Introducing My Bead Soup Blog Hop Partner- Karla Morgan of Texas Pepper Jams

Guadalupe River under Interstate 35 in New Braunfels, Texas
image from Wikimedia Commons

 

 

 

 
My Bead Soup blog hop partner is Karla Morgan of Texas Pepper Jams  is from New Braunfels, Texas.  Karla and I have lots in common.  We have participated in the same blog hops together.  She has been in the Bead Soup Blog Hop 3 times.   We were both design partners for Blu Mudd and We are currently design partners for ZnetShows.  Karla is presently working on learning better techniques with patina and  torch.  She loves wire, copper, kumihimo, any kind of stones, seed beading working with leather, ribbon, macrame, etc.  I am also working on working with patina and metal.  I love all kinds of beads and textiles.  She and I have both been married to our husbands for over 3 decades.  She and I both enjoy traveling.

We differ in one major area.  One of her passions is cooking. She and her husband currently are involved in developing pepper jams, marinades, sea salts, salsas and pepper infused candies, in particular fudge, toffee, peanut brittle. They love creating new recipes that feature their jams.  Their cooking is available in their Etsy store Gruene Acres Cozy Kitchen.

Let us just say cooking is not one of my passions.  Eating is more my interest.  Lucky for me my husband is a good cook.

I do love making bead soup.  Look at the ingredients that I got from Karla for my Bead Soup!

Bead soup that Karla sent me

 Karla sent a wonderful mix of beads--agate from Guadalajara, Mexico, coral, chinese crystals, lava, shell, carnelian, jade, and moss jasper.  She included a vintage lucite focal that was her grandmothers, and a copper clasp that she made.  I appreciate her thoughtfulness in giving me lucite that was her grandmother's.  Of course, her mix would have to include the map of Texas that she made from copper.  I am looking forward to creating with this rich soup.  Stop by May 6, 2014,  to see what I do as well as the hundreds of participants in Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Hop.

Celebrating Spring with Inspired by Nature Online Magazine

Click to view Bay Moon Design Spring Collection 2014 on GLOSSI.COM

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back and relax as you enjoy looking through "Inspired by Nature"online magazine.  It contains some of my newest spring jewelry and cards from my new as well as some favorite recipes, spring sayings, fashion tips. 
 

Earrings Everyday Challenge: March 2014

Golden Pearls with Brown Crystals by BayMoonDesign

This month's Earrings Everyday Challenge gave me the opportunity to create some earrings fit for a special spring occasion.  For this challenge I focused on the rich brown and beige colors and circular and angular patterns in the challenge picture.  

Potter's The Tailor of Gloucester

When I was a child Beatrix Potter's books fascinated me.  As a mother, I made sure that the Easter bunny always brought one along with chocolate and jelly beans.  You tell I love this month's Earrings Everyday Challenge.  The image from Potter's  The Tailor of Gloucester has much to be inspired by in it! I can't wait to see what others were inspired to create from this piece.

Thinking about Spring Fever Challenge by As I Stare at My Bead Table Wednesday

Spring Flever Challenge beads beads are on my table today

My bead table has a lot on it today.  I am finishing a bracelet which involves wire wrapping lots of dangles.  It doesn't involve much creative thought just time so I have my Spring Fever Challenge beads on the table so I can think about what I want to do with them.  There are 3 packs which consists of a surprise flower focal set from Lesley Watt of TheaElements, a  bird bead set from Caroline of Blueberribeads and a length of red silk from Claire of Smitten Beads.   All 3 ladies are from the United Kingdom. Each bead is handmade and individual.  Everyone in this challenge has different beads.  We can make as many or as few designs as we like with our pack, and can add anything we like from our own stash. We must keep our plans a secret until the reveal and blog hop on April 16th. The only thing I know for sure is that I won't be using the sweet leaf bead because I broke it within the first minutes of getting it out of the package when I dropped it on the ceramic floor of my condo in Florida.  I am really sad about that!  I have applied patina to some natural brass leaves just in case I might want to use a leaf, but I just don't know yet.  Stop by on April 16 to see what I end up doing.  Also, there are some terrific jewelry designers involved in this challenge and I can't wait to see what they do.

If you would like to see what others shared today from their tables, links to these Bead Table Wednesday blogs can be found on Heather Powers blog.   Next Bead Table Wednesday Blog will be March 31.