Hunting the Beaded Medallion

Mom at Crater Lake 1954 (yes, before I was born!)

Moccasin Necklace

When I was a girl I took a trip to Crater Lake with my Grandma, mom and sister. I still remember that deep blue of the lake and the island that sits out in the middle. It is beautiful, and I'd never seen anything like it before. I was in awe and remember the trip to this day. Crater Lake is the deepest in the US and formed somewhere around 4680 BC when Mt Mazama in the Cascade range blew its top. The plumes are thought to have been some 30 miles high and the wind carried ash to Southern Canada. There are no water tributaries in or out of the lake, which makes the water some of the most pristine which preserve its clear aquamarine color.

Rim of Crater Lake

On our way out of the park, we stopped by the gift shop and my Grandma let my sister and I pick one item. We both decided to pick beaded necklaces, as did my mom. My sister picked one of an Indian doll, mine was a pair of moccasins and my mom's was a beaded medallion. My sister's necklace and mine are long gone. We wore them until they fell apart. But years ago my mom gave me her medallion necklace. Which I tucked away in a box, until a few years ago when I rediscovered it. I put it out on the bead table and proceeded to push it around the table for years thinking I would try to recreate the pattern. I finally did this past week and have been playing with the colors. I wanted to keep the stitching and the pattern true, which any of you who know me, know that I am really, really bad with following directions when I bead. But this one needed to be the same.

Mom's necklace on the right

I started my initial research on the origin of the medallion with the Klamath Indian tribe since Crater Lake is a sacred site for them. Their legend goes back to the origin of the lake and the spirit, Chief Llao, that they believed lived within Mt Mazama. The story tells of a battle between Llao, the Chief of the underworld, and Skell, the Chief of the world above. Skell had been called on by the local Klamath tribe to defend the Chief's beautiful daughter, Loha. Llao had seen Loha and fallen in love with her, but when she rejected him he threatened to destroy the tribe with the curse of fire. The tribe escaped to Mt Shasta and prayed to Skell to help fight Llao.

A horrific battle ensued with the gods hurling red hot rocks back and forth between Mt Shasta and Mt Mazama. A terrible darkness spread over the area for days, and in an attempt to calm the gods two medicine men offered themselves as a sacrifice and jumped into the spewing volcano of Mt Mazama. Skell was impressed and sent a final blow that collapsed the top of Mt Mazama pushing Llao deep within imprisoning him forever. Explorers are able to identify the existence of the Klamath tribe during the explosion as dozens of sandals were discovered under the ash thought to be from the explosion of Mt Mazama. The lake became a place to seek visions but only by those with considerable powers, like shaman and chiefs. Spirit quests would often take place at night with the seeker swimming underwater to encounter the spirits lurking in the depths of the lake.

There is so much symbolism in Native design that I didn't want to screw around with that. The first thing I did was look for the symbol, but mistakenly I thought that the pattern was a flower. The more I looked for it, the more I realized that the pattern was a star and that it was a prevalent symbol for many tribes. I found the pattern in designs for the Cherokee, Sioux and the Mochilla tribes, but then I found its perfect match; Apache. The pattern was the exact same stitching and bead count in this link from Missouri State University. It noted that there are four key identifiers for interpreting Native American beaded rosettes. In order of importance start with the symbol. The circular design depict protective spirits such as the four directions. The symbols can tell stories about the person's ancestry or the spirits that are important to the family.

Next in importance are the colors and typically provide the key to the tribe origin. For example the Lakota use black to represent the west wind, autumn and the dream world while red means the sunrise, birth and the east wind. Looking at my pattern it seems I used the Lakota colors. So I did apparently screw around with the significance of the original design. Sigh. I apparently just do not seem to be able to color within the lines. So I stopped trying and decided to finish each medallion in my own way.

The third identifier is the repetition of the pattern. Typically a pattern repeats in sets of four, seven or twelve which refer to the directions of specific spirits. Well at least here I had followed the repetition in the pattern using nine points to the star rosette. The last identifier is whether the design is something that can be described as personal or if it is significant to the tribe. 

Even with all these indicators to help trace the origin of the design it has over time become less reliable with the tribes intermixing and exchanging ideas. Perhaps that is why I found an Apache design at the site of the most sacred place of the Klamath.

Soothing the Soul

This piece speaks to me on so many levels. It combines a Native American look and feel with a traveler's compass. That embodies so many of the things I love. 

The first magnetic compass was invented around 200 BC during the Chinese Han Dynasty, but not really used in its traditional navigational sense until the 11th century by the Song Dynasty. Amazing just how long ago this was invented and how advanced the civilizations that used it must have been.

