Use the Muse IV & a sneak peek of the piece I created

So I entered this contest a few months ago, called "Use the Muse," created by Scarlet Lanson at "The Beader's Muse" and sponsored by one of the most awesome beading sites I've found, Artbeads. The premise is that you receive a kit full of sheer awesomeness in the bead realm, and this very cool Muse piece, but you can't reveal what the muse is until all is said and done...

Still something of a novice beader, I nevertheless thought it would be fun to try.

[caption id="attachment_18" align="alignnone" width="169" caption="The detail of the sectional spiral rope. "][/caption]

So there it is.  A sneak peek.  Now, having never woven beads at all, I decided to try my hand at spiral rope (I've never even made a daisy chain...).  I created what I'm calling a sectional spiral rope, to try to incorporate some of the kit beads, and a few beads I had on hand already, and give it a bit more interest. I have to say, I'm rather proud of this piece, and I had a blast making it. So much so, I've entered another contest, I'm learning more beading stitches (I really like square stitch and African Helix), and I can't wait for Use the Muse V...

RLW

UPDATE

Well, the Muse was revealed last week, along with the winners. As expected, I didn't win, but then, that's not why I participated either. So, no foul. The Gallery of all the designs can be found here. I admit, I'm rather in awe of the company in which I find myself with this contest.   This group of artisans is phenomenal in their ability to see the possibilities in the muse piece.  Here are some full pics of my piece:

[caption id="attachment_42" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="A Leaf Falls"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_43" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Detail on the muse, the drops, and the beaded flower focal."][/caption]

I really love this piece. It's my first asymmetrical piece, and my first piece really incorporating a variety of styles...

Take a look at the gallery, and have a great day!  ~RLW