Today is the reveal for Allegory Gallery‘s latest design challenge – Evening Serenade. I actually remembered to take pictures of the kit this time!
Above are the larger bits of the kit, including the gorgeous pendant made by Andrew Thornton. I was extra thrilled with those bead caps. I’m so focused on beads, I rarely have a lot of findings, spacers, clasps – more practical things. So it’s fun to get some in a kit. A picture of the bead mix is below. Lovely beads and spacers!
I love using the single and unique beads I find in the bead mix. In this first necklace I’ve made with Andrew’s lovely pendant, look at the little metal piece above the pendant. So cool – from the kit!
In the front of the necklace, all the beads are from the kit. I thought both of the larger beads I used with the bead caps were polymer (I’m guessing made by Andrew) but I believe only the larger one is. When I worked with it, the smaller blue one seemed more like ceramic. I added some colored glass beads from a mixed strand I had in my stash and used all the peanut beads dark and clear (those were fun!) to make the necklace long enough to fit over my head.
Next I wanted to use the gorgeous tube of seed beads for a tassel. The color and shine on these beads remind me the most of Andrew’s summer nights inspiration for this kit. (You should read his description; it’s really beautiful and evocative.) I imagined the last streaks of pink, yellow and orange across the sky as the sun set, turning it hazy grey and then inky blue-black. I chose a patina bullet casing from this shop as the tassel cap and thought the Venetian glass bead on my table looked great with the combination. I used a black crystal from the kit on top. I found a variety of Czech glass beads in my stash to complete my vision. I love it!
I had more ideas – for earrings, another necklace – but no more time. I’ll have to make those items another time. Visit the Allegory Gallery Design Challenge Facebook page to see what other participants made with their kits. Thanks to Andrew and William for another wonderful challenge!
I love even the picture above of the kit. Such beautiful colors! The theme is lovely – Summer Solstice and Faerie folklore. Also, just from my own midwestern perspective, midsummer is a time when we can count on it being consistently warm and there is still time before the snow flies. OF COURSE, I forgot to take a picture of the kit, but I will point out what I used, so you can get an idea.
