Confessions of a Crystal Hoarder Blog

Earlier this month I returned to Wisconsin to attend a family wedding…and a bit of the Bead Hoard traveled with me.

One of my cousins had her wedding at the Bristol Renaissance Faire, and our family attended in costume. I’ve been working on wedding props since January when I started gathering supplies for jewelry for the wedding party, my Mother, and my niece, as well as fabrics for my own costume.

I can’t express how glad I am that it was not the Louisiana Renaissance Faire in July (no, I have no clue if that exists) and I consider myself lucky that the weather was mild and the humidity was low.

The Bride’s older brother officiated, and his Garter of Office was the first piece I made for the wedding. I used hematite looking cabs as well as brass-colored wood beads and Italian hematite colored glass beads from our club boxes with filigree to make his finery.

Since it was the first piece and I still had months to go before the wedding, each link has a carefully wrapped loop of consistent size. As I got closer to the wedding however, each subsequent piece got just a little less perfect.

The Bride’s sister was Maid of Honor and for her I made a demi-parure of a short necklace, long necklace and girdle. Her gear was constructed from dimpled pearl links (#20148, and #6819) from our boxes and amethyst colored cabachons (#18011). Huzzah for those pearl links! I used them on my Aunt’s jewelry and my own.

The metallic lion cab from a club box became the centerpiece of my Aunt’s set. I’ve been setting items aside each month that I thought would work, and that lion piece went straight from the USPS box into the wedding supplies bin. Her set also uses faux pearls and brass drops from our boxes. The brass beads are from the Hoard, but I got those on one of my Hoard stalking adventures at a show.

Originally my Mom was going to get a set with blue glass cabs that made a similar journey from box to bin, but pearls were better suited to her costume. Just to brag on her a bit...her costume is home-made, and unlike me, she’s great at actually reading and adhering to pattern directions. Like me, she was still sewing the night before we each left for the two-day drive to the wedding. Driving from Florida, she had 4 more hours in the car than I did.

Anyhow, I made long ropes of tiny faux pearls from the Hoard and used pre-strung faux pearls (#10937) for her shorter necklace.

Those are my nephew and niece in the photo with her.

I started making my costume in April. I used a pattern for portions, but just as I don’t follow beading pattern to the letter, much of my sewing is done based upon my knowledge. I’ve been sewing far longer than I’ve been beading. My first sewing projects were little sack dresses for my Barbies, and I got my own sewing machine in 4th grade.

I went overboard. Yeah, I know, shock, shock. Those are prong-backed brads (#20970, #20958, #20968, and #20956) on my bodice and skirt. I think I spent as much time applying brads as I took for all three of the Bridesmaid’s pieces.

My necklaces and broach used those pearl links and the “owl belly” cabs from our boxes. Even though they are supposed to be for owls, they remind me of pinecones, and matched my fabric really well. The brass settings for my faux carnelian cabs are also from my boxes.

My hood was the last item completed. It is rimmed in the same tiny faux pearls as my Mom’s necklaces and includes metallic bicones from our boxes.

I think the Bead Hoard has become part of me. There’s always a little bit of Hoard with me everywhere I go, even when I’m going back i