First, let me say that after polling my friends, I was apparently the only one who saw woman parts. Not sure what that says about me, but... Anyway, regardless of my perception of the first ring, the concensus was that the design was flat and really didn't do what I wanted it to, ie look like a heart with a keyhole in it.
My next step was to play with colors. I had some bronze toned Delicas that I hoped would help with giving the heart a metallic feel, to lend to the keyhole theme. But they didn't really contrast enough with the black background I was using, so the next step was to change to a more contrasting background. I had a off white that I thought might work.
Then I took a bathroom break and had an epiphany. What I really needed wasn't just a metallic feel, but some more texture. I happened to have some copper seed beads I had picked up for one of the Russian spiral bracelets I was making and I knew I wouldn't need all of the tube for the bracelet. Perfect!
By mixing cylinder beads with more rounded seed beads I was able to create texture, depth, and color contrast! I have said before that what beads you use depends upon what effect you want and I really think that this project is a great illustration of that.
Quote: Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations. Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011)
