A Ring a Day - Twenty-four

Ring # 24 - Oasis

Is it possible to look at an image of a palm tree without feeling a little more relaxed? What is it about tropical themes that makes our shoulders loosen, and our worries fall away? Perhaps it is simply a habit, after years and years of media influence, telling us that there is nothing more liberating than lying on a beach with the blue waves at our feet.

Or maybe there really is something therapeutic about salty air, warm sun, and the steady rush of the surf. I recently read an article that stressed the importance of regular sun exposure for physical and mental health. It is the fastest and easiest way to develop our much needed supplies of Vitamin D, which strengthens our bones and immune systems. Researchers are uncertain if a lack of Vitamin D causes depression, or whether it is simply a lack of sunlight that causes both depression and Vitamin D deficiency. It’s sort of like the chicken and the egg.

One thing is for certain - palm trees are wonderful to look at. And that is why I decided to capture one in today’s ring.

I started with a pretty little wood bead with a “parched desert” pattern stain, and added two rounds of brick stitch, followed by beaded leaves in alternating sizes. The ring band is done in a sandy, golden amber, with two shades of green at the center.

Using 11/o seed beads for the focal instead of 15/o’s made it so much bigger than most of the flower shapes I’ve made so far. I think it helps to emphasize the leaves, and make them more like tree branches than flower petals.

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and The Sage's Cupboard