Angel's Knot

I first made this necklace in early May, and it has taken me a while to write a tutorial and create a kit for the project.  It is inspired by my friend Ann's beautiful Brugmansia, which she posted photos of last January while I was working on my TOHO Challenge piece.  I was depressed by US politics, and this simple beauty was magical healing for my soul.

It seemed so incredibly pure and elegantly ethereal.  And yet, Ann wrote that the flower blooms only at night, and that every part of it is poisonous.  To me, this was all quite evocative, and totally appropriate to my mood at the time.

Toho provided no white (well, OK there were ivory, but not the shape I needed) or green beads, but there were purple, and I was doing my best to use all the materials provided.  I found a purplish version of the flower (also known as Angel's Trumpet) and modeled flowers for my TOHO Challenge work on it.

These flowers are nearly the same as the flowers in Angel's Knot, but with the addition of the pearly center that provides visual clarity, and is a nice foil for the matte demi beads.  I worked in Matte Crystal, Crystal Luster, and White Opaque Luster, and am very happy with how the beads work together to create a little of the beauty of Ann's gorgeous blossom.

The plant looked both gangly and ropy to me, and very drapy, so I tried to re-create that feeling in my necklace.  I riffed on the idea of an infinity knot, modifying to have a knot with two legs on one side and three on the other.  Mysterious, I hoped.  I also designed (on the suggestion of my wonderful tester Marie Weakland) a magnetic clasp that echoes the calyx supporting each blossom.

It is shown as worn below, and the size is adjustable, suitable for both a quite small, or much larger woman.  The tutorial demonstrates how to estimate the size you will need, and the kit provides beads to make up to a 22" rope above the knot.

I used lots of Toho Demi beads in this work and am super fond of what they can do structurally, as well as their lovely, lacy texture. They really helped me create a delicate, life-sized flower, and although in this rendition, I did not use the long calyx and thread-thin connection to the flower that is in Ann's photos.  I do have future plans for another version of it that will employ some of that alternate yumminess.

The flower is done in Herringbone and Peyote stitch and the ropes are Chenille worked over satin cord.  The project is for an intermediate to advanced beader, comfortable with these stitches, and ok with using Demi's and 15/0 beads. It takes about 12 - 15 hours to create.

The tutorial is available HERE in my Etsy shop, and I have made a few kits also, available HERE. The kit contains 14 different beads, plus the clasp, satin cord, and a spool of Toho's Green One-G Thread, and is certainly a cheaper solution that buying them all separately.

I've been wearing it on a multitude of greens and soft colors and it feels like a great Summer necklace to me!  I hope you'll enjoy it too!

And now on to a little Autumn beading!

Missing...

I am proud to announce that my piece, "Missing" survived the first cut in the 2012 Battle of the Beadsmith International Invitational Beading Tournament on facebook, and of the 80 original entries, it is one of the 40 that will continue to round 2 of adjudication.

Back View - I like to close my bezels to prevent wear.

When I set out to create my piece, I thought it would be a representation of my home, Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes.   I imagined a work with many bezeled Bermuda Blue rivolis, representing lakes, and lush greenery swirling around those lakes in elegant twists like naturally occuring fibonacci spirals.  I had looked at many examples of fractals in nature and mathematics, and I had a sketch that gave a rough impression of what I was hoping to accomplish.  I hoped to suggest a waterfall, like Minnehaha Falls near my home, as the focal component.

About half way through my project, my mother passed away.  My parents were both very supportive of my artistry, encouraged me to pursure a degree in theater, (when many might have suggested learning to type) and my mother gave me my love of handcrafts, teaching me to knit, crochet, embroider and sew. For Christmas of my Senior year of High School, they gave me a sewing machine.  It was an astonishingly expensive thing, and competely out of line with what Christmas gifts usually were, but it was also a confirmation of their support for my chosen career, and it meant the world to me.
Suddenly, my work was not about Minnesota any more.  It was about my mother, or more important, the absence of my mother.
The lively, curling greenery idea disappeared.  The beautiful blue components rearranged themselves into a soft circle of life, with a smaller supporting outer ring for me, and a larger inner ring for her, which merged into one single line at the base of the focal, as I realized I am now the family matriarch.  The negative space in the center of the focal created a soft heart impression.  Then the waterfall became a curtain of tears, falling from the circle. 

The blue was just the perfect color.  My mom's kitchen was always blue.  And I associate her with that room.  She loved to cook and bake, and so many photos of her were taken in that room.  She owned a set of beautiful, cobalt blue dishes.  Let me show you!  These were in the kitchen, but I moved them to the dining room while I prepared the house for sale over the the last month, because I thought they were so beautiful in the china cabinet she was so very proud of. For Mom, preparing and sharing food was an act of love!

And here's the kitchen. See the blue gingham curtains she made?  The pale aqua figure on the  backsplash tile she chose?  The adjoining wall has paper with a delicate blue figure on it.

And the dining room chandelier?  Gold, of course.  And there have always been golden yellow accents in the kitchen too.  Mom had beautiful blue eyes as well, but she was legally blind when she began to fall, and the third fracture of her pelvis was just too much to recover from at 89.

I think although it began as something quite different, this is the most personal and deeply felt work I have done as a beader.  I always create with wearability in mind, and have worn each piece I have made at least once.  Initially I din't think this particular piece would get a public wearing.  But I did put it on... and asked The Best Man Ever to take a shot for me.  I also thought I would never sell it, but a time comes to move on through life, and it is now listed in my Etsy shop.

So, there you have it.  A very personal piece, about an empty space in my life.  I tried to make the empty spaces, the negative shapes in the work, (the "missing" bits if you will) speak as loudly as what is there.  I wish I could share it with her.  I think she would approve.