A CAMEO CLOSEUP...

Just a few photos of my Mother's Day 2016 gift to my own Mom...taken and forgotten until this morning, as I was looking for something inspiring to write about.  At the very least, may this spark someone's creative juices, with the idea of turning old into new, again.  Mom and I always look at the beautiful old cameos while antique shopping - this was the perfect opportunity to throw three into one gift for her!  Click, and click again, to enlarge any photo here...

Bead embroidery around old, broken down" cameos, and intact antique buttons - all turned into a piece of arm candy.  No rhyme or reason - just lots of beads and time...a tiny bit of a beginning vision, but more or less, just "wild abandon" in putting it all together (hence King Neptune amongst all the ladies).

I have friends who actually save "junk" pieces for me, knowing I will use them eventually - thus, the old Angel Skin Pink Coral carved cameo, in a setting of 10K gold.  Twas' a ladies ring in its former life - the shank had been twisted off at some point, leaving just the front.  Check out the little white beads around the setting - those are actually the tiniest white pearls I have ever seen - drilled through, and mounted onto this fabulous setting with gold wire.

The small Carnelian Shell cameo on the opposite side began life as a screw-back earring, while the large, heavy cameo in the center was a brooch at one time...she is called a Bacchante (noun (pl) bacchantes (bəˈkæntɪz) 1. a priestess or female votary of Bacchus. 2. a drunken female reveller).  

The cameos carved to represent Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses are fascinating, and information on the Internet is plentiful.  Drunken female reveller is code for "party girl", evidently.

Sewn to a sturdy foundation, one bead at a time (I realize in looking at these photos, that the center cameo beads look a little wonky, and then remember that I included a small beaded ruffle over the top of her...drunken female reveller, that she is) - backed with ultrasuede, sewn in place (I'm not big on glue) with one-at-a-time edging beads.  All buttons, including the large rhinestones, are antique.  Thrown into the mix are Fire-polish glass Czech beads; seed and regular pearls; pyrite beads; and lots and lots of seed beads, in a riot of sizes and color.  Finished off with a simple, old fashioned type hook and eye fastener.

May your Sunday bring some creative time...and a nap.  Sunday naps are the BEST!  See you on Travel Tuesday...