Allegory Gallery - Queen of Hearts Reveal

You know, it has really been way too long since I've been able to participate in an Allegory Gallery kit challenge. Thankfully, today I can change that! 

And what a lovely kit I got to use!

Recently, the challenges Andrew Thornton has been putting together have been centered around fairy tales and stories. This one, as I'm sure you can tell, is no exception. It was inspired by the Queen of Hearts from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland... and what a lovely palette:

Not my photo!
This was the teaser picture from the kit listing.

Since this was a Mystery Challenge, the exact components were a surprise... and when the kit did arrive, I actually only took one picture of it before I started digging in and creating. Oops! So, below you can see an artistic glimpse of everything--the lovely handmade pendant, the seed beads, the bead blends--but not a detailed layout of everything that was included. Still, you get a pretty good idea of what goodies I got to play with! 

From those components, I made one necklace. (Disclaimer: I actually made one necklace and one pair of earrings to match it... but I can't seem to find the earrings. Again, oops! Still, that's all right, because I'm very happy with how the necklace turned out!)

Using the waxed linen, the seed beads, selections of the bead blends, and some pieces from my own stash, this is what I created:

...a red-and-purple tassel necklace!

A bit about the construction... it is hand-knotted on the linen, and uses many different styles of glass and acrylic beads. The only exception is the focal bead, which is a lovely light-weight wood. I used touches of gold and brass to tie into the regal-theme of the Queen of Hearts.

Also: I am so, so pleased with that tassel. 

It was actually my first attempt at making one out of seed beads (I made this before the necklace featured here)--and it worked! It's always such a thrill to make something new, and to have it work!

...Oh, and you may recognize the purple seed beads, which were actually from another Allegory Gallery kit. :)

So, there you go! That is what I made with the Queen of Hearts kit! I actually have a few other designs in mind for the rest of the beads (I haven't used that lovely handmade pendant, after all), but I haven't had the time to make them. Who knows? Maybe I'll get a chance to work on them soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by today to see what I made for this challenge! It's always a pleasure to work with beautiful components, and then get to share what I created. :)

Have a lovely day, everyone!