September Art Bead Scene Challenge

I skipped last month's challenge over at the Art Bead Scene Blog but I'm back for September!  Fall is my absolute favorite time of year (which may be surprising since I know that fall's arrival means we are one step closer to the long, cold winter).  I've always loved that crispness to the air, the leaves changing color, pumpkin and apple picking...  Fall is a magical and fleeting season and I couldn't resist the gorgeous palette of Alphonse Mucha's "Autumn" and the chance to celebrate the new season.  If you'd like more background on this month's artist and his artwork, click HERE.

Alphonse Mucha, Oil on Panel

Autumn from  "The Seasons (series)", 1896

For once, I didn't go digging through my art bead stash to see what I had that might work.  I knew that I had a Vintaj "Treasured Maple" altered blank in my stash (a thank you from my very first whole sale order) that I could turn into the perfect focal for this challenge.  While they call it a maple, I think it really looks more like a grape leaf.  I ran it through my BigKick with an embossing folder, added some color with the Vintaj Patinas, and voila! 

Freshly painted!

I added in an assortment of beads that pulled from different parts of the color palette including carnelian, Czech glass, and even a Swarovski crystal.  I also mixed in a couple of lovely little lampwork spacers from Beadygirl Beads along with a couple of small copper beads.

I got lots of practice doing wrapped loops on this necklace and I'm certainly feeling way more confident in my wire wrapping skills than I did even six months ago.  I thought the darker color of the Vintaj natural brass chain lent itself well to the darker browns in the artwork.

I hope my necklace captures the feeling and colors of Mucha's painting and the season that we are heading into.  I hope you all have some fun and exciting plans to celebrate the coming of fall!