1st Butterfly of the Solar New Year

My first beading project of the Solar New Year 2012 is a finish of one I started in the last weeks of 2011.

I got this book called The Big Book of Crystal Beads as a Xmas gift from my good friend, Rachel. I was itching to get started and this was the perfect first project. Sadly, in 2011 this project was not going well. I used Beadalon beading wire and it kinked too much. in 2012 I took it apart and started over with nylon string which worked much better. I didn't have any oval beads so I opted instead to use a crystal bicone of a different shade instead. I think this changed the look of the butterfly significantly. In the book they used two different shape of beads in similar colors to create texture while I used the same shape of beads but in two different shades of Sapphire.

Here you can see my finished butterfly compared to the one in the book.

If I make this again, I might opt for texture difference rather than color but stick with the monochromatic color scheme. I also would change the embellishment in the middle of the bottom two loops to a 6mm bicone like the top two loops of the wings.

You never know what you will like or not like about a project until you work on it and see the beads come together. I often have the hardest time imagining what certain beads and colors will look like in a finished piece but I usually like the result anyways. :)

What do you think for the start of the solar New Year? :) Hope yours is going splendidly.