The Beading Gem

Teleflora's come up with a great way to sell their flowers for Valentine's Day - the biggest day for florists everywhere. Buy a bouquet for your sweetie and maybe she could win some ruby jewelry too! The competition is called Telefora's Rubies and Roses Sweepstakes. It is open until February 27 and is applicable to US and Canadian residents. You can see the full rules here.

The grand prize is a $60,000 ruby and diamond necklace. 100 first prize winners will receive a $600 14K gold ruby and diamond heart-shaped pendant. 1,000 second prize winners will bag the $150 heart shaped ruby pendant - this one is a "created" or simulated ruby.

Not sure if your guy knows which bouquet you like? Check out Teleflora's The Gentleman's Guide to Valentine's Day where he can get help matching the right bouquet to suit your personality. A no-lose category has to be the Girl Who Has Everything where they add "The looks. The intellect. The wit. The charm. She’s got it all. This February 14th select an opulent bouquet and remind her that she also has – drum roll, please – you!


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I was always astonished at how fast young children can solve the Rubik's cube. It's perhaps because their minds are not yet hardwired into strict pathways but are flexible enough to find solutions intuitively. So it is with young designers.

Amelia, who is 12, is an example of how the problem of using multiple colours can be solved without being taught. Her necklace has three colours many beaders wouldn't normally put together - blue, pink and a peridot green. But she made it work by simply limiting the use of two of the colours. That's the trick. Thanks, Amelia for the lesson in uncommon colour combinations!



Beader Design #: 461
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One day back in September of 1985, a metal detectorist, Ted Seaton, walked near the ruins of Middleham Castle in Yorkshire, northern England and discovered one of the most famous archaeological finds ever - the Middleham Jewel. The solid gold pendant weighing 68 grams is beautifully engraved with the Trinity and nativity and set with a large sapphire. It is highly likely it was a reliquary containing a holy relic - an amulet meant to protect the wearer. There is a charm against "falling sickness" (epilepsy) written in Latin on the border. It was eventually bought by Yorkshire Museum for a staggering £2.5 million or $3.6 million in order to keep this fine piece of English Gothic jewelry in the country.

No one knows who the jewel belonged to. But it has been dated back to the 15th century to around the lifetime of Middleham Castle's most famous occupant - the controversial King Richard III (1452-1485). This castle was once known as the Windsor of the North and was home to many powerful lords. The picture below shows the remains of the kitchen area - the round circles on the ground were the locations of the ovens.



Middleham Castle was Richard III's favourite residence. The castle was where he spent his happiest years of his life and where his son and heir was born. He lived there in his formative years when he was being trained in the knightly skills under the tutelage of Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick. It was there he met the two boys who were to be his life long friends and where he first met his future wife, Anne Neville, the younger daughter of the Earl.

His portrait shows a good looking man but his unsmiling face and the deep furrows in his forehead gives him a serious and careworn expression. It aptly reflects his personality and the short, tragic and eventful life he led. He was born just at the start of England's series of civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. He spent his entire life embroiled in the messy conflicts where the Houses of Lancaster and York battled for the English throne. It was a terrible time because the nobles were constantly changing sides even in mid-battle. Murder and mayhem ruled.

Richard was a Yorkist. His family actually had a better claim to the throne than the incumbent at the time. When Richard was just 7, he lost his father, an older brother and an uncle in a battle. Another older brother Edward IV eventually won the throne. When his brother died, Richard's 12 year old nephew became King Edward V but was never properly crowned.

What happened next made Richard III the chief suspect in history's longest murder trial. Did Richard kill his nephews, known as the Princes in the Tower? It is a debate which still rages on today. His actions were highly suspect. First Richard had his nephew's guardian and others executed, accused of plotting assassinations. He then took over the role of Lord Protector. Next, he announced his brother had drawn up a marriage contract with another woman before he married his queen. This was quite plausible as Edward IV was a womanizer. His nephew, the boy king, was therefore deemed illegitimate and Richard, as next in line, took the throne. He sent the princes, Edward and his 9 year old younger brother to the Tower of London which was then both a royal residence and a prison. Neither of them were ever seen again nor were there any records of funerals.

