Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Misty Winter's Dawn

I was so pleased to be able to finish an original creation for the Etsy Beadweaver's Team October Challenge titled 'Misty Winter's Dawn'.

My two bead choices for this challenge were gray tilas - a bead I have never worked with - and Swarovski black diamond bicones.  From there I looked through my stash for appropriate accompaniment.  My first design was to make a path of tilas bounded by distant mountain peaks with the bicones, clusters of dark green bead forests and gentle peyote rolling hills, a stream crossing with tiny chain boundaries, etc.




 But time was not on my side. 




After several starts and stops (tear outs) I got the top of the drop in place. I had no idea what would transpire after that.  On a road trip to southern Oregon - the Rogue River area - I sketched a drop that fell naturally to a 'v'.















The execution was not as was on paper, for as I worked down the 'v' and got the four tilas in place and was working on 3, it became very apparent that they would not center, I would either adjust or have to give up the project - no time for another tear out.

The temptation to give up at this point was very strong - on my graph paper diagram I had not completed the other side and I felt stuck.  I decided to just put two with a drop in the center and proceed.  I wasn't far from finishing.



I got over that discouragement and finally finished to a successful point.





Few days at home and off on another trip to a family wedding.  In my sister's home in Pullman, Washington, I finally came up with a design for the finishing strands that hold the triangular pendant in place.  It incorporates the tilas and bicones in a beautiful finish, I think.

The length can be as short as 15.5 inches or as long as 18.5. 








My sister's dining area faces north and is completely windows on three sides - the perfect place to take photographs.

My final challenge was to write a description that would fit the theme and describe what I thought and felt as I created this piece.  The tilas were the wet pavement, the bicones - city rain, the gray, a Misty Winter's Dawn.  Inverted it would be a tiara. From the air, a cityscape. 





I love the rich dullness of the gray tilas, and how movment causes the bicones to intermittently and randomly sparkle.

My challenge piece was entered with just a couple hours to spare!!  It is an elegant necklace in one of my favorite colors - gray.
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Please visit the Etsy Beadweaver's Blog between October 9th and 15th and see the team's entries and VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE:  http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/

Thank you for visiting!





4 comments:

  1. GORGEOUS!! I voted for yours of course! I am continually amazed at the work and time and execution needed to make a piece like this! Such patience and perseverance you have. The outcome is priceless...

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  2. It is so beautiful! It was very interesting how you worked through your design. I love it!

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  3. You are truly talented!

    ♥♥♥
    Sue

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  4. You are so talented and patient to do all that intricate work.

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