Brier Rose ~ January ABS Challenge

This is my first time participating in the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge. I've always enjoyed seeing how everyone translates the chosen art into something wearable. I just hadn't taken the time to try it myself. But when I saw William Morris on Art Bead Scene this month, I knew it was finally time for me to make something...

Trellis by William Morris, 1862

For this challenge, I decided to try to make something for myself. Something I would wear... on any day... with any outfit. And this is totally it! It started out as a bracelet (bracelets are my go-to jewelry and also one of my favorite things to make), but when I had more beads than would fit on a bracelet, I just kept on wrapping wire and turned it into a necklace.

The rose beads are my own polymer creation. I started by sculpting a single rose and then used it to make a few silicone molds. Then I cast several beads and painted them to match the colors of the palette. (I have more roses in the works now... look for them in my shop shortly! :-)

I used some black onyx and I dug through my bead stash and found some Russian serpentine that I've had practically forever. I'm glad I never used them before! They fit in so perfectly with the squares of the trellis in William Morris' wallpaper.

I finished it off with a simple suede cord tied in a knot -- it's long enough to easily slip over my head. I love a long necklace! And as a finishing touch I added tiny wire wraps to the ends of the suede.

Go here to see the other entries of the month: http://www.flickr.com/groups/artbeadscene/

...What will Art Bead Scene challenge us with next month? I can't wait to see!