Although the circumstantial evidence incriminates him, murdering to become king does not fit his known character. He was fiercely loyal and disliked court intrigues and political infighting. Looking back, his actions could be considered those of a man who dealt with crisis only one at a time and who lacked the ability to see the big picture and act accordingly. Many historians point out there were other suspects with equally good motives and opportunity.

Richard ruled barely 2 years and they were marked by personal tragedies. Both Richard and his wife were utterly devastated when their only son, Edward of Middleham, died at 11, shortly after being created the Prince of Wales. A year later in 1485, Richard lost his beloved wife to illness, probably tuberculosis. She was only 28 at the time. There really was an eclipse of the sun on the day she died and that proved to be an omen of things to come.

As Richard had no legitimate heir, Henry Tudor (House of Lancaster), later known as Henry VII (father of Henry VIII, the king with 6 wives) soon seized the throne from Richard at the Battle of Bosworth. Richard, the last Plantegenet king, died fighting bravely to the very end. His final words were "Treason! Treason! Treason!" because he was betrayed by his allies. He was also the last reigning English king to die in battle.

The Tudor monarchs let Middleham Castle go to ruin. For a long time, Richard's reputation was also in ruin because some writers like Shakespeare, a Tudor playwright, portrayed him as a twisted, scheming, hunchback with a withered arm. In reality, he was the very opposite. Richard was a fit, skilled warrior in his prime. The only physical quirk he had was slightly uneven shoulders due to scoliosis (curvature of the spine) . If he is to be accused of anything, it would be that he was incapable of the scheming required to keep his throne.

Some modern historians and numerous Richard III societies worldwide now view him differently. He was loved by the people of the north. To this day, over 500 years later, Middleham Church still holds a requiem mass on the anniversary of his death.

Update :  His remains have been found and positively identified via DNA.  Check out the BBC's article which also shows the facial reconstruction of what this king really looked like.

References
Anthony Cheetham (1972). The Life and Times of Richard III. Weidenfeld and Nicolson
Middleham Online
Sharon Kay Penman's The Sunne in Splendour - highly recommended historical novel about Richard III.

You might also like to read these past biographies:
Richard Francis Burton and African Trade Beads
Beau Brummel - A Regency Dandy's Minimalist Jewelry Style
The Hollywood Actress, the newspaper baron and jewels
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Many jewelry artisans describe their work well with cleverly chosen names and inspiring descriptions. One artisan I featured before Cynthia Daniels of Jewelry Tales, writes a short story to accompany each piece. Here is another literary inclined artisan on Etsy who writes haiku poems for each of her pieces!

The Storybeader aka as Deborah Baroff hails from Oklahoma. She says, "I'm a frustrated writer who likes to put words and colors together to make wearable art. How do you wear words, you ask? I suppose my haiku poems can float around in your brain as you sashay down the lane, wearing one of my necklaces."

I particularly like both her fancy jasper cabochon and the accompanying haiku which reads :

"He got down on his
Right knee and presented the
Princess with a ring"

Somehow the bends in her wire work must have reminded her of bended knees!

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry has three metrical phases - 5,7,5. The Japanese usually write them in a single line but English versions appear in three lines.

Deb's pumpkin magnesite and blanket bead necklace inspired this haiku :

"She laid the golden
Blanket on the bed, waiting
For friends to arrive."

Every single one of the Storybeader's creations has a specially crafted haiku. Now how novel is that?

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I was really impressed with how Yvonne's necklace and earring set turned out. She managed to give her designs, the necklace in particular, a bold contemporary look.

This beautiful red glass crystal pendant was the starting point for her creation. She used brick shaped real quartz (dyed red) beads coupled with the paler cherry quartz (high end glass) to compliment that striking pendant. The simple use of silver lined bugles made these creations look like they were made with silver metal. The silver colour naturally contrasted perfectly with the red hues. Her designs are also fine examples of how to incorporate side drilled beads into necklace and earring pieces.





Cherry quartz is an example of the popular "fruit" quartz one can get for jewelry making. Debbie and I also have blueberry quartz in our workshop collections. These are not to be confused with genuine gemstones with the same names which are much more costly and harder to get hold of. Genuine pineapple quartz, for example, is a type of citrine with crystal patterns on the side resembling the skin of the fruit. It comes from Antsirabe, Madagascar.

