Anyone for Rococo?

Well here is my finished Plume Agate cuff, as time went by it became more and more ornate, having started fairly Baroque it became Rococo!

I decided to edge the main area of the design with Matsuno Amber SL AB finish seedbeads, although they are less regular than the Miyukis, I think the shimmer makes up for it. It would have been easy to just continue all the way to the edge, but I wanted to keep the focus on the stone and it was already quite busy. I chose to just fill the background with rows of gilt lined ivory alabaster beads for an opalescent shimmer. I considered other beads but these seemed to fit without overwhelming. I wanted to use only the beads I had to hand (too impatient to wait for orders) and I had a 50g tube of these.

The final effect reminded me of the palace of Versailles, where every surface has decoration, and light and shimmer bounce off mirrors, crystal and gilding. I therefore decided to name the cuff  'Trianon'.

Trianon Cuff

Attaching to the cuff blank, and edging to complete took another evening. I chose Matsuno Champagne SL AB size 11s and  Miyuki duracoat Champagne 11s for a 'gilded' frame effect. The cuff is lined with cream Ultrasuede.

This whole piece was completely outside my comfort zone in colour and style, but while making it I was transported to another place and time, and I hope the 'romance' in my head was captured in the final product.

For other pictures including more progress shots, and a picture of the unmounted complete embroidery, see my Flickr Album Bead Embroidery

Embroidery experiments II

Remember my bead embroidery trials? I finally got around to finishing my cuff on the Ultrasuede foundation during a very productive Easter weekend. Here is a picture of the unmounted embroidery:

And here is the finished item:

And a detail of the side:

You can probably tell I am pleased with the final result, and while I can see threads showing and foundation peeking through I think I can say my embroidery has made some improvements since my earlier attempts.
I don't think I would use Ultrasuede for such a densely beaded piece again, there was a degree of stretch which meant the shape changed and made it harder to mount on the cuff blank. On the positive side it was a lot easier to do the brick stitch round the edges!

Challenges

One of the ways in which I try to increase my beading output is to participate in challenges. Whilst not being as nerve wracking as entering juried contests, there is a tiny element of competition, or at least comparison, with the other participants. I prefer those challenges with a fairly simple theme, such as a limited palette of colours.

For the last few months I have entered the 'OTTBS' or Operation Tackle That Bead Stash monthly moodboard challenges. This month's moodboard is Aqua, Red and White, a very Nordic feel. I have a red flower button which I'd like to use, however in a fit of enthusiasm I glued it to a piece of foundation intending to mke a hairslide/barrette. The question is: will I be able to salvage the button or should I continue with the hairslide, trying to use only the moodboard colours?

Here's a cuff I made in a similar range of colours, for another challenge on the theme of ' Mother Nature', with blossoms against a background depicting flood waters. This was my second ever piece of bead embroidery, and I still feel it is one of my best pieces. This challenge was from a member of the Bead Buddies forum, one of the first I joined