June 04, 2013
Sometime this past winter I dreamed of a necklace that would feature a frog bead and a beaded spiral. I think of the spiral like the wild happy leap they make. The design would also use a cane glass bead from Olive Glass that I'd been storing for years.
glass spiral: Olive Glass
Lavender lampwork drop: Lori Lochner
The idea was for it to be a lariat style necklace that would spiral on itself to stay closed. I used an off-loom bead stitch that is a modified peyote which I learned from NanC Meinhardt many moons ago. Alas changes had to be made, because the cane glass spiral had a tendency to spin slowly as one moved and to come undone.
The little frog is making her way through the garden of pearls, crystals,and glass beads.
I let the necklace relax for a few days while I pondered the mechanics. I knew I wanted it to remain essentially the same if I could, but stabilize the point of connection without it being obvious.
While testing different possibilities I realized that the necklace slipped over my head with the focals where I'd placed them. This was a no-brainer! Why you ask? I wear a man's large hat. I guess that means I might have a large brain, but actually it just points to my Scottish ancestry. It has annoyed me most of my adult life, because I love hats and pixie haircuts. However, now I'm beginning to see a use for it: a one size fits all tool to create no-clasp necklaces!
Anyway, I created a little tube that the glass spiral slips through and the spiral beaded part is still continuously gorgeous.
I love the frog bead my friend from Oregon gave me. She didn't remember the artist's name so if anyone recognizes the work - please let me know so I can acknowledge the artistry in this lampwork bead. She actually gave me two so I get to contemplate another piece of jewelry with it.
Speaking of frogs... I came across a newspaper (yes, I still love getting a morning paper) article from the Associated Press about the alarming decline of amphibians in the United States. The gist of the article was that half of the current United States sites would be empty of amphibians (frogs, salamanders, toads) in 20 years. This is truly alarming. The news isn't that they're declining, because scientists have known that's been happening due to climate change and habitat loss for some time. It's that it's happening so fast.
I think that news makes this necklace all that more precious. Don't you?