I've been absent for some time from the blogosphere, and for no better excuse than simply life taking up my time in other ways. Funny how Instagram has taken over as my typical way to stay in touch with people. It is so easy to snap a quick picture, add a few words (not even a full sentence), post and be on my way. So if you follow me on Instagram you know that there have been travels and the occasional beading project.
Lately, I've had a lot on my mind about people who seem to be a beacon in the world for good. People who's voice is heard above the divisive rhetoric. During the mid-term election cycle, I heard the push from female voices. In social media, in reporting, through documentaries and in my everyday work environment. It was loud. What I kept thinking was that women are not asking to be in charge; just that they want to be heard and to feel that they are equal. What is it about winning? Does there need to be either a winner or loser?
I recently saw the Ruth Bader Ginsberg, RBG documentary. If you have not yet seen RBG, then do. It is both inspiring and refreshing to hear the force that is Ruth. "I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask from our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks." Well said, Ruth. A recent speech at Georgetown University, Ruth said she is inspired by the #MeToo movement and that, "women nowadays are not silent about bad behavior." She has such measured responses, and speaks with such strength. People stop and listen when Ruth has something to say. She is absolutely on my list of people I wish I could meet.
So while I was watching the RBG documentary, I was working on a beading project. Lately, I've wanted to feel something substantial in my hands while I bead, and so I've started to bead collars. Not sure exactly why, but I do love the way the beads feel in my hands as I work the project. And then I noticed that Ruth wears these, and that she has quite a collection of collars. I was thinking that I should call these my RBG series. What do you think; would Ruth wear one of mine?
I don't know what it is about this necklace that makes me want to keep beading more, but it seems to have that effect on me.
I did a Menat style necklace a few months back, and when I found some gorgeous piccaso blue drops I knew I had to make another one of these necklaces. This Etsy shop is actually in the Czech Republic, and had such a great stash of Czech beads. Weird question. If this shop is in Prague, does that mean that any beads it sells is by definition Czech beads?
A few people asked if I would have my lovely model pose for a picture in the necklace. So without further ado, as requested she is modeling my latest necklace.
This is a slightly different pattern from the first necklace - it is a bit shorter, and beads up faster. Not a bad thing. However, when I finished the necklace I just didn't like the alternating bead color along the bottom ... it needed more dark blue drops. So I went back through the edging and added more. I like the alternating depth of the edge; it gives it so much more character.
The other thing I added was a thin grey leather cord along the top. The beads were a little wonky at the top edge, but the leather gives it a nice finished along the neckline. As fancy as this beading is, and could certainly be worn with a simple black dress, I actually prefer this dressed down look tucked in to a denim shirt. It gives it such a nice boho vibe.
Whenever I visit a museum I always seem to end up for hours staring at the ancient beaded jewelry trying to remember the patterns and colors. Many times they don't allow you to take pictures, so I will sketch and take notes.
The NYC Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of my favorite places where I can spend hours just looking at the Egyptian jewelry exhibit. I have a tendency to get separated from whomever I'm there with as I won't hear them mention that they are moving on to the next room. It happens (almost) ever time I visit.
My favorite pieces always seem to be the beaded collars. I am amazed by the age of the beads, the colors and the extravagance of the patterns. This particular type of wide beaded collar is called a menat. Typically the strings of beads come together in the back with a heavy counterweight (when worn as a necklace) to keep it in place. The counterweight could also be held in the hand to make a rattling noise like the sistrum, an ancient musical instrument, which literally means 'to shake.' Egyptians believed that the noise drove off evil and would defend them against their enemies.
The sistrum and menat date back to the 6th Dynasty as symbols used (mainly by women) in the cult of Hathor. Often the dead would be buried with a menat as it was the symbol for divine protection. For the living, the menat would be held in the hand of a high priestess' to act as a medium through which the goddess' power was transmitted. Because the queen herself could function as the high priestess of Hathor, royal wives would be seen offering the necklace to their husbands. You see this in King Tut's tomb where his wife and queen, Ankhesenamon, is offering the pharaoh a menat necklace signifying rebirth of the dead.
