It being summer and the fact that I'm down South with the family in the misty mountains of Asheville, NC has meant spending more time outdoors. I've taken almost every opportunity that's come my way to spend time outside and in nature before I return back to New York. On a recent search for fairies with my niece, Azalea, we came across a fuzzy white caterpillar. What a magical find! We were careful not to touch it, as we weren't sure if it was of the stinging variety, but marveled at this fuzzy little creature inching along.
Using some of my favorite components, I decided to translate this woodland wonder into a piece of jewelry. I used a NEW butterfly toggle in fine pewter from my family at Green Girl Studios and lots and lots and lots of juicy-looking Swarovski crystals from Artbeads.com.
Above are a few snapshots I stole from a Google image search for reference.
For my color palette, I opted for white opal, violet opal, rose water opal, the NEW air blue opal and crystal moonlight. I think the opalescent crystals capture a certain quality of light that translates well as tiny movement. The crystal moonlight reflects that and enhances the feeling of the bracelet. There are over 400 wire-wrapped 4mm Swarovski bicones. The pale, subdue colors are also perfect for summer.
I handmade the hundreds of fine silver headpins, but Artbeads.com carries a great selection of headpins on top of their glittering array of Swarovski crystal pendants, Swarovski crystal beads and Swarovski crystal rhinestones. Make sure to take advantage of their fast, free shipping and stock up on Swarovski crystals and create your very own Crystal Caterpillar Bracelet!
16 comments:
Hi Andrew, I love your color combination in the caterpillar bracelet. How long did you take for creating this? I would love to see how it looks on the wrist. I was laughing - we also had burgers last night - maybe not as yummy as yours, but they were pretty good too. Have a nice day. Nicki
Very clever! I love the idea, and the way you executed it.
Hey Nicki!
It took about six hours. It's hard to say since I didn't work on it in one sitting, but I vaguely recall "watching" three movies while working on it.
I'll ask Cynthia to model it tomorrow.
Hey Iviva!
Thank you so much! Your kind words mean so much to me.
I can see a parallel between this piece and your work. Not stylistically or thematically, but in intense concentration and diligent effort. Repetition of motions. Your pieces require hundreds or even thousands of stitches, as this piece requires hundreds of wire-wraps to form the final picture. I like how there's little bridges between even the most seemingly disparate islands of work.
P.S. Congratulations on your new show!
Andrew, you never cease to amaze! What I find so fascinating is where your inspiration came from....fairy safari with Azalea? What could possibly be more magical than that! Those pictures are delightful and this design is so perfectly matching in color and style the wonder that is the natural elements you chose to represent. Thank you so much for making me smile in picturing you and Azalea crawling around taking pictures of this lovely Queen Caterpillar! Enjoy the day! Erin
I can't even imagine how long it took you to attach all those beads, but boy! totally worth it!
That's absolutely gorgeous, Andrew! All those colors of opal crystals working together makes it so magical! It reminds me a little of the sea creatures that I often am mesmerized with on the underwater nature shows on tv. Gorgeous!
Oooolala!! It's soo lovely and full of texture! I want to reach right into the computer and touch it. You've captured that feeling of wanting to touch a caterpillar. Just perfect!
Cindy
Love how lush it looks. So full of so many beautifully tinted crystals! Amazing as always, Andrew!
Oh Andrew! That's just stunning!!
I am loving this bracelet. It looks like it would feel all catepillar-y on your wrist! Delicious color too! AND the new butterfly toggle goes perfectly with this style!
Hi there! I hope you don't mind if I gush a little here... Not only is this a gorgeous and perfectly executed piece, the colors are great and what a wonderful concept!! If you haven't had a chance to pat yourself on the back, I hope you will take a minute to do that!! WOW! I'm in awe!
Wow! This is really beautiful and so intricate. It must have taken you days to make it.
WOW - its so luminous, just like you! I love the mix of colored opal crystals and the clasp is just perfect.
I find the repetition of a task like making hundreds of bead dangles is very zen. When I was spinning yarn I could sit for hours at the wheel, in a sort of meditation. It's very calming to the soul.
This is just beautiful, Andrew! So pretty, so wearable...but I especially like seeing the inspiration. How much more fun to wear a "caterpillar" than just a bracelet!
I have never seen a caterpillar that color before. I wonder what it will look like when it turns into a butterfly.
This piece is captivating and provactive.
Post a Comment