Thank you to Theresa Maxwell from TheresaMaxwellStudio for including Inner Universe in the Across the Universe treasury!

Ramum Olivae.  Long ago, there was a place I visited that was like a dream.  It was endlessly beautiful, inhabited by magnificent giants—that I was tasked with killing.  Many times I questioned the slaughter, but still I pressed on, eager to see what would become of me and the world around me, and it was when I saw the giants all laying motionless that I felt the weight of what I’d done.  From that day on I left the realm, swearing a self-imposed exile; I no longer deserved to see such beauty.  Maybe one day I can return to the Forbidden Land, to witness the landscape again… but there will be no more killing.

Shadow of the Colossus left a lasting impact on me that I’m not sure was intended by Team ICO.  I cannot do the epic right with words, but maybe in a beaded peace offering?  I’d been wanting to do something with the Eye of the Colossus (an item that doesn’t actually appear in the finished game, but the model and function code still exist in preview builds; yes, this is how much of a geek I am) for quite a long time now, and it all just sort of crashed down around me with a large, round fiber optic cabochon.  Then came paint.  And beads.  Lots and lots of bead and many days of weaving beads to more beads.

I’m so happy with this.  Not only did the Eye of the Colossus come out beautifully, but the dark gray beads frame it perfectly, and the “serpent creature” astounds me.  Of course those are Swarovski crystals for the eyes.  The clasp is one of those hook attachments that I normally use for dragon bracelets, but in this case it was the best choice.  There are also sixteen “spines”, one to represent each Colossus.  They’re not actually spiny in any way, as they’re held together with thread and flexible.  Just thought I’d say so.

(“Ramum olivae” is Latin for “branch of olive”; an olive branch.  A peace offering.)

(It also just happens to be available for sale.)

Finished spider commissions!  I keep calling them Big Spider and Little Spider, so… that works.  They’re skinny because the commissioner had no preference for body type and I’ve seen a whole lot of skinny spiders around this year.  (How about you help me with these gnats, guys?  Geez.)

Beaded spiders are always available for commission in any color combination, by the way.  I can attach the smaller ones to pins, bails for pendants, earrings, barrettes; I can even stick magnets on them if that’s your thing.  For… whatever reason that’s your thing.  The bigger ones are quite a bit heavier, but a bail can still be attached for hanging if desired.

Neil Gaiman’s commencement address at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts.  A lovely inspiration for all artist-types.

Eight Red Butterflies.  So the story goes, there was once an assassin hidden amongst the courtesans.  For every successful kill and escape, she would add a red butterfly to her bracelet.  One day the bracelet was found on the side of a dock, hung on the handle of a knife that had been hers, and no trace of either the assassin nor the nobleman she was sent to kill (who would have been the ninth butterfly) was ever found.  A romantic heart may tell you that she fell in love with the nobleman and they sailed away together.  I see nothing wrong with hoping for that.

I am terrible at waiting for things and I also sort of wanted to do something simple.  No, actually simple, not just the “fake simple” I usually get roped into.  I’ve had these eight red glass butterfly beads set aside for a very long time, and that little story in my head ever since.  Finally doing something simple in a “less is more” sort of thing makes me happy.

(And it is also currently available.)

Step 1: In the middle of one project, an idea for something geeky and shiny and awesome hits right out of the blue.

Step 2: Attempt to finish first project before starting random idea.

Step 3: Fail miserably; random idea gets started in the background.

Step 4: Finish first idea while fretting over not quite knowing how to do random geeky idea.

Step 5: Start anyway.

Step 6: Totally amaze self at something seemingly stupid working out beautifully.

Step 7: Happily work, still amazed everything seems to be working out.

Step 8: Run out of beads.

Step 9: Reorder beads.

Step 10: Sigh, wait, and tell Tumblr you may be kind of dumb.

Well, what with the TRON: UPRISING miniseries happening and all, it seemed like a decent choice.  I’ve been meaning to do “the blue version” forever.  Finally just saw these beads on my desk one day and decided, “You know, I really should get to this.”  Hoorah and so on.

Now this particular bracelet was made with Miyuki cube beads; different than the Rinzler bracelets and their use of Toho cube beads.  Miyuki is generally more expensive, sure, but the quality is definitely better.  Not to mention I wasn’t having to deal with a bunch of sharp sides and shattered beads.  Still, I elected for a simpler, asymmetrical strap because… well, I just did.  I like it!  And of course there is that delicious Swarovski square crystal.  For once I actually got a good picture of it!

(And it is indeed for sale.)

schalakitty:

amorningcupofjo:

Pyrria, from Shiny Things by Orin Drake.

Reblogging in support of Orin and her gorgeous creatures.

Thank you so much amorningcupofjo and schalakitty!  And all of the likes and followers and shiny-appreciators in general.  Heh.

In an effort to occasionally keep this  place from being completely inactive between finished projects, I am rambling about unfinished projects!

So apparently I have four separate things going on right now (all of which I started yesterday, go me!).  Two are from a fandom people don’t really associate me with, so hopefully that’ll be a nice surprise.  Sadly I have to learn something in order to complete one of them.  Bother.  I thought I’d finally moved past this whole learning thing!

The last two will probably be predictable.  …Well, one is technically two that I’m trying to do at the same time, but I still count it as one project.  …Because I cannot math.

Summary: 1 + 1 = 5.

Despite appearances, Pyrria is actually quite shy.  She opens up and becomes the life of the party when she’s comfortable, but until then she is more than content to explore on her own or find a nice little quiet spot to roost and sing to herself.

Pyre birds are often mistaken for phoenixes by (hopefully) well-meaning but generally easily-distracted or just plain inattentive mages, magicians and alchemists.  They’re more closely related to dragons than they are to phoenixes, legs designed for running at high speeds and leaping.  That’s not to say they don’t fly, of course; they rely more on self-made heated air (in part thanks to the heartstone) to stay afloat than their wings.  There was some, shall we say, “unpleasantness” a while back regarding humans and their inability to keep their hands off sparklies that they proclaimed as their own, hence why pyre birds are rarely seen these days.

(There are quite a few more pictures and detail shots at her gallery page.  She’s also looking for a good home, by the way.)