Beader Design #: 460
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I don't often watch tv but one delightful show I enjoy catching is TLC's "What Not To Wear". It's a show where a couple of style gurus (Stacy London and Clinton Kelly), a hair stylist and make-up artist do makeovers on people with the most atrocious fashion sense. Friends and family send in names of potential candidates and the chosen ones have their wardrobe analysed and dumped! They then get fashion tips on how to choose clothes which flatter them and $5000 to shop for new clothes. It's a pity they rarely cover jewelry at all. They do discuss accessories like bags and shoes but not jewelry.

Most women wear some form of jewelry and some like wearing several pieces at the same time although it takes a certain flair not to go WAAAAY over the top. The heavy, I-must-wear-as-much-jewelry-as possible approach to this October ID Magazine jewelry fashion shoot was really too much. Where are Stacy and Clinton when you need them? The individual pieces were lovely though. Perhaps they just wanted to pile as many pieces as possible on the model, Natasha Poly, like an overloaded jewelry display!



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Related Posts
Real skeletons as jewelry displays
Edgy Jewelry Fashion Shoot
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Have you ever run out of ear wires or wish you could hand forge your own for the ultimate artisan look? Here are several options to try using common tools you already have. You'll also need to stalk around the house and look for a few more.

1. First find something cylindrical - approximately 1/2 " in diameter. A dry erase marker pen works really well. Now coil 20G wire around the pen. The recess at the cap edge is a good place to start because it helps you secure the wire as you begin to wind it.

2. If you're going to make one, then you might as well make a whole bunch more at the same time. So coil around the form many times. Don't worry if you have more than you need - trust me, you'll use them!

3. Use a flush cutter and cut straight across so that you get large jump rings.



4. Now make a loop at one end - going either direction works so you choose which you prefer.



6. Put a kink at the other end using your broad nose pliers - the width of the pliers will set a consistent distance from ear wire to ear wire. Then gently squeeze the ear wire so the "tail" and the small loop are a little closer to together.

7. You must file smooth the wire end that has to go through the ear hole. You can use 400 grit sandpaper but be careful you don't create a sharp point. I prefer to use the bur cup (below right) because it smooths out the burs the easy way. Insert the wire all the way in and twirl in both directions several times.



8. What if you decide you don't like it so large and round? Easy, just reform it around a smaller mandrel. A marker pen, mascara applicator tube, 1/4" wooden dowel or a knitting needle (American size 13) will do the trick (Step 11 shows you how).

This pretty variation adds an additional loop in the front - this also takes up the excess wire which results when you are making the ear wire smaller. There is no need to trim as in Step 11. First place your round nose pliers just above the inward facing loop and coil upwards.



It looks oddly open (above right) so this is where that reforming comes in. Place the ear wire as you see below and coil around the dowel or whatever you are using.



9. Always hammer your ear wires. Lightly if you just want to work harden the wire. More forcefully over the main curve if you like the flattened look.

10. How about adding a small metal ball? Just slip one down to the loop and place your chain or round nose pliers above the ball and slightly bend the wire. Readjust the small loop so it is more balanced. Also make the main loop less open by gently squeezing it together or make the ear wire smaller (see next step). You must hammer flat the ear wire otherwise the ball is going to fall out the other end!



11. Use 28G wire to make tiny coils. Either wind in on some waste 20G wire and then transfer it or coil directly on the shank of the ear wire which has been pre-bent as with the ball variation. I made this coiled ear wire smaller by reforming it around the wooden dowel. As there is now excess wire, I re-kinked with the broad nose, trimmed and de-burred. Make sure you check and adjust so it is identical to the other ear wire in the pair.



So have a go if you've never done it before. Remember those extra jump rings? You can use them to make your earring dangles too like I did below.


Also check my post on how to use a large bail forming pliers - this wonderful tool can also be used to make ear wires easily.

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Sandra was convinced she was having an off day at a recent workshop. She really tried and tried but her designs were not coming together in ways she wanted. Her final attempt was this bracelet design which incorporated cathedral beads - those beautiful beads with delicate metal at the ends - and one focal lampwork bead. Interestingly she combined the brown beads with pale blue beads.



So what do you do when you are huffing and puffing over your jewelry making? Quit while you are ahead and take a break? That's one way. Do check out my past post on What to do when you lose your mojo to bead for 16 ways to jumpstart your creativity.

Beader Design #: 459
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