Okay, let me back up just a little. A few weeks ago, by way of Dulcey's blog, I discovered Nancy Eha was hosting an embellished tiara contest and I could not resist taking part.
A wonderful kit was provided as well as clearly defined guidelines, one of which was coming up with a royal name.
The theme for the challenge... 'All About the Sparkle'
The deadline to get the images entered is the same day I leave for the Tahoe Bead Retreat, I managed to get my entry sent off yesterday - one more thing off my 'to do' list before I leave - HOORAY!
Details about the construction of the piece and the materials used - a large piece of 'black crown magic' was provided in the kit as the base for the crown. Since I rarely measure or plan anything I bead, I encountered more measuring and cutting than I am used to and was a bit intimidated by it but am pleased with the results.
Something else I am not so experienced with is fusing. I applied it on the material used for the backing of the crown. For added stability, I ran a thin piece of wire along the bottom of the crown line and added poster board between the material on the back and the 'crown magic'. The finished crown is soft but sturdy.
I used 9 vintage Swarovski sew-on's along the bottom of the crown as well as 6 - 6mm Swarovski margarita beads. Also added are 2 tiny (3mm) Swarovski crystal sequins, 17 purple Swarovski 4mm bicones and two vintage glass sew on jewels in purple and royal blue. Makes for LOTS of sparkle. I added size 11/0 gold beads with size 15/0 violet gold luster beads in a pointed edge stitch as found in Beading with Cabochons by Jamie Cloud Eakin. Not only does is add a golden glow around the edge, it's a great way to attached the back to the front. It is one of my favorite edge stitches.
Speaking of sparkle - how about those sequins? I have a limited number of these vintage sequins in a rainbow of colors. I was lucky enough to find them on EBay through a woman that was selling off wonderful vintage stock used long ago by her grandmother. These sequins were used by the grandmother and great aunt to decorate/create Christmas ornaments. They are so pretty and the colors are like nothing I have seen in newer sequins, they don't fade, rub off or lose their brilliance no matter how much they are handled. Fit for royalty I think.
One of the requirements is to include a photo of the creator wearing the crown. I am not including that photo here, but it will be included in the final entries for the contest.
If you are interested in seeing the entries (and voting for your favorite), you can sign up for Nancy's newsletter through her website (see the bottom of the web page) If you are not familiar with Nancy's work, take a few minutes to view her gallery. There is some great stuff there!