The last time I took some time away to bead for the weekend with Christine, she asked if we could practice fringe. Ah fringe, how I love it. I had with me two of these leather compass focals that Melinda Orr had made. I punched several holes in both of them and we got to work. One of the many things I love about beading with Christine is that we can sit, and bead, and just be. We can talk non-stop for hours, and then we can sit quietly and bead. Both are important, and both soothe the soul.

This piece actually hangs long, not quite at waist level. And when I wear it it swings and gives a bit of a musical sound with all those brass feathers. I don't keep many of the items that I make, but this one just might make the cut. 

In Memoriam :: Carrie Fisher

This is a blog post from 3 years ago that I'm reposting. I think Carrie would have enjoyed this one given her sense of humor. If you want a good laugh check out a recent interview with her and her dog Gary.

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Christine's Rolling Blog Hop is, well... hopp'n! I posted two of my spools 2 weeks ago, and I was waiting for a lull to post my third spool reveal. But looks like I'm going to need to squeeze back in.

The posts are just roll'n in, and we've seen some fantastic designs! I have all the links to everyone's reveals so far at the end of this post so you can check them all out.    

For my third design, I was working with this large, more irregular shaped spool. I did struggle just a bit with it trying to figure out what direction I wanted the design of the spool to be until I remembered an image I saw of a young Native American girl. She had beautiful dark hair tied up on either side in what is called a "Squash Blossom" style. The hairstyle is a Hopi custom which represents the sign of a girl's marriageability. The young girl will twist her hair in the shape of squash blossoms, which is the sign of fertility for an unmarried girl in the tribe. 

I wanted natural colors and fibers in this piece, so I used a linen colored silk from Darn Good Yarn, a mix of seed beads, Czech beads and howlite. I am loving this howlite stone with native designs. It has subtle tan-cream veining throughout the stone, which gives it a natural look. I also stained the spool so it had a deep color. The focal is long (6 inches!) and has a good weight to it. I envision it being worn waist length.

Ok, I know this is an irreverent move on my part, but once I started putting this blog post together I simply could not get an image out of my head. Is it just me? or do those squash blossom twists remind you of Princess Leia in Star Wars... I always thought of her hair as more of a Danish pastry swirl, but maybe that is just the recollection from the Ross and Rachel scene in Friends. Once I started googling images, both the Native American girl and Princess Leia kept coming up together. It was all over for me; the image stuck. The one I can't get out of my head is Nicolas Cage dressed like Princess Leia ... that is one that cannot be unseen... Gah!

We're almost through the rolling blog hop! Check out all the links and projects already revealed. Our host: Christine (Christine's post), and all the rest of the rolling bloggers: 
Janet (Janet's post), Hope (Hope's post), Bobbie (Bobbie's post), Tanya (Tanya's post), Maryanne (Maryanne's post), Cynthia (my first post), Liz (Liz's post), Lisa (Lisa's post), Kim (Kim's post), and the bloggers still to post: Therese (Therese's post), Karin (Karin's post) and Erin (Erin's post)

The Currency of Beads

Beads are a medium to create and express yourself. At least I see them that way. 

I am often asked why I don't wear much of the jewelry I create. I'm not sure exactly, but I can say that when I bead it is more like creating art then designing for fashion. I suppose that makes sense given my love of understanding the history and culture of specific styles and patterns. 

While Native American beadwork dates back to prehistoric times, these early beads were crafted by hand with crude tools and tended to be large. The beads themselves were crafted from bone, quills, shells and stones. It wasn't until Europeans began traveling the Americas that the use of 'seed beads' in Native American designs appeared. Most explorers, traders and missionaries carried glass beads with them to use as gifts or barter with native people. Thus, beads became a local currency.

One story alleges that the 'sale' of Manhattan to the Dutch colonists (c. 1620) was for $24 worth of beads. Most likely the Native Americans thought that the newcomers were giving them a gift, not buying the land with their strings of beads. It is likely a cultural misunderstanding that Native Americans did not have a sense of 'owning' the land. They were a nomadic society. So the notion of selling land would be a large misconception of European settlers. 

Before the Europeans brought seed beads, the Native Americans were using shell beads. You can see their value and significance as archaeological findings will trace shell beads thousands of miles from seacoasts, which indicate trade routes among the ancient peoples. As seed beads were introduced they appeared through a network of trading posts but quickly spread through an exchange network among Native American tribes.

Beads became a popular trading item as they were light weight to carry along the trading routes; particularly through the northern woodlands area where treks were on foot with backpacks through the forest trails. Two types of trade beads were popular: large ceramic 'pony' beads (a quarter to half inch in size with a large hole to use as a focal) whose name comes from decorating pony reins and other horse gear. The other popular trade bead would be the tiny seed beads which supplanted the more difficult, time-consuming porcupine quill work.

