2/22/13

February Art Bead Scene Challenge


This month’s Art Bead Scene challenge, Tōshi Yoshida’s, Heijinja, 1941, offered so many design possibilities! Leafy trees, delicate blossoms, an intimate moment between a mother and child. I was especially drawn to the strong colors and the use of line in this woodblock print.

My design began with a sea glass triangle pendant in the print’s deepest red, which I received in a giveaway from Suzette Bentley of Ellie’s Bijoux. The sea glass is layered with a bronze spiral charm by THEAtoo. I cut three lengths of 16-gauge gold-filled wire, hammered and then wrapped them in columns of blackest-black, right-angle-weave to serve as a bridge to a second sea glass bead, a crystal donut bezelled in soft black and the print’s dominant, brighter red.


Once I had my focal, I wove a neckstrap, pairing the deep and cheery reds with matte and glossy grays. (The simple adaptation of herringbone stitch is a free pattern, the Strappy Strip, from Gwen Fisher and Florence Turnour.) A base metal chain gives some additional weight and shine. And is there a better way to wrap up a design than with an elegant bronze toggle clasp by THEAtoo?
You’ll definitely want to click over to the Art Bead Scene Flickr page to see all the terrific designs submitted for this month’s challenge.

10 comments:

  1. Oh, that's lovely! You definitely pulled in the architectural feel. The bead bezelled donut is great. I can make a bezel in metal but I'm clueless as to the methods used by beaders!

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  2. Oh, my gosh, this may be my favorite piece of yours, EVER. It is drop dead, pick your jaw up off the floor, fantastic!

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  3. oh WOW that is stunning! I simply LOVE this necklace!! you have captured the feel of the period from the ABS challenge prompt, and the design is just gorgeous ... wow, did I say wow?

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  4. Gorgeous, both delicate yet strong. Love it!

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  5. I love the lines and shapes you've created with the pendant, and the colors are fantastic!

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  6. Wonderfully architectural and subtly Asian - good job!

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  7. Karin your piece is gorgeous! I love how it all came together!

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  8. I really like the layers and structure of this necklace. It echos the structure of the building in a really creative way. Marvelous!

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  9. This necklace is stunning. I absolutely love the architectural aspect of the pendant!

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