The only thing better than using your talents to help someone else, is doing it with a sense of humor. I often get a burst of enthusiasm every time I come up with a new beading challenge for this blog, but none of them top the excitement of creating cheeky designs for April’s Army.
I actually have a few different designs lined up to donate, but they keep getting shuffled around. The piece I wanted to make for this month’s charity shop got pushed back yet again, because some of the supplies I needed were held up in the mail. So I moved on to my next, but no less outrageous idea - a beaded nipple.
The concept for this unusual design occurred to me awhile ago. Whenever I make something with circular brick stitch - especially if the first few rows match the base bead - I noticed there was something odd about the look of the beadwork. When I realized what it was, I knew I had the makings of a great Regretsy-worthy design.
To make this necklace, I combined a pink cat’s eye with seed beads in pink and pale beige. The domed shape of the circular brick stitch really adds to the overall effect, don’t you think? The pendant is suspended from an optional reverse-daisy chain, with a few different styles of beads in pink, white and cream.
The April’s Army charity shop opens today, and is stuffed full of handmade and vintage goodness. Not all of the designs are wild, and there’s something for just about every taste and budget. You can learn more about the shop’s mission, and the recipient of this month’s fundraiser on Facebook and Regretsy.
Here are a few of my favorite jewelry designs from the shop:
Click images to see the listing and learn more about the artist behind each design.
Have you ever made a totally outrageous jewelry design? What’s your favorite ‘against the grain’ theme?
Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading and April's Army
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I think it is very pretty. You are probably going to laugh at my question and that is okay...but where did "regretsy" come from?
ReplyDeleteDanielle
Thanks, Danielle! You know, I have no idea how Regretsy.com "the fail blog of hand crafts" first got started, but it's much like any humor site, with the exception that it can help Etsy sellers gain outside exposure.
ReplyDeleteIt's not for everyone, but the community there has a lot of team spirit, and the fundraisers are awesome!
I haven't done anything myself in the theme of 'outrageous,' *yet*, but I have to admit, I loved and admired a beaded, peyote-stitched toilet roll earrings and pendant. The pendant had a flap of tissue and looked to be hanging off the towel rack. Brilliant and 'cheeky' :P
ReplyDeleteMortira, I love what you did, put in some humor into it, but also a different approach of putting it into jewelry. It's a different way of viewing the female part that is sometimes lifethreatning, and sometimes viewed leud (if you know what I mean), but I really love your creativity. Great work!
ReplyDeleteMortira that is so funny! And I'm really laughing because just this morning I was trying to figure out how I could be a brain! LOL
ReplyDeleteThis is great, Mortira! I love that it's both beautiful and funny. Not easy to carry off both of those in one piece!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for featuring my piece! (it's the victorian-style cuff bracelet)
ReplyDeleteI love yours too! I wish I had the patience to work with seed beads- you can create such beauty with them. Alas, I don't, but I'm always amazed to see the gorgeous things other artists make with them.
Your necklace made me laugh too - and I think that April's Army is a great cause, having helped several artists in need. Great beading!
ReplyDeleteFun Mortira!
ReplyDelete