"Forest Floor"
click on any photo for a larger image
My attraction for the stone Jasper continues ~ my hand automatically reaches for them whenever I visit my local bead store. Jasper comes in so many different colors, and combinations of colors, I can't imagine every tiring of it. This particular Jasper stone with it's bright yellow-greens, dark emerald green "spider webbings", and gray-green organic patches won me over, and I knew I had to make a bracelet with these colors. It reminded me of the colors one might find on a forest floor. While I don't have access to an actual forest, I do walk in the woods quite often . . .
Around the time that I was working on this bracelet, I walked outside on a cold, winter afternoon and noticed on the ground bright green patches of new grass peeking up and growing alongside gray-green pieces of lichen. It made me think of spring trying to push winter aside. I was struck by the beauty of the two greens together, and wanted to incorporate them in this piece.
As I have done in the past, the first photo of the bracelet (above) shows the bead embroidered foundation flat for photographing ~ once it's placed on the brass blank cuff to become a bracelet, it's harder to see the entire design together.
Besides the oval focal Jasper cabochon in the middle, I have added smaller Jasper beads in various greens and gray-greens, glass pearls in both green and gray, cut crystals in several colors including a very bright yellow-green, and Japanese seed beads in a number of colors, sizes, and finishes. Some of the smaller Jasper beads are called "Landscape Jasper." Also included is a small, round, gray-green Agate that is faceted on the top of the stone.
This bead embroidered cuff bracelet is sewn onto Nicole's BeadBacking in the Chartreuse Shine color ~ a yummy yellow-green color that allows the transparent and translucent beads as well as the cut crystals to show their best.
Above is the finished bead embroidered cuff bracelet.
Around the entire bracelet edge I have sewn a double row of picot edging using Japanese glass drops called Magatamas. This is the first time I've tried a double row edging, and I really like the way it turned out.
Inside the bracelet is a soft, olive green UltraSuede lining.
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"Promise Of Spring"
Because I love this bright, apple-green Jasper stone so much, I made a second bead embroidered cuff bracelet with it as a focal center stone when I discovered another one at my local bead shop, "Beads and More." I just couldn't resist! (The first one I made to give as a gift.)
The Jasper stone is actually a bead meant to be worn as a pendant - there is a hole on each end lengthwise. Both sides were equally beautiful - it was difficult to decide which one to show.
The Jasper stone is actually a bead meant to be worn as a pendant - there is a hole on each end lengthwise. Both sides were equally beautiful - it was difficult to decide which one to show.
I am calling this bracelet "Promise Of Spring" because I incorporated bright, yellow-green glass beads, as I was out of the "lichen-colored" gray-green stones. In addition to the Jasper stone beads, I have also included faceted green Jade beads and faceted multi-toned Agate beads. With spring always on my mind, and in anticipation of it after a long, cold winter, I think of this beautiful yellow-green color as a *harbinger of spring.*
This image (above) shows the bead embroidered piece on the foundation after it has been cut away from the Nicole's NBB in the Chartreuse Shine color. These bracelets photograph better flat, as the whole design can be seen at once. After the beaded foundation is wrapped around a brass blank cuff, [which is sandwiched between the beading and the UltraSuede backing], it's more difficult to see the design - as only parts of it can be photographed at one time.
Here is the finished cuff (below) :
I have embellished the outer edges of the cuff with Japanese TOHO #11 glass seed beads,
and added a picot edging with green crystal bi-cones.
The next photo shows the ends of the cuff in an angle that features
the inner UltraSuede material in a peacock pattern.
For information on the fantastic bead embroidery foundation that I use and highly recommend, please visit:
and discover Nicole's BeadBacking, which comes in 14 colors. Treat yourself to the best!
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