.....hello. I've been in kind of a bum mood lately. I've been fully enjoying being able to bead all I want between jobs. However, I know that it's not going to last. I think this is the reason I've been way too lax on producing the tutorials I promised myself I'd make. I think I'm too much of a flake for my own good. I am a work in progress. Thank you all for being here to encourage me onward.
Today I've decided to post a Two for Tuesday, mostly because I spent yesterday ripping apart really old projects to recycle the beads. I should have been working on the BJP instead, but hey, plans change right?
This piece is called Josephine's Garden. I sketched the centerpiece while looking for Victorian inspiration on the internet in early 2010. I had a Victorian craft show I was going to that December and wanted some ideas. I finished this piece last summer after having created the centerpiece in the spring of 2011.
I hand cut the copper with my jeweler's saw, gave it a VERY light etching, soldered on the twisted wire bezel, and cut out the little triangle dangle. The plastic cabochon is glued into the center. (I know, cheating, but......no excuse here. Oops.) I achieved the patina by blackening the copper with the soldering torch and then using wire brushes and a flex shaft to make the copper reappear in areas.
I obviously didn't use a profile cameo like I intended because black just didn't go with the metal. I am particularly proud of the beading on this piece. All of it was stitched in a 16 hour beading marathon!!! That's both Lion Kings and some weird Indie film I can't remember, plus several reruns of TV shows online.
The fold-over triangle bail took FOREVER, as most do anyway. The design on it was by whim. The herringbone bezel for the triangle drop was experimental, with beads popping up between the stitches. By proudest achievement was the bugle bead dutch spiral rope. I had to dig back to a really old issue of B&B to find any sort of instructions, (forgot the designer, sorry). However, I modified the stitch to make the ladders more open and strung glass pearls inside of the rope!!! I used Cynthia Rutledge's peyote ring design from a recent issue of BEADWORK for the toggle loop and modified it to use bugle beads instead. I also make a peyote toggle to match. This necklace was just one big AHA moment waiting to happen. :-)
What do you think?
Also, wish me luck on my job interview tomorrow! I've never been a waitress before.
Tamara, love this new piece, funny how ripping apart old pieces can inspire great new ones! I do this frequently. Hey maybe we should start a swap, one or two old pieces that you plan to recycle and see what someone else can make of it after they tear it down! Take before and after shots, of course you can add some of your own personal stuff....there I go again, I must slow down. Love your necklace, and waitressing is tough, any food service position is, tips can be great though. Good luck and let your personality shine through!
ReplyDeleteThank you Deborah! You are always full of great ideas. A UFO (unfinished object)bead swap sounds like great fun! That's something that could even be turned into a blog hop or a contest with a couple dozen participants. I have a friend's old piece of embroidery that I plan on turning into a cuff. I can't remember what I gave her. She moved away though and I wouldn't know how to contact her to show her the renovated piece when I finish.
DeleteI would love the chance to work on one of your rejects! I have plenty of my own and am interested in what you could do to improve them. :-) No word on the job yet, but I renewed my food handler's card this morning. The job hunt continues.
This is gorgeous, Tamara! Beautiful work, as always! Good luck with the interview. I hope the job won't take you away from jewelry too much!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sally! I'm trying to make better use of my time, but always have too many projects going at once.
DeleteBeautiful design. I like your copper work.
ReplyDeleteI laughed when I read that your beading marathon included watching the Lion King and and Indie film... I keep half an eye on some sort of broadcast while I am beading too; although I tend to catch up on missed TV shows.
Good luck with the interview.