Getting ready for a sizzler

This last week it has been lovely and unseasonably warm and I have had a bit more time off from the day job, turning my thoughts to summer - a British summer can be totally washed out by rain, and indeed the last few years have been disappointing - but we live in hope of sunshine and warmth on the old bones, as always.
I decided to make jewellery that would be nice to wear to a barbecue or to work, on a hot day - nothing worse than a heavy necklace around a hot and bothered neck.
I found a cinnabar fan bead in my stash and decided to create a necklace around it. It reminded me of the Peking opera which is a traditional performing art in China  which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics.  The dancers wear elaborate make up - the audience are allowed to watch while they are being made up and the performers adhere to a variety of stylistic movements  that help audiences navigate the plot of the production (there is also a running commentary in English that runs like sub titles on an electric light board so that the poor 'Big Noses' - which is what they call Caucasians, can understand the plot - I don't know what they call Indians!!). The women wear fantastical headdresses and look ever so beautiful, waving their arms around, peering around the fan in their hand which is used as a prop to great effect - the music, I have to confess is a bit shrieky for my taste - but each to his own and maybe you will like it - I have a clip for you - it is called The Drunken Beauty - and she does sound a bit squiffy!

Cinnabar is the popular name used to describe Chinese lacquer -ware of a striking red colour, known for many centuries.  The cinnabar tree is very soft and widely used because it is easily carved or moulded. Cinnabar is thought to come from the Persian word "zinjifrah" meaning dragon's blood, most likely referring to the lacquers red shade. In keeping with the ornateness of the headdress, I constructed a fluted wire ruffle on top of the fan and added a necklace with tiny gemstone nuggets of aquamarine and amazonite, aventurine  cylinders and faux pearls, using both gold and silver coloured beads as spacers so the necklace can be worn with many colour ways. It is a light and flirty piece of jewellery in spite of being in three strands.

The Peking Opera Necklace

The Aquatic Dance Necklace

Finally, I got my kiln's firing schedule right, and produced a couple of pieces of copper in it. I picked a pendant at random, and created a necklace using slices of shell that I bought on my last holiday in Sharm al Sheikh. I had used a shell pattern on the pendant, which I then patinated with a verdigris patina, and wired bits of green branch coral and Keishi pearls to it, in keeping with the sea side theme. Jasper coins and chunks of Ruby Zoisite formed a pretty counterpoint. 
The whole necklace reminded me of a song by Vangelis in the 90's - The Aquatic Dance - so I borrowed the name from the song - which is very soothing indeed, just like my necklace - wouldn't you agree?

The Octopus's Garden necklace

In keeping with the aquatic theme, I followed on with the Octopus's Garden - my tribute to the Beatles - a fun wire work octopus with a creamy mother of pearl coin for a body, and wire tentacles which have silvery suckers along the ends. It was wired to a frame and I put together a fantasy seascape with seaweed, shell charms, fire polished beads for a sea, and even a little green enamel and marcasite seahorse - this is over 50 years old and was recycled from a pair of earrings bought in Paris by my mother ages ago, but never used - I thought they were so pretty and had them off her - but never wore them either as they were clip ons - now donated to the cause of Caprilicious Jewellery - haven't told her yet, but, thanks mum! It is such a busy little necklace with all the detailing, I decided to hang the focal wire work on a thong, so it did not detract from the wire and bead work itself.

Limited edition print courtesy of Tera - olivehuedesigns.blogspot.com; available from her Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/listing/93437789/the-octopus-garden-8x10-limited-edition

Here endeth this weeks blog, have a good weekend and see you next week