Sneak Preview: The *Safi* Earrings in Azure

I'm thrilled to be creating again...

It just feels...right :-)

So it is with much joy that I bring you the latest creation from my *Moroccan Odyssey* Collection...

The *Safi* Earrings in Azure

Inspired by the Moroccan city of Safi which is renowned for it's beautiful, colourful pottery...

Photo credit: Zaphgod


Who wouldn't be inspired by these exquisite colours!



Photo credit: Hypo Centre


These earrings feature my original beadwoven medallions in shades of cobalt, delicious mystic orange carnelian briolettes, and hand forged earwires...

All metal components are sterling silver, which I have patinated and brushed for an antique look...

Cobalt and orange are my favourite colours at the moment...I find them so uplifting!


But the *Safi* earrings are begging to be created in other colours too.  Stay tuned ;-)


What colours are you loving right now?

My creative space...

...is a riot of colour!

But then again, when ISN'T my creative space a riot of colour ;-)

In between cleaning, unpacking, and settling in to our new place in Melbourne,


I've managed to spend a few (exceedingly) late nights playing with these Moroccan motifs...

I love the versatility of this simple little design...

Eventually, it will be earrings...

Pendants...

And even rings...

I must be trying to wash away the Melbourne grey with all this colour.


How I am missing the West Australian sunshine!  I had forgotten how grey and cloudy Melbourne can be...day, after day, after day...


At least the sun decided to make an appearance today so I could take some photos!


~*~


My silver and tools are still packed away in boxes.  I am itching to start up the torch and do some soldering!


This chunky beaded rope is just calling out to be finished off with some custom made silver bead caps...

See what other creative people are up to at Kootoyoo, and add your link if you'd like to play along!

My creative space...

Lady Spring has been blessing us with glorious sunshine, warm breezes and the eruption of wildflowers that Western Australia is renowned for.  


The scent of renewal and awakening drifts through the open windows in the house, and my mind swirls with endless ideas and inspiration.  

So many ideas...

I have been dreaming of ways to combine metal and beads...

...the lure of metal is irresistible...

...it haunts my dreams, distracts me, delights me...

...and I feel the only cure is to create!

~*~

 But alas, my metal must wait...

Our move from Perth to Melbourne in less than a week away,


so with all but a few of my beads, tools and notions packed away, weaving a few components is all I can manage...

...just playing with ideas...

...and new concepts, based on old ones...

...they won't be completed until after our move to Melbourne, but my hands cannot remain idle...as if packing boxes isn't keeping them busy enough!

~*~


Now that my *Marrakech* Cuff is completed, of course I have to make another one...


...in turquoise AND orange...

...I just love colour, I can't help myself...


...I try to enjoy using neutrals and browns and blacks...

...but colour is what really makes me happy :-)

~*~

What does your creative space look like today?

My creative space...

...is turquoise and orange...

...however, I think I may have a problem, because...

...I can't stop making things...

...in these colours...

...h...e...l...p...!

More creative spaces over at Kootoyoo.

Sneak Preview: The *Ryad* Necklace in Cinnamon

I am dreaming of Morocco...

...the warmth of the desert, the technicolour architecture, the bustling souks...did I mention the warmth of the desert...?  I would do anything to escape the Winter chill right now!

Photo courtesy of Martin Allen

So, dreaming of Morocco, I present to you another sneak preview from my Moroccan-inspired collection...

The *Ryad* Necklace is a cascade of beadwoven 'windows' in shades of cinnamon and deepest chocolate, with a splash of tangerine...

The centrepiece hangs from a delicate pure copper oval rolo chain which I have patinated, hand-finished, and sealed.  The individual components are connected with patinated copper rings, making the necklace swing delightfully as you walk.

A 'Ryad' (or 'Riad') is a traditional Moroccan house or palace, typically with an enclosed garden.  Many have been converted into hotels, particularly in the popular tourist town of Marrakech.  What an inspiring location to spend a holiday!  

Photo courtesy of  Vince Millett

The rooms of the Ryad are often focused inward and around the central garden, as the outer walls of the building often lack windows to shield the occupants from the harsh elements.  

The 'windows' of my *Ryad* necklace were inspired by these beautiful homes...

Photo courtesy of bgblogging

The Cinnamon colourway is the first in this collection, but I will be making variations of the *Ryad* necklace in different colourways...stay tuned!

What exotic locations are you dreaming of, or inspired by...?

Thanks for looking, and be well!

From Bead Soup to Bracelet

I'm constantly amazed by the versatility of beads.  They can be manipulated into any look that your mind can devise and your hands can create.  They can be uniform, or they can be organic...they can be precise, or they can be natural.

I find the natural, organic look of freeform beadweaving so appealing, but it is not something which comes naturally to me.  In fact, it makes me feel rather uneasy.  My brain seems to skip the 'free' and instead focus on the 'form'.  How can something that looks so natural, feel so UNnatural?

Having recently acquired the informative, inspiring and visually stunning 'Beaded Colorways' by Beverly Ash Gilbert, I set off on a journey of free-spirited discovery.  I enjoy pushing my creative buttons whenever possible, and this exercise pushed them unmercilessly!  My orderly brain fought the randomness every step of the way, but I got there in the end.  

I began with a pile of warm, earthy bead soup:

And ended up with a bracelet...'Whisper of Autumn':

Hmmm...

Thanks for looking, and be well!

Cerulean Sunset

Colour...it is something I have obsessed about from an early age. And it is often where I draw inspiration when beading.

The dynamic and clashy combination of cobalt and orange has been haunting me for a few weeks now. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I started other projects, but my mind kept wandering back to cobalt and orange. I had to create something. And 'Cerulean Sunset' was it.

We are treated to the most beautiful sunsets here in Western Australia. I never tire of watching the sun set over the water, Mother Nature always puts on the most glorious show. I wanted to capture a little of that magic in this necklace...the last arc of tangerine sun gleaming on the horizon, and the cerulean sky above fading into twilight...

I knew that getting the colour proportions just right was the key to the success of this piece. I hope I've nailed it.

It is a weighty necklace...the large cobalt fire-polished beads are 10mm across. Almost a whole strand went into this necklace!

For me, this piece was also as much about the negative space as the positive. The space between, as they say...

This is a detail photo of the reverse side of the necklace...it can be worn either way, depending on whether you like your orange BRIGHT or BRIGHTER ;-)

The clasp, in my usual style, is a continuation of the rest of the design:

There is so much fun in colour. I admire beadweavers such as Margie Deeb, Marcia DeCoster and Rachel Nelson-Smith for their fearless approach to using colour. When I grow up, I want to be just like them ;-)

Inject a little colour into your own designs...be bold, be brave! And don't forget to have FUN :-)

Thanks for looking, and be well!