Reminiscence

So I've only been thinking about doing a tiny Journey pendant since I first did the large cuff bracelet... er, some years ago. (Don't make me time and math.) I was finishing up the 2019 Desert Bus for Hope chocobo when the MP3 player randomly selected a track off the Journey soundtrack and then I listened to more and... nostalgia. Even if I really should have been concentrating on something else. I'll get there.

I hadn't really been thinking of adding the drape at first, but I was already digging around for beads. You know how it is.
(For Sale)

Corrupted Water Crystal

Like a good many things, this started off as a nebulous concept I hadn't taken in any way seriously until it was too late. My girlfriend had been talking about wanting some version of a water crystal pendant (ala Final Fantasy 1), with the mention of "corrupted" in there somewhere, and the Fiend responsible being the Kraken so tentacles were a given and... I let my mind wander and tried a few things with a spare crystal I'd had around for ages to add color and some extra sparkle. I was only encouraged further.

Several layers of sparkly and a wide variety of techniques later and ta-da, there be a corrupted water crystal. As is the standard case with me, trying to get a decent representation of the colors under various lighting proved... challenging. There's a depth of purple beneath the blue, and the crystal itself remains translucent, so depending on how the light bounces and how much there actually is shining on it, the crystal itself has waves of both purple and blue, while the tentacles are always a darker blue with an opaque black base.

This one's both spoken and paid for, but I'm definitely planning to play more with the concept in the future. I'm also open for commissions, as per usual.

Fisher Totem

I was commissioned by an old, dear, and remarkably supportive friend for something of a wearable fisher totem. Initial thoughts were simple. So we all knew it had to unravel into sparkly delightfully chaos, right? Of course it wasn't really that bad; the work was greatly enjoyed, I learned a heck of a lot about fishers/"fisher cats", and even managed to teach myself a few additional techniques which I'll be using in the future for other critters, but the waiting for various beads and things to come by mail was very unfun. I'm also pretty sure I caused any number of panic attacks through progress shots, since this wasn't something that actually came together and looked anywhere near finished until it was about 90% done. But do let it be said that when I am graciously "overpaid" for a project, I will earn every last penny.

Since this creature was designed to be wearable and super sturdy, there are a number of reinforcements, both internal and external. While still a touch "squishy" as my beaded critters tend to be, there's a lot more general firmness and lack of flexibility to this one. I also wound up using four different colors of beads, from light golden brown to dark brown (and the main coppery brown color of the body is, of course, comprised of discontinued beads, argh!), mimicking the natural color variations of fishers. As to be expected, no camera is rarely able to actually reflect as much, as getting the light "just right" usually results in over-bright and fuzzy images. Fun for everyone.

As for the harness, well... an embedded bail was just weird and uncomfortable looking, y'know? And I'd already sort of been thinking about what I'd like to do for a harness/bail combination, so when I got permission I just ran with it. The wire is stainless steel (and VERY STURDY ow my hand), and the little silver eyes are indeed sterling silver.

Overall, I'm happy with the result (though clearly the commissioner's happiness is sort of key, too). It would not have happened without an extremely patient and encouraging commissioner who had faith in me even through my seeming ineptitude and many mentions of internal screaming. Heh.

The Seal of Zeal

Behold, the seal of Zeal! The Zeal seal. The… symbol generally representing Zeal. From Chrono Trigger. I’m sure you already got that by now.

I was commissioned by the magnificent SchalaKitty for a symbol of Zeal pendant. And then I looked at the sprite. And then I started sweating. SO MANY FLOATING BEADS. Ahem. They inspire my wrath, but I did it. I defeated them. This is actually the second attempt; the first was a test run of the design and color choices, which turned out to be far too subtle. This, this is not subtle.

The end result isn’t quite as perfectly neat as I wanted it to be, but I sacrificed a very small amount of aesthetic value for a heck of a lot more strength and stability, so I think it all works out.

Puzzle Box Pendant

In before tragic reboot. Ahem.

I'd wanted to do a Hellraiser-inspired beadwoven cube for quite a long time, honestly. It took me a long while to finally figure out how I was going to simplify the pattern on the puzzle box, before finally deciding to go extremely simple. The result was unfortunately as much failure as triumph. The cube itself is fully reinforced internally (non-squishy, in other words), solid without actually having sharp corners despite the look of it, though it is somewhat obviously not exactly a cube. My initial plan for getting everything together turned out to be far less stable than I felt comfortable with, so I had to make last minute edits and woe, not-quite-cube and a truly messy bottom portion. Do I know how to fix this for next time? Oh yes, the pattern edits have been made. But it's probably going to be quite a long time before trying again. I'm happy with the result, anyway. Proof of concept and all that.
For Sale

Orb Guardian Pendant Set

Orb Guardian pairs have come to be a symbol of partnership and trust. One feels affinity for the lighter stone, the other for the darker, both of them representing one half of a universal whole.

I hadn't actually seen these coming. I know, big shock. I just wanted to pick up a little polymer clay since it had been so long, and before I knew it... well, these. I'd intended them to be simple, and they did turn out to be... relatively so, but then I decided to complicate matters. They started out as very flat and smooth and I found that... boring. So I rounded them out, added texture and iridescent pigment, and of course a Swarovsky rhinestone each. I've also reinforced the wings to stand up to any possible hair or clothing snags, as well as balanced/shaped them in such a way that they carry the majority of their weight in the stone and the bottom of the tail so no one gets poked in the neck or chest while wearing them. Seemed kind of important to me.
(For Sale)

Lightcycle Pixel Pendants

A little classic geeky bling, perfect for User and Programs alike. I spent a little time trying to figure out semi-appropriate pricing, the result is lovely geeky classic arcade-inspired Tron lightcycle pixel pendants! Whew. Obviously I needed a little extra dangly flare at the end there.

Baby Jewel Dragon Pendant and Bracelet Set 2/10

Preferred element: earth
Current favorite food: flowers (violets in particular)
Sex: male
Size: 2 inches long, 1.5 inch wingspan

Jewel dragon mothers are the most notorious for gathering a pile of shiny stones with which to circle their nest. Once their clutch starts to hatch, the babies naturally gravitate toward one stone in particular, partially "feeding" from it for the next several months. Here you'll find all you need to care for a baby jewel dragon, should you choose to take one into your home.

Accidentally made an EVA dragon.  2/10 completed.  I sure don't want to say this little guy was any easier than the last one, but at least I've kind of developed a little muscle memory for them now.  Enough.

Funny/tragic: while I was coating the stone with clear enamel, some green dye started to come off on my brush.  (That hadn't happened with the previous stone.)  I was close to being enormously frustrated until I realized that the dye was mixing beautifully with the enamel and of course the effect is impossible to properly photograph, but the green is so very, very GREEN everywhere rather than in just certain places.  It worked out beautifully.  And thanks to the fully cured enamel, there's no worry about the dye running ever again.

(For Sale)