We're All Ears :: June Reveal

Beautiful architecture captures my imagination. I find it fascinating that someone can foresee the final product of a structure and then bring it to life. The Guggenheim museum central atrium with its soaring spiral view is a true marvel. The gentle curving walls are actually wider at the top then at the bottom. This was Frank Lloyd Wright's last major work. He died six months before the opening.

Obviously, the spiral shape is what captivated me most about this image. That and the delicate, almost cobweb-like skylight. Spirals are such a common shape in nature.

I couldn't help a little shopping at the recent Bead & Button show (totally breaking my bead diet like a diabetic dropped in the middle of the Hershey factory!), and as I was looking I happened to see these shapes in some of what I purchased. Two sets of art beads, from two different artists, but each with this spiral cobweb motif.

First up are rustic ceramic charms from Marsha Neal Studios. There is a yummy crustiness to this finish that I adore. They are textured on the back as well, with just a touch more blue, but I really liked this side. I decided to bring in some of my favorite jewels from Beads Direct Online (really the only place that I buy gemstones from!) that are rough cut nuggets in Hessionite garnet with an AB finish that gives them a flash of blue and green added to the rich orange color. The holes on these stones are quite tiny, so I had to use 24 gauge wire, but that would be very flimsy. So I solved that by wrapping the wire around the beads to stabilize them and wrapped in between each stone to strengthen the stack. I call these 'Spira Mirabilis,' Latin for 'miraculous spiral,' which is what they call a logarithmic spiral that you find in nature, like the inner workings of a nautilus or an unfurling fern frond.

Going to the Green Girl Studios booth is always a highlight of my time at the Bead & Button show. I always wait until there is a lull so that I can really peruse their goodies at my leisure. Usually that is difficult, as their booth seems to be mobbed at all times. But this year was a bit more relaxed, and I spent a good amount of time there. I told Cynthia Thornton that it was always a pleasure to visit with them. She didn't believe me. She thought that I would mean visiting with her brother, Andrew Thornton, as most people who stop by. But no. I love both of them for the way they each approach life and view the world. Seeing the world through their eyes is really uplifting and intriguing.  And tagging along while they shop is even more fun!

While running my fingers through all the little compartments at their booth and seeking pieces that I don't already own (read: hoard), I came across these little oblong charms. Both sides have a pattern, so they could be reversible, but what struck me was this side. The intricate details reminded me of spiderwebs. When I got home and was making earrings for this challenge, I realized then that the windows of the skylight were represented here. I love the way they are overlapping as if dependent on the other lines to support their pattern. I paired these pretty charms with some onion-shaped briolettes in labrodorite with an AB finish from Beads Direct Online and kept is simple. I call them 'A Delicate Balance.'

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for joining me in the We're All Ears monthly challenges. When I started this a few months ago, I had no idea if it was something that would be interesting, but you have proven to me that it is. Your participation encourages me to keep on planning the monthly We're All Ears inspiration challenge. The next inspiration will be revealed on July 4th.

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Let's see what you created!
Please take the time to hop around to the participants.
Leave kind, encouraging comments.
Visit their shops.
Make new friends!

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