I've got about twenty pounds of seaglass and hundreds of paper Dixie cups filled with beads. Then, a co-worker graciously gave me free pickings from an enormous box of rescued jewelry from her recently deceased kin's house. That added to my idea bank and hoard of interesting beads and findings. Dutifully, with my jeweler's loop, I examined every detail, contemplating the engineering and hoping to able to construct and repurpose some wonderful new things. I separated the bits by color and material, bagged up some pieces that I wanted to repair, and admired my "workshop".
Thanks to my new influx, the inspiration bug bit. Some time around the start of the school year, I sat down to restring a lovely "antique" necklace made out of several strands graduated milkglass beads which was secured with a golden wing shaped clasp. One strand appeared to still be in good working order, so I left that one alone to use as a reference.
Restringing the broken strands was a major headache! Many of the original beads were missing and I had to really work to find beads from my stash that would be suitable matches in size and color. The thread was greasy and just disintegrated (some times inside of the hole for the bead). I had to soak the beads in a gritty grease eating soap and then use an old toothbrush to scrub the beads and finally leave them in the sun to dry and regain their iridescence. Just finding beads and cleaning them took several sittings.
Then, it was time to actually lay out the materials, try to factor in the length, size, shape, color, drape, knot tying, and where to work in some sea glass. (Simply recreating a necklace isn't what I'm all about. I must include seaglass...even if it's just a little dangle.) I set the strands out, tried to estimate the length and to have them drape at equal increments. *Sigh*
Finally I figured it out and used cotton embroidery floss to string. Because the prethreaded stuff is so expensive I use my mom's old cross stitch thread with clear finger nail polish on the end to strengthen it and function as a needle. Once it was all "done" it was time to focus my energy on the clasp.
The clasp looked like two sets of elongated golden wings. Aha! It's a dragonfly! I'd tie all the strands onto that and hang a rectangular shaped piece of seaglass from it to make the dragonfly's body. My assistant principal collects dragonflies.* I determined that I would make this necklace for her. Working with renewed purpose, I loved the way it was turning out!
Proudly, I wore the finished piece to church the next day...testing out the final look and function. All good!
When we got home, I unhooked the clasp and set the necklace on the counter. My daughter picked it up to admire it and in slow motion... It. Fell. Apart! Beads were rolling off the counter, bouncing onto the floor, and finally hiding under the refrigerator and stove (for ever more). *Sigh*
Trying to find meaning in this disaster, I eventually just collected up what I could find, put it in a bowl and that is where it still lies.
Except for a brief moment of inspiration during the Christmas break, when I discovered my drill chuck was stripped beyond repair, I haven't made a piece of jewelry since.
Yesterday I set up my new drill, washed down the table tops, and surveyed my "workshop". My hope is to rekindle my creative thoughts. Perhaps trying to rework the dragonfly clasp was never meant to be. "So, fly he did."
*The Dragonfly
Once, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads,
there lived a little water beetle in a community of water
beetles. They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond
with few disturbances and interruptions.
Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of
their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and
would never be seen again. They knew when this happened; their
friend was dead, gone forever.
Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge
to climb up that stem. However, he was determined that he would
not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what
he had found at the top.
When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the
surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so
warm, that he decided he must take a nap. As he slept, his body
changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful
blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body
designed for flying.
So, fly he did! And, as he soared he saw the beauty of a whole
new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never
known existed.
Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking
by now he was dead. He wanted to go back to tell them, and
explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been
before. His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.
But, his new body would not go down into the water. He could
not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he
understood that their time would come, when they, too, would
know what he now knew. So, he raised his wings and flew off
into his joyous new life!
~Author Unknown~
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