Opulence...

Deryn Mentock of Something Sublime is hosting a challenge: to create a piece of jewelry based on this photo and palette:

The first word that came to my mind when I saw it was...

Opulence

Such fantastic and exquisite glamour in the folds of the fabric, the antique mirror, the gilded frames...

I knew I had to create a piece that reflected the over-the-top excesses of this room, with great attention to detail, texture and color.

I pulled out an etched mother-of pearl focal I've been hoarding for such inspiration as this, and got to work:

I've been experimenting with beaded bezels, and this project seemed tailor-made for the intricate detailing I was looking for.  I love how the fringe looks delicate and lacy around the edges of the focal.

To continue the intricate detailing, I made twelve beaded rings, each with the lacy fringe, originally intending them to be the chain for the necklace.  When I put them together as the chain, however, they didn't have the impact I was looking for, so I decided to turn them into charms and space them evenly along the necklace:

On one side of the necklace, I added groupings of tiny tear-shaped olive beads to bulk up the chain and add more color.

On the opposite side of the necklace, I interspersed six handmade beaded silk roses in a rich burgundy red.  The flowers keep the continuity of the colors and textures with the olive and bronze beads used in their centers:

I added a length of extender chain with another small grouping of the olive drop beads to the end for a bit of extra detail, and used a very simple brass clasp to complete the necklace:

Here is a look at the completed piece:

"Opulence"

And another view:

"Opulence"

I learned a lot about seed beading from the construction of this piece, and am looking forward to incorporating more of it into upcoming pieces as well.

A big thank you goes out to Deryn Mentock for hosting this challenge!  To see the other entries you can head on over to her blog, Something Sublime.

Bead Table Wednesday: 4 Cool Things To Share Today

Happy Wednesday To You!  Today I've got 4 fun things to share with you!

1.  Happy Birthday to my amazing Mother!

My Mom is such an inspiration to me.  She sets the bar for character and integrity, and has taught me so much about how to be a mom, wife and woman.  This past spring she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and has completely blown me away with the grace and dignity she has shown throughout diagnosis, surgery, treatment, and now as a healthy survivor.   I am so proud of her, and so proud to be her daughter, and wanted to make her something very special for her birthday this year:

I know that pink is the Breast Cancer Awareness color, but when I think of her, I always picture her in cobalt blue for some reason.  I had my friend Julianna Cannon of JulsBeads make up a gorgeous set of cobalt blue beads, including one of my favorite heart focals, and made Mom a set from my heart to hers.  She didn't get the earrings, as somehow,  in the 3 steps from the front porch where I took the pictures to the computer, I temporarily 'misplaced' one of them.  Within 5 minutes of shipping off her gift, I (of course) found the other earring, so she will be getting a surprise post-birthday gift - lol!

2. Maire Dodd is today's Grateful Living contributor!

If you aren't familiar with Maire Dodd's writing and artwork, you are in for a treat.  Her gift for sharing - both visually and in writing - is profound.  Check it out!

And while you are there, take a look at the other contributiors' posts from the past couple of weeks; I guarantee you will have a smile in your heart after reading what these remarkable women are grateful for in their lives!

3.  Deryn Mentock is having a Blog Challenge!

Deryn Mentock of Something Sublime is having a really cool blog challenge that incorporates the beautiful colors and feel from this photograph:

The reveal day is October 19th - you can read more about the challenge details here.

4.  Oh right - it's Bead Table Wednesday!

Here's what is on my bead table today:

Yep - a little cryptic, but I don't want to spoil the surprise of  what I'm making for Deryn's challenge!

You can see what all the other BTW participants are working on this week at the BTW Flickr site.

As always, thank you to our lovely hostess, Heather Powers of Humblebeads for hosting this weekly event.

Have a fantastic rest of your week!

And the Final Secret Santa Reveals are Here!

Ta-Da!  I would like to share the final Secret Santa jewelry pictures with you, so here we go!.

First, Here is the beautiful and unusual necklace that Deryn Mentock of Something Sublime made for Sally Turlington from Imagine This:

“The Monkey’s Paw”

Second, here is the gorgeous necklace that Jeanette Blix-Ryan of Jeanette Blix Metal & Wire Jewelry made for Deryn Mentock of Something Sublime:

And finally, the beautiful and original brooch that Crystal Neubauer of Other People’s Flowers made for Jeanette Blix-Ryan of Jeanette Blix Metal and Wire Jewelry:

Wow – what a wonderful experience this has been!  thank you so much, ladies, for your willingness to participate and for the obvious care and attention to detail you each put into your pieces.  I can’t wait until next year!