"Meadow Stream" ~ Shibori Silk Ribbon Bead Embroidered Cuff Bracelet

Here is a look at my latest project, and a few step-by-step photos in the creation of

"Meadow Stream"  ~  Shibori Silk Ribbon Bead Embroidered Cuff Bracelet.

This started as a beautiful piece of Shibori Silk Ribbon dyed by Deborah Weaver of ArtisticWeavers on Etsy.com.  You can see this piece in the bottom left hand corner of the photo below.  In my opinion, Deborah Weaver sells the most attractive Shibori Silk Ribbon on Etsy.  If you are in the market for it, please look for her offerings.  You'll have a difficult time choosing from her wide array of stunning ribbons.  In this particular piece of ribbon, the lovely forest greens blended into rich olive greens and then into gorgeous aquas.  I had lots of beads from which to choose for this particular project.

Below is a photo of my possible choices laid out before the creative juices begin to flow. 

My favorite beading foundation, NBB by Nicole Campanella, in the Chartreuse Shine color was the perfect background for the ribbon and the beads.

Above, I have tacked down the Shibori Silk Ribbon with clothespins.  The edges are all tucked under, and I've imagined the pleats as water flowing in a slow-moving stream.  Perhaps one in a quiet meadow.

I must say that Shibori Silk Ribbon is so very lovely, it's hard to cover up any part of it with beads.  But, the show must go on ...

I've used silver beads to highlight the various green beads.  The central focal cabochon is a Jasper stone that I have bezeled separately on NBB, then attached to the ribbon.  Also included are:   round Jasper beads, glass pearls, AB glass round beads, faceted crystal beads, square glass dichroic beads, turquoise Picasa beads, and faceted Czech beads.  The arrangement of the beads was somewhat random, but also in keeping with the "flow" of the imagined stream.

The finished beaded top is wrapped around a brass cuff, glued down, left to dry, and then the inside of the brass cuff is covered by an olive green UltraSuede.  The two edges are sewn together with beads, sandwiching the brass cuff inside.

Another view of the finished bracelet.

This view of the bracelet shows the picot edging with silver beads, 

and the interior olive UltraSuede that is finished off with a line of olive and silver beads, which effectively covers the stitching.

NOTE:   The owner of "Meadow Stream" took this photo for me.  The colors appear slightly different in this photograph compared to the photos that I took of the bracelet ~ but so much depends on the lighting when it comes to photography.  I've included this photo because it looks closer to the actual bracelet itself, whereas my photos of the bracelet are a bit on the bright side.