Maid Marian and Black Pearl Bracelets

I bought some wonderful salmon leather from Iceland a while back. It's so beautiful that I was worried I'd spoil it, but I really wanted to make something with it. However, as a 'tester' I got myself some leather and made some prototypes first.

Maid Marian Bracelet

Deep olive green leather with two leaves cut out and the different sides of the leather showing.

There is also a silverplated vintage leaf embellished with some Japanese glass seedbeads.

Two rings sewn onto the leather allow the bracelet to be fully adjusted. If you have a particularly slim neck you can probably wear it as a choker. :-)


Here are the leaves in detail. And below are the two rings with bead embroidery. The colours and textures just reminded me of Robin Hood, although it's not an oak leaf...



Black Pearl


This bracelet was a bit more complicated and complex. It's made to measure - this one is 6.5" (17cm) and closes with rivets and lacing in deep red satin cord.



The edges have been stamped out and cut out to give it a lacy edge. The black guipur lace has been embellished with black glass pansies, black glass pearls and red lustred Japanese seedbeads.

Above you can see the lacing and rivets. The lace and beads in more detail below. Perfect for the pirate girl in your life... :-)

Sugar Plums, Fleur-de-Lys and Wall Flowers

Here are two versions of the pattern I worked till 2.30 last night to get finished. I can't decide which version I like better - the one with leaves or the one without.

Sugar Plums


I saw a vintage Japanese mould of a sugar plum design and really, really liked it so this pattern was created with the lovely mould design in mind. :-) It's going to be part of my oriental pattern collection.

Here are a couple more Gothic patterns:

Fleur-De-Lys


Wall Flowers

This was actually inspired by a visit to a local church. Since I'd already done the gargoyles (although I might come back to that) I decided to do something along the lines of the stone mouldings.



Again, I couldn't decide which design I like better - the first one is the original, the second one has been coloured to look like aged sandstone.


More to come in the next days including four pairs of earrings. :-)

Snow

Finally, 'proper' snow for once. It's been snowing all last night and most of this morning. The schools are closed (to my son's eternal pleasure) and rather than doing fun stuff like finishing my handbag I'll be making cookies and possibly muffins... Oh well...

A view out of my backdoor:

Mahonia covered in snow - the bush is currently in flower. I love the contrast of the thick fluffy snow against the spiky Mahonia and its yellow flowers.


Here's my bay leaf - it looks almost like it's covered in icing!



And here's the view over my back garden.