November harmony bracelet

This is a simple bracelet I made for a beading contest at the Swedish bead shop Sirlig. The theme for the contest was harmony and I got some last minute inspiration this weekend when I ventured outdoors to photograph all the lovely yellow leaves (I'll show those pics another day).



Late October and early November is a quiet and subtle time in nature. The fog dull sounds and sights as well as dim the sun light. The colours fade and there is cold moisture everywhere: fine drops in the air that condensates on leaves and stems. Nature is preparing for the winter sleep. It is like the cold drops of fog drain the colours from the last flowers, leaving the petals bleak and transparent. Still, yellow and orange leaves cling to the trees and litter the ground, but it's the paleness of the world that dominate your senses. There is a special feeling when you walk through a wild garden or forest on a Sunday afternoon in this weather and in this season. There is harmony in the quiet day, void of any sounds natural or manmade, but also a certain melancholy. It is a farewell, but also a retreat. A time for rest and recovery.


I wanted to try and capture this mood in my bracelet, using only the beads I have in my stash (and the few hours left before the contest deadline). I used greenish opal glass beads with a picasso finish as a symbol for the watery aspect, the cold drops of water that cover everything and saturate the air. The beads are knotted using pale green silk. To that I added a matte acrylic flower i dusty teal and a pale yellow-green acrylic leaf. Reminiscent of the last, fading flowers. The clasp is hidden behind the flower.

It was difficult to get a good picture of the oval beads. The opal glass is mottled, mixing swirls of translucent with more transparent glass. It almost looks like two different colours of beads when it's not. And I fear that detracts a bit from the harmonious feeling I wanted to convey. But I hope you still think it looks nice.