Poster Sketch: The Other Red Corals

Many of my fellow handmade entrepreneurs know that “coral” became a dirty word over this past weekend - and not necessarily for the reasons you might think. It’s right up there with other words like “reseller” and “mature”. There are a lot of sellers who also worry that coral has suddenly become as controversial as fur, and they are waiting for the buckets of paint to drop.

There are thousands of different species of coral in our oceans, and only a handful of them are desirable for jewelry and decoration. The one that is causing the most trouble is red coral, or oxblood coral, which is in serious danger in some parts of the world.

Some of you may already know that corals of all types are among the long list of materials that I won’t use in my work. Even if I could legally obtain red coral, I wouldn’t, because in most cases it is a threatened species, and most methods of harvesting it harm the environment. There are some exceptions, and plenty of natural alternatives to true red coral, but I avoid those as well. I prefer to make a statement with pure abstinence. It’s a little like being vegan instead of vegetarian.

Be Good to Fish!

Still, there are plenty of jewelry artists out there that use bamboo and sponge coral, and some of it is dyed to imitate the fancy stuff. Who can blame them? Red coral and it’s imitators make for some of the most gorgeous natural beads in the world.

Although it’s hard to know what goes on during the coral harvest, most suppliers will tell you that bamboo and sponge coral are sustainable, and no more harmful to the environment than freshwater pearls. I’ve never met a beader who didn’t love those!

All of the controversy provides a great opportunity to educate people about how precious our oceans are, and how important it is to choose products thoughtfully. So today, I decided to make a little tribute to jewelry artists who are not afraid to show off their coral creations. You can see all of these creations up close by visiting the All That is Red treasury collection.

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and Etsy.com

Green Starfish for the Gulf

Photo Credit:
Greenpeace USA

Even though we live in a time when news spreads quickly and never really disappears, it often seems like a story is here today, then gone tomorrow. This is a bit of a chicken-and-egg scenario, because although websites, radio stations and news programs might push a topic to the back burner, we can still continue to discuss the matter and do investigations of our own.

Unfortunately, in the case of the Gulf Coast oil disaster, the news just keeps on coming. Tuesday will mark the 3rd month ‘anniversary’ of the Deepwater Horizon explosion that lead to the continuous oil gusher. Although billions of dollars have been spent to stop the flow of toxic petroleum into the ocean, the situation continues to get worse instead of better.

Last month, I shared an image from If It Was My Home, showing what the oil slick would look like if it were on my doorstep. Here is what it would look like today:

Despite the hard work of many organizations to clean up the sludge, the pollution is making it’s way inland. Tarballs have been discovered in the waterways of Southeastern Texas and the greater New Orleans area. Sea birds and other marine animals continue to attempt feeding and nesting in the oil damaged areas, having no instinct to pack up and leave a lost cause.

And, as we continue to watch in horror and wonder what the results of the catastrophe will be in five, or ten, or twenty years, we continue to do what we can to help. The Help the Gulf Coast Etsy collective is still going strong, and has raised nearly $8000 for Oxfam America and the National Wildlife Federation.

Deep Green Sea Ring

If you haven’t stopped by the shop recently, head on over to Help the Gulf Coast and see some of the new handmade donations. All net proceeds are donated equally between charities helping animals and families affected by the BP oil spill. This week, I sent along my latest ring, Deep Green Sea.

Just in case you need a little extra motivation, stop by Deep Sea News for the latest updates and informative links.

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and The Sage's Cupboard

Helen of Troy Necklace

Like most ancient tales, the story of Helen is never told the same way twice. The most common threads in the myth are that Helen was a daughter of Zeus, married to Menelaus, and the reason for the Trojan War. Some versions of the story are romantic; seduced by Paris, she flees with him to Troy to start a new and happy life. In other, darker stories, she follows Paris to Troy under the influence of the goddess Aphrodite, and eventually returns to Sparta with Menelaus after murdering her second Trojan husband, Deiphobus.

Whether she was a villain or a heroine, Helen of Troy is still known as a great beauty - the face that launched a thousand ships. As a queen of many countries, she would likely have owned some of the most wonderful treasures to compliment her legendary good looks.

The Inspiration:

When I learned that the theme for the January Etsy BeadWeavers challenge was the ocean, the first thing that came to mind was red coral. The material has been stirring up more controversy than usual of late. CITES - the organization responsible for the care and catalogue of endangered species - is considering adding red coral to the list of taboo creatures. This would essentially put an end to the use of red coral in art and jewelry.

For my challenge entry, I wanted to create a piece in tribute to the fight to save this amazing species. Coral of all kinds are so important to ocean habitat, and protecting them is a worthy cause. As I considered how to incorporate seed bead ‘coral’ into a piece of jewelry, I had thoughts of exotic, Mediterranean necklaces. I decided that I would create something worthy of a Greek queen.

