Gallery 3 Cabochon Work, Designed and Beaded by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
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PURPLE EGYTIAN COLLAR AND COUNTERPOISE:
This is my most ambitious project so far I think. I used the basic instructions provided by Bette Kelley's book on Egyptian Broadcollars, but I was also inspired by the more elaborate broadcollar work of Sherry Serafini . Like me, my friend Lea wanted a larger collar that sits on the collar bones instead of right up against the neck. Since I also wanted to use a Bruce St. John Maher purple scarab bead I bought much earlier (with matching beads in the earrings, natch) I needed to balance the weight. For this I did something similar to what Egyptians did and used a counterpoise--extra weight at the back to keep the collar from slipping too far forward under the weight of the cab and fringe. I braided the ends of the ties as Bette Kelley directs, but beaded each tie with size 6 matte copper and gold beads that match the lotus beads on the fringes and the long beads in the second row. Then I added Egyptian charms I bought some time ago. To cover the knot and add a little more weight, I tried a variation on the clasps Sherry does by doing a fringed cab to go above the knot. I believe the cab was made by Sirwin Galleries but I don't quite remember now. I added a little purple scarab above it for extra pizzazz. To attach it to the cords and still leave them so they can be adjusted, the knot untied and cords lengthened or shortened, I put a bolo tie back on it and crimped down the little things that hold the ties so that the cab is secure on the cords. Little brown and gold glass scarabs attach the two sets of rows to each other. Actually the collar is a bit lopsided, longer on one side than the other and HONEST I measured twice and more before I added the central cab. By the time I got it all sewed on I wasn't about to remove it and that bit is in the back anyway. This took me about 2 months of fairly intense work during the evening and late night.
All images and patterns © copyright 2004 Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. All rights reserved.