Vintage Inspired

I found this among the pieces of my mother's jewelry that were given to me last fall after we scattered her ashes in Texas.















I don't know anything about it, like where she may have gotten it, or when it was made, but I'm guessing from the materials and the design that it may have been made sometime in the 1940s or 1950s.

The peachy-colored baubles stuck in my head for weeks, while I tried to figure out a way to re-create them. Then when I saw the new Swarovski crystal pearls in that gorgeous coral color, I knew I wanted to use them to try to recreate the piece. A piece of copper chain and a funky square-shaped copper toggle from Artbeads was all I needed to complete the piece:















Trying to make these beaded beads was definitely a challenge for me. I used tubular right angle weave, which is one of my least favorite stitches, and went through many, many variations of the pattern. The first time I actually had one beaded bead stitched up perfectly, I realized that I hadn't taken any notes on what I did, so I had to tear the thing apart to see where my thread path went so I could re-create it! Note to self: always take notes.

It's really a cool little piece. I love the way the beaded beads jingle against the chain when I wear it. This is one that I think I will be submitting to a magazine or using as a class, if I can ever get my teaching schedule organized.

The last two days, I'm really starting to feel like I'm pregnant, although I have yet to be hit with the nausea that I had when I was pregnant with Colden. There are still times when I feel like I'm totally in denial about the pregnancy thing because I actually feel pretty good most days, if not a little emotional. The thing that's been the hardest so far is the exhaustion - and having to haul myself out of bed once, twice or three times a night to take care of Colden. Yesterday afternoon, I walked down the hill to the garage to pick up the car after we had it inspected, and today, I feel like I can barely move.

But if this is how I'm going to feel for this pregnancy, I'll take it over the constant nausea any day!