Quiet Beauty

Quiet Beauty

I try to steal a few minutes each day to notice the beauty in my everyday - the quiet beauty that is always around us.

Some bead love today - 

I have to admit that I love beads - pearls, crystals, wood - but my favorite beads are seed beads. They so tiny, but they are also very versatile.  

Today I found myself staring at this band of seed beads that I stitched many years ago.  The pattern isn't my own - but when I saw the pattern I knew that I needed to make it - how could I resist creating a copy of the Mona Lisa out of seed beads!  

The pattern was originally intended to be a bracelet, but I fashioned a mini wall hanging out of it - and it has been hanging on my bulletin board ever since.  

In certain angles the band looks like a mess of beads and the pattern is not apparent; but when band is shifted her eyes, nose, and mouth can be clearly seen.   Her pale skin and neutral background were stitched with matte finished beads, while glossy beads were used for her hair and pink highlights - and they sparkle when the sunlight pours in from the window.  It's hard to believe that there are more than 3,000 beads in this piece (it's only 1 inch wide by 6.5 inches long).   

I have to thank the pattern maker, who ever he or she is, for creating something so beautiful from the simple seed bead.

I hope that you take a moment today to enjoy the beauty in your life.

Be Wonderfully Odd!