Given that I spend so much time whining that I never get any time to bead, I do manage to get a fair number of pieces done. Never as many as I want to, but then, who does?
Looking back, though, the number of pieces I've managed to finish add up. And this morning I worked a bit more with the camera and light box I built to try to improve on the pictures of recent pieces.
First, more pics of the most recent, still without the clasp. This one is much more true to color, though the red is less prominent in the ammonite than it looks here. Or maybe not. Maybe I'm being fooled when I look directly at it.
The strung sections aren't quite as clear as I'd like them. Here's a detail of the same item. I worked and worked on that embroidery. By the time I'd finished (on the outer edges and top) I'd gotten quite a bit better at spacing the beads without letting them pile up on each other. I'm just pretending for now I meant them that way. Ahem. Although I planned the shape of the pendant and the placement of the ammonite, the rest of the design "just grew." I'm happy with the subtleties that emerged as it neared completion. In some places, the beads that came next were more of an 'of course!' moment rather than 'what the heck do I do now?' I think when you're experiencing that kind of moment of flow in creativity, the end product is more successful than either total planning or total thrashing about.
Next, the amber/carnelian piece I've shown before, but I think the pics are more clear than any I've posted. Once again, the full piece and a detail.
It actually hangs quite a bit better around a real neck. I need either a model or a neck-shaped display piece. I may construct one for photo purposes over the weekend and give this puppy another shot.
And, something one cannot know until one wears this piece, it is a sensual delight. There's a slight sound of amber rustling together as you move, and a satisfying but not too heavy weight. Then when you raise your hand and feel all those small fringes and beads shifting through your fingers, it's almost like a worry bead or rosary. I find myself playing with it all the time, not to readjust it, but just because it feels good to touch!
Last is one slightly blurry picture of a previously unseen piece. This one was started long ago as a kumihimo braid with beads, in forest green, translucent orange, and yellow-green. The braid sat just sewn end-to-end, with overlap in the middle, for a long time in the unfinished project pile. I had intended to sew just the fringes with the fruit beads, but when that was pretty much done, I decided it needed a small embroidered pin with a dichroic glass cabochon I had gotten quite a while ago. The pin finishes it off well, and the pin-back means that it will hang asymmetrically as intended without having to fuss with it all the time. It's long enough to slip over the head, so no catch is needed. It's fun to wear and gets quite a bit of attention.
I'll try for better pictures of this one soon.
Many ducks, many rows. Needed a new gmail account so I could get a new Paypal account so I could set up the Etsy store. 
