Colour Cascade by Caprilicious

Hello, folks. Nice to catch up with you again after being away for a while. I hope you have been doing well and that your Christmas shopping is going smoothly. 
Last week, while everyone else was swanning about enjoying November, I was horizontal, stitched up like a Christmas turkey and recovering from a hysterectomy. The surgeon said I’d need eight weeks off work. I nodded politely, thinking I’d get bored. Oh, the naïveté. I am very bored. I’ve stared at the ceiling like a Victorian invalid, and Googled things I absolutely shouldn’t have Googled. Seven more weeks of this? Send help!!

But the silver lining of convalescence (apart from uninterrupted tea breaks and Wilfred the cat and hubby vying for the title of Florence Nightingale) is enforced stillness. And that’s where Colour Cascade was born. I sat down with beads that weren’t meant to match, stones that looked like they might argue with each other, and enough beading wire to rig a small boat. What came out was a joyful jumble – a necklace that behaves like someone popping champagne and dancing on the table. I like to think it reflects the chaos of my current life, but without the surgical dressings.

There’s something medicinal about bright colours and playful shapes – it’s hard to feel too sorry for yourself when your hands are busy playing with beads, and the table is slowly disappearing under a riot of turquoise, coral, pink, gold and whatever else was nearest. Each bead fell into place as if it knew exactly what kind of party it wanted to be at. I just went along for the ride.

So here it is. Colour Cascade. My post-op project, my boredom buster, and a little reminder that even when life slows you down, creativity insists on coming out to play. I’m still sore, still housebound and still trying not to go mad, but at least I have a necklace that cheers me up every time I look at it.

I even found the perfect earrings to go with it in my collection. Eep! I never do the matchy matchy routine, as my contention has been that statement jewellery pieces are usually standalone - I wonder if they rewired me when I was under anaesthetic??

If you need me, I’ll be on the sofa with a hot water bottle, plotting the next piece and counting down the days till I’m allowed back into the real world. Have a wonderful weekend, stay warm, and I'll catch you soon. Until then
​xx