Cleopatra's Conundrum: Scarab Amethyst Necklace

Cleopatra's Conundrum: Scarab Amethyst Necklace

Well, I was almost done with my most recent necklace and then it started developing holes! So, here is a picture of a work in re-progress. I hate making something more than once, but I've changed and maybe now I can more easily see redoing this piece as an opportunity to make it even better. So, I thought I'd show you before I took it all apart.

 The part I've already begun taking apart was where I began. Yes, it's tedious to take apart, but there is $60.00 worth of beads in it! I began with 3 pound Fire Line thread and it quickly developed holes, so I bought some 8 pound. I thought that would be enough to make it last forever, without holes developing. Wrong! So my friend and fellow artist Sue Horine suggested I reach out to Suzanne Golden. What an amazing woman and artist!

Suzanne is as colorful as her pieces, and as generous with her knowledge. When Sue described Suzanne as a mature woman with bright red hair, crazy cool fashion sense (especially her shoes), and a super talented bead weaver, I immediately thought of Betsy Johnson. I know they must be best buds!

Photo: Idiosyncratic Fashionistas

That's Suzanne on the far right. Aren't you immediately in love?!

Here's a sample of her work, and just one doesn't do her portfolio justice! If you want to see more of Suzanne's work, check it out here. I contacted her with my problem on Face book, and she immediately replied with great, new tips for me!






While I'm waiting for my new supplies, I'm planning my next project. In my last post I showed you some of the new beads I received. I can't get the scarabs and amethyst off my mind! My process doesn't usually involve a "plan", and any drawing I might do is on the back of an envelope or napkin. Well, I've changed, I tell ya! I'm so excited about this necklace. It will be in a collar style that is traditional to Egyptian fashion, other than that the concept is all mine inspired by symbols, such as the Egyptian Lily. The lily will be the hardest part of the design because it will require each ring to be hand wrapped with fine copper wire, and I've never painted with lines of beads before! I also still need to decide if I should add the agate fans to the bottom, or some turquoise drops or briolettes, or both. What do you think?

 

Of Two Minds

Of Two Minds

When I was a little girl I had a love hate relationship with Sunday. All the best musicals were on T.V. all day long, but there was no one to play with (they were all gone doing fun things with their family, which made me feel I was lacking.) Now I love Sunday. It is the one day of the week where I do not feel stress about things that I should be doing; I get to do whatever I want to do. I still choose good films to watch, usually ones that make me think or feel passionately and deeply.

 

Today I watched Of Two Minds, which is a visually beautifully constructed documentary about bi-polar disease. Mental illness has found itself a thread in my life in SO many different ways, each one significant and impacting; it always finds me.

Photo: ChicagoNow.com

What I loved about this film is the relatability of the characters, but mostly the relatability of the illness to anyone’s life. I am not saying that the illness does not afflict in reality, or that it is less significant because we all experience some of the symptoms as they are described by those diagnosed with the illness; I know I cannot full identify with living on a daily basis with the disease, however I feel we have all experienced some of the highs and lows and the devastating consequences of those feelings. I would like people to remember that and have more compassion when it comes to thinking about, or being confronted with, mental illness. I also liked how the move looks at both the perspective of the patient and the support persons.

Photo: 24.media on Tumblr

I also finished a necklace yesterday that I wanted to share with you. It was quite a challenge because it is very tightly woven, one bead at a time with needle and thread; the thread kept breaking except for where I used six pound fire line. I recommend only using six pound or heavier strength if you are going to do any tight weaving. It is so much work, I want it to last.

This is a Cellini Spiral technique with a reverse spin at the center. I used dyed coral, and seed beads in sizes 6, 8, and 11, in silver lined crystal, pearled turquoise, coral red, and peridot lined apricot colors. Outside the twist I stranded more dyed coral, natural coral, and brecciated turquoise. You cannot see the extra-large, silver clasp. I will also be making matching earrings.

 

For the rest of my day I think I will make a soufflé or quiche with roasted asparagus and bacon, and another baklava or maybe some turnovers or cookies with tart cherry paste.

Happy Sunday!

Tutorial Tuesday: Scales Pendant

Here in the Mother Lode (Murphys, California to be precise) we have a great little bead shop, Murphy's Bead Gallery. It is a "Gallery" in every sense when you walk in and see the amazing beaded pieces made by the owner Sue Horine.

I go into Sue's shop once a week; she's next door to the Murphy's Music Co. where my son takes guitar lessons. I love to chat with Sue about her art and techniques, as I paw through the beads in baskets and hanging on the walls. I swear I see something new every time. But there's almost always something I fondle every time I go in, and finally give in and buy it.

This week I had to have these turquoise shell coins!

As I created the jump rings I knew I'd need for each of the coins a vision of a mermaid tail came to mind.

I love working with wire, and the idea of a diamond shape covered in scales felt just right to show case the shimmeriness and pearliness of these beads.

I had to decide how big I wanted the pendant to be, and I had a limited number of beads, and then I would need to calculate how big to make the wire frame. I started by thcounting the number of coins I had and what number would make the widest row of the diamond. Then I threaded some coins on a wire, spaced the way I wanted them to hang, and measured that width. The problem was that they wouldn't stay lined up so I decided I needed beads between the coins; I found the perfect shade of metallic turquoise tubes to use as spacers.

I used the grid on my table as a measuring device and cut a length of wire long enough for the diamond shape as well as the bale and wrap. I created the bail by bringing both ends of the frame wire around a mandrel and wrapping them together at the neck using a finer gauge wire that would become the lattice support for the beads on the pendant.

After securing the bail I strengthened the wire, shaped in the diamond. I used a hard rubber mallet and that flat, iron, gadget which is actually a concrete curb shaper from the hardware store. I use my knees as a vice around the shaper's wooden handle (on the back side) and the flat side forms a table like surface.

I moved the bale ends up, and planned to create spirals with them. Now the fun begins. I decided to fill the top of the diamond with these great metallic and textured dark blue rounds. I began coiling one side of the diamond base just far enough to fit the bead in the crook; after coming out the other side of the bead I wrapped again around the frame to the point where the second row of dark blue beads would fit, adding a coin between them.

Then I resumed wrapping wire around the base until the next row would cross under the coin on the first row about 3/4ths of the way down (enough to show as much of the next row while keeping the first row from falling behind it). I continued in this manner, adding a dark blue bead to the beginning and end of each row, and using three lighter blue, smaller tube beads as spacers between the coins.

To finish the pendant I made a spiral from the bail ends and spread the loops at the top to form a "v". Here are back and front views.

I hope you have enjoyed watching me work, and that it inspires you with some design ideas of your own! Here's an image you can pin to your own pinterest boards. Unitl next Tutes and Tubes Tuesday!