Time Capsule: April 2009

It’s funny how we can come full circle. Three years ago this month, I shared a design that used a minimum of beads and stitches, but turned out great. At the time, I wondered if it lacked effort. Even though the piece had so many likeable elements, I worried that it wasn’t ‘enough’.

Then I jumped back into making big, elaborate, and stitch-heavy designs for a long time. It wasn’t until November of the following year that I realized the real potential of lightweight and simple beadwork. Beadwork that looks like stringing is quick and simple to do, uses beads that don’t always work well with other techniques, and helps to keep the price of a piece down when focals are expensive. My Necklace a Day challenge could not have been a success without designs like these.

Looking back on that Spring Jungle Necklace now, I find myself comparing it to the Y pendants and simple necklaces that I make today. It actually looks pretty fantastic - if not a little clumsy. The combination of different bead colors and cluster shapes is really fun, and makes a great complement for the art pendant. Maybe I need to start adding more leaves and branches to my work again!

Have you ever discovered yourself using a technique that you thought you’d grown out of?

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