As my theme is Addicted to Beads - Karma in this series is a style of bracelet and beads by the brand Thomas Sabo.
Today I wanted to show you my favourite Karma Bead... regular readers will be unsurprised to see which one it is!
I love the use of skulls in jewellery, this bead is only 1.1cm in diameter so it's actually a really small bead but has so much detail packed into it!
It even has matching stoppers - for non bead readers these are generally beads with rubber inserts that can be used as bookends to stop loose beads moving on a bracelet.
Today I wanted to show you my favourite Karma Bead... regular readers will be unsurprised to see which one it is!
I love the use of skulls in jewellery, this bead is only 1.1cm in diameter so it's actually a really small bead but has so much detail packed into it!
It even has matching stoppers - for non bead readers these are generally beads with rubber inserts that can be used as bookends to stop loose beads moving on a bracelet.
This is my full bracelet below; I only have one Karma Bracelet so this is quite restrained for me, maybe I am learning to control my addiction a little bit better?!
What do you think to the use of skulls in art, jewellery and tattoos?
I like a certain amount of skull in my fashion- as long as it is either super-tasteful (I am especially into patterns that "hide" skulls in them- I have black lace curtains on my front door with skulls in the lace pattern, for example) or super-tacky in a fun way. I am not into sugar skulls, though, so sometimes I get skull-themed gifts from, for example, my mother that are not quite my aesthetic ideal (here I am thinking particularly of a spatula with a sugar skull on it that I received for, I think, Christmas one year). So, yeah. Skulls have a place in fashion for me, but it has to be done right.
ReplyDeleteBy the way- those beads are awesome! I make jewelry sometimes, too, and I'd definitely get those beads.
Hi Melanie
DeleteI know what you mean about hidden skulls, I have a gorgeous 40/50's style dress that has a huge skull & roses print on in Black, Red and White. I often wear it to weddings and for most of the wedding people will compliment me on my dress, only realising much later on it actually has giant skulls on it, but for some reason most people will just see a bold floral pattern... even though the skulls are quite large!
I like the super tasteful or super tacky with no middle ground ;)
Mars xx
The thing about the wedding is hilarious! Also, the dress sounds awesome.
DeleteThat's a lovely bracelet. The skulls are kind of cute :)
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
Thanks! I love this bead, it caught my eye the first time I looked at Karma and still fascinates me, love the detailing!
DeleteMars xx
I love that you can't tell they're skulls unless you look up close.
ReplyDeleteEven more so for the stoppers, I love that the attention to detail is there even though the beads are small - as part of Hull Fashion Week there was an event at the main sponsor's Hugh Rice, it was great to see all the newer beads up close. Just need to sort out some photos so I can blog about it next month!
DeleteMars xx
I love your bead, but I must admit I have nothing with skulls on, either clothes or jewellery! x
ReplyDeleteI love the use of Skulls in jewellery, done well they are awesome. My ultimate is actually a skeleton necklace where it's made up of individual parts of the skeleton in silver (and a tiny bit of gold) threaded onto a necklace, but as well as being hard to find (it was limited at the time), it's WAY above my bead budget!!
DeleteMars xx
The attention to detail is incredible.
ReplyDeleteSophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles
FB3X
Wittegen Press
Yep, one of the reasons I love Karma, the detailing on the beads is superb... even though with the naked eye some of it gets a bit lost on some of the other beads... they don't skip it just because it's small.
DeleteMars xx
I've been drawing skulls since a kid and had a skull bong back in the day. Not much into skulls any more though.
ReplyDeleteStephen Tremp
A to Z Cohost
Twitter: @StephenTremp
I think I'm the opposite, I've grown to appreciate them even more as I've got older, one of my favourite collections in jewellery that's a new collection is by Ohm, a brand featured today (as I'm writing my comments a day behind at the moment) and it's a set of dinosaur skulls... anatomically correct skulls not skulls hit with the cute stick.
DeleteI used to quite like skull candles when I was younger though, never did get one or make one, just used to admire them!
I did see a lovely skull carved out of Labradorite last year... but sadly didn't have the cash to buy it at the time, lovely piece!
Mars xx
I love your bracelet and think skulls can be very elegant. I was a typical goth in my youth and my nod to that now is the odd skull bead too. I like tattoos and have 2 but they're not usually visible. I actually quite like having my own little 'secret' things that lots of people don't know about!
ReplyDeleteI love tattoos but don't have any (my fear of needles), ditto that it's probably kept my piercings to less than I would have had naturally!
DeleteLove skulls still :)
Mars xx
I definitely think skulls have a place! I'm always drawn to skull beads (and, of course, made one myself :D) I haven't seen too many skulls used in art, but one of my business partners has a print of a skull in her bathroom that I admire every time I'm there.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see a picture of your skull dress - it sounds beautiful :)
One of my favourite skull pics was used as a t-shirt design by the artist, tried searching for a pic to show you but it's an old one and can't find it!
DeleteI will see if I can find a pic of the dress & stick it in an A to Z post... bit like an Easter Egg on a DVD ;) Sadly (well opposite of sadly) I've lost a bit of weight (to be more healthy) since I had it made for me, so it's not as fitted as it should be so I don't wear it as often... but I can't gain weight just to wear a dress :) although I also have a beautiful corset that suffers from the same fate.
Mars xx