verdura collar

Steady on! two posts in one week!
well i feel a sense of having reached the chequered flag now that i have finished the verdura collar.
i'm quite pleased with this: it's true to what i think of as verdura's style and also some interesting beading and it certainly looks good on sophie. now i just have to get the notes sorted out, and then i can do my other end of project ritual - which is to tidy my workroom (and boy does it need it this time!)

September Beading

I can't believe it's been so long since I visited this page. I know this was supposed to be about what gets in the way, but hey, everything has!
But I have been doing some stuff! This pic is of Athena's Necklace which I hope to do as a masterclass next year (not like me to have something ready before I need to!) It is an adaptation of the Pandora's Necklace available for the Bead Merchant Online Bead Club's Seasonal Goody Box.

And I am working on the Verdura Collar (which is just as well, as it's in a couple of weeks!) There is a pic of a bit of that too, I have made a bow.

Verdura was an eccentric and charismatic Sicilian Duke who made beautiful jewellery for film stars and aristocrats (including the Duchess of Windsor), and returned to recurring themes such as crosses and bows. He was also renowned for choosing sumptuous colours for his jewellery and putting that design decision above the value of the gemstones themselves (so he would for example use shells and pearls and amethysts if the design warranted it rather than diamonds).

I've also started a new website, jilldevon.com which has downloads of
some masterclasses, plus details of where and when classes are available. I'm pleased with it - love the colours, all my favourites!

Oh, and my Berry Bracelet came second in a competition in the U.S. which I'm pretty chuffed about!

I'm thinking about making another version of it, with a slightly smaller rope - I think the original is quite chunky. It's got a name already, Summer Berries Bracelet, and will be next in line after the Verdura Collar is finished.

So I guess I'd better stop rambling and start beading - well I don't know, I may have to listen to another of those remastered Beatles records first!