“Delicate yet substantial, the frilly petals of this Parrot Tulip Bead were carefully sculpted for this unique copper chain necklace.” ~Cindy Lietz
The necklace showcased in today’s post was originally shown in the Sculpted Parrot Tulip Bead video tutorial. The artistic collage of additional photos presented below, were shot by our daughter Willow.
These Gallery features are included here at the blog, to provide you guys with ideas to get your creative juices flowing. If you missed the last one, here is a direct link: Ballroom Shimmer Earrings
Please use the comment section at the bottom of the page, to discuss the items presented… or to let me know what other projects you would like to see and learn more about.
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Parrot Tulip Polymer Clay Tassel and Copper Necklace:
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| ************************************************************************************************** Delicate yet substantial, the frilly petals of this Parrot Tulip Bead were carefully sculpted with polymer clay, and then artfully wrapped with wire, to create a charming tassel pendant for this unique copper chain necklace.Accented with Hand Torched Copper Headpins and Tree Coral dangles, the Princess length chain is 18 1/2 inches (47 cm) long with a hammered copper front wearing clasp from which the Parrot Tulip Bead Tassel gracefully hangs.Fine linked Antiqued Bronze chain forms the tassel beneath the flower bead pendant to create texture, movement and visual grounding to the design. The pendant measures 3 inches (7.5 cm) in total length, from wire loop at the top, to the tip of the swaying chain underneath. Price: $40 (US) Parrot Tulip Tassel Necklace – If you are interested in purchasing the jewelry item shown in today’s gallery post above, then please send an email to let me know. Be sure to include your full mailing address so I can work out the shipping cost and get back to you with payment instructions. ************************************************************************************************** |
| ** Did You Know… Members with current subscriptions to the weekly tutorial videos are always entitled to a 10% discount when purchasing 6 or more back issue packages in a single transaction. If you are interested, let me know which back issues you would like, and I will send further instructions on how to complete your order. |
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I just love the look of this bead. So frilly and delicate.
What a gorgeous Parrot Tulip! I love all the great photos; everything looks so inviting (wear me, wear me!) But due to a lack of imagination (I guess that’s my problem today, LOL!,) I’d also like to see a “necklace stand” pic or the like, so it’s clear how the clasp works, & where the flower lies in relation to it when closed. I’m embarrassed to say I was confused (I normally “get” things, I swear!) Anyway, really beautiful work — Oh, Ladies Lietz!
Wait! I see it now…the clasp hooks above the flower, right? It’s not shown in the pics, but I can see that it hooks near copper chain, and that’s only above the gorgeous Parrot Tulip bead. Sorry about that! (Extra-excruciating pain today — made me sslllooowww…..)
Thanks Cindy & Willow, every bit of beauty helps! :)
Artistic talent thrives in the Lietz family. Enjoy the way you have taken pictures from several different angles. The colors are so clear and vivid. I love necklaces but I find in the summer I prefer wearing bracelets. I think I am going to give it a try with 3 smaller parrot tulips and the smaller beads in between each set of tulip. Sound OK or any advice. I will probably go with a toggle clasp. Any advice greatly appreciated.
Many Uuuuggs
Congrats Willow on the beautiful pictures. Also way to go Mom and Dad the two of you are probably beaming with pride.
I wonder if I am the only one who thinks that $40 is not enough for this piece. It seems to me that just the gorgeous focal bead alone is worth this much, then you add the handcrafted copper headpins, clasp, etc. – $50.00 is the more correct amount, IMO.
Wow, Cindy, this flower is even prettier than the one from the tut. I love the transition of the yellow from the green into the red. Beautiful photos, Willow!
Thank you for the kind comments everyone! If I could give you all a hug, I would!
@Phaedrakat: I totally agree. Taking a photo of the whole piece on a bust is a suggest I made for Willow for next time. Even if you can’t see the details well, because of the distance back you would need to take the photo from, to get the whole thing in, the other close-ups will help to explain the whole story. That is one of the tricky things about photographing jewelry. You not only have to make it look good, but you also have to show scale and function. It is not only about the art of the photo. Willow is a great student though, and I see her figuring this out really quickly. Glad you eventually figured it out! ;D
@Peggy Barnes: That sounds like a lovely idea for a bracelet. Since you are thinking of using these beads on a bracelet and bracelets tend to get more wear and tear than a necklace. I would consider making the beads with a little less frills. More like the first bead I show in the tute that is smoother and tighter. This will mean a more durable bead for this type of use.
@Maria: Thanks for saying that sweetie! I know, I could have charged more for this piece, but one of the reasons I make these pieces available is for you guys as members to be able to pick them up a good price. This serves two purposes… (1) You get a nice piece to add to your jewelry collection… and (2) These items are helpful “learning tools” or “teaching aids” for anyone wanting to “perfect” a specific technique that I teach. Being able to hold one of my actual creations can be helpful for some students. Does that make sense?
@Linda K.: It is the same one that was in the tute. You can just see it in more detail because of the great pictures Willow took :)
@Cindy Lietz (re: reply to Maria): This is a very smart thing, Cindy (selling your work at more “affordable” rates for us.) Your reasons are SO TRUE! As a student, holding your jewelry in hand is wonderfully helpful. As you know, I own a couple of your “Cindy Lietz originals,” and it’s incredibly inspiring being able to look at/feel them. I urge everyone (who can do so) to get their hands on Cindy’s pieces — besides their beauty, you’ll be amazed at how gorgeously (if that’s a word) they’ve been finished!
Re: the clasp, sorry I mentioned that. I apologize for not taking more time to figure it out before I left a comment (the photos seemed “conflicting” to me at the time.) I’m amazed by Willow’s gorgeous photos (envious, too — my photos are pretty awful!) I was probably confused due to being stuck in bed for over a full week now. Taking extra pain medicine, heating pad making me sleepy, and laying here so long…it’s just driving me nuts! Anyway, I agree that jewelry pics are tricky. Willow already has a fantastic grasp on things, though, and will no doubt continue to grow & fine-tune her craft (which is already amazing!) You guys have got to be SO proud of her! :-D
We all love it when you post YOUR creations !! Such inspiration . Your tutes have so much to offer. You always tell us to take it step further -that’s why we are here. To learn how to take that step. There are those of us who could not do with out you!!!!! Love your giving nature. We all feel it………
Cindy, did you make the chain and the clasp, as well? I wonder if you would mind telling me what gauge you used, if so? This is a very, very pretty necklace and Willow did a great job in photographing it!
@pattw35: Thank you for saying that Patt! Sometimes it is hard for someone who is new to bead making, to know what to do with the beads after you have created them. I try and create as many different pieces as I can to not only give inspiration to you all, but to better expand my own skills as well. You wouldn’t believe how much you can learn by just trying to make something. That process of designing… having some things go right and somethings go wrong… and then trying to figure out why it works or it doesn’t… is the best learning experience you can have. I am really glad to be part of your learning experience!
@Rebecca (Becky) Chisenhall: Hi Becky, the answer to your question is Yes and No. I did not make the chain, but I did make the clasp and link the hook goes into. If I remember correctly, the gauge was around a 12g but could be a little smaller. Although the designs are a little different, I have done a couple of tutorials a while back on making Hammered Copper Findings and Copper S-Hooks. They are great things to know how to do, since buying clasps can get expensive and they are often boring. The link by my name will take you to one of the posts about them and you can do a search for the other. I agree, Willow did do a great job. We are very proud of her!