I have wanted to make a beaded collar like this for quite a long time, but never found the right design. When I stumbled on this pattern I decided to pull out some gorgeous tear drops from Stinky Dog Beads. This collar beaded up quickly and has a nice weight to it. It feels substantial on, and the beads have such a nice sound to them. I didn't include the counterweight in the back, but instead beaded the collar all the way around to button in the back. I think it looks wonderful with a pair of jeans.
After my post yesterday you all are likely wondering how I could possibly have more to say on the topic of turquoise? There is more, lots more. But I'll try to keep it short today and show you a turquoise cuff edged in leather. I think it has a sort of old world basket weave feel.
Since yesterday was Mother's Day, I decided to highlight Hathor the Egyptian goddess of motherhood including feminine love and the principles of joy. She seems to have covered a lot of topics (like most moms) as she was also the goddess of music, dance and foreign lands. I don't know about you, but my daughter's room seems to classify as a foreign land most days with an abundance of ancient artifacts under the bed, severe 'off roading' to get to her closet and a look of 'lost in translation' when I ask her to pick up. Just call me Hathor, goddess of teenage girls.
So what's Hathor got to do with Turquoise? Well, funny you should ask. She also appears to be the patron goddess of miners. Yep, that's right. She really had a full plate this one. And so she also picked up names like "Lady of Turquoise" and "Mistriss of Turquoise." This goddess was a real multi-tasker, but then I suppose motherhood includes a lot of juggling, some feminine love and occasionally principles of joy ... most days.
One of my favorite stones of all time has to be turquoise. The veining in it is like a heartbeat frozen in time. I love the idea that this stone has been held in the hands of so many people and cultures through the ages. Mined, carved and adorned. It is a rock of rugged beauty.
It is rare to find stones naturally colored blue, and likely even more rare in ancient times without 'man-made,' synthetic stones. From across the globe people have treasured its blue color thought to represent the heavens to the ancient Persian, fertility, good luck and protection against evil to the Egyptians.
In the Americas it had great healing powers and brought prosperity. Which is why the Aztecs offered it to the Gods and the Anasazi (known as the "Ancient Ones" and the ancestors of the modern Pueblo) used the stone to treat the sick. They believed it could prevent accidental injury, prevent blindness or ease stomach pains. The shaman would grind the stone and have the person ingest it to heal the stomach. Truly, turquoise has such a storied history.
Persia (Iran) is known for the purity of its turquoise. Some describe a bright blue turquoise as "Persian blue" based on the prized high quality of stone.
I actually prefer the American version of this stone. Full of inclusions, deposits and other minerals like iron which can infuse a green hue to the stone, or copper which gives it a blue color. Deposits from its host stone show up like a spiderweb of brown or black that stone cutters refer to as its matrix. Green turquoise and heavy matrix are less valuable, but I love to see the patterns in the stone. Today, the American Southwest produces some of the world's best turquoise, with Arizona and Nevada supporting more than 120 active mines. People who know turquoise can often tell which specific mine the stone came from, such as the Sleeping Beauty Mine which is known for its light blue turquoise without matrix. It is some of the most sought after (and most expensive) turquoise in the world.
My design is influence by the Mayan calendar which is comprised of two interlocking calendars working simultaneously: the Haab (civil) and the Tzolkin (sacred). The calendars work like a continuous churn of gears in a machine, and represent life as one eternal cycle. While the Mayans did predict centuries into the future, they did not see an end. That's the funny thing with the western interpretation that the Mayan calendar predicted the end of the world. That would have been a foreign concept to them. The turquoise in my design is actually a flaw as the Mayan did not allow anyone to wear it and reserved it as an offering to the gods. I just liked how the copper focal brought out the veining in the turquoise. C'est la vie. Sometimes the flaws in life are more interesting.
This necklace came together in pieces, and it all began with a beading lesson from my friend Christine. Each time we get together we try to share a technique with the other so that we're both learning something new. I do so love these little lessons.
I had seen a stitch over on her blog that I just had to try where she'd used a new variation on zig zag stitch using peanut beads. It creates amazing depth to this beaded chain (click on the link to see the beautiful piece she created). I picked out some metallic colors and got to work. I really just wanted to bead this new stitch to feel the rhythm of the pattern in my hands. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, and tucked it away.
