Holiday Treasures

The theme for the Etsybeadweavers November Challenge is "Holiday Treasures". When I think of Christmas I always think of the big family christmas' we used to have when we were kids. It was a time for the whole family to be together ... all the cousins catching up and having fun ... and of course there was the food. Oh my the christmas fare was to die for. My Aunties German cookies are always a fave, the Christmas Puddings that my mum cooks up, the Rum Balls, and I can't forget the Pav. Beautiful and crunchy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside, and topped with cream and berries.

Hence my piece is a tribute to that Pavlova. Gorgeous handmade Lampwork cabs by Australian Lampwork Artist Anne Dundas, with her aptly named set "berries & cream". It also features are beautiful deep red dichroic cab as the centrepiece, surrounded by Swarovski Crystals and seedies. The colours remind me of that beautiful Pav and the berries. Yummo!!!!

It's been a while since I made a cuff, and I really must do another one soon ... I'd forgotten how much fun it is.

To see this, and all the other gorgeous entries for this Challenge, please visit the team blog, http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com/  between the 9th and 15th and vote for your favorite entry.

Christmas Fare

Blue Metallica

These beautiful dichroic cabs have been in my collection for a while now just waiting for the right inspiration ... a lovely Etsy lady from adornedintreasure made them, and they are spectacular in real life.

Took me a few goes to get this right - I've unpicked it a few times, and wasted alot of thread in the process. It has changed a little from my original design as I decided in the end to use ribbon/twine as the necklace part. The front is pretty "out there" so it really didn't need a flashy necklace part as well.

This is piece number two from my special commission request. I've decided to make a couple of pieces for them to choose from - this and the beautiful Cyclamen Serenade piece below - I may even go one more. I'm hoping that whichever one they choose, that she'll adore it.

Lady of the Lake

This was made for a "Ladies of Camelot" Challenge on the Beading Forum. I am the hugest Arthurian legend fan, and this piece just brought out the creative juices in me ... and the first thing I thought of was the Lady of the Lake. So without too much hoohaaaa this is my interpretation ....

The Lady of the Lake

The great King Arthur is dead!!!

As Excalibur was slowly drawn back into the Lake, the magical powers of the Lady of the Lake started to wane. Mere mortals had foresaken the magic folk and the Goddess, instead choosing to believe in the “One God”. She could feel the magic draining from her body as she slowly disappeared into the misty icy water. The curtain between the world of magic and humans was closing. She closed her eyes …. time to sleep ….

This piece represents the disappearance of the world of magic at the demise of King Arthur. The Lady relents to the pull of Avalon and drifts off into the misty icy water ... her magic ebbing away from her body (that's what the cabs represent) ... and disappears forever into the mists.

OK ... the details ... done with 11s and 8s seedies in various shades of blue and white, Czech fire-polished beads, freshwater pearls ... and quite a few of Wendy's fused glass and dichroic cabs that reminded me alot of water. The face cab I've had sitting in my cab box just waiting for inspiration to hit - it's a gorgeous Jen Martin face ... and the celtic looking scrolls on her face just fitted in so well. I've even got Excalibur in there with the sword toggle clasp.