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Thursday, March 31, 2016
AJE Eye Love Beads Challenge Reveal
I'm not quite sure how it got here so fast, but it's time for another Art Jewelry Elements Challenge Reveal! This month we were all inspired to create with an Eye theme for the challenge! I had so much inspEYEration...but not so much free time. Man, life is good right now...but finding time for beading is not happening much. I did sit down a few days ago to rummage through my stash of eyes (if you didn't see earlier in the month, I shared over here) and whipped up a little beauty:
I love these little Czech glass eyes so much, and had been wanting to make a small pendant with one for awhile.
The cab is fully captured using delicas and 15/0 to 18/0 seed beads, then embellished with a row of drops and a row of little triangle shaped O beads. So much bling!
I wanted to make the pendant a bit more substantial because the eye cab was so thin on the edges - it's hard to stitch a good capture when the edge of your cab is thin. So I glued 2 cabs together! The eye was a match in size (18mm) for some vintage glass coin cabochons I had. This pairing also reminded me of the ancient Greek tradition of placing coins on the eyes of the deceased, intended to pay Charon, the boatman of the river Styx. This extra thickness allowed me to stitch a nice solid capture, and makes the back of the pendant just as interesting as the front! Sometimes on a small pendant like this, I don't like adding a beaded bail - they feel a little chunky somehow, and interrupt the continuous flow of the embellishment. I stitched on a little soldered "8" ring instead - the smaller loop is stitched to the pendant, the larger is free to hang on a chain.
Next on my plate will be this fantastic cab from Kristie Roeder of Artisan Clay. I wound up with not enough time to tackle an embroidery project this time...but soon! The days are getting longer!
Thank you so much for looking! I hope you will hope along and check out how everyone else was inspEYEred by the challenge this month! Please click the links below to redirect to their blogs!
Thank you so much for looking! I hope you will hope along and check out how everyone else was inspEYEred by the challenge this month! Please click the links below to redirect to their blogs!
Your beading is so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLovely work Lindsay - the coin is a great addition. Thanks for hosting this challenge.
ReplyDeleteI love your cab sandwich - the symbolism is PERFECT> thanks for a great theme this month!
ReplyDeleteLove your work and the coin cab on the back is so unexpected and exciting...and I LOVE how it hearkens back to the coin on the eyes!! I can't wait for you to work on that embroidery piece - that will be a stunner too!
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen those cabs before, they're lovely! Really like the way you've captured it, it glows!
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great challenge... I've had fun!
fantastic! I love how you added to it by incorporating the coin!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous pendant. And how fabulous that it has a point of interest on the back too.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Lindsay, thank you for hosting this theme challenge, it was great! Second, that top pendant of yours is as always, awesome! I love the symbolism. I knew what you meant right away, but I have a memory like a sieve - great interpretation! Can't wait to see what you do with Kristi's cab.
ReplyDeleteOh Lindsay I do love that! Those beads are just perfect and the eye glows and that you have finished it off with a coin back just makes me love it all the more! Fantastic design, just stunning!
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