Back to the Way Things Were

Dear readers, I crumbled - I was meant to be taking a break from Caprilicious, but that intention bit the dust within a couple of weeks. I had some fabulous news - an interview with me was published in the Times of India. Apparently the editor was very interested in the jewellery I made using bismuth as he was a chemical engineer in another avatar, but for some reason they decided to put a picture of a wirework piece in the actual interview.

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Moonflower

This necklace was made with the last two flowers made for the tutorial in Bead and Jewellery Magazine. I ran off a bunch of faux turquoise beads from a tutorial by Lynda Moseley of Diva Designs, added a few orange beads from an earlier bead making spree and this is what emerged.

With Moonflower, I finally used up all the beads I made for the project in three similar, but very different necklaces. Which one do you like best?? The original one with the Afghani pendant is on sale at Mithila, in Bangalore, India now.

My friend BN came to stay over the weekend, and we spent the entire time nattering about jewellery and playing with wire. Mike was left to sort the garden out and get it summer ready, and to take us to the pub for lunch on Sunday and for a post prandial wander around an old church in Monk's Kirby. BN often brings me little donations to the Caprilicious cause, and this visit was no exception. I had a box of goodies - a couple of pendants, a few beads and when she left, I got to work with them.

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Oshun

Oshun is the Yorùbá Orisha (Deity) of the sweet or fresh waters and is widely loved. She is known for healing the sick and bringing fertility and prosperity, and for watching over the poor. As Orisha of love, Oshun is often represented as a beautiful, charming and coquettish young woman, and in some tales she is said to be a mermaid.
BN gave me a similar pendant a few years ago, and here is a picture of the first Oshun necklace.

The necklace I made this week is similar - but different. 

Lazy Daisy

This leaf pendant was in the stash brought in by BN and the pendant itself was pretty enough, but not Capriliciousy - if you know what I mean. I had taken a recent tutorial from Filigrina in polymer clay 'embroidery' and I decided that this was the project to use it in. With my penchant for embellishment i was unable to stop, and added hotfix crystals with gay abandon and then crystal beads using wire.
As a child my mother taught me lazy daisy stitch, and how to smock - and that was the extent of my embroidery skills. Perhaps she hadn't the time to teach me any more -  I used to personalise  my clothes with a bit of embroidery as a teenager and remember struggling with satin stitch and French knot roses.

The Bird of Paradise Necklace

The Bird of Paradise flower comes from Africa and is grown in the tropics - named for the exotic colours that resemble the bird of paradise. I received a string of dyed bamboo coral teardrop beads in the post and I couldn't wait to team it with orange ceramic beads and a Moroccan bead that resembles a gaily striped tent, in colours that match the bird of paradise flower.

I love the coral teardrop beads and have used them before, but this is the first time I found the blue dyed ones - I love the combination of blue and orange.
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So that's me, comprehensively back at the crafting table, having fun again.  I hope you've enjoyed the read and to see you again next week.
Have a fabulous week and I'll catch you again next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then
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