Echo Creative Club - July 2013

This month I am participating again in the Echo Creative Club, hosted by the lovely Jeannie Dukic (she makes beautiful polymer clay art beads, make sure you check her store!)

For this month I have picked the little light blue tweet and I started my adventure...

Interestingly enough in the past few weeks I kept stumbling (on the internet) over pieces with a similar bird; I think it's one of Murphy's law: you start observing what you are focused on :) And the more I saw, the more trouble I had - I wanted my piece to be an original idea, something I could call my own... So I did what I thought was best - left the little tweety for a while, hoping inspiration would strike.

Of course inspiration doesn't strike just like that, you're supposed to help it. As it is still very hot up in the studio, I brought 2 boxes of beads downstairs... rummaged through them until I found what I wanted.

First, I wire-wrapped the bird and gave it just a bit of extra 'oomph':

I have used the bronze wire I had left (probably a foot or so) from the very first Artisan Whimsy Test group, from Melinda, and a couple of died jade beads in a perfect yellow (just like the beak of the bird)

Then I completed the focal piece, using more wire and more jade - adding a 2nd shade, a teal-turquoise to match the actual bird, and some chips of a blue-white stone (no idea what that stone is):

OK - now what?! I had no more bronze wire, so couldn't wire wrap the jade... I had one strand of those chips and more jade... but how to use it for the neck-piece?!

As I have started on my Christmas gifts (a granny square lap-throw) the answer came quite quickly: why not crochet the neckpiece? I haven't bead-crochet in a while (that's how I started all this jewelry making business), but I always love to put the hook to good use! The only question I had now was - what to use as a base? Can't use wire... so back to my embroidery floss box to find a shade to match the wire - and match I did!

I used 2 strands with the chips and one with the blue and yellow jade beads (mixed asymmetrically and in 2 sizes).

And now - all together:

It is long, no need for a clasp (I used the last bit of it anyhow). It is not perfect (the thread areas on the right is less compact than the one on the left), but I fell in love with it instantly. It is very different from what I've done before, however somehow I see myself in it. And I simply love the colours!!

Oh - the best part?! I have a dress in light blue and yellow which I love, and both Echo Creative Club pieces so far are perfect for it!

The worse part? I simply cannot part with it - I thought I should list it... but I can't - I love it too much :)

Thank you, Jeannie, again, for your generosity - she sends us the art beads for just the shipping cost! Her beads are just beautiful and I love working with them!

Please make sure you visit everybody else - there will be fun to see what these very talented ladies have created for July!

Our lovely host: Jeannie K Dukic  http://site.jkdjewelry.com/blog 

Alicia Marinache  http://www.allprettythings.ca/ <-- you are here
Charlie Jacka  http://clay-space.com/
Kristen Stevens  http://kristen-beadjourney.blogspot.com/
Maureen Connolly  http://mrsbeadsley.blogspot.com/
Patti Vanderbloemen  http://www.myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com/

P.S. Happy birthday to a special friend - Monique, this is made with you in mind :) Maybe you can find it a name!