After a recent brief trip to the shore I was attracted once again to all the beautiful sea shells in my collection awaiting the “bead touch”!
I had one that I started working on quite some time ago – a delicate Abalone shell. I’m always fascinated with the natural holes along one edge, these allow a lovely scope on how to embellish. I finished the back & holes with a combination of rice pearls and peyote. Now how to suspend it. Fortunately this one was already drilled which made my life easier, sort of. The hole made it look easy but then I had to finagle a way to make a loop, keep it secure, and make it look pretty. I hope I succeeded. I used a four bead base for the herringbone rope chain, alternating 2 shades of cream, with just a small diamond fan shape from Beth Stone, Every Day Bead Play. Using that same design with rice pearls for the earrings.
I’ve been working on, and noodling on, ideas around a representation for what I call my “Cosmic Spiral”. As part of my daily meditations I visualize a golden thread from the Cosmos flowing through me to Mother Gaia, and her diamond white energy grid light flowing back through me to the Cosmos. I visualize this as a DNA spiral creating flow, keeping me in balance, and activating my crystalline DNA.
Having completed the Abalone piece I was immediately drawn to the white oyster shell that got me re-started on the shells AND I was part way through another version of my DNA spiral, in gold & silver lined beads. Hey presto – they merged into my newest wedding “statement piece,” Cosmic Spiral Wedding.” The rope design is a Russian Spiral (no I don’t know why it’s called that, right now) but it is one of my favs, so versatile. You will find it all over my jewelry 🙂
