Secret Garden – Painting with Beads, One Day at a Time, by Caprilicious Jewellery

Hello folks, I'm so happy to be back after a short period where I have been missing in action for a few weeks. Let me show you exactly why it has taken me so long to come back and talk to you - my newest piece, SECRET GARDEN!!

​There’s something deeply satisfying about taking an idea, rolling it around in your head for days (or nights, when you really should be asleep), and finally watching it unfurl into an actual piece of jewellery. Secret Garden was one of those projects. It began as a vague notion of greenery, flowers, and a bit of whimsy — and ended up as a full-blown botanical explosion.
​Of course, it didn’t spring into being like Athena out of Zeus’s head. Oh no. It took beads. Thousands of tiny beads. And days of work, needle and thread in hand, muttering to myself about seed beads being either my best friends or my mortal enemies, depending on the moment. 
​Some pieces arrive fully formed in my head and simply demand to be made. Others take their time, creeping in gently, whispering suggestions until I finally give in. Secret Garden belonged to the latter camp. It started as a passing thought — “wouldn’t it be fun to stitch up a riot of foliage with tiny blossoms peeking through?” — and before I knew it, I was knee-deep in seed beads, muttering darkly about how many thousands of them were required to create a garden that would never wilt.

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​Let me take you behind the scenes. Day 1 was all about laying the foundations: choosing colours, sketching out a rough shape, and stringing those first rows of greenery. I felt rather pleased with myself — until I realised how many more beads it would take. I edged the piece with silver purl wire - don't know why I bothered - it took ages and by the time I ended the piece it wasn't visible at all.

Day 2–3 saw me deep in the green zones, building up lush textures with darker forest tones and brighter, almost moss-like shades. The piece began to take on depth, as if you could actually peer through the foliage. I like a contrasting colour for the felt as it ensures that I don't cut corners with the beading - no orange is visible after I've been at it!

​Day 4 was when the magic really began — tiny resin roses stitched into the greenery, pink blossoms springing up almost unexpectedly. A few freshwater pearls nestled themselves in like moonlight caught on leaves.

​By Day 5, the yellow clusters had joined the party. These were meant to be just accents, but of course they insisted on being loud, cheerful, and impossible to ignore. They brought sunshine to the garden whether I liked it or not.

It took another 5-6 days of sewing for 3-4 hours at a time to finish the other half of the necklace with beads. 

The final days were a mixture of exhaustion and excitement: backing with Ultrasuede, edging, tidying, adding rings to the two ends of the necklace, and trying the necklace on the mannequin more times than I care to admit (you’ve got to admire your handiwork, after all). I then had to decide how to hang the necklace and find a clasp for it.

​And there it was — Secret Garden. A miniature landscape of beads, pearls, and roses that looks like you’ve stumbled into a fairy tale glade. This necklace isn’t shy; it doesn’t whisper. It sings, it blooms, it practically does a little dance when you put it on. This isn’t the piece to pair with florals — unless you want to look like you’ve been mugged by a flowerbed. Instead, let Secret Garden do the talking by setting it against simple, solid colours. Think crisp white linen, a little black dress, or even a sleek jumpsuit. Jewel tones like emerald or amethyst make the pink and yellow pop, while neutrals like beige and grey act as a calm canvas for its riot of colour.
For daytime wear, it can brighten up a plain blouse or add drama to your Zoom wardrobe (because even your colleagues deserve a bit of garden envy). By night, let it sit against something elegant and understated, and watch heads turn.

​This is not jewellery for shrinking violets — this is for women who know that sometimes the best way to be noticed is to let your accessories bloom louder than your words.

​So, while real gardens may wilt in winter and sulk in summer heatwaves, this one will stay forever in full bloom. And really, isn’t that the kind of magic we all need?

​So if you’ve ever wondered what “painting with beads” really looks like — it’s long days, sore fingers, and a head full of ideas. But when you finally step back and see the garden in full bloom, it’s all worth it.

That's me for this week, folks, Have a wonderful weekend, and I'll catch up with you soon. 
Until then
xx