The Fuchsia Queen, by Caprilicious

Hello folks, how are you doing today. I had decided earlier on in the month that I wouldn't make any intricate jewellery - my trip to India looms and work is pretty busy. It seemed about the right time to take a break and chill out. However, I didn't reckon with the creative urge that leads me by the nose. I sudden;y felt the urgent need to pick up a needle and do something with it. The minute I picked it up and threaded it, I knew what I was going to make, and here it is on today's blog post.

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The Fuchsia Queen

Named after the German botanist Leonard Fuchs, this beautiful plant is a native of the Caribbean and needs dappled sunlight and cool air to grow in - I first saw it when I moved to the UK, although why one cannot grow it in India where the temperature and climate is surely closer to the Caribbean than the UK, I do not know. It is a beautiful flower, with colourful sepals and gorgeous stamens dangling from it. Fuchsia pink is called 'Rani' or Queen's pink in India, Rani being the term for Queen in most Indian languages.
I found a length of Shibori silk ribbon, dyed in chocolate brown and fuchsia - edible colour, like a Turkish Delight! I devised a cuff bracelet with a light aluminium frame to help to keep it's shape and a lining of maroon Ultra suede. I wanted to brighten the chocolate brown a bit so I added an orange Swarovski crystal and a few teardrop shaped elements, and filled the rest of the space with chartreuse, or lime green seed beads that reflect the light as their centres are lined with silver.
To brighten it even further, an edging of fuchsia pink beads was added and the resulting confection in fuchsia and chartreuse, set off with the lightest touch of bright orange makes a lovely, summery bracelet.

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One more week and I'm on a flight to India! Things are not going to be easy, what with all the rules and regulations, anxiety about Covid and quarantine at the other end. The government in the UK may have decided to favour the economy over health, but in my opinion, there's a long way to go as yet, and it behoves us all to be careful. 
Just now, it would seem that I will have to spend a week at  home in quarantine once I get to India, and then will have two weeks to meet friends and family, of whom I have many. A trip to Goa that my sister booked for us has become non viable and we had to cancel - but hey! I shall roll the blows and see how things go.

That's all I have for you this week, folks. Have a wonderful week and I'll catch you next Friday, same time, same place.
Until then
​xx