Soup Has Arrived !!!!!!

Did I mention previously that I had an awesome partner for this year’s Bead Soup Blog Party??  Well, just in case I didn’t, let me now say it.  My partner, Natalie Moten, is awesome!!  Just look at the goodies she sent me, all the way from Anchorage to their new home in upstate NY!!!!!!!

Here is how everything looked as I took it out of the box.

Right away, you probably noticed a bright pink bead on top of the leopard box just like I did….we’ll get to that in a moment.  The top left is a package that was labeled as soap.

And guess what?? It is soap!  From an artisan in Wasilla, Alaska, Swan Mountain Soap.  It is called One Thousand Roses, and those are rose petals embedded into the top of the soap.  It smells great, too!  But I digress….back to the beads.  I couldn’t resist opening that leopard box to solve the mystery of the pink bead.  Inside the box was a gorgeous flower handcrafted by Natalie from beads and metal stampings.  The pink bead was at the center of the flower, and to fit in the box, Natalie had put a hole in the top that the pink bead could fit through.  It made for a great mystery! There was also a smaller flower and a birds nest that Natalie had made.

Natalie’s handmade focals. Aren’t these amazing?

Next, I peeked through the top of the little tin, and saw all kinds of sparkling goodness.

I poured out the contents of the tin, and all of these beauties were in there.

Here is a look at the entire soup.

I am absolutely in love with this soup.  I adore bold and bright colors, and being a lover of vintage, the big flower focal just calls to my heart.  I am so touched that Natalie made this for me.  Be sure to come back on April 13 and see what I have made with my soup!!