The beads themselves came from Bohemia (Czech Republic) and Italy. Probably starting in Venice Italy where there was a flourishing industry dating back to the 14th Century. For centuries the Italians kept production techniques a secret, which gave them a monopoly over the production of glass beads. The beads were valuable and used as currency by European traders through West Africa to buy gold, ivory, palm oil and slaves. This is where the term 'Trade Beads' originates. 

Today the distinct tribal patterns blend into a more modern use of beads. Marcus Amerman is one of the most celebrated bead artists today with his work deeply steeped in his Choctaw roots. Born in Phoenix, but grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He has created a movement of highly realistic beaded portraits. He is an example that history can influence art, but take on a modern variation. I like the way he rolls. My beaded earrings here are of no specific pattern, but clearly have that Native American feel to them. I have been wanting to try this style and I've been playing with colors and bead types. 

The Fallen Sky Stone

The Navajo believed that turquoise was a piece of the sky that had fallen to the earth and called it Fallen Sky Stone. It was believed to be a great healing stone. I could use some healing powers this weekend.

The memorial for our friend was on Friday, and there were many tears shed by the people who loved him. From the friends, family and his children who he leaves behind. I wish he could have been there to see how much he was loved.

The weather at the moment looks as I feel. Cold, rainy and grey. Usually I enjoy the rain. It is that Pacific Northwest in me that needs the rain to refresh. It makes me want to sit by the fire and go deep into my own thoughts. I believe that is where I am this weekend. 

The Native American legend celebrates the relief felt when the rains came. Water was the symbol of life.  When the rain began the people would dance and rejoice with tears streaming down their faces. The rain and their tears would mix and seep into Mother Earth to become Sky Stone. A beautiful way to symbolize the cycle of life. There are just moments along the journey that are more difficult than others. And so I may walk in the rain today just to feel it on my face.

Hathor :: Goddess of Motherhood

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.  

Ancient Stones :: Turquoise

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.

Amulet Bag :: Blending Ancient Egypt and Native American

I started this bag about 2 weeks ago and was hoping to finish it before the last ATTS hop hosted by Christine and Therese. I didn't quite make it, but I did finish. So here it is, my amulet bag.

The bag came together in pieces. I started with the top band of peyote in a 'basket weave' which I attached to a piece of suede. The suede was beaded or 'zipped' along the side with a ladder stitch and a bit of picot that I stitched into the bag to ensure it was secure.

Then came piles of fringe, can you ever have enough fringe? Its a bit unruly, and makes you want to constantly comb your fingers through it to straighten it out. The last piece I added was the scarab created by Lesley Watt from metal clay. I bezeled this months ago and it sat on the bead table awaiting just the right project. 

An amulet is an object that protects its owner from harm, which is different from a talisman that is believed to bring luck as well as protection. Amulets can come in the form of gems, statues, coins or even a plant or animal. The word origin is Latin (amulētum) and prevalent in ancient Rome. But the tradition stems from Egyptians who believed that stones were associated with gods, and that wearing these stones, or amulets, gave powers from the gods. By the time of Egypt's Middle Kingdom the scarab shape had become a powerful protection amulet particularly for kings, who wore stone carvings of the beetles for protection both in life and the afterlife.

While the Romans tended to wear stones as amulets, the Native American tribes tended to create small bags to carry sacred objects, medicine or tobacco. The bags were often painted, beaded or quilled with characteristic tribal designs. The Shaman (or medicine man) would carry 'medicine' in these bags to treat sickness or disease. But they were also used for luck, protection and strength in battle. Some medicine bags included paint (with powerful magic) which gave the warrior the belief that he was invincible in battle.

My amulet bag is a cross between these two cultures. It has the symbolism of ancient Egypt with Lesley's lovely scarab, but created as a bag to carry the amulet protection. And a bonus that it comes with lots of fringe that is so depictive of Native American bags.

Playing Hooky with the Bead Girl

Bead Girl's picture of a door at Clinton Castle

Native American Pin

Last Friday my daughter had an optional field trip. Their school does an annual trip to view a surgery. This year was a bypass, in previous years it's been open heart. She was dreading it, and the school allows for kids who just can't take it to opt out. 

Seems a strange field trip, but the district here feels like it encourages those kids that can see themselves in the sciences, or those that might go into medicine. But for those of us that can't take the sight of our own blood (that would be me) ... the kids can opt out.

