{"id":15042,"date":"2012-02-02T03:14:42","date_gmt":"2012-02-02T11:14:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beadsandbeading.com\/blog\/?p=15042"},"modified":"2015-07-28T19:12:31","modified_gmt":"2015-07-29T02:12:31","slug":"knotted-celtic-heart-beads-polymer-clay-tutorial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beadsandbeading.com\/blog\/knotted-celtic-heart-beads-polymer-clay-tutorial\/15042\/","title":{"rendered":"Knotted Celtic Heart Beads | Polymer Clay Tutorial"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CelticVideo #241:<\/span> “The twisted stem in my Love Spoon is a Celtic knot which represents the eternal love or togetherness of the two lovers.” ~Willow Lietz<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Because of Valentines, February is known as the month of love. What better symbol to represent love than a beautiful Celtic Heart Love Knot?<\/span><\/p>\n

The next set of tutorials coming up for this month, were actually inspired by an art piece done by my 15 year old daughter Willow. Most of you already are familiar with the photos she contributes here at the blog. So you probably have already seen some of her artistic side.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well wouldn’t you know, one of her Visual Arts projects from school, was recently accepted for display at the Surrey Museum Gallery. It was lovingly sculpted from polymer clay of course!<\/span><\/p>\n

Willow’s assignment was to make a traditional artwork done in a modern way that represented her heritage. Being a fifth generation Canadian of European decent (Scottish, English, Irish, Swiss, French, Swedish, Prussian, German and possibly others), Willow did some research and found that a Love Spoon (which you will see in the tutorial video<\/a>), was a perfect fit for her background and the project.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is what Willow wrote for her didactic that was posted alongside her artwork, in the gallery:<\/span><\/p>\n

The Love Spoon is an old tradition practiced throughout Europe. My interpretation of the spoon incorporates many components of my family history and traditions. It was originally used as a gesture symbolizing the start of a relationship and the love between a man and a woman. It was used almost in the same way as an engagement ring is now used.<\/span><\/p>\n

The man would spend hours carving a wooden spoon for the woman he aspired to marry and if she accepted it, they would start a relationship together. The more complicated and intricate the design was, the more love the man had for the woman. Each component on the spoon had a meaning that the woman would take into consideration when she accepted the spoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of the symbols you see, relate directly to my family history as the tradition of these spoons. The key and lock represent the promise of faithfulness and the security of having a man who will not leave your side. The bird shows that the two people are lovebirds and they want to go away together, but this particular bird is the design of a wood carving my great-grandfather carved for each one of his fifty grandchildren.<\/span><\/p>\n

The flower resting on the back of the bird is a symbol for affection but is also the Dogwood flower, which is the provincial flower of British Columbia, the province of which I was born. The twisted stem in my Love Spoon is a Celtic knot which represents the eternal love or togetherness of the two lovers.<\/span><\/p>\n

The meaning of the wagon wheel is to steer a safe course throughout their life together and the anchor expresses the man’s desire to settle down. I thought the placing of the wheel and anchor was appropriate because my early ancestors were trailblazers as well as fishermen. The seashell and the fish emphasize my family’s background of fishing and love of being out at sea. Lastly, the spoon speaks of providing while the embedded heart says, “I Love You”<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

~Willow Lietz<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Although me teaching you all how to make a Love Spoon would be interesting and fun, it would be far too detailed and time consuming for me to pull off in the time we have available. Plus it is not in the bead and jewelry making category. None the less, I think it makes a wonderful jumping off point for some Celtic Knot and Faux Wood inspired tutorials.<\/span><\/p>\n

So<\/em>… for this upcoming Volume-045 at the Polymer Clay Tutor Library<\/a>, I have decided to do a series of tutorials that will not only work as individual projects, but can also be combined into more complicated pieces as well:<\/span><\/p>\n