After the successful Shadow Portrait experiment, I wanted to try something a little simpler... and what better than a classic symbol of both magnificence and hilarity?

Made up of 213 glass beads individually woven together by hand, then backed in such a way as to make the panel itself sturdy but still flexible (so there are no hard edges).

(For Sale)

Well, I've been wanting to bead this particular thing for a long time now.  Unfortunately the "extreme light and shadow" colors I chose only work at certain angles... but I still like it, so yay.

Made up of 766 glass beads individually woven together by hand, then backed in such a way as to make the panel itself sturdy but still flexible (so there are no hard edges).  I am proud.  Let me have my moment.

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Well-known to those who do battle as an occupation, Phoenix Down is something of a necessity for reviving members of your party that may not have dodged in time.  (Granted, this particular version doesn't actually exist in the games, but... it's a nice thought when the temperatures start climbing.) Seems like a good idea to keep a spare close by, right?

I was just hit by an idea for sparkly simplicity and happened to have wire to play with right next to me. Of course something geeky happened. (And of course that Swarovski crystal.)

(For Sale)

Well-known to those who do battle as an occupation, Phoenix Down is something of a necessity for reviving members of your party that may not have dodged in time.  Seems like a good idea to keep a spare close by, right?

I was just hit by an idea for sparkly simplicity and happened to have wire to play with right next to me.  Of course something geeky happened.  (And of course that Swarovski crystal.)

(For Sale)

Long ago, there was a place I visited that was like a dream.  It was endlessly beautiful, inhabited by magnificent giants--that I was tasked with killing.  Many times I questioned the slaughter, but still I pressed on, eager to see what would become of me and the world around me, and it was when I saw the giants all laying motionless that I felt the weight of what I'd done.  From that day on I left the realm, swearing a self-imposed exile; I no longer deserved to see such beauty.  Maybe one day I can return to the Forbidden Land, to witness the landscape again... but there will be no more killing.

Shadow of the Colossus left a lasting impact on me that I'm not sure was intended by Team ICO.  I cannot do the epic right with words, but maybe in a beaded peace offering?  I'd been wanting to do something with the Eye of the Colossus (an item that doesn't actually appear in the finished game, but the model and function code still exist in preview builds; yes, this is how much of a geek I am) for quite a long time now, and it all just sort of crashed down around me with a large, round fiber optic cabochon.  Then came paint.  And beads.  Lots and lots of bead and many days of weaving beads to more beads.

I'm so happy with this.  Not only did the Eye of the Colossus come out beautifully, but the dark gray beads frame it perfectly, and the "serpent creature" astounds me.  Of course those are Swarovski crystals for the eyes.  The clasp is one of those hook attachments that I normally use for dragon bracelets, but in this case it was the best choice.  There are also sixteen "spines", one to represent each Colossus.  They're not actually spiny in any way, as they're held together with thread and flexible.  Just thought I'd say so.

("Ramum olivae" is Latin for "branch of olive"; an olive branch.  A peace offering.)

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It's not uncommon for the most powerful magicians to keep a jeweled snake as a familiar. It's a bit of a status symbol, admittedly--but alchemists are able to make use of the jewels, and certain magicians can keep spells within them. The result is a "living" familiar, something that moves and appears to have a bit of its own consciousness.

Of course, this is not a jeweled serpent but a jeweled dragon, of a different sort of connotation in magic... Whether the dragon created the alchemist or the alchemist created the dragon remains unclear. I suppose you can ask, if you'd really like to.

I love this necklace. I didn't when I was in the middle of making it. This is the culmination of possibly a little over two weeks of work. Many, many hours. Many, many beads, and lots of Swarovski crystals. Depending upon the lighting, you will be able to notice the subtle shift in color of the diamonds along her back. It's a lot more obvious in person, but trying to get bright light on these beads for photographing purposes? No. Just, no.

And just because, yes I view her as a she. ...She just feels like a she. Now I must rest my poor abused wrist. Ow. A worthy ow, but an ow.

(For Sale)

Merfolk think human stories about mermaids wanting to live above the sea are silly. Clearly humans would prefer to live below, and not the other way around. The artwork of the merfolk is interwoven with their mythology; this one tells the tale of a young woman who caught a glimpse of a merman and fell deeply in love with him. For years she tried, sometimes with great hope and sometimes with great desperation, to hold her breath longer and longer, getting closer and closer to him until one day, finally, she swam deep enough to see him and reach for his hand. Scholars would have you believe that she merely drowned herself and her dying illusion was that of the merman's hand reaching back, but any artisan will tell you that the story ends in the strength of the heart, and the magic of true love.

I had wondered some time ago if I would ever rival Atlantis' Treasure. I suppose it's a matter of personal preference. 131 (that is, ladies and gentlemen, one hundred and thirty-one) Swarovski crystals combined with a number of glass beads that I refuse to count make this massively sparkly. So of course it barely shows in pictures. ARGH. I've been trying to get video of it. Failures, thus far--but I'll keep trying.

(For Sale)

There's an old tale passed down by the Serpent Clan that parents tell their children, of a little lost girl in the woods. She was alone and frightened and came upon a clearing that she didn't recognize--but she could see the stars above. "Midnight Serpent, Midnight Serpent, wrap the night around me and keep me safe until I get home." She said, over and over as she walked until she was too exhausted to go on. She woke up the next morning to find herself just outside of her village, a small diamond mark on her neck... maybe from the Midnight Serpent.

Of course Charlie here (of unidentified gender... don't ask) isn't quite as serious as all that. He's a sweet and friendly, fun-loving midnight serpent with a penchant for sparkling and the night life.

Charlie is a maaaaajor accomplishment for me. The serpent is enormous in terms of my dragon bracelets, and took some days. How many days? I don't want to know. I really don't even come close to wanting to estimate. Many. Lots and lots and lots of time and beads, with a Swarovski crystal tongue and eyes. And some tail accents. Of course my camera and I fought over trying to get the incredible colors right... and this is pretty close. There's nothing like seeing it in person, though.

(For Sale)