WHAT A JOURNEY - at times joyful, at times frustrating, but most of the time very satisfying.
A reminder of the wonderful
array of beads and components and the three beautiful focals from my BeadSoupBlogParty partner Adlinah.
I had so many ideas rushing round my head but a
couple of must do’s stood out straight away.
The first necklace literally ‘fell into place’ as I
was pushing a variety of the beads round the beading mat. I loved the colours of the swirly
lampwork beads so made a ‘Frosted Peacock’ colour brick stitch base and
stitched the beads and components onto that. The stringing is Blue Agate, Red Coral and Silver. It can be worn both horizontally and
asymmetrically.
Adlinah sent me the most beautiful clasp - a vintage Pearl
Box from Japan, circa 1960’s.
I’ve always wanted to create a vintage, nostalgic
type of lace bead embroidery, flowery, feminine, and very frou frou, and this
clasp was the perfect catalyst to get me started.
This is the result …
So onto a focal …
I simply love the colours and shape of the handmade glass focal disk by mandrel2 (Etsy) - Scarlet Red and Montana Deep Blue, edged with Metallic Silver – yum. I so wanted to do this lovely focal justice and played with many combinations of what Adlinah had sent and what I had in my stash.
But everything seems wrong until I realized all it needed was something relatively simple, where the focal itself would be the star.
I’ve attached two clips on the back so it can be either a brooch or a hairpiece. Ultra Suede front and back with an insert of Lacy’s Stiff Stiff to keep it perky.
Earrings …
I luuuuv making earrings and was spoilt for choice. Here’s three pair I've made so far.
The second focal Adlinah sent was a porcelain clay pendant by Mary Hubbard of White Clover Kiln.
I love the mint colours in the little birdie pendant and the Swarovski Mint Alabaster beads that were in my pack. He’s so cute, I had fun creating this necklace (and poem). Hope you enjoy them both …
Billy Bird has built a
bower
With love and leaf and
twig and flower
A room with a view in
a minted tree
Cos a Sensitive New
Age Guy is he
Happy and proud as he
sits on his branch
And watches the
butterflies play and dance
Now all he needs to
complete his life
Is a Sensitive New Age
Bird called ‘wife’
I’ve glued little
resin bears to the red foam shapes Adlinah sent me and will string them into a necklace.
I've yet to use the rubber tubing, the third focal and four beads but they ARE earmarked - good things take time ...
Thanks so much for looking and please take the time to visit my beadpartner in Singapore - Adlinah and also check out the other artists who've all taken time out of their busy schedules to create pieces of art for us all to drool over.
Lastly none of this would have happened without the love, patience and support of Lori Anderson whom I can't thank sufficiently with just words.
