Kumihimo Necklace

The Bead Soup Blog Party has indeed sparked my creativity again; I just finished this kumihimo necklace and am about to finish another much more elaborate one that I'll show later this week. This one uses a kumihimo (Japanese braided cord) of embroidery cotton with a handmade brass wire and turquoise clasp and brass end caps; the exquisite stone is Mexican green turquoise and was made by dear friends Dean and Conne of Two Cranes.

So yay for beading parties, real or virtual; even more fun than getting my package of goodies from Wanda and creating with them has been meeting my fellow party-goers! As part of the celebration some bloggers are having giveaways; Denise Yezbak Moore calls hers "the best bead give-away ever" and I would definitely have to agree! Even if her various color collections are split up, this is an amazing and generous giveaway. Please visit her blog and leave a comment to enter in the giveaway, and then stay to see Denise's wonderfully creative jewelry designs. Such talent, and I'm so glad to be part of the Internet Age so I can see what other people do and learn from and be inspired by it all! Speaking of inspiration, the Bead Soup Blog Party continues; see today's reveals here and enjoy the show!