Saturday, October 6, 2012

Bird Nest Soup!

Mmmm, sounds yummy, right?  The Chinese name for bird's nest soup, yàn wō (燕窝), translates literally as "swallow's nest". Bird nest soup is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine and is traditionally believed to provide health benefits, such as aiding digestion, raising libido (ahem!), improving the voice, alleviating asthma, improving focus, and an overall benefit to the immune system.



Well, I don't think my necklace will produce any amazing health cures, but the sunny warm colors will surely brighten your day and impart a cheery disposition!

Lori Anderson provided my bead soup and I was instantly delighted with the coloful bird pendant, the bird's sweet smile, and all those bright colors.  My first thought was to create a necklace that evoked a garden ambiance, since I love to sit in my garden and watch all sorts of curious birds and their  antics, like pecking for flower seeds and collecting fur for their nests. 

I decided to add the jasper barrels to give the illusion of branches, and created flowers from the yellow bumpy acrylic bead that reminds me of a marigold, and the lovely red Czech bead as a poppy. I also added my handcrafted copper leaf and nest to complete the look.




Being asked by Lori to participate in her beautiful book has been a pleasure and an honor, and all of the artist's projects are truly stunning. In celebration, I am having a giveaway of the copper leaf and nest pictured above, so please leave a comment and a lucky winner will be drawn Monday morning at 10:am, and don't forget Lori's grand prize drawing! 

82 comments:

  1. I can't wait to see your necklace. The bird is stunnning. I would love to win your leaf and nest!

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  2. i love your soup mix and the piece you created from it..

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  3. I would love to own this beautiful leave and nest. Stunning.

    baychriz at gmail dot com
    Bead Soup Mix

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  4. Oh lovely. Would love to be the winner. ;-)

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  5. I love these little things you created and can't wait to see your necklace!

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  6. Hello Sharon,
    your every work of jewelry is beautiful, I admire all of them. And thank you for chance to win your awesome giveaway:)
    Regards!

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  7. Love the colours of your soup, and the bird pendant is adorable!

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  8. Congratulations on being a contributor. I love what you designed with your soup - beautiful. Would love to give your leaf and nest a home.

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  9. What a beautiful nest! Being copper, the leaf is the ideal colour for an autumnal piece of jewellery.

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  10. Such a pretty soup!I would love to win the leaf and nest!

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  11. love your metal work leaf, and the nest. don't thing I would want to eat bird's nest soup though. however the soup you received was lovely. thanks for a chance to win.
    laura
    laurahuffman@ciaccess.com

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  12. Thanx for the chance to win these cool copper components. It adds greatly to Lori's awesome book to hear the stories behind the jewelry.

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  13. Congratulations on being a part of this great collaboration!!!! I need to order the book so I can see all the amazing pieces.

    I'd love to win your sweet leaf and nest. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  14. What a great soup! I can't wait to get my own copy of the book and see all these amazing designs

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  15. I would love to win those components! It has been great to hear the stories behind the book.

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  16. I'm really curious to see what you did with the bird. I can't wait for my copy of the book to get here. :)

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  17. Your nest is so awesome! I have the book and love what you created.

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  18. Love all the components you had to work with.. Can't wait to look it up in the book and see what you did... love the blog hop

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  19. That nest is amazing. Metalsmithing is such a wonder to me - what you made looks stunning. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  20. Love your soup and inspiration - can't wait to see the finished piece!! Your leaf and nest are amazing - thanks for the chance!

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  21. Love that bird in your soup!
    Would love the chance to win your beautiful copper leaf and nest!

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  22. Can't wait to see your entire design in the book. The bead soup you received includes such lovely colors and your leaf and nest go so well with them. Thank you for choosing those for your giveaway as well.

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  23. Looking forward to seeing what you made. Thanks for the chance to win a great prize!

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  24. You did a beautiful job! I'd love to give this lovely loot a new home too

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  25. Can't wait to get the book so I can see the entire design! Thanks for a chance to win the giveaway!

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  26. OMG - I'd love to win your giveaway!!!

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  27. I absolutely love that bird. Thank you for offering a chance to win some goodies. If I win I will blog about what I create.

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  28. Love your work and would love to win. Thanks for doing this. I've had great fun on this soupy hop!

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  29. Thank you so much for being a participant and sharing your talent!

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  30. Not too sure about the real Chinese soup thing but I love your bird's nest!

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  31. Would love to win that copper leaf and bird's nest! Thanks so much for the chance to do so. Lynn

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  32. What a beautiful give away! Love metal work.

