Caramel's Acorns

Way back in January I was introduced to Czech 14mm Melon beads when they arrived in my TOHO Challenge kit.  I used them to make a few acorns, and have finally gotten around to re-working and writing a pattern for them.  Because, Autumn!

I have named them for my little squirrel friend Caramel.  Every morning and evening she arrives in my beading window, begging nuts.  I asked my hubby (The Best Man Ever) to make me a little rack, so I could show her the acorns I have been making.  Those ears seem to call out for decoration, don't you think?  She makes a sweet model and works for peanuts!

I love how the Patina and Pomegranate Melons are translucent, a lovely thing for an earring!  The others are all opaque metallic finishes.

My ten page tutorial shows you how to make the acorns as earrings, and also provides a metal free finish for those who want to attach them as components to other beadweaving.  I also have kits available in the five colors listed above.

The acorn is worked in peyote and square stitch, suitable for Intermediate beaders.  They are fast and fun to make.  Here's how the acorns look finished with wrapped loops.

And here is how the acorns look, finished with fireline.  This particular colorway was a one of many tests that did not make it to kitting.

I have been playing with the acorn as a component for use in necklaces this week.  I am very pleased with the proportions.  They seem to work well with many different commonly used jewels and cabochons.

Here is the Pomegranate acorn, added to one of my Pineapple Blossom bezels, based on a Swarovski Pear Fancy Stone.

And here was a quick effort with several kinds of chain from my stash.  I thought it make a good finial, and felt I could have added more acorns to the chain as well.  This particular chain was a little busy though, so I kept it cleaner.  The rope is almost 36" long and needed no clasp.

I have been playing with using crescent beads in bezels to create a sort of prong setting effect, and am pretty pleased with this one.  I am thinking about writing it up as a tutorial, but it may have to wait for a while.  The stone is a common size of Red Creek Jasper, so again, I am pleased with the size of the acorn and proportional relationship to the cabochon and bezel.  I think this acorn component has lots of possible applications!

I even tried a little Bead Embroidery, but in limited time, I don't really think I did it justice.  But I do think that the acorn component can work with BE.  I liked how the acorns were attached to the little oak leaf bunch I found in the park, and tried to emulate the organic aspect and the dual grouping.

You can find my tutorial HERE in my Etsy shop and the kits for all ten different beads needed to make two acorns, plus earring findings HERE.  I have included thread in my kits as well, as is must match the Melon bead.  Caramel wants me to be sure to tell you that the 14mm Melon beads have been discontinued by the Czech manufacturer.  They are still available in many retail bead shops, but be warned, when they are gone, these acorns will be no more.

Caramel is always in favor of hoarding.

Components as Inspiration

I was super excited to be contacted by Steven Weiss at Beadsmith.  They have a new line of clasps, Elegant Elements, and he asked if I might like to design using these clasps. Then, my work (and that of other designers) would be featured as a sales strategy for the new clasp line.  The product line was GORGEOUS!  And I said "Yes!"  Although I quickly discovered many of the other participants are my beading heroes, and I hoped I would find myself adequate to the task.

I have only just met Steven Weiss "electronically," but I am going to go out on a limb here and say the guy is a public relations and advertising genius.  This was a really brilliant way to collect great photos of the clasp line in action and I suspect most of us are really happy to be involved in the project.  A win-win situation if ever there was one!

I chose two beauties from the wide range of Elegant Elements clasps.  The first one I wanted to work with was a three-strand, golden nest box clasp, with snowy white pearl eggs.  I thought this piece could serve double duty, since the February Etsy Beadweavers theme is "NEST."  My first thought was to create a similar beaded nest for pearls to rest in, but after a couple samples, I found my work didn't really allow the clasp to shine.  The clasp is a soft, pale gold and although it has beautiful leaf texture, it's very subtle and super organized.  My samples were VERY textural, and one was a little disorganized, and neither suited the clasp.

I decided I needed to let the clasp lead the way for me, as I often do when I find other components I want to work with, so I analyzed it's basic design.  It sits neatly flat, and the pearls sit up off the delicate, flat, highly organized nest to be featured in their little bezels. So I began a search for flat, golden, subtly-textured components that might allow me to provide contrast to big egg-shaped pearls.  I bought some golden shadow rivolis, and those were lovely, but I really wanted something metallic to go with them.  Then one night in a parking garage in South Minneapolis, the answer jingled out of the payment station in the form of a gold one dollar coin.  I had just read an article about the reducing of production of these beauties, because they are not highly circulated, and considered to be an expense our government can eliminate.  But I just loved it.  And lo and behold, it was flat, pale gold, and delicately textured.  Just what I had been looking for.  But coins in jewelry?  And then the idea of a "nest egg" occurred to me, and it seemed perfect design concept for both of the tasks at hand.

I bezeled the coin and dashed off to the bank for more.  Turns out several different presidents are featured, as well as Sacajawea, but I liked the lady liberty backs, so I chose the ones with the best looking "tails" and got to work.  With several coins and rivolis ready I played with placement, and found a way to organize a triad of each (half dozen packaging, just like the clasp) to allow for a place for some of my big freshwater pearl drops to sit, and joined them together.  I played with several edge details, including tiny leaf shapes, but they still felt overwhelming and out of scale with the clasp, so I just netted in some bicones and found that to be appropriately scaled and detailed.

 I broke the edge detail to allow some of the pearl eggs to drip out of the nest as fringe, and to allow for a soft three strand pearl neckstrap, which joined both the focal and the clasp with big pearls again, to help keep the clasp focused as a major player in the design.

Although I frequently let components speak to me in my design process, I had never before considered the possibility of allowing a clasp to dictate a design. This line is more than worthy of  that kind of attention and I am really looking forward to working with my second clasp.