Bead Girl's picture of museum sky light

And so, the Bead Girl and I played hooky last Friday. I took the day off to run around NYC with her. We managed to get in quite a bit of the city including a trip down to Battery Park for a peek at the Statue of Liberty and a look around Clinton Castle (the battery itself). 

Native American Water Jug

Then afterwards we walked across the green there to the National Museum of the American Indian, which had free admission. I love this type of exhibit. I have seen many in multiple countries. But I will tell you that only one rivals this exhibit and that is the one in Vancouver, BC at The Museum of Anthropology. If you are ever in the area it is a must see.

The National Museum here in NYC was amazing, and completely unexpected. They had exhibits from Indian culture from all over the Americans and down into Central and South America. While not as large as the exhibit in BC, it is packed with beautiful things to see. 

Chibi polymer figures by Bead Girl

From there, we headed uptown to check out other landmarks she had never seen. I know we live close to NY, but we really don't bring the girls into the city much. And even then we usually have an engagement to meet up with someone so we don't sightsee. This trip was to tick off a few places she'd always wanted to see. We stopped into the Empire State building and then on to the Chrysler building. Not to mention Grand Central Station and the Graybar building next door. 

Cake, carrot and peas in polymer by Bead Girl

Our last stop was a store that she'd been talking about for months called Kinokuniya which is a bookstore full of all things Japanese. She's very in to anime whether it is drawing, painting or creating the little figures. She's practiced this miniature polymer art over past year. So she wanted to explore the store for new ideas. We spent 2+ hours there. Yes, 2+ hours. I can honestly say I was more than ready to leave when she said she thought she was 'done.' It was a fantastic day. And I loved every minute of spending a little one-on-one time with daughter. 

Beadweaving :: Simple Peyote

I picked up quite a few sets of seed beads at Beadfest this year (you can see the loot to the right here); including a few strings of wonderful earthy beige and a hank of Picasso seed beads. The Picasso beads have been all the rage lately, as I hear everyone talking about them. But they are quite a bit more expensive for some reason. Frankly they look like all those beads I spill on my bead table and don't get around to sorting. I do really love the mixture of color, and I might just need to do my own mix!

This simple peyote pattern actually started with the beautiful center carnelian piece. I have a few of them sitting on my bead table that I've definitely been hoarding for some time. My friend Christine gifted them to me, and I love them. I think Carnelian ranks right up there as one of my absolutely favorite stones. I absolutely love it's rich, honey tone. I could not resist showcasing the photos of the bracelet draped over a rock. Anyone who knows Christine knows that she'd approve of this maneuver.

I wanted to do something different. Unique. But wasn't exactly sure what, and it took me quite a while to come up with the pattern. Sometimes the simple patterns take the longest to figure out as the understated can be quite dramatic. It makes me think of my hairdresser. I know .. I'm down a rabbit hole. But stay with me for a minute, and I'll explain. So I always thought ... how hard can it be? I have stick straight hair ... all you need to do is cut it in a straight line. But I've heard people cut my hair over the years and mumble under their breathe because every snip shows up. And in fact I have seen people struggle to cut my hair as it is harder to have it look like a clean cut, or not have a few pieces hang down if I part my hair slightly off from center (as I typically do).  I guess simple patterns are the same. Any small stitch out of place, or slightly different color of a bead, or even slightly irregular shape or size ... shows up. Can anyone see the spirit beads in this piece?

I ended up with a 2 row chevron pattern of Picasso beads alternating with the earthy beige. I did a drop stitch at the ends creating a triangle so it would roll around the center piece. I kinda love the softness of that look. I'm going to have to do that again, for sure. I also grabbed a set of Melinda Orr's leather snap ends (man I love these) and punched a couple of holes to bead right into. I had to laugh as I explained to my bead buddy Linda Younkman that I had left the string exposed when I attached the beading to the leather. I think she asked me twice, maybe it was 3 times if I really left it exposed. LOL, yes. I like the rustic, boho (aka 'didn't tuck in my shirt) look.

The piece fits like an old worn in baseball mitt. Truly. I was afraid the carnelian hoop would feel uncomfortable, but the beading around it gives it some swing in the pattern. I still have 2 more of these carnelian pieces to play with. But this one; it must return to Christine. I channeled her through the entire pattern. In the end is was earthy, had a touch of native flare, and just a bit of Colorado. 

And another one of my beady friends, Linda, was off doing her thing with peyote. Check out these stunning variations where she simply played with the size of the bead. She also included a tutorial for those of you that would like to try your hand at a simple, and classic peyote beadweaving stitch. Sometimes the simple can create the dramatic. You definitely rock Linda! You can see this article (include my simple peyote bracelet) in this month's issue of Bead Chat Magazine.

