I called it Winter Medallion not just because it looks white. By the way, if you look carefully, there are cream color beads and shiny ivory beads in it, too. I called it Winter because the texture of the medallion resembles the patterns I see on the snow when it gets a chance to lay on the ground for several days. Only I organized it into a more geometrical design. One certainly cannot expect to see that in bird tracks on snow.
Creative Process
In the beginning, I selected more beads for it than I really used in this design. I like the adventurous moments of bead embroidery when I have no idea what I am going to do next, how I am going to continue. However, I had the rhythm and the colors in my mind all the time.
The Center
The center of the medallion is a mother of pearl coin bead. Several #11 seed bead colors I chose for this project were purchased specifically to complement any shell related theme. I love shells and pearls and here I prove that these objects belong to winter theme creations and accessories, too!
In the circle closer to the center bead I wanted to keep beads in the position perpendicular to the center just like I did in the Lapis Lazuli Pendant.
Tila Beads
Despite shell and pearl smooth forms, I decided to add some sharp corners to keep the design more geometrical. To accomplish this, I used Tila beads and square beads. As you can see in the photos I provided here, starting from the beginning, Tila beads were placed in the design before I even knew what is going to be in the center of it. Their role was to hold the circle together at the same time strengthening new line directions.
Triangular Seed Beads
The other exciting part of this adventure was the triangular seed beads. They keep the circular rhythm of the design but also created the texture in between Tila beads. I have to mention, that they are more disobedient than I expected them to be. The precise position of a needle and the thread required! Triangular beads don’t forgive embroiderer’s mistakes!
Another interesting addition I decided to make was matte frosted glass drop beads. At first, I thought they did not belong to the design, but when I realized that winter theme needs some frosted element, I had to include them. In one place they lean on square beads, in the other, they add delicate points to the circle reminding us that the design includes square shapes, too.
The medallion was finished in several days including the time when I put it aside, think, return to it and look at it with a fresh eye. I have completed it just for the fall-winter season which favors white color this year.
Happy Beading!