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  33. beautiful copper beads! I'd love to win!

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  34. Elena Adams (ElenaAdams1992@yahoo.com)October 7, 2012 at 11:06 AM

    Really nice:)Would love to win these:)

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  35. What's a bead soup without some metal components??!!! I would certainly like to win.

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  36. Hi Sharon,

    I would definitely love to win one of your copper leaves and bird's nest. The soup you received looks so good; I can't wait to see the finished design in Lori's book. Thank you for the chance to win.

    rrunner444@triad.rr.com

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  37. Just fabulous soup...hoping to win...thanks.

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  38. Love the formfold and nest! And the bird/marigold/poppy beads!

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  39. I love that bird in your soup! What a treat someone will get to receive your copper components Miss Sharon. I have enjoyed all the facets that we have each brought to this book. So fun to be on this bead soup journey with you! Enjoy the day. Erin

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  40. Congratulations on the book! I would love to win your prizes! Count me in! Pretty please!

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  41. Just love those copper components and would love to give them a good home!

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  42. I love your soup and can't wait to see what you did with it. Love your copper components. Thank you so much.

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  43. What a fabulous soup you got to work with! and I love that leaf and nest! I've yet to make a nest that looks like...well.. a nest >.< lol A 'mess' I got down really well ;)

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  44. I love your hand-made copper pieces. They are so different than the shiny out-of-the-box pieces I usually think of when I think "copper".

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  45. Love that bird, full of fall colors and warmth of this season of holidays and colorful leaves

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  46. I would love to make some birds nest soup! Yummy!

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  47. The soup Lori sent you was GORGEOUS, indeed! So generous of you to offer a giveaway - thank you for hte opportunity!

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  48. I'm seriously in L.O.V.E with that soup you got from Lori! Like you said, it's so bright and cheerful :)

    Thank you so much for contributing your beautiful giveaway prize! I'm definitely excited at the prospect of winning it!

    TheEclecticElement AT yahoo DOT com

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  49. What fun it's been checking out all the posts for the book hop. I'm really enjoying my copy of the book and the pieces everyone made.

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  50. Congrats...what a cool bird in your soup. Would love to win...Thanks!

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  51. Yummy soup! Would love to win your leaf and nest, thanks for the giveaway :)

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  52. I love the bird and that gorgeous lucite bead! Can't wait to see the completed necklace. Your leaf is wonderful!

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  53. The color combination is so lovely, and I'm crazy for that bird.

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  54. Would love to win your leaf and bird nest. Interesting components.

    Carolyn
    carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com

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  55. Would love to win some of your beautiful components! Thank you for the chance

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  56. Ooh, lovely components - would sure love to win!
    Thank you for the opportunity :)

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  57. I love the copper components you have. I am having such a great time seeing all of the beautiful beads and designs from everybody!!! I would really love to win this!

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  58. It'll be the first handmade cooper component that I win =)

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  59. Love the bird's nest and leaf. Your necklace is beautiful.

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  60. Wow...beautiful. I would love to have these.

    Nancy

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  61. Wow what a treat. swopemelmel at aol dot com

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  62. I'd love to win the way-cool leaf & nest. :) llandig@msn dot com

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  63. That bird focal is beautiful. Cant wait to see your necklace. Congrats on being a contributor to Lori's book.
    linda

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  64. I just love the chrysanthemum flower that you created. Add my name in to win your lovely leaf piece. Andrea abross@gmail.com

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  65. Cant wait to see what you have made from those ingredients. so lovely and environment-themed beads. ;)would love to win.

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  66. Wow! Great post. Love that bird and the clasp...oh and those wire-looking beads on the right! I really need to order my book! I can't wait to see the finished piece!

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  67. How fun! I love your metal components! I'd love to win them!

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  68. Your copper components are beautiful. I can't wait to get my hands on the book and see what you did with it all!

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  69. Sharon your piece was awesome! I also love your copper components and would love to get my greedy little hands on them :)

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  70. What a lovely story! Your necklace with all of the copper will surely hold some healing properties just the same ;)

    I love what you did with your soup!

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  71. thank you so much for this giveaway, I hope to be lucky :)
    ciao dall'Italia

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  72. Beautiful work! I love what you did with the yellow bead. Thank you for the opportunity to win some of your creative components.

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  73. Sharon, I really enjoyed seeing what you created with your bead soup as soon as I saw the book.... and you made such a beautiful, balanced, and striking necklace! One of my sons picked it out as his favorite in the book! :-) It was a pleasure to contribute projects alongside you in Lori's book!

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