Beading for a Cure: Layne's Legacy

Shawnee Moonlight Stroll

Weather has been crazy here in Central Ohio.  We have power which is fabulous since we had several days of plus 100 degrees and actually broke the all time records on two of those days.  So I have been hunkering down staying inside the air conditioning while I can.  Had a wee bout of Asthma problems yesterday so had to take my emergency medicine, sleep, and remain quiet and still.  But that didn't mean that my hands had to keep still.  I have been working on my Beading for a Cure kit for about a week and half now.

Beginning using Nicole's Bead Backing

Caging focal pieces

When I first got the colors they did absolutely nothing for me.  I was stumped for months not knowing what I was going to do.  I usually do a doll for the challenge and had a few ideas, but nothing clicked.  I started on a Leslie Molen doll intending to embellish the clothing, but even that did not pan out very well.  I had the kit beads sitting on my work table trying to motivate me, when I decided to pull out the ceramic pieces I had purchased at Stony Creek Beads while in Michigan last month.  I loved the color and texture of Duane Collin's pieces.  I must have as I bought three of them.  It is always a tough call to take something that you really like and decide to use it for a donation piece, but I want something that will possibly attract more attention next year when it is to be auctioned off on eBay.   Each participate of Layne's Legacy buys the kit prepared by either Whimbeads or Beyond Beadery.  This year, it was Beki Haley's turn to pick out the kit beads and the color palette.  The rules are that you must use at least ONE of each item in your kit such as the crystals, different color and size seed bead, and/or pieces with the kit.  You may add any focal element and one type/color of other bead.  Remember a bead is considered anything that has a hole in it so you can use just about anything.  For this year, I had a real problem with the matt bluish colored peanut beads, so I used them as a structural building block for my caged cabochons.  I added the ceramic focal piece by Duane Collins and build upon the color with dichroic glass cabochons I'd gotten from my Synergy partner.  Instead of adding one color/type of seed bead, I decided to add bone rondells all the same color and basic uniform size from the same dye lot.  The natural brown color enhanced the other colors and really brought out the back ground of the raku focal piece.

Close Up

outlining brings out the colors

I started out with a piece of green Nicole's Bead Backing.  The green background also enhanced the turquoise seed beads. Then I began to bead.  I did not have any particular design in mind when I started, but as I surrounded the focal piece with a caged technique I learned from Jamie Cloud Eakin's book, slowly the design just began to present.  I tried to stay consistent on each side making them mirror each other, but sometimes things just don't want to stay consistent do they?  I had the whole piece finished when I took a good look at it and found something missing. I wanted everything to look complete so I got to thinking about when I was a little girl laying on the floor with my box of 64 Crayolas and a brand new coloring book.  With each picture I completed, I would outline the whole piece to bring out all the details.  Perfect!  I decided to use the size 15 browns to outline the whole collar.  It worked out well.  I loved it.

Then the fun began of putting it all together and embellishing.  I counted out all the drops and crystals I had left dividing them up into equal portions.  Then I decided to count the metallic bugles and use them in the fringe.  I didn't have many left so I calculated how many I could use in each fringe and adjusted the number in each row reducing the numbers as they fringe worked up into the main body of the piece.  I was pretty happy with the finished piece.  So happy that I'm planning on making another collar for myself using a few different color variations as I can stray away from the requirements of the kit.

Now all I have left is to fill out the paper work and send with pictures to the Beading For a Cure committee (ie, Kate and Colleen).  Changing from making a doll for this project and focusing on my new obsession with making collars has been a great challenge for me.  Using the two books I have recently reviewed for Lark Crafts (Jamie Cloud Eakin & Sherry Serafini) has given me more ideas and instructions on successful beaded collars.  I think I'm hooked.  Now to figure out a name for this piece.  I was thinking  Shawnee Moonlight Stroll.  Many times Chris and I would walk the paths of Shawnee Forrest down in Southern Ohio.  A beautiful place filled with exotic sights and quiet places for meditation.