It is the day of the Bead Peeps Swap N Hop 18 reveal. Organised by Linda Anderson, this annual event encourages beaders across the globe to come together, exchange beads and create jewelry. My partner for the 2018 hop is Ms. Lori Schneider. Find all about her and the beads I sent her in the Beady Goodness post here.
Beads sent by Lori
During one of my chats with Lori, I told her that it is not easy to find Copper findings, Czech glass and vintage beads in India. So she sent me lots of copper. Copper clasps, little discs, beadcaps, flower petals, etched copper cheet, embossed copper sheet, some copper metal beads, some copper colored crystals,and even some antique copper eyepins. Everyone knows that there are only two perfect compliments to dark (antiqued) copper in terms of colours. They are light green and Turquoise. So it is no wonder that when I opened my goody box from Lori I found Turquoise and Copper colored beads inside.
There was also an enamelled charm and some wooden bark like components which I reserved for another project. I even got Indian glass beads that are sold 2 miles from my house which was hilarious. There was a pair of press earrings which took a lot of figuring out.
To be honest, we had sent each other pictures of the beads a week after we sent out our packages. We didn’t know how long it would take for our packages to travel between India and the US. We wanted to be prepared with a design even before we got our boxes. But still, I was in for a surprise when I opened the box. I hadn’t realised the true size of the beads and findings. They were either too big or too small for my initial designs.
Bead Peeps Swap N Hop 2018 reveal
I typically work with chunky beads and shy away from stacking beads to loop them as it makes the necklace look lean. This is an issue in India as most people associate chunky – thicker chains with a higher price. So in spite of doing intricate work of looping beads, it is not accepted as a “proper thing.” But having seen similar designs in US publications like Jewelry Stringing I wanted to try it. I took this opportunity to create the Turquoise and Copper necklace which has a chunky pendant with a thin necklace of beads.
Turquoise and Copper Necklace
My design started with my experiments on adding colour to Lori’s Faux fossil. I had applied a bit of gold to one of her fossils for my Roses and thorns necklace and it was quite a hit. In the same vein, I added a smudge of gold ink along with a tinge of Verdigris patina ink to add a little lift to the bottom rim of the pendant. Apart from the heishi turquoise, howlite teardrops, and Copper beads, I also used some glass beads, round howlite, and glass crystals to complete my design. For some bohemian flair, I added wire wrapped beaded dangles and a feather charm. Here is my Turquoise and Copper necklace. This necklace is for sale. Earrings can be made on request. Please contact me to buy.
March Honey Do List
Originally this reveal was supposed to be on March 26th. Incidentally, it was also the day of reveal for Sarajo Wentling’s Honey do list. The ring and earrings shown below were made for that challenge using the beads that Lori sent me. Why? Because the beads and findings matched the inspiration and it sounded fun to combine them in the first place. Find my post on Copper jewelry for the Honey-do list here.Â
Parampare – A sneak peak
Since I already revealed two of the three pieces that I made for the swap N hop I wanted to create a new piece for this reveal. But, I had go on a work trip this week (I just got back a few hours ago) and couldn’t suceed in making a new piece. However, I have something special for you. I have been partnering with a company called Coolture Designs to create a culture based collection for them. Called Parampare ( meaning Heritage in kannada) it is the celebration of Bangalore and Kannadiga culture. Here is one piece where I have sewn the howlite beads to a thread choker. The resin pendant decorated with rhinestones frames a beautiful image of the Mysore Durbar. Look forward to the full collection very soon.
These are the pieces that I made for the Swap N Hop. I am looking forward to reading you feedback and impressions. If you are new to my blog, I request you to look around. I write a lot on jewelry, visual culture and share my travel experiences here. I would love it if you keep in touch with me by subscribing to my blog and following my on social media. Also please visit my partner Lori’s blog Bead Addicted to see what she created with the beads that I sent her.
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