Once I was back home it sat on the bead table for some time, like so many other stalled projects. But then I pulled out a focal bead that Christine had gifted me from that last trip to Fishkill in the shape of a scarab. I added a semicircle of braided leather to complete the necklace and it all came together. I love the symbolism of the scarab as amulet in Egyptian history. It is said to bring protection to the wearer. I turned the bead into a simple cab to attach to the leather, connected the beaded back strap, and voila. Another Christine-inspired design!
One of my favorite things to do is to meet up with my BBF Christine and go bead shopping. We've done this many times at this point and we're just in a rhythm.
We'll walk into the large room filled with tables, and tables of beads, rocks, fibers and all things that look like Christmas morning to a beader.
She'll walk one way, I'll walk the other. Then periodically meet up and compare purchases. It is a perfect rhythm for me.
Christine is an organized shopper. She likes to case the joint ... making a full circle through all the tables first before making a purchase. She needs to get an inventory of what's there and then decide what to buy based on what she's budgeted for our splurge. She is so disciplined! Yes, yes, I hear you. I could learn a few tricks from her.
But, I have a completely different way to shop. I actually don't shop all that often. My husband does most of the shopping for the household (lucky me). And when we do happen to go shopping together (a rare occasion) I am usually zooming through aisles, picking out things and rarely looking at prices. He on the other hand, will methodically go through the aisles, read each label, comparison shop, check off from a list. And he'll take a look at what I've put into the basket and quietly put things back ... O.M.G. it drives me bananas! It just takes all the fun out of it for me.
My bead shopping isn't much different. I love to stumble across a pendant that I instantly start to design around in my head. But the best part of bead shopping is that my husband NEVER comes with me. Yes, the best part. I can shop in peace. This pendant here is one of those pieces, but the lovely part of it is that Christine seems to know me well. She surprised me with this one (along with a few others) the last time we were at the Bead Expo in Fishkill, NY. Instantly I saw this looking Egyptian and I wanted it to have that Cleopatra-breastplate look to it. I love this pendant, loved creating with it, and love shopping with my BBF.
This is the final posting for my sea inspired series using sea glass beads from Znetshows.com. I still have a few beads left, so good chance I'll be back with more designs. But later in the summer, or maybe this fall. I've been swamped at work lately and haven't made it to my bead table at all yet this summer other than this handful of sea glass designs from early June.
I made one last pair of sea glass earrings, this time in a beautiful sea foam green. And I included a companion pair using silver sequins. I never really thought of myself as a sequin person, but in these designs I love how it gives off just a bit of chime in your ear when you wear them. I can imagine sitting high up on the bluff of the sea with that bit of sea breeze giving everything a bit of sway.
For this series, I've given you a few places that top my bucket list to visit. This next place is featured in my inspiration board. The Aegean Sea, home to some 2,000 islands inhabited through the ages by Greeks, Turks, Phoenicians, Philistines, Egyptians and countless other travelers. If I were a time traveler and could go back in time, this would probably be my first stop. All those flowing fabrics, strappy sandals, dangling jewelry and plenty of wine. Who's with me?
The first time I can remember reading about the Mediterranean I was cracking open that enormous book of Homer's Odyssey that talked about journeys on the sea, colossal statues and sirens off the sea cliffs. Even though it is full of myth and legend, it had me dreaming of warm breezes and clear blue seas. Don't forget to check out all the other designers and the most current edition of Creative Spark.
I've been absent for some time from the blogosphere, and for no better excuse than simply life taking up my time in other ways. Funny how Instagram has taken over as my typical way to stay in touch with people. It is so easy to snap a quick picture, add a few words (not even a full sentence), post and be on my way. So if you follow me on Instagram you know that there have been travels and the occasional beading project. 
I recently saw the Ruth Bader Ginsberg, RBG documentary. If you have not yet seen RBG, then do. It is both inspiring and refreshing to hear the force that is Ruth. "I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask from our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks." Well said, Ruth. A recent speech at Georgetown University, Ruth said she is inspired by the #MeToo movement and that, "women nowadays are not silent about bad behavior." She has such measured responses, and speaks with such strength. People stop and listen when Ruth has something to say. She is absolutely on my list of people I wish I could meet.
