Water Headdress - Beginning

This year I received a grant to make more of my signature headdresses, one for each of the four elements (air, earth, fire, water). As the year started though I was so busy finishing up other projects that were accepted into shows that I only now have started on the headdresses for real.

I know I had a hard time starting also because I was scared. Scared that they would not live up to the board's expectations or even mine. Well no time like the present. I figured I would take you along on the ride.

My first headdress is for the element of Water. The first thing I did was choose the Ultrasuede I would use. I have a lime green, a soft butter, and an aquamarine color. The bead colors came next, I kept imagining the colors of the Caribbean, the turquoise, the beautiful blue and the colors of the sand. I have shells and a starfish on my tray for inspiration.

My idea is to have the the waves all the way around the bottom of the headdress. Then the next layer above will be fins, one large one in the center and then two smaller ones on the sides. I also want to incorporate a fish scale look someplace. The back will have a beaded net which will act as a veil. I also would like to see some beaded shells and perhaps a starfish either stuck in the net or cascading down one of the sides.

One thing I have learnt about how I bead is that what I have in my mind and what happens with the beads are two different things. Sometimes things do not work like I expected, or I have a brilliant! idea right in the middle of the project. That is one of the reasons why I thought it might be fun to see the progress. Who really knows how it will turn out!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Its the headdress roller coaster ride!