers

Last year I read the current fiction book entitled The Language of Flowers. It sparked my interest in the subject.  I did look around for information after finishing the book, but I didn't spend much time on it. With my curiosity tickled again by my green pendant with  purple flowers, (the must use focal!)I had to find out! 
The pendant is so pretty, by the way.

What do purple flowers mean, does it mean your a creative type like I have heard, when you where a purple shirt?  

Anyway, the history behind the language of flowers has some very old roots in Turkey, but generally it began as a literary tradition in Victorian England, France, and then America during varying times in the 1700-1800's.  By the 1800's, the " language of flowers" was a commonly used phrase in Europe.  Hand written lists were circulating in France. Besides the Language of Flowers Book, there were a group of small floral books which had roots in the almanac, an annual publication with a calendar,
think, " Farmers Almanac".

As of late, there is a common thought that there was a set of meanings for flowers that everyone knew. Although the inclination to associate flowers with sentiments is universal, there were many sets of meanings. Which begs me to question, how many women got the wrong message? 

There is also the thought that people used flowers for secret communications, and at first glance there is information that this was so.  But, my further research showed this was not the case.  However, the popularity of the Language of Flowers books and meanings were well loved,
and were used by poets, writers, artists and designers.
 And still today, the language of flowers is a popular topic.
 I found many floral shops, blog postings, and lists on the subject.
 The original books have been
reprinted and can be purchased on Amazon!

A special painting I received
on the day I was finalizing
this floriography post!

Purple Flowers and the Focal Pendant- (See below photos)

The pendant was made by Sharleen Newland 
who sells her beautiful ceramics on Etsy. 
 These flowers are generic, but here
 are some purple flower meanings.

Purple carnation-whimsical
Purple Lilac- first emotion of love
Purple Violet-Daydream

Some flowers on these lists that I viewed during my digging, have 2 sets of meanings. Negative and positive, which begs another question, how would one know which meaning the giver was sending in the sentiment?
 A black ribbon for a negative expression, perhaps?  Ah, kind of fun to imagine.
Shall we add a skull and cross bone charm to the Tussy Mussy? I know, silly thoughts.

Lavender- Devotion- ( Positive) Mistrust (Negative)

It is believed that the all of the Language of Flower books derived
from a book by Louis Cortambert, under the pen name of Madame Charlotte De LaTour.
This was a small book with what seems to be the first dictionary of
flower language.

Charlotte De Latour Necklace

Charlotte De Latour Necklace
Created By Laura Guenther
Partner-Shay Williams
BSBP 2013

Please visit Shaterra Clay Studio, on Etsy . You will find wonderful ceramic beads, leather, and pendants.
I wasn't sure what I was going to create with my soup ingredients,until I visited Sharleen's shop.  Her photos and colors are what got me inspired.  I knew I was going to use the pearls, and the pendant, but I didn't know from there, what I would do.  I played with the ingredients for a long while, mixing and matching. It was actually quite fun to look at them in different ways, after being frustrated with myself! With each challenge I am doing, I am realizing I can enjoy the process of ... "How can I?" rather than fight it.

Detail-Copper Bail Component-Grow

I came up with the copper envelope tube component,
(bail thingy! ) because I wanted to tie in the copper chain with the rest of the design. I liked the copper because of its contrast and unexpectability.  Is that a word?
I wore the necklace yesterday for a bit, and it feels really nice on, it has a nice weight, and the
twisted strands hang well together, staying in place.

Bead Soup ingredients- freshwater pearls, blue ribbon cording, and focal pendant.

Floriography Key Chain

Red Daisy-beauty,unknown to possessor
Daisy (general)- innocence, faith, simplicity

For this key chain I added some very old African trade beads, copper, ribbon, and made the chain tassel.
I love these big lobster clasps on key chains and book marks.

Floriography Keychain- BSBP
Laura Guenther-Shay Williams

Bead Soup Ingredients- Large Lobster Clasp, Large copper toned bead, glass beads

Wildflower Dreams Book Mark (Give-Away)
Honey Suckle-Devoted affection
Buttercup-Riches
Thistle-Nobility

Wildflower Dreams Bookmark
BSBP 2013
Laura Guenther-Shay Williams

Bead Soup ingredients- Purple, clear, green glass beads, 
silver "Dreams 're made of love" connector.

If you would like to participate in my Give Away, 
please follow my blog,  leave a comment on this post, and your entered. 
Contact me if you need help to follow my blog! lkguen@comcast.net  
  
Sorry for the long post!  Thanks ahead of time for your visits and comments.  I love to hear from everyone, and I value each and every comment, even tho I can't reply to each one. 

I cant wait to see everyone's creations!
All the best! 
Laura

~Heart Full of Love~

~The Love Necklace~

I want to share this project with my readers. It's a necklace I

made for a friend on Facebook. 

 I admire this person for several reasons.

The first is her devotion and love to her family.  

She nurtures her nieces, nephews, grand kids, 

and her extended family. 

 She always has positive things to say about other people, and encouraging words

for her friends and family in her posts.

Recently, she lost her oldest son, to unexpected health issues,
on Christmas Eve. He was in his 30's.
 I am amazed at her strength and ability to comfort others in her time of sorrow. 

I wanted to create something in memory of her son. She saw

a pendant similar to this one, and told me, 

this would be perfect,  

and later we began referring to it as "the Love Necklace".

~The Love Necklace~
2013

Her son loved music and I think he was quite an artist himself.

He also loved playing drums, and hanging out with his Mom.

I made the glass tube bead on the left side of this picture

with his name on the outside, and sheet music on the inside. 

 My friend can pull the wire up, and open the vile,
and insert something inside if she wishes to. 

I also created the little music connector with copper, and mica.

~Heart Pendant~ 
Soldered copper, brass wing stamping,
 acid free paper,vintage dictionary text,
brass screw, patina, and resin.

She doesn't know what the final necklace looks like, only that I
was going to create the heart pendant. I hope she likes the design.
The length is adjustable, by the ribbon at the back of the necklace.

(For my jewelry making friends, I struggled with the resin, I have had beautiful results and many bubbles in pieces. I follow all the tips and tricks about bubbles, but there they are! Rats. These were small and really I think they didnt take away from the design. But sometimes a bubble ruins the the piece.
 Do you have this problem?)

I hope this necklace brings a little comfort to her heart.

With Love and Prayers...

Laura

               Bead Soup Blog Party 2013- Reveal 

Welcome Guests and Our Hostess Lori Anderson!

Special Thanks to my Partner Linda!
Linda will be revealing her design in the 3rd reveal here...
Please follow my blog, I will be doing a give away for my next Bead soup Reveal! 

Fossil Feud Necklace

When I was working with my Bead Soup from Linda I began thinking of the Wild West because of the  leather and colors of the beads.  The handmade ceramic focal pendant looks like a fossil unearthed.  This caused me to do a little research.  I ended up learning about the great Fossil Feud which was during the Wild West Days of America.  My first piece is a tribute to the 2 men behind the story.  I hope you enjoy reading it.

Here is the story....

It's the Wild West, in the late 1800's.  The days of Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and Buffalo Bill.  It's also the  days of cattle drives, and the last of the buffalo hunts. The great land ownership quest is going on all along the western frontier with white settlers taking advantage of the Homestead Act of 1862.  The California gold rush and the wagon trains on the Oregon trail and others are over.  The fights among the white settlers and the Native American Indians were raw and happening all across the west.

Another fight was going on in the late 1800's that I had not heard of, maybe you have.  The big feud, is now the famous feud of 2 men, and is called The Fossil Feud.  It was between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh. They were paleontologists, who amazingly discovered 136 new species of dinosaurs in North America. Previously scientist only new of nine.

                                    

The extinct animals that Cope and Marsh introduced to science include many dinosaurs commonly known today, such as Triceratops, Allosaurus, Brontosaurus, Diplodocus, and Stegosaurus. They also named and cataloged innumerable, long-vanished species of mammals, fish, and birds. Today, more than a century after their great discoveries, the names Cope and Marsh–like Lewis and Clark or Stanley and Livingstone–remain linked together in history books. Unlike these other famous duos, however, Cope and Marsh hated each other with a passion. Cope and Marsh clashed for 20 years as the discoveries of dinosaur and extinct species intensified.

Marsh discovered a site in Como, Wyoming, where there was a mother lode of dinosaurs from the Jurassic Period, a stage in the Mesozoic Era that ended 135 million years ago. In the first year of digging alone, Marsh’s men shipped 30 tons of bones east, including those of Allosaurus, Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, Camptosaurus, and many others.

Although the 2 men were known for their hatred of each other, they amazingly discovered so much in a short period of time. The digs were difficult, with harsh climate conditions, and often there were Indians that would would have to be fought off. It's a shame they are known more for the feud between them, rather than the amazing fossils they found, unearthed and showed the world.

Marsh and his crew

Fossil Feud Necklace

I used the blue ceramic rounds, focal pendant, leather and clasp, and a shell bead from my soup.

Can you find the shell bead?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Gorgeous leather and pendant from my sweet partner Linda!

                                           
I created 2 components to go with the soup Linda sent.  I took a donut shell bead (from my bead soup) and made it into the vintage looking text bead with the word, " nature".  I also made the glass tube bead that holds the "fossil finds" (chip beads from my soup) of Cope and Marsh.

                                               

I was determined to use the leather, since I dont know what I am doing when it come to working with it.  The leather Linda sent was really a nice grade, easy to knot and work with.
I chose the blue beads because they were the only ones with large holes...ah, easy decisions, this is good!
     

Fossil Feud Necklace BSBP 2013
Laura Guenther-Linda Younkman

Impressionism Bracelets

The term Impressionism is derived from 

Claude Monet's painting, Impression Sunrise.   

I love all of Monet's many paintings.  I really love his painting, 

Poppy Field in a Hollow near Giverny I decided to use it as inspiration

 for these bracelets, because of his lush display of natural colors.                                                                     

Poppy Field in a Hollow near Giverny by Claude Monet-1885

For these bracelets, I used the pale green faceted stone beads, the red faceted beads, and the braided leather.  I purchased a magnetic clasp for the wrap bracelet.  Again, this leather is gorgeous, which you can not appreciate from the photos. These look really cool together when worn.  Thank you Linda!!!

I decided to keep this bracelet simple, and I must say

it does really look great on. I am very happy with the 

results.  You can't tell from the picture, but it is a really cool bracelet.

I made the connector to go with the beads from vintage brass, tin
patinas and  mica.

Love this leather!

Thanks for visiting BlueAntiquities!  Enjoy the party!  Be sure to check back for the third reveal.
My partner Linda will be revealing what she created and I will be revealing another bead soup!