I’m a big fan of Lori Anderson’s blog Pretty Things. If you follow her blog, then you know this Saturday, February 26, is the big reveal for the Bead Soup Blog Party. Lori says, “This party has 210 beaders; 34 of them international designers from Russia, Poland, England, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Germany, Australia, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain, and Ireland.”
So what is a Bead Soup Blog Party? It stirs together a design challenge, a bead swap, and a mixer to meet other beaders. The main requirement to take part is that you have a blog so you can join the party! Those who want to join the fun sign up and get matched to a Party Partner. The next step is mailing your partner a Party Pack from your bead collection. The party pack must include a focal, coordinating spacers or beads, and a special clasp–something more exciting than a plain lobster claw. When your party pack arrives by mail, you photograph the beads you received and post the photo on your blog. Then you create your masterpiece and photograph it. On Party reveal day, you post the photo of your masterpiece on your blog and then visit as many other blogs as possible to see what everyone created.
Lori says, “It’s been an amazing success for many people – an increase in blog traffic and followers, and increase in friendships, and in one case, a US blogger was discovered by a UK magazine and garnered a feature tutorial and the cover of a magazine.”
All skill levels can join the fun, so this is a great way to stretch your creative muscles, build your skills, and make new friends who share a passion for jewelry and beading. Join the party Saturday and see the creations unveiled and then look for your own chance to participate later this year. There are generally three opportunities each year.
You can also take a look at photos from Bead Soup Blog Parties from the past on Flickr.
Sounds like fun.