Lori sent me a wonderful package of two colourways to design with: a mix of reds and browns and a mix of purples. My package also included a reddish brown focal (a gemstone I'm sure, but don't know what kind) and a really pretty bright copper dragon fly clasp.
Immediately, my brain went into overdrive. I started separating the mixes, and then had my girls look them over. My younger daughter looked at all the wonderful beads and suggested a couple changes to the mixes and I stayed with her colour ideas. Sometimes it's great to get another opinion that you may not have thought of yourself! Thanks Pnut!
I mulled them over for quite a few days and decided there were definitely two jewelry set ideas in the mist of my brain. One for the reds and one for the purples of course! The focal and clasp went with the red mix, that left the purple mix without a focal and clasp so I added those from my stash, along with some maribou, soutache and rounds. Lori also included in my package two of her own beaded beads and I wanted to incorporate those into my pieces as well.
I started with the red mix (the main piece) and had an AWESOME idea. This idea even became the basis for my idea for the second piece. The colours in this mix were so red and fiery and hot, and the focal had some potential to be red-hot as well, so I started to design a Moroccan woman. I bezelled around the focal with bright copper 15s and then added a Swarovski crystal drop in front. I wanted to bead embroider and soutache around the cab to make it look like flowing material as in what a belly-dancer would wear. I began with bead embroidery on one side of the cab, then I added the whole thing to a new piece of foundation so that it would be a little more three dimensional, and I started to soutache on the other side. This is where I hit a real bump in the road. It didn't look right. No matter what I tried, it still didn't look right. I was so disappointed in this piece that I put it aside and decided to work with the other colour mix: the purples, one of my favourite colours to work with. I do wish I had taken pictures of the red piece BEFORE I ripped it apart though...lol
The focal is dyed jasper I believe, and in an odd shape. So, I started with the soutache, added some cup chain, the purple seed beads and larger round picture jasper beads I received in my package, added some 4mm bone rounds and black rounds, and ended it with black marabou. I used one of the beaded beads from Lori as a drop on the pendant and made earrings and a bracelet to match. My original thought was to call it Nights of New Orleans because it reminded me of Mardi Gras, but my older daughter suggested that it reminds her more of the showgirls of Vegas, so it's final name is Pretty Vegas. Thank you Haley!
Now back to the red piece. I wanted so bad to call this piece Mysterious Marrakesh, but I'm not sure what it will become when I finally have it finished. I apologize for not having it complete, but as far as challenges go, this was a duzy, although I am NOT giving up on it by any means. I ripped it apart last night thinking I had another idea for it, but alas, the mist overclouded the idea in my brain once again...lol. Now it sits, bezelled still, but naked otherwise, waiting for my brilliant ideas to reemerge once again.
And apart from my inability to finish the main piece in time, I enjoyed this challenge very much. Thank you Lori Anderson for spear-heading this wonderful venue and allowing us to meet other brilliantly talented people who enjoy doing what we do.
As for other challenges? Well, I am just discovering my designer abilities and will continue to join as many challenges as I can in order to keep growing as an artist. I am participating in the Hats Off blog hop challenge, Pine Ridge Treasure's Seasons and Summer Blog Hop Challenges, and any others I can find :)
Thank you for visiting my blog. I have included the list of participating blogs:
