Theatricals

This has been a slightly odd week! I continued my obsession with Sabine Lippert's Beaded Fantasies by making a lantern earring. Why one earring? Well it was going to be a pair, but I couldn't decide on a colour scheme, so I made a different one, thinking I could just make a third in the preferred colours.... and then I found a stash of 4mm firepolished beads and just kept going! Result was a 'rainbow' of beads which I have temporarily strung as a bracelet, but could yet become a necklace:

Then on Thursday I received a delivery of chatons from Rachel at RB beads. Chatons are harder to come by than Rivolis in the UK, and Rachel responded to my queries by getting some in for her shop. The moral is 'If you can't find a particular bead, ask your friendly bead store to consider stocking them' I am now all set to try 'Amazon Jewel', here is the central rivoli (Heliotrope) bezeled in my favourite Light Bronze, and I'm still deciding on the chaton colours for the surrounding 'petals':

My Mother has also been visiting this week, and the whole family went to the Theatre Royal in Norwich to see Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale'. Mum is a great fan of Shakespeare and volunteers regularly at the Globe Theatre in London. She is also a follower (groupie?) of the Propeller Company, who are touring with this production, and knows some of the actors. All parts are played by the 14 men as are the music and the scene shifting. There is also audience participation! If you get the chance do go and see them! The next night we were there again to see them in Henry V which was a great contrast in mood to the other play, with lots of battle effects. My 13 year old son enjoyed this more needless to say, although he has actually enjoyed all the Shakespeare he has seen so far!

Unfinished Object

Sarah from OTTBS suggested we should examine our beady UFO's or unfinished objects, and pick one to either complete or dismantle with a deadline of the end of January. Well, I have a lot of projects where I started with enthusiasm and then ground to a halt, so I thought this would be a good challenge for me. I chose the Jill Devon Moonshadow necklace the pattern of which I bought last Spring, and worked at on and off throughout the year, changing the rivolis a couple of times. I finally got the main part assembled in August 2011 and there it has sat ever since:

I am optimistic that I shall be able to get this finished, just two sections of twisted herringbone rope to make and a double toggle fastening. The colours I chose for the rope just weren't working but I think my 3rd variation is the right one! Likewise I am fairly sure I won't be dismantling it as there are a few hours of work in there... This is probably my favourite palette of colours for jewellery I wear myself, so next I shall have to plan an occasion to wear this piece!