Dandelion Bangle

Dandelion Field by miki3d

We all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and as artists, we are often confronted with this fact when offering up our work for critique. Sometimes a design that we are really proud of gets shot down, and other times something that we aren’t sure of is applauded by our judges and peers. Often when our work is criticized in an official setting, we find that it is actually loved in the real world. A great example of this can be found in Margie Deeb’s discussion of blue and orange fashions on Color for Bead Artists. A contestant on Project Runway was scolded for pairing orange with blue, but many fans likely disagree with the judges.

The Inspiration:

Another great example of differing views of beauty is the poor misunderstood dandelion. It is considered a weed, most likely because of it’s resilience and rapid reproduction. Anyone wanting to maintain a pristine lawn frowns upon the little flowers. On the other hand, anyone who grew up picking and playing with dandelions finds them beautiful. Who can resists that crisp green and vibrant yellow?

I am not a fan of manicured lawns - I believe that irrigating and mowing grass for the sake of vanity is a horrible waste of resources. So naturally, I have no quarrel with dandelions, and I look forward to seeing their sunny faces every spring. After seeing the wonderful dandelion inspired brooch project in Lisa Crone’s A Bead in Time, I wanted to do a little ‘weeding’ of my own. Now that warm weather and flowers are on the way, my craving for yellow is impossible to ignore.

The Beads:

Dandelions are pretty simple things, so I kept my bead selections simple as well. For the green stem and leaves, I chose 11/0 seed beads in a frosted transparent green, and emerald AB hex cuts for a hint of texture. All that was needed was a bit of yellow, and I found it in opaque 8/0 Miyuki seed beads.

The Beadwork:

Since I was looking for a simple design, I decided to have another go at a hollow right angle weave bangle, this time using only one bead size for the outer face. I am really happy with the way that it turned out. The bangle is soft and slinky, and the hex cuts add a subtle sparkle along the edge. I can’t wait to make another! I must thank Lisa for helping me out with this inspiration. If you’re not familiar with her blog, A Bead a Day, I highly recommend stopping by to see what’s new.

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading