Snowdrop, the 2nd time around

This is my new and improved version of a snowdrop, made into a piece of wearable art.

I used a 6 3/4 inch stainless steel stick pin for the base form. Bending the pin was hard because I needed it to be a certain shape, determined by the beadwork. I discarded three attempts before I got it right. Another change from the original involved using size 11 rounds for the flower instead of delicas. This gave the flower a fuller look, and it held the shape better. I had many more greens to choose from, so I tried to match the colors of the leaves by using an iridescent matte green while keeping the other greens the same as the original. Overall, I was happy with the pin and may try other bulbs in the future.

Snowdrops

Snowdrops are one of my favorite spring flowers. They are the first bulbs to bloom, sometimes in January while there is still snow on the ground. Seeing a patch of them flowering outside the front door always brightens my day. A while ago I made a beaded snowdrop flower, complete with plant and bulb, in the style of a botanical drawing. I wasn't very happy with the flower itself and I never did anything with it. Recently I was asked to make a pin out of it, and I decided to make the whole thing over. Originally I had used delica beads, but I wanted to see if the round beads looked better. I made some samples out of Japanese and French beads to see which was best for the petals. 

I decided to use both, one for the center and the other for the petals. they are different shades of white, and I am hoping to give the flower some dimension. Of course, I can never make just one flower, so now I am thinking I will make a necklace too, maybe with some ivy leaves and berries for accent. Time to order more beads! Really what I need to do is figure out how to attach the plant to a pin base, right now I am thinking a stick pin would work. The original was made around a piece of sterling wire and it turned black, so that's out. Oh well, I will just make more flowers until the beads and findings I ordered arrive and figure it out then.

Celestial Barrette

Events in the past week have left me thinking about "life, the Universe and everything." I wanted to work on something, so with my inspiration at a low point, I decided to recreate a barrette I originally made years ago. The first one had a loomed base and used round black size 11 seed beads. This time I made the base using square stitch and used a 3-cut Czech bead for the black.  

The fringe incorporates semi-precious and glass beads in the colors and shapes I associate with space. I collect small beads that can be used with seed beads and have a lot of glass stars, facetted crystals and carved stone. The vintage mother of pearl stars and freshwater pearls evoke memories of the ocean with its constructive and destructive powers. The stone beads remind me of the title of a book I read in school, Only the Earth and Sky Last Forever. The shaped Czech  and vintage German beads are meant to represent planets and asteroids. The Swarovski crystal catches the light like stars twinkling. This type of barrette has always been a popular item for me. I have made many  commissioned pieces, usually geometric designs with bugle beads and Swarovski crystals. An all white barrette was made for a friends wedding.
The nice thing about this barrette design is the simplicity. This celestial theme has no defined pattern, and is a great way to use some favorite sparkly beads. The fringe adds a nice touch to a basic barrette and takes a beginner project to a more satisfying result. I used to teach this project as well as selling the finished product. It was a hit either way.
Making this piece was a pleasant break from trying to figure out the engineering on my latest necklace. I think maybe I will try a floral theme barrette sometime soon.