Turquoise for the Birthday Girl

Ok - Personal Fact - I am Adopted. There you go! My birth mother Marion was young when she had me and I was adopted by my parents who are now in their 70's when I was 2weeks old or thereabouts. Fairly common in the 1960's and 1970's. Interestingly my husband Craig is also adopted - so it was kind of neat when we both had our own children. (although for a while there we thought we would be venturing down the adoption track)

Anyway, Marion turned 60 on Sunday and decided to celebrate at the Langham Hotel in central Auckland with their High Tea. It was a dilema - do I make something or do I buy something? Obviously the universe was pulling me to make something, since crafting with beads is my thing, and I was fast running out of time.

I loved the blue in this pendant that I had made a while ago but had never really liked the ribbon and rattail it was hanging from. Obviously neither did my customers as it had been for sale in my shop for a wee while. Got to thinking with 3 days left and decided to bead a Russian Spiral Rope to go with it.

Before the new reconstructed necklace is revealed here is the way I decorated the box it was gifted in. Plain kraft box an lid then shoozzed it up a bit with the silver paper, ribbon and paper flowers. The blue is the envelope with the card. Yes I made that too but forgot to take a photo - sorry.

The final reconstructed Russian Spiral Rope to go with the necklace. Sorry the photo isn't a closeup. It definitely looks so much better this way and the rope is Turquoise, Black and Silver. Made with size 11 and size 15 Japanese Seed Beads.

Marion loves it and I was so relieved to hear that her current favourite colour is turquoise as I really had no idea. The only recent photos I had seen she was wearing red so it was a bit of a gamble.

High Tea was lovely and it was great to finally taste some macaroons. - Pistashio - Yumm!