Swap 'n Hop - All the beads and challenges! :)

I feel a little bit bad to show what I got because my beads seem to be still on their way. My partner in the swap 'n hop is Kathy from Bay Moon Design. I follow her work for... some.... time already (okay, it is for so long that I really can't tell you anymore ^^). 

The beads I send to her came back to germany with the comment unknown address. I send them again on their way and hope they will finally find their way to Kathy! But maybe even if I feel bad about the delay and keep Kathy waiting, maybe I should look on the bright side: The package was not lost, just send back! (okay, now you may say, but it is again "on the road" but I have hope!). Also in all the years I am sending and receiving packages from all over the world just a very few were lost. Strangely all problems were always just from and to the USA (I am in gemany) but then... maybe that is just by chance and being a researcher I know I shouldn't trust any data with not enough samples and not double-blinded ;)

I was just on my way to Hasselt, belgium, looking at the postbox when Kathy's package arrived. Since I really was way too curious to wait for several days, I took it with me! So the beads came from the usa to germany just to travel to belgium and then back to germany. So it was in the middle of the night, being tired from the flight and travel, but I just had to open it! (the images I took back home).

The two green beads I couldn't resist showing two times are my absolute favorites! Organic, tribal, with a lot of texture, looking moos overgrown... just love them! I like everything Kathy send me but you know the moment a bead is really "yours"! This was the case with these two. 

Kathy gave me two challenges: The big butterfly and using pink. I had to smile at her challenge to use pink because she is right, it is not my favorite colour but it fits perfectly for the pink advent calendar I make for a very close friend every year! So just perfect! The butterfly was a real fun challenge and I am soooo excited what Kathy will say to the results! 

Last but not least: She added a tin box full of sea shells! Oh, thank you so much Kathy! It made me smile and I will use several of them for new molds and also try to integrate them in some jewelery! 

PS: I will tell you more about the single beads and show you the details in the finished pieces... because I started nearly instantly to use them I couldn't take more single pictures ;)