Dark Lady - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

Dark Lady

An antique purse that was well beyond repair provided the steel-cut beads and the chain used for the closure of this recycled bead embroidered necklace. All of the black beads, from the fringe to the smallest glass charlottes are recycled antiques as well. The steel buttons have been attached in such a way that their shanks have been preserved. 

 Copyright 2021 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. 

Orinoco Flow - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

Orinoco Flow 

My daughter pointed out to me that this piece uses several very primitive symbols, like concentric circles and jagged lines, which often represent watering holes and the rivers that connect them. So I picked Orinoco Flow as the name. It has turquoise, amazonite, and pearls, and gold wire along with the glass beads. 

If you'd like to see a couple of process shots, visit the link!

 Copyright 2021 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. 

Blossoms of the Moonlit Waves - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

Blossoms of the Moonlit Waves 

Are they flowers or are they sea creatures? Maybe they are both, as the name suggests! Made from sugilite, charoite, Swarovski crystals, seed beads, and pearls.

If you'd like to see all my process shots, visit the link!

Copyright 2021 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. 

Midnight at the Oasis - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

Midnight at the Oasis 

"It's midnight at the oasis, send your camel to bed," sang the incomparable Maria Muldaur. My friends and I used to howl with laughter as we sang along! Now I find myself nostalgic for the song if you can believe it. 

This bead embroidery necklace uses complicated clusters of graduated stacks of seed beads to create the texture. The photograph just doesn't show how dimensional it is. If you'd like to see all my process shots, there's a three-part post on my blog that starts at the link. 

Copyright 2020 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved.

Phoebe - a mixed media bead embroidered necklace

Phoebe

Hello friends! I haven't had time to work on new pieces since I'm still running a food pantry and hot meals program during the Time of Covid. So I thought I'd take a bit of a trip down memory lane and share some of my older pieces again. I hope you don't mind. This one is called Phoebe. She is named for Saturn's ice moon, which was in turn named for a Titan of Greek mythology. 

 Copyright 2021 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. 

Fossils

I got this great polymer clay cabochon set from Sherri Kellberg, BeadazzleMe. I thought I just needed a push to get back into making things, and this seemed to do it. I am trying to set aside some creative time when I'm not working on or obsessing over the food pantry and meals program.

Further instruction on making bead embroidered pieces can be found in Every Bead Has a Story, where the first chapter is free to download.

Copyright 2020 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 update

Some of my friends - around the US and around the world - have probably wondered why I've stopped posting new work. Here's why:

I run a food pantry and a weekly dinner for the food insecure, lonely, and marginalized people in my community. With the covid-19 crisis, my work there has increased a higher percentage than I can even figure out. I've been eating, sleeping, and breathing Stone Soup Kitchen Ministries. It has left no vacant brain space for making new art right now.

As an introvert, I would have liked nothing better than to hunker down and just make things. But that wasn't in the cards.  I've been put in a uniquely privileged position to be able to do this, and I thank you all for understanding that it is the most important thing to me right now.

Some day in the not TOO distant future, I hope to be able to create art again.