I've resisted working with the Swarovski triangles because 'everyone's doing it'. And I don't usually follow the pack. But this time.. I when I saw the beautiful colors on Cindy's Crafts http://www.beadlady.biz/ I just couldn't resist! They are simply gorgeous!
My final choice was the 23 mm Sahara triangle. Ahhh... Visions of far away places. I was thrilled when I opened my mail box and there it was! Its mesmerizing beauty held me captive for several minutes as I turned it every which way under my ott-lite. It's vibrant colors danced and changed each time I moved it reminding me of the magic of a kalidascope. I was hooked!
I studied the various colors dancing from deep within the crystal and ran to my stash. I found just the right green, but the half-filled tube wouldn't be nearly enough to bezel the crystal. Yikes! I dashed off an emergency email to Cindy, who, through her magic, found the right beads. Yes, it had been five years since I'd bought the beads and yes, the new dye lot was a bit different, but I liked it better.
Now I was off to bezel. Yippy.. Happy dog dance going on in my studio ( fancy word for extra bedroom)!! Neighbors heard strange sounds and startled birds abandoned their nests and raced out of the trees. I worked feverishly - Well, I did! - I stayed up all night working on the piece. Finished! Wahoo! Hmm.. somehow the crystal looks darker and seems to have lost some of its luster.. It seemed sad, depressed. What happened?
I walked away and let it sit for a couple days. Maybe it would get happier if I left it alone for a while. Hmm. Still not a happy crystal..It was beautiful, but not happy. Not the mood I was going for. So, scissors in trembling hands I did it - I cut the bezel off in a couple quick snips. It slid from the crystal and laid there in a sad, rejected heap! What had I done! OMG! I killed it! But the crystal was happy! It sparkled again. It danced in my hands under the ott-lite. Wahoo! She had been revived.
My final choice was the 23 mm Sahara triangle. Ahhh... Visions of far away places. I was thrilled when I opened my mail box and there it was! Its mesmerizing beauty held me captive for several minutes as I turned it every which way under my ott-lite. It's vibrant colors danced and changed each time I moved it reminding me of the magic of a kalidascope. I was hooked!
I studied the various colors dancing from deep within the crystal and ran to my stash. I found just the right green, but the half-filled tube wouldn't be nearly enough to bezel the crystal. Yikes! I dashed off an emergency email to Cindy, who, through her magic, found the right beads. Yes, it had been five years since I'd bought the beads and yes, the new dye lot was a bit different, but I liked it better.
Now I was off to bezel. Yippy.. Happy dog dance going on in my studio ( fancy word for extra bedroom)!! Neighbors heard strange sounds and startled birds abandoned their nests and raced out of the trees. I worked feverishly - Well, I did! - I stayed up all night working on the piece. Finished! Wahoo! Hmm.. somehow the crystal looks darker and seems to have lost some of its luster.. It seemed sad, depressed. What happened?
I walked away and let it sit for a couple days. Maybe it would get happier if I left it alone for a while. Hmm. Still not a happy crystal..It was beautiful, but not happy. Not the mood I was going for. So, scissors in trembling hands I did it - I cut the bezel off in a couple quick snips. It slid from the crystal and laid there in a sad, rejected heap! What had I done! OMG! I killed it! But the crystal was happy! It sparkled again. It danced in my hands under the ott-lite. Wahoo! She had been revived.
I learned a valuable lesson in this experiment. Like a mirror, the crystal reflects the beads in the bezel. And it affects the brightness of the colors, thus reflecting the crystal's 'mood'.
Don't feel bad for those green beads. They will have a special place in this piece.
Oh, did I mention that Sahara has triplet sisters? Three Sahara squares waiting for their debut.
To be continued.........
6 comments:
I found it also helps a lot to leave as much as possible of the crystal visible. The more light can get into it, the better the reflections.
This is really wonderful. Can't wait to see the squares.
It is amazing to see the affect the beads have on the crystal. Thanks so much for the pictures!
Can't wait to see your finished piece. I have some rivolies that I need to figure out how to work with them, too.
These look even better on the blog than on the beadgroups!
Those are gorgeous!
Post a Comment