Peacock Power!

I have really been intrigued by the peacock feathers I've seen in fashion, and jewelry lately.  Recently, while my sister was visiting from out of state, we went to Old Sacramento and had a really fun day.  When passing by a shop, I noticed a pretty top that had peacock feathers on it and little rhinestones.  Not overdone at all, but fun looking!  So after some well needed coaxing from my mom and sister, I ended up buying it.  Little did I realize that it had made a bigger impression than I thought.

Just The Feather So Far. . 

One day I sat at my beading table and thought, "I wonder if I could somehow make a free-form beaded version of a peacock feather?"  So I Googled some images of peacock feathers to see which ones I would like to use as my color inspiration.  They were ALL so beautiful.  Nature is always the best in the way of inspiration!  No wonder - It comes from the hands of the best artist!

So after playing around with color combinations from beads in my stash, and combining a few stitches, such as herringbone, St. Petersburg chain, and brick stitch, I had my feather!  It was so much fun and such a challenge at the same time!  The rest of the necklace was woven in herringbone and then surface embellished with dark colored gold-stone chips (a beautiful man-made stone).

Incidentally, I also made it for the December 2011 Challenge for Etsy Beadweaver's - Arabesque Style.  This style usually includes paisley patterns, interlocking vines, and motifs.  Granted, the style of this necklace is much less busy-looking than most Arabesque-style artwork, but I positioned the peacock feather in such a way as to evoke the image of a paisley pattern as well as attaching the crystal encrusted pendant which is in the shape of a paisley.  Additionally, the clasp reminded me of a curling vine that interlocks with the loop side when attached.  If you'd like see other bead artist's rendition of this style, go to Etsy-Beadweavers.blogspot.com between December 9 - 15, 2011.

So here's the final result - The Peacock Necklace.

 

The clasp is positioned on the side, with my tag - a new addition which I am pretty excited about!

The Whole Set!

Now every time I look at this necklace I will think fondly of the time I spent in Old Sacramento with my family - especially my sister!

'Lions and Tigers' Beadwoven Tile Bracelet

A while ago I posted 10 Ways To Break A Creative Slump.  Since then I realized there's another great way to get inspired. . . . 

Join some sort of a group that is into creative challenges!  For example, I'm part of a group called Etsy Beadweavers.  To be part of this group we have to enter one of their 12 creative challenges per year.  I hadn't been able to enter it yet, because of my own time constraints.  But the challenge for September is "Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!  - a throw-back to The Wizard of Oz!  This really got the ideas flowing!  Just the name is very indicative of the piece I chose to make.

I'm calling it "'Lions and Tigers' Beadwoven Tile Bracelet."  

 Can you see why I called it that?

Any guesses?

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I decided to make a "fabric" square (or tile) of beaded tiger stripes, and then chose a swirly gold pattern to represent the lion.  Ironically the tile containing the swirls also could represent the "twister" that picked Dorothy up and took her to the land of Oz!  I love that it has a double-meaning!  The gold frames on each of the beaded tiles and the gold-tone metal connectors represent the yellow-brick road.  (Incidentally, the bracelet itself could represent the road, since it looks like a path of stepping stones leading you somewhere!)

If you look closely you will notice the faceted red crystals that connect the "tiles" of beaded fabric mimic the  color of Dorothy's ruby slippers.  Finally, I chose to use two tiny, box clasps in the shape of bows to finish it, just like the bows on her iconic, sparkly ruby slippers.

So this will be my first submission to an Etsy Beadweaver's Challenge!!!  This will be fun!!  So don't forget to take a look at the Etsy Beadweavers blog!  It shows all the entries, and from September 9 -15, you can put your two cents in, and let them know which piece is your favorite!!

Diamonds are Forever

This bracelet is absolutely my newest creation!  The inspiration this time was directly out of Beadwork Magazine.  The three-dimensional design really caught my eye.  I changed it, but only a little.  The beads I used are all slightly larger than those called for in the magazine, which made it more bold!  (I used size 8 seed beads, size 10 delicas, and size 11 charlottes.)  Also, I "strung" it using two strands for more stability, and went with a flashy hot pink and black for the high contrast.  This was a lot of fun to make, and even more fun to wear!  ***AVAILABLE***

Antique Rose Set

This 22-inch necklace was worked from the middle, starting with the open-work double helix. From there it evolved into a herringbone twist. The earrings are also a type of spiral with swarovski crystals at the bottom. (The earrings look much better when worn - laying down doesn't do them justice!) The bracelet has a snap closure and contains seed-beads, pearls, and crystals randomly embelishing the surface. The earring kidney wire and the clasp for the necklace have silver-plating for those who are sensitive to other metals. Because I used hex-beads for this, it reflects a lot of light, and is very fancy! **AVAILABLE**

Starflower

This is the starflower set. It is made of coin-pearls, seed-beads, sterling silver findings, and swarovski crystals. The inspiration for this set were the coin pearls. The necklace is princess length, so it sits around the collar-bone. The pendant is reversable, so no matter which way you wear it, it always looks good!  **SOLD**