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/
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