Here is my latest creation, Satellite. You can view the actual listing HERE.
I decided to create something a little more versatile and unisex. This can be worn on the included neck wire as a necklace, or you can wear it on any choker, rope, chain, necklace of your choice, slip it on a leather wrist band as a bracelet, slide it on a purse or bag strap, slide it on a belt, whatever floats your boat.
This is a substantial piece triple woven for durability. Features rubberized matte black cabochon, ribbed spikes, natural Serpentine beads, Hematite beads, and Japanese seed beads in matte olive green and matte and opaque black. Pendant measures 2 1/4" in diameter and projects outward one inch. Black steel neck wire is 1mm, 18" long, and closes with a secure twist clasp.
Tonight will be a Blue Moon, rumored to be very auspicious. What perfect timing to list my entry, La Bella Luna, for the Etsy Bead Weavers September challenge, Lunar Obsession. You can view the actual listing HERE.
Often when perusing local bead shops I will purchase beady things that are ugly or weird, just because I like things that are unusual. The focal of my necklace, a grey resin cabochon, is just that. It caught my eye because I have never seen anything like it. I picked it up on a whim, not having any idea of what I would do with it. When I got it home and looked it over a second time, I thought I would never use it, that it was a little too ugly for jewelry use, and would join my overwhelming stash of going nowhere soon beady “stuff” that waits patiently for its birth.
For this challenge we were to be inspired by the moon. I often look to the moon; wondering, awed, captivated. Cloaked in darkness and full of mystery, constantly changing and often lacking symmetry. When viewing the moon even from such a great distance you see craters, shadows, texture, the beauty of light reflecting off of its surface.
The focal is representative of the moon’s surface. Also used in this piece were Picasso and metallic finish peanut beads, textured metal sequins, Hematite beads, matte cube beads, a cat eye cabochon, bugle beads, matte & opaque seed beads, and a gunmetal tube bead, backed with Ultrasuede, and finished with a gunmetal toggle closure.
Please be sure to visit our team blog, between the 9th and the 15th of September to see all the entries from the wonderfully talented artists in this team and vote for your favorite entry!
*Enjoy your holiday weekend and be sure to look up tonight and behold the Blue Moon!*
I decided to finally take on a new spiral technique to create the single twisted ribbon left of center. On the right I used one of my favorite corkscrew spirals doubled. As one may notice, I have a preference for asymmetric designs and rarely like things that are perfect, even, or common. In the center I've bead embroidered 2 cat's eyes glass cabochons. I originally designed this piece to have the bottom yellow teardrop suspended from two tiny twisted spiral ropes with a grey cat's eye glass bead centered between. I stitched it all together and it looked way to "busy" to me so last night I cut them off and re-stitched the two cabochons directly to one another for a cleaner look.
Yellow is one of my least favorite colors & I seem to mostly gravitate towards black, purple, and green, so I thought I would attempt something outside my comfort zone. I fell in love with the soft, buttery Delicas as soon as I saw them and knew they would be the shade of yellow I'd work with. You can see more pictures of this necklace in the actual listing HERE.
This piece took longer to complete than expected, the new spiral was for me very fiddly; awkward to hold and insert a needle into, but I do love the finished look and will do a smaller piece using that spiral soon. I much prefer the basic twisted spiral rope (as seen in my last necklace, Blue); I can almost do it with my eyes closed and find it very meditative to stitch.
Please visit our team blog
between the 9th and the 15th to see all the entries from the wonderfully talented artists in this team and vote for your favorite entry!
I originally chose one of Picasso’s cubist paintings for my inspiration, but I happened upon The Tragedy and it really struck something in me. When I discovered that it was created after learning of his friend’s death and began Picasso’s Blue Period (blue tones dominated his paintings from 1901-1904), I knew I had to explore this further. I completely identify with the sense of loss & darkness in The Tragedy, having lost my good friend of 25 years last Sept 22nd and watching my father suffer numerous health challenges being on hospice the past four months, soon to pass.
I incorporated a piece of blue beach glass and shell beads to represent the beach/water, three coral branches to represent the three mourning figures, while weaving in various shades of blue & gray, along with black and green seed beads to reflect the overall mood. I wanted to convey the veil of sadness that weighs heavy over your heart, the uneven sharpness, the downward spiral of emotions you can’t escape when grieving, without being too dark or ugly. You can see more pictures in the actual listing here.
I completely enjoyed this challenge; learning more about Picasso, being able to release some of my own blue feelings, and of course creating something new and original.
Please visit our team blog
between the 9th and the 15th to see all the entries from the wonderfully talented artists in this team and vote for your favorite entry!
