Process Pics. Autumn Splendor

I made the necklace Autumn Splendor last late fall, when Joan Jensen from TazWood Creations suggested me to try her wood cabochons in my designs. A burl is a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch. Burls yield a very peculiar and highly figured wood. Because the number of trees that produce burl wood is quite low, the wood is scarce. These hand turned by Joan Jensen cherry burl wood cabochons have subtle inlays of turquoise in the burl's natural void.


I was so amazed by these beautiful cabochons, that immediately started designing my "autumny" necklace.


Then I beaded around the cabochons...


...and after that blended two sizes of wooden round beads, six colors of seed beads in three different sizes, as well as bugle beads and dyed cultured pearls. A brass toggle clasp was the perfect closure to this beadwork.


Beautiful TazWood cabochons and Autumn Splendor are shown together in the current issue of Beadwork magazine. The necklace was a finalist in the Wearable Expressions 2008 international contest and was being exhibited by Wearable Expressions in California. Here is the slide show of creating my necklace, and closeups:

Autumn Splendor