A Tantalizing Recipe for Bead Soup
Dateline: 03/19/01
Beads and cooking have a lot in common. Great ingredients, good recipes and an expert hand at blending are all key to creating a perfect clam chowder or a fantastic bracelet.
There has been talk of Bead Soup in the Beadwork Forum. There have been many interesting comments about Bead Soup. Not everyone likes it, but as in cooking, if you start with the right ingredients, you could create a masterpiece!
Here's how I blend a perfect Bead Soup Base: 1. Start with a couple of grams of your favorite small bead. Begin with a single color, to establish a baseline. Then add beads of the same size, in different colors and finishes. I start with either an 11/0 Japanese or Czech bead or with Delicas.
2. Then I toss in a few larger beads in the same color family. Use a size 8/0 if you are making a smaller piece. If you want a better size range, add some 6/0's.
3. Next, we're going to add a different shape. Use bugles, nibblets, cubes or even drop beads. Something to add dimension and textural interest. Don't go too big, keep overall scale in mind, and don't be afraid to add a couple of different shapes.
4. Now, let's give it some flash! Use some Czech fire polish or some pretty metallic larger beads. Faceted beads are especially nice, and fiber optics are fun.
5. Take a look and see if it's missing something. Maybe a few tiny beads? Charlottes are beautiful as are 14/0's. How about some 3 cuts or a few plated beads?
6. Once your blend is mixed to perfection, you might wish to gather a few larger beads in the same color family to work in to your project. This is where I pull out the pearls, gemstone chips, handmade beads and other goodies.
So there you have it! A fun and useful mix of beads - a soup starter if you will! I always save my oddball beads, or project leftovers to add to Bead Soup. I just put them in a little baggie, and I keep a separate box for them, until blending time!
There are a few things you should avoid when making Bead Soup. As mentioned above - keep freshwater pearls, gemstone chips or bead, Swarovski (or other) crystals and metal beads separate. This is because the most common use of Bead Soup is in freeform Peyote or loom weaving. Being irregular, the pearls and gems can cause problems. But keep a few nearby, to add in as you choose!
