Wait a minute. Didn't she just post "A Year in the Making, day 213 a little while back?" Why yes! Yes I did. This is that strung necklace I made 11 days ago that I finally photographed and listed. This necklace is made from Japanese Miracle Beads, and I ended up with them completely accidentally serentipitiously. Several years ago, a coworker was going to visit family in Hong Kong and promised to help me in my previously mentioned long-suffering search for cobalt blue pearls. I sent her with a couple of my remaining stock for color reference and some cash.
A few days into her trip, I got a call. She said she'd found something really close, and should she go ahead and get them. They weren't actual pearls, but the lady in the shop kept insisting that they were better than pearls. Why not, I thought, so gave her the okay. I got a relieved sigh and she said "Oh, good, because I already bought them!" Eep!
She returns with them, and they were drop dead stunning, but definitely not pearls. I sat on them for awhile, not wanting to use them without being able to tell people what they were. Finally, I posted pictures of them to various online forums and communities, and some helpful soul told me they're what's known as Japanese Miracle Beads. They start with a lucite center, paint it with reflective metallic paint, and then add layer upon layer of iridescent lacquer. The result, as you can see, is stunning, and the beads themselves are quite light in weight so they're very comfortable to wear.
I've hardly done anything with them, though, so here's me remedying this sad situation:
Cobalt Blue Japanese Miracle Bead Multistrand Necklace
And yes, that's me playing around with the scrapbook paper for background again.
I might actually try making something tomorrow. The arm is doing much better. I've got pretty much my full range of motion back without pain, and the physical therapist says next week she'll give me some strength-building exercises to start doing. The magic anti-inflammatories, the stretches, the PT, and the ice have done wonders. Well, and not using my laptop or making hardly anything for two weeks have probably helped too. I am, however, going crazy. I need my creative outlet back!