The Beads:

To represent red coral, I chose some ordinary opaque red 11/0 seed beads. To make the palette regal and luxurious, I added 8/0 seed beads and hex cuts in various jewel tones like sapphire and emerald. To add a touch of gold, I grabbed some sandy colored light amber seed beads. Although I was making a necklace for Helen of Troy, I also wanted it to look somewhat primitive - something you could find in a seaside stall in Ancient Greece. I hoped that this mixture would help create the rich elements of royal jewels, and the rustic look of archaic craftsmanship.

The Beadwork:

I sketched out an arrowhead shaped pattern for a bib necklace, to which I would add fringes of red coral branches. After creating the sketch, I decided to add a freeform pattern within it - a line of loops and whorls for the jewel toned beads to follow. As I stitched the necklace, the changes in bead sizes caused the beadwork to take on a new shape which had the rustic look that I had hoped for.

Once the base of the necklace was complete, I added the coral branches. Although this had been my main focus, when I stepped back to look at the finished piece, I realized that it had been better without the fringe. I don’t think that the shapes or the colors compliment each other. If I were to do it over again, I would replace the amber beads with blue, and stitch a structured base to allow the fringe to play on it’s own.

In the end, I decided not to include “Helen’s Treasure” in the EBW Challenge. And, since I’ve been wanting a bib necklace for myself, I put it straight into my jewelry box!

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading

No Fool's Gold

Being environmentally friendly is becoming more and more important for business crafters. Our customers want to know that our products are good for the Earth. As beaders, it’s not easy being green, but it’s well worth the effort.

Open Pit Gold Mine in Kalgoorlie, Australia

One of the commitments I have made since declaring myself a jewelry designer is to swear off metals whenever possible. I’ve been against the use of gold in jewelry for a long time, but I also try to avoid silver and nickel, too.

The Inspiration:

After writing The Truth About Gold - an article about the hazardous effects of gold mining - I decided to do an experiment to see if I could mimic authentic gold jewelry using seed beads and no metals. So, I grabbed a sketch pad and started browsing the websites of some popular gold and diamond jewelers in North America.

I saw a lot of gold chains: some plain, and some with dangly things hanging from them. It wasn’t very inspiring at all. Finally I came across a photo that made my inner magpie sit up and pay attention - a charming little gold and gemstone Y style necklace. It was made with a set of gold rings covered in multicolored briolettes, suspended from a simple gold chain.

With my inspirational necklace found, I set out to recreate it with seed beads, and a touch of my own style, too.

The Beads:

I decided to add a touch of diamond to the necklace, so I paired galvanized metallic gold beads with crystal foil-lined beads in 10o and 6o. For a splash of color, I also added some foil-lined blue 6o seed beads.

The briolette necklace I had found had much more color, but I didn’t have any other 6o foil lined beads. I wanted the beads to be uniform, so I opted not to add other styles of 6o’s.

The Beadwork:

To make a gold chain, I used basic St. Petersburg Chain, adding in a hint of “diamonds” here and there. The chain is stitched in two parts, with the top ends connecting for the back of the necklace. Beaded loops connect the chain and pendant at the front.

Taking a little further inspiration from Sheryl Yanagi’s Byzantine seed bead chain maille, I added a pendant of seed bead hoops with diamond and sapphire “gems”.

In the end, this necklace looks almost nothing like the piece that I drew my inspiration from. However, I think that I was able to achieve my goal of making a necklace that would look right at home in an expensive gold jewelry showcase.

Now only one question remains. Why would anyone spend so much money on dirty gold when green beads are just as beautiful?

Frog Conservation

The Inspiration:

Pollution and climate change are having a negative affect on many species in North America, and around the world. One of the most important issues is declining frog populations, which has a major impact on ecosystems as a whole.
The Vancouver Aquarium's "Frogs Forever" program highlights the issue of frog extinction, as part of a global initiative to save frogs launched by Amphibian Ark. To show support for frogs everywhere, this artist is creating something swamp-like.

Phantasmal Dart Frog from Allposters.com

The Beads:

Exotic frogs are known for their bright and bold colors. This selection of beads will not only represent these fabulous creatures, but are suitable for a classy piece of jewelry at the same time. Included in the palette are opaque black, opaque yellow and green iris mix seed beads. With yellow used as a background color, the black and green beads will look fresh and bold. Something vine-like will have a rainforest appeal.

The Beadwork:
"Amphibian" is a clasp free spiral rope necklace - a continuous chain approximately 40 inches long. The pattern of green and black beads alternates throughout the rope, giving it a more natural appearance. When I first began beading, I wasn't entirely happy with the pattern. After a few inches, I thought I might regret the random look. But I would rather experiment and make something that at least I can wear, than rip out stitches and waste precious Fireline. So I kept at it, and eventually the design grew on me. It turned out much better than I expected, and I've decided to add it to my line of wrap-around necklaces, which I hope to launch early next year.