Mirka, daydreams and benedictions

My Snow Queen project! Finished last night, listed today!

When I heard the theme, I immediately thought white of course! Who didn't?

I Googled 'snow queen' and found out there was a story by Hans Christian Anderson (of The Little Mermaid fame) called The Snow Queen. Anderson's was kind of an evil fairy type character and that reminded me too much of my 'all moonlight and dewdrops' choker, which I made for the EBW 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' theme in honor of Titania.

I wanted something different. So I looked up 'snow goddess' which is close in my mind to 'snow queen'. I was introduced to a few who had very prickly temperaments!

Now I felt like I was on to something. Snow in mythology seems very mercurial, sometimes savage, always beautiful.

It seemed like a good idea to do a necklace-- it's been awhile since I've done one. I settled on a challenge for me, because it would be my first, a curved collar.

So I gathered some beads, many of the same ones I'd used in the netted choker, but I stuck with a more natural feel. The crystals were raw, a piece I acquired in NYC and a Herkimer diamond I bought a couple months ago from a rock hound at the September Bazaar. Some kyanite, iolite, moonstone. Labradorite, rock crystal nuggets, crackled glass.

By now I was really into the theme. I was seeing my snow queen as a wild woman, kind of a Genghis Kahn type character, but much prettier! I beaded the collar, being careful not to included too much glistening white, but instead straying towards the silver, grey, pale blue and clear beads.

When I finished that I set about embellishing it. (Sistermine and mothermine wanted me to stop before I added anything. It was 'beautiful as it was'. Well, of course! But not too exciting!) I added the Herkimer diamond first, wrapping it simply, but boldly. My Queen wasn't Mongolian. She was Tibetan, and she had no use for going overboard, but the one crystal, while fabulous, wasn't enough to satisfy her! I arranged the kyanite and crystal point in a pleasing but asymmetrical pattern and added them.

The plan was to encrust the surface with other bits and pieces, but when I held it up after the last bit of kyanite was in place, I knew that wasn't going to happen. It would be too much for my half-yeti wild woman.

I looked up Yeti and found the name Mirka. Local legend says anyone who sees the mirka 'dies or is killed'. My snow queen grins fiercely, turns and twists out of sight.

My latest Treasury is still up! Daydreams and Benedictions

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