Touch-Stones

"Touch-Stones" is definitely a statement necklace and is my latest beaded piece. Even better, it's actually for me, not for sale.

Each of the three pendants is a stone collected on significant journeys in my life: Isle Royale, Montreal and Gloucester.

I used several beading techniques, including twisted tubular herringbone, right-angle weave and peyote stitch.

Self - December 2012 Bead Journal Project

A few days late, but 2012 is complete!

My December rune stone represents the force of self-knowledge; if we are willing to evaluate and embrace both our strengths and faults, we can become forces in our own future and lives.

My found object is a small beveled mirror, salvaged from an Edwardian purse - it is quite flawed, only allowing a true reflection in bits and pieces. Our self-knowledge is usually equally flawed, distorted and glimpsed in tiny, isolated portions.

Bands of peyote stitch bind the mirror to the stone - just as we are bound by our flawed perceptions.

2012 is complete, but I don't think I'm finished exploring this concept; expect more rune stones in the future.

Tri-Level

"Tri-Level" is my entry for the November Art Bead Scene challenge.... and it most definitely was a challenge!

Here's the inspiration image:

It's "Three Worlds", 1955 by M C Escher; "Three Worlds" depicts a large pool or lake during the autumn or winter months, the title referring to the three visible perspectives in the picture: the surface of the water on which leaves float, the world above the surface, observable by the water's reflection of the forest, and the world below the surface, observable in the large fish swimming just below the water's surface.

For me, the biggest challenge this month was the lack of color, for me, neutrals are just a necessary evil that I need to use to make my beloved colors pop.

I used three of my own images that fit the theme, taken as part of a photography challenge years ago, to create three pendents. I transferred portions of the images onto silk fabric, attached the fabric to thin metal and then finished the edges with beaded bezels, all in shades of grey and black.

I decided to join the pendents into one, large, over-sized pendent and mounted it on a simple Italian mesh base.

This is very different from my usual approach, very modern and stark, but I'm very pleased with the pendent technique - I'm sure I'll be using it more in the future.

Available for purchase here.