Received my Bead Soup from Manuela Wutschke

Oh wow.

I came home from a grueling show to a lovely box from my Bead Soup partner, Manuela Wutschke.  And after you see the beauties I received, I'll explain why I'm terrified.


First, they came beautifully packaged, which made me feel horrible about how I had to package hers.  I used pretty tissue paper but every single time I think, "oh, I'll make pretty boxes" but this time, with Dad so sick all week, I had NO time and wanted to get her goodies to Germany fast, so pretty tissue it was.  I feel like an idiot.  But hopefully she'll like what I sent.  (Ducks head in artistic shame.)


Here's the pretty package...

I read the card first, and I needed this sentiment:

and then the inside:

First, holy smokes.  I'd be happy with just this, but there are two more little packages to open.  I know how long (and how boring) it is to make lampwork spacers, so I have a huge appreciation for receiving so many!  And those funky Czech glass beads (holy crap, she made those TOO) appeal to the texture-lover in me.

Ready for the focal?

I honestly cried.

I mean, I've been crying a lot lately, but this time it was happy tears.  In the Bead Soup Blog Party, you have NO idea what a person will send.  You can look at a person's blog and shop and they can send something that looks NOTHING like what they make.  I've seen it happen time after time.  Manuela's beads are very time-intensive and I didn't expect this much.  Honestly.  But she spent hours on this and it means so much to me.  But you know what?  She could have sent tubes of seed beads and that's all and I would have made something pretty from it and been happy to have met such a cool, creative person.

And oh, she made the clasp, too. 

Now here's why I'm scared to death.

When beads are this gorgeous, it's really hard to make something unique and cool with them.  The beads are so beautiful that making a creative necklace (for me, anyway) feels virtually impossible.  I have my work cut out for me!  The focal is just begging for a beautiful chain and that's all!  But of course I can't do that.  So I have a LOT of work ahead of me.  

Please visit Manuela at the following sites:

Her Blog:  Click here

Her Etsy: Click here

Her Web Site:  Click here

Lori Anderson creates jewelry for her web site, Lori Anderson Designs, and writes the blog Pretty Things.  She's a contributor to Art Bead Scene and is also the creator of the Bead Soup Blog Party.