Featured bead: orchids (or propellers)

May 19, 2009

The featured bead this week is the CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements #6906 orchid pendant. Here’s why:

orchid_06-906-20-01

The crystal orchid pendant is lovely to start with. But you can get more for your money, and so can your customers, if you multi-purpose this bead into fashionable steampunk designs.

orchid_06-906-20-150

Given the steampunk affection for making things industrial look pretty, how about a crystal propeller?

orchid_06-906-20-160

This pendant comes in various colors, so blend it into an overall color “blueprint” in your designs. For starters, we’ve thought of using these on leather cuffs from Tafuri Tough. Here’s a similar idea recently made by Cindy Gimbrone using glass beads:

Steampunk watch/propellers jewelry by Cindy Gimbrone

Steampunk “Deconstructed watch” / propellers pendant by Cindy Gimbrone

This is a good illustration of how you can add in some cogs, maybe some wire, watch parts…the sky’s the limit for propeller beads!

Do you have a steampunk inspiration? Lots of components can be re-purposed to use in this style. Share your ideas in a comment!

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5 Comments

  • Reply justatish May 19, 2009 at 2:28 pm

    I can see how these would work. I still have to cock my head from side to side and blink a couple times to get ‘Steam punk’
    One day I will wrap around the concept.
    Oh how I love Cindys work!

  • Reply Dave May 19, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    I admit, it’s steampunk because of the propeller idea, not the other way around! 🙂

  • Reply Tesori Trovati May 20, 2009 at 11:55 am

    That is an intriguing little bead, and I see the potential for steampunk or flowers….I love using quirky found objects in my work, and I will keep these in mind for something different. Enjoy the day! Erin

  • Reply Dawno May 23, 2009 at 7:39 am

    I now have this mental picture of a zeppelin made entirely from CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements with these as the propellers…I may need professional help.

  • Reply Dave May 26, 2009 at 2:09 pm

    Lead-free Zeppelin??? Lololololol!

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