Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Summer Lovin with a Twist of Heavy Metal

Metallic finishes are everywhere right now... from faux finishes on jeans to shoes and other accessories, not to mention the metal surrounding the 2012 Olympics (gold, silver and bronze).  The metallic finishes I'm not so fond of are the kind in my teeth commonly called fillings - but we won't discuss that here.



This design challenge excited me when I saw the kit that Amy Severino of Amybeads put together.  I've had the intention of creating something in metallics for a long time and just never had the inspiration on where or what that piece would be.  Enter Amy's challenge kit and voila... then a plan and a design were born.

I loved the tree pendant Amy included in the kit.  To me, it spoke of being rooted in something bigger than ourselves, of staying connected to our spirit guides, faith and the universe.  As leaves on a tree change colors going from summer to fall, then drifting slowly to the ground, becoming one with the earth that we too are to leave a piece of ourselves wherever we go making it a better place than it was before we got there.

I posted this sign on my FB page the other day.  
It struck me in that we shouldn't just leave (EXIT), rather we should do something while we're here in order to leave a legacy! EXIST!

That's a feeling, an energy I embodied while creating this necklace.  The copper leaves slowly cascade from the pendant and rustle like the pile of leaves we used to play in as kids playing in the yard.  I pulled in shades of pewter, silver, brass, bronze, gold and copper to embody all the precious metals.  This too reminding us how precious our life is and how truly fleeting it can be.

Root ~ Stay Connected ~ Do Something Wonderful ~ Pass it On


This piece came together over several months.  As time went on and I watched my design grow, it took on a life of it's own, literally.  I could see it blossoming into something bigger.  I could see more components being added.  In the end, this piece is the perfect depiction of a life well lived... it's beautiful while it's here and continues to spread beauty for generations to come!

Thanks for stopping by!   Hope you feel more inspired after stopping by!
{Hugs!} ~ Dawn

19 comments:

Sandra said...

Oh, WOW, you bead embroiderers will never cease to amaze me. I'm completely blown away.

Amy S. said...

The BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL! Dawn - this is a showpiece! I love it! I'm in awe of this type of spectacular embroidery!! Amazing.
Thank you for participating!

Unknown said...

Holy Cow Dawn! That is amazing. What a wonderful post as well. The meaning is beautifully shared and the pieces is magnificent.

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh - GORGEOUS!

Unknown said...

You know, I am just learning bead embroidery, and I can only hope to become as accomplished as you. This is just stunning, and very wearable. Great job!

DVArtist said...

Well you have outdone yourself. This IS bold and beautiful. This is also a really wonderful post.
Nicole/Beadwright

Tanya said...

Wow, wow, wow and wow! I am speechless. That is stunning on every level.

Unknown said...

OOOOOOOOOO MYYYYYYYYYYYYYY GGGGGGOOOOODDDDNNNEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!! I am blown away beyond blown away!!!

Shirley said...

Girl, seriously? You don't ever do ordinary, do you? From that beautiful post, to the stunning necklace, you totally outdid yourself. I just kept staring at that embroidery, the flow of it is so awesome. your colors are perfect, and all those details make an original piece that is rich in meaning. Well done, my friend!

Linda Younkman said...

Gorgeous piece. What a lot of work that you put into this I am always envious of the people that do such a great job at bead weaving.

Lois Moon said...

Spectacular! I love the leaves in the fringe and in the bead embroidery. Great placement of the light peachy pearls to link the cabs in the neckband and again with a leaf in the embroidery. You created such a fantastic design with enough symmetry to be grounded and move the eye and enough asymmetry to be really interesting.

Maryanne said...

Absolutely gorgeous bead embroidery! Fantastic!

Lucy Kalstrom said...

So beautiful. Your piece exceeds all expectations. You have really "grabbed the ball and run with it" as we say here in Oz. I like your narrative too :-)

Therese's Treasures said...

Oh Dawn,
Now that I have picked my jaw up off of my keyboard and composed myself I can finely comment on your totally out of this world beautiful, gorgeous, stunning piece of artwork! You will be leaving many legacies on this earth that will exist for a very long time. This is my favorite of your work to this date.
Therese

Beetique said...

WOW!I am just amazed at this piece of work!

Unknown said...

Holy cow. I would have lost my mind. (What's left of it, anyway) Your piece is AMAZING

Azure Accessories said...

Absolutely gorgeous Dawn...simply stunning!!!!!

Cheers

Shai Williams said...

That is a truly beautiful piece of jewelry! Looking at your work is almost enough to convince me to give it a try.

Mary said...

Your piece is absolutely stunning, I love everything about it.....I am picking my jaw off the floor now!

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