The featured bead this week is the CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements #6906 orchid pendant. Here’s why:
The crystal orchid pendant is lovely to start with. But you can get more for your money, and so can your customers, if you multi-purpose this bead into fashionable steampunk designs.
Given the steampunk affection for making things industrial look pretty, how about a crystal propeller?
This pendant comes in various colors, so blend it into an overall color “blueprint” in your designs. For starters, we’ve thought of using these on leather cuffs from Tafuri Tough. Here’s a similar idea recently made by Cindy Gimbrone using glass beads:
Steampunk "Deconstructed watch" / propellers pendant by Cindy Gimbrone
This is a good illustration of how you can add in some cogs, maybe some wire, watch parts…the sky’s the limit for propeller beads!
Do you have a steampunk inspiration? Lots of components can be re-purposed to use in this style. Share your ideas in a comment!
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Tags: beads, crystal orchid pendants, Featured Bead, multipurposing, propeller beads, steampunk
I can see how these would work. I still have to cock my head from side to side and blink a couple times to get ‘Steam punk’
One day I will wrap around the concept.
Oh how I love Cindys work!
I admit, it’s steampunk because of the propeller idea, not the other way around!
That is an intriguing little bead, and I see the potential for steampunk or flowers….I love using quirky found objects in my work, and I will keep these in mind for something different. Enjoy the day! Erin
I now have this mental picture of a zeppelin made entirely from CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements with these as the propellers…I may need professional help.
Lead-free Zeppelin??? Lololololol!