These were so much fun to make, with the bonus that I used up a lot of my bead stash. It was great replenishing stocks – I didn’t feel at all guilty!
The cuff feels luscious, organic and heavy to hold, but you don’t notice its weight when wearing it. However because it draws a lot of attention, it’s best worn with a simple one-colour dress, as it makes a very bold statement.
The central cabochon was a gift to me from Kitti Robinson of Totally Beads for teaching at the Essex Bead Fair. When I teach the workshop for this cuff, I provide cabochons in a variety of wonderful colours and sizes, supplied by Kitti and also Elise Mann, a.k.a. Crafty Owl. Elise’s cabochons are stunners too and make fabulous centrepieces with their own unique character.
In my classes, students also have the opportunity to try out my fun technique for making faux dichroic cabochons, useful for buttons, and centrepieces.