Native Peoples :: Symbolism

The hourglass symbol has signified many things through time. I have found it in Native American culture, Egyptian and even Free Masons. One of my favorites is the Lakota, a Native American tribe from the Black HIlls of South Dakota who believed there was a powerful connection between the sun and the Earth. They saw the design as an inverted triangle on top to symbolize the sky (sun or stars) as it touched the earth ... the bottom triangle being the earth. 

The Lakota followed the path of the sun by the shadows through the seasons (their version of a sun dial). They were nomadic and didn't always camp in the same place, so the shadows marked time and told them when to migrate to another location. 

Buffalo (an integral part of the culture) also had migratory patterns that coincided with the tribe's sacred sites. The Lakota painted star maps on hides, and believed buffalo embodied solar power; thus eating buffalo meat was eating energy from the sun.

While my bracelet here does not use colors that would have been typical to the Lakota (blue, white and brick red - the natural pigments of the time), the pattern embodies their sacred symbol and uses some interesting negative space. It is a pattern that Christine and I worked on using a design she created with a brick stitch, but I reversed the pattern to create the hourglass shape. 

Rolling Blog Hop :: Squash Blossoms

I know I said I'd be back in a week, but Christine's Rolling Blog Hop is, well... hopp'n! I posted two of my spools 2 weeks ago, and I was waiting for a lull to post my third spool reveal. But looks like I'm going to need to squeeze back in.

The posts are just roll'n in, and we've seen some fantastic designs! I have all the links to everyone's reveals so far at the end of this post so you can check them all out.    

For my third design, I was working with this large, more irregular shaped spool. I did struggle just a bit with it trying to figure out what direction I wanted the design of the spool to be until I remembered an image I saw of a young Native American girl. She had beautiful dark hair tied up on either side in what is called a "Squash Blossom" style. The hairstyle is a Hopi custom which represents the sign of a girl's marriageability. The young girl will twist her hair in the shape of squash blossoms, which is the sign of fertility for an unmarried girl in the tribe. 

I wanted natural colors and fibers in this piece, so I used a linen colored silk from Darn Good Yarn, a mix of seed beads, Czech beads and howlite. I am loving this howlite stone with native designs. It has subtle tan-cream veining throughout the stone, which gives it a natural look. I also stained the spool so it had a deep color. The focal is long (6 inches!) and has a good weight to it. I envision it being worn waist length.

Ok, I know this is an irreverent move on my part, but once I started putting this blog post together I simply could not get an image out of my head. Is it just me? or do those squash blossom twists remind you of Princess Leia in Star Wars... I always thought of her hair as more of a Danish pastry swirl, but maybe that is just the recollection from the Ross and Rachel scene in Friends. Once I started googling images, both the Native American girl and Princess Leia kept coming up together. It was all over for me; the image stuck. The one I can't get out of my head is Nicolas Cage dressed like Princess Leia ... that is one that cannot be unseen... Gah!

We're almost through the rolling blog hop! Check out all the links and projects already revealed. Our host: Christine (Christine's post), and all the rest of the rolling bloggers: 
Janet (Janet's post), Hope (Hope's post), Bobbie (Bobbie's post), Tanya (Tanya's post), Maryanne (Maryanne's post), Cynthia (my first post), Liz (Liz's post), Lisa (Lisa's post), Kim (Kim's post), and the bloggers still to post: Therese (Therese's post), Karin (Karin's post) and Erin (Erin's post)

Wood :: #3 in the Series

Last Spring I was working on a series using these wood focals gifted to me by Christine. It was love at first sight when I saw these babies. They are rustic, boho, tribal ... all wrapped up into one. 

I had two designs done quickly (right) with plenty of fringe, and I revealed these for the last A Time to Stitch Blog Hop (#3). And just a shout out that we're now all working on our #4 ATTS with reveals coming in January. Check the link if you're interested in a little bead weaving.

This third wood focal was giving me pause. I knew pretty quickly I wanted to pair it up with a ceramic piece gifted to me by Melinda Orr (yes, I am one lucky girl getting all these wonderful beady items gifted to me!). The issue was what in the world was I going to do with necklace? I tried suede (too chunky and hung all wonky), I tried leather (thin and kinda meh?), so I set it aside and my UFO sat there on my bead table a loooooong, long time.

But then I remembered these lovely seed beads with a copper finish to them (also gifted to me from Christine, yep lucky girl I am). And I remembered this great stitch that Christine showed me called a zig-zag. The metal colored beads with this stitch almost resemble chain. Very cool effect. I kinda love how it looks. And so did one of my friends. This one lasted about a day in my shop inventory before my friend took it home.