Pirouette, by Caprilicious Jewellery

Hello folks, how are you this week? Here we are again, whether we are working from home, social distancing, or in a physical workplace, life is strange, with an invisible menace hanging over our heads and no sign of any escape for the foreseeable - it can't be easy on any of us. And yet, live through it we will - and if we make it to the other side, you're all invited to the mother of all parties at my place. I really feel the need for a good knees up now.  
The pandemic has brought out the best and the worst in people - some have been true heroes, plugging away at their jobs, taking care of their fellow human beings and being excellent colleagues, friends and neighbours. Others have protected themselves, reduced to a gibbering wreck, unable or unwilling to risk their lives, but happy to allow their colleagues to bear the brunt of it. Testing has been slow in coming, and people who have been inclined to chuck a sickie have had it easy. 
While I'm anxious, I feel the need to occupy myself, and at work we have a camaraderie where we truly believe that we're all in it together - so much better than staring at my phone or the TV constantly, watching members of the political class tell us downright lies about the state of play in the country.
​Last week I told you about the Seascape I was in the process of making, and little by little I managed to get it finished this week. This week I watched Breaking Bad on Netflix as I sewed my fingers to the bone. We only started on this series because of Bryan Cranston, we had seen and loved him as Trumbo, but now, two seasons of Breaking Bad down the line, we're totally hooked.

I added four little extension components along either side of the main pendant by embroidering around crystal teardrop components, and handmade a chain to hold the piece together. 
It is very satisfying to make a necklace where all the elements are handmade by me and it isn't a mere assemblage of various bits and pieces made by someone else, or even worse, designed by me and made by someone else in a workshop. It really gives me a warm glow when I have the final piece all done and ready to wear.

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Seahorses are beautiful creatures - however, though they look like pretty ballet dancers, they are actually vicious predators. They eat Copepods, a type of small, fast moving crustacean, which can’t see and rely on a  sensitivity to the disturbances that signal predators approaching. The shape of the seahorses head is heavy, and creates a zone with very little disturbance, which allows them to get really close to these very sensitive, highly evasive Copepods. They are then able to pivot their heads while opening their mouths and swallow the poor crustaceans that stand no chance against the wily seahorse that is even faster on it's tootsies (tootsy?) than the Copepods. 

​So here's my ode to the Seahorse - it is called Pirouette because the seahorse appears to be swivelling en pointe and I've attempted to swirl the 'water' around the seahorse to signify the mini whirlpools caused by the pivot effect caused by the movement of the seahorses head.
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The shibori ribbon 'waves' and the cone shaped tubes of beads that signify eddying water are padded out with felt to ensure that they stand proud, giving it an extra dimension, as is the back of the piece. 

That's me for this week, folks. I have the weekend off and it sounds like it will be sunny, so a lot of gardening will get done, although I hate this season where all the weeds that seed themselves over autumn and winter have to be dug up and cleared away. Weeding is not my favourite occupation, it's too much like hard work. 

Take care of yourselves, stay safe and I'll catch you next week, same time, same place,
Until then
​xx

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