Eye Protect, a Hamsa Necklace by Caprilicious Jewellery

Folks in the ether reading this, welcome to the Caprilicious Blog.
It's lovely to make contact with you again. The weather has been wonderful here in the UK and it is so nice and warm and sunny I almost feel the need to hold my breath in case it's a mirage and disappears, replaced by drab, drab drab! 
I hope you are all doing well and not finding spurious reasons to drive to the nearest beauty spot - remember, if you find that you're going blind, that is certainly not the time to put your wife and child in a car and take them for a drive - unless you're in a black comedy kinda life! (For those who are reading this from outside the UK, this is an  insider joke and you can read about it and join in the laughter if you Google the words Dominic Cummings and Barnard Castle.)

Last week I was just putting in the eye in my Hamsa as I wrote the blog post, and I told you all about its symbolism. Since then I put in some colourful beadwork around the eye, and a lotus above it. The lotus symbolises spiritual enlightenment and rebirth. Much is made of the fact that the plant grows in murky water, and yet gives forth a beautiful flower. The Secret Meaning of the Lotus Flower tells us more about this issue and it is the most beautiful flower from a plant that is actually ever so easy to grow. I grew some miniature plants in an old bucket once in my garden. If you fancy a go at growing them yourself, here's an article that will help you do it.
Crystal and beaded fingernails, paisley and chevron patterns were added, the Hamsa padded out with felt, backed with ultra suede and edged. And then, all of a sudden it was finished!
​ I almost felt a sense of loss when the last bead was put in, as if an old friend had left and gone away. I would have to perforce, put it away - and eventually send it to a good home. 

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Eye Protect - a Hamsa Necklace

And then, how to hang it? One lady suggested citrine and pyrite - 'for prosperity,' she said. However, I decided that this was a playful piece and deserved a playful, colourful necklace to carry it. Frosted amethyst beads that appear like blue grapes with a bloom on them and are very pleasing to touch - they have a soft rasp to them - contrasting shiny carnelian rice beads and a couple of hand made fire polished Czech glass beads that I ran up - the packet of glowing, purple glass beads had been sitting on my work surface for the whole time and I thought it would be rude not to include them.
​A protective amulet then, in difficult times. The amethyst is thought to bring peace of mind and calm and the carnelian brings vitality, warmth of spirit and prevents illness.

Fin! Finito! Well not quite, as the necklace still had to be photographed, the pictures edited, a blurb written and the whole thing posted on the website. And since then, I've sat out in the sunshine with the hubby and the cat, doing absolutely nothing during the Bank Holiday weekend. 'Hope Springs Eternal' was sold to a lady from Maryland a couple of days ago, and will be on its way later today. 

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That's me for this week, folks. Have a lovely week in the sun and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then
​xx