Sunday 16 November 2008

Cosmic Peacock!

Well after panicking last week and fearing that I may have to give up beading, I've actually managed to do rather a lot of it this week! I received some great advice from other crafters who suffer from all sorts of work related ailments and I've come to realise that it's all part of the deal, especially when coupled with getting older! That has made me aware that if I want to continue doing what I love, I have to start taking better care of myself, so I have changed my posture slightly, taken regular breaks and done lots of stretching exercises - thank you to everyone who offered advice.




So, let me show you what I have been working on and why I was getting so frustrated. I have finally managed to pull together most of the components in my 'Ingredients ...' post, although I left out some and included others. I love the new Swarovski Cosmic Rings, and I wanted to find a way to incorporate them into my beadwork but I knew it would be a challenge as they don't have any holes in - well apart from the huge one in the middle that is! They come in a range of colours, but I chose the Bermuda Blue in the end, which is a glorious mixture of blues and greens that you could lose yourself in, it made me think of peacock feathers and so the idea gradually grew.




I started out by making a single circular pendant which I liked, but I knew I could do more with it. Then I changed the shape slightly so that it became a tear-drop shape and better reflected the shape of the 'eye' in a peacock feather. It looked nice, but it looked lonely. Next, I did some research and looked at lots of photos of peacocks and peacock feathers for inspiration and gradually had the idea that I wanted to create something long and elegant that would curve gracefully around the neck. So I created two 'eyes' and then spent some considerable time making forty inches of narrow, gently twisting beaded rope so that it can be worn wrapped in a long sinuous curve.




I have incorporated five different stitches into this piece and typically for me, only used one type of bead in three shades, two Cosmic Rings, two Lapis Lazuli beads and three shades of thread. I am very pleased with the outcome and I hope it achieves the deceptively simple look I was striving for. I would love to hear what you think!

20 comments:

  1. This may have taken a LONG time but it was well worth it. Lovely - I love peacock feathers and I love this lariat - it really is special.

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  2. It is gorgeous, Kerrie! I love peacock feathers, and your beaded ones came out so beautiful! Well worth all the effort. Love it :)

    Smadar

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  3. Well, Kerrie, you are so talented and inspired! I LOVE this design! It is definitely worth the time you invested in it!

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  4. I think it looks lovely, Kerry. I am so happy that you were able to figure out how to keep on beading. Your work is so lovely, it would be a shame to lose it.

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  5. really wonderful kerrie! i've been thinking about peacock colors for a while now, you've motivated me to do something with them~

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  6. Stunning, elegant and I love it! Glad you're looking after yourself, matey, keep on doing those stretches x

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  7. Peacock feathers are so beautiful and you've captured that beauty perfectly. Whatever you need to do to keep beading, please do it. Your talent would definitely be missed.

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  8. Beautiful... no other word for it.

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  9. That is just amazing! Your talent always impresses me.
    Cheers,
    Deb:)

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  10. Such painstaking work! It's amazing.

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  11. These are absolutely gorgeous, Kerrie. I like the Health and Safety at Work advice.
    Keep on beading!

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  12. It's so gorgeous Kerrie! I can completely understand "losing yourself" in those colors!

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  13. Just awesome work there! It reminds me of the peacocks that used to roam free around where we lived several years ago! I'm very glad you were able to continue your craft work-without mine I'd go insane..!

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  14. Thanks for all the fantastic comments everyone!

    Kerrie x

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  15. Oh my goodness...this is absolutely breathtaking! I know of a family member who would die for one of these!

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