Coming Up Next: The Projects, Volume 2

Large White Crackle Resin Pendant. NepalBeadStore.Etsy.com

Well, it's that time again. It's time for me once again to figure out what in the WORLD I am going to do with these lovely pendants that I could not let out of my sight without my guilty pleasure of monetary exchange. I needed my bead fix, :-). It is so very hard for me to resist the beauty that lies within Tibetan jewelry components. The large, bold and often times funky in design beads speaks to me like no other. Sure, I love a beautifully carved garnet (green, red or black) and I can definitely appreciate the fine beauty in a iridescent freshwater pearl. However, I know that each time I come across Tibetan jewelry components, vintage brass or African trade beads, I am getting something that superceeds beauty. It simply reigns in grace, history and carries a story. We all like to be admired and love it when someone notices a part of our being; our adornments. These pieces, once I put them to work, will do just that for the eventual mate of these timeless beauties. Become a part of the process of design.

X-Large White Metal Blue Resin Tibetan Pendant.

 X-Large Vintage Brass Dome Pendant, 90mm

My first time coming across a white crackle resin pendant was back in 2006 at this bead store called "Ad Lib" in Discover Mills Mall here in Duluth, Ga. The combination of large bold brown, green, red and white beads were set off by this similar pendant pictured above. I mean, I could not take my eyes off of this necklace! I was immediately drawn to it and I didn't want to ask the lady how much for I knew it would cost a pretty penny. When I asked, she said only $25. Twenty-five I say???? "Yes, $25. and it's a fair price"! I adjusted the tone of my voice so that she would know I meant that in shock. I told her, you are under pricing yourself because this is a very unique piece. Well , needless to say, I swiped up this piece and not even a month later, this store was gone. I would later realize, I had just purchased my first handmade Tibetan necklace.

X-large Vintage Brass Half Moon Crescent Pendant

 Nothing says character, unique and lovely like vintage brass. After visiting The Mall of Georgia last fall, just before close, I ran into a lovely large, bold and in living color (no pun intended) hammered gold brass pendant. I spotted the pendant on a necklace outside of a small boutique. I only wanted the pendant but, I ended up buying the necklace after going back and forth with the sales lady for a bargain on this piece. Once I got it home. I realized I may not be able to find another pendant like this one (you can find of picture of the necklace & pendant in my previous blog, "If You Build, They Will Come...But You Must Start"). In January, I was lucky to run across 2 similar pendant like the hammered dome pendant I found months earlier from a vendor in Canada. Needless to say, I jumped right on it and ordered both. One is an x-large (90mm) and the other is large (80mm). They are both sorich in texture and have a nice brushed brass patina. I knew that the beads for which I needed to use to make the x-large pendant come to life needed to be just as interesting and full of history as the pendant its self. I have some mudcloth batik bone beads with skunk spots, handmade copal amber resin beads, red Sherpa glass rondels and some puffy large etched brass rondel spacers. The batik bone beads are from the 20 century and were formerly used as African trade beads. The texture of the beads in comparison to the pendant provides and interesting contrast. I cannot wait to share the picture of the finished product! I will be totally on the side of funk, earthy and jazz. The next vintage brass pendant I found is a rather large half moon crescent pendant with a slight aurora of blue paint in the middle. I should have gone I should have gone with my first thought and purchase the entire lot but, I wasn't sure at the time and I only purchased one. By the time I got this pendant, someone purchased all the rest of this vintage lot and I lost out. However, at least I got the one and this pendant is so truly unique. I am not sure how I would ever part with this piece. Now I know I will have to sit on this pendant for a while as you cannot just throw anything onto this piece. It can either go right or it could go totally left if it is not complimented and balanced correctly. So, I am playing around with a couple of combinations. Your suggestions are SOOOOOO very welcomed at this time and always, :-). So, I will show you the progress of this piece as I go along because this one is very special. So while I was added, I took the time to search from some tortoise colored beads after viewing this lovely necklace I saw on Etsy. I am learning to work with interesting colors that are not in the conventional match up. This time, I became a little smarter and I was able to purchase the entire lot of these beads. Because of the limited nature of these beads, I have to be discerning with how I choose to use them. Besides, I need to keep some for my own necklace, :-). I have the design in mind for this lovely piece which includes a little bit of purple, some white crackle resin and some beautiful horn beads. The pictures just doesn't do the colors of these beads justice and I cannot wait to share the finished products with you all.

Vintage Amber Tortoise Chunky Beads

My God, I can't stop shopping and researching for beads. It is definitely a love affair. I can always wonder what beautiful combinations I come up with that communicates what I am feeling and thinking. I don't profess to be a technical designer of sorts. I just like simple techniques with effective results. Bead weaving and all the other intricate methods of jewelry construction is very much admired by me and perhaps one day, I will be able to execute such pieces. However, for now, simplicity is the true name of my nature when it comes to designing and I really want the large beads and colors to speak for themselves.

Until next time, keep watch of my blog to see what I actually come up with. This ought to be interesting.

Sincerely,
Porchia

http://www.divinitejewellry.com/