Posted by Ensign Chandel (Science) in Quarters: Leah Hart

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Leah Hart (Nurse Practitioner/Counseling) in Quarters: Leah Hart

Posted by Ensign Chandel (Science) in Quarters: Leah Hart
Posted by… suppressed (10) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

She nodded and carefully laid the beads in one of the bead design trays, she spaced them out and made sure they were sitting evenly. “So, the way I think might work best, rather than tying the string in a knot where you want the bead to sit is”-she reached for her container of findings and pulled out a little clear container-“to use these crimps on either side of the little metal spacer beads that will surround each glass bead.”

Leah held out the small metal piece in the palm of her hand. It was sort of square but like a squashed cylinder. “I have these in different sizes, so we’ll find the right size for this cord. You essentially slid it along the cord or string and then use a pair of pliers to squeeze it shut.”

~Leah Hart, NP

“Ah,” Chandel said as she leaned forward to watch intently. She was fascinated by this process.

Ensign Chandel Sci

Leah grabbed the case of findings she had pulled the crimps from and inside there were all sorts of clasps, jump rings, and earring backs. She pulled out the larger crimps and set them on either side of the larger glass beads.

“So let’s do a practice one on a spare piece of cord and then you can start putting your necklace together,” she said, handing Chandel a small length of cord and one of the crimps. “It takes more force at first to close it but you don’t have to do it too hard.”

~Leah Hart, NP

Chandel took the length of cord with the crimp and slid it on before picking up the small pliers and ‘crimping’ the crimp in the middle of the cord. She then added the spacer before adding a coloured bead and another spacer. She finished with adding a second crimp, gently squeezing it to hold. She smiled in triumph as she held it up to look at it.
“Well, amazing. I think after you help me complete the necklace I may need to start collecting my own supplies and creating my own sets. Are you willing to keep teaching me how to make various jewelry pieces?”

Ensign Chandel Sci

She watched the utter delight that lit up Chandel’s face and beamed. It was nice to see someone finding joy in something creative. “Absolutely. Schedules permitting, maybe we can make it a weekly thing. I really like unwinding with something like this, especially after a long day tending to the needs of others,” Leah said.

She lifted her wine glass to her lips and took a generous swallow, sighing out with a smile on her face. “Mmm, I forgot how good this particular wine is. It’s one of my abuela’s favourites. She insisted I bring some with me and I quote, ‘To show your new crewmates a good time’,” Leah said with a laugh.

~Leah Hart, NP

Chandel chuckled and sat down the cord to take her own sip of wine. “It is good and this an excellent way to unwind. Should I do a few more?” She asked.

Ensign Chandel Sci

She nodded. “Might as well keep going,” Leah said. “And if you want to ensure the beads are set evenly, then lay the whole thing back in the necklace tray and check the spacing. I’m going to grab my current project.”

Leah moved to her cabinet and pulled out a wide but short container. Bringing it back to the table, she set it down and unlocked two hinged locks on the sides, removing the lid. Inside were little compartments full of teal, purple and jungle green glass beads and spools of wire of various gauges. A few beads sat finished in one side of the container and each were wrapped with wire enough to encase them and hold them in place. But this was not just a few stands twisted around the bead, no. Leah had wrapped the wire itself in different ways to create layered effects and an almost filligree style of ornamentation. These particular beads were only about 30 millimetres in diameter, but there were a range of sizes in the little compartments.

She grabbed a set of fine needle-nosed pliers and a spool of very fine wire.

~Leah Hart, NP

Chandel leaned forward curiously, to study Leah’s current project. “Wow, that is intricate. What are you making with those?” She asked as she picked up her test cord and continued to add the crimps, spacers, and beads in the pattern she wanted to use on her finished necklace.

Ensign Chandel Sci

Leah unspooled a length of wire. “It’s a multi-strand necklace with interspersed drops. Each drop hangs into the next strand and much finer beads will rest beneath them and be strung in between. I’m going for a peacock feather feel and the necklace will be quite large. Fun for a special event,” she said with a grin. “Afterwards, I’ll make a set of earrings as well, though I might not wear them together. That would be… a lot.” Leah laughed and then sipped some more of her wine.

~Leah Hart, NP

“That sounds fascinating! I guess that the designs are up to one’s imagination to think them up.” Finishing her practice strand she picked it up carefully from the stand and held it up for Leah to see. “What do you think? Is it too simplistic?”

Ensign Chandel Sci

Leah studied it with a practiced eye and then gazed at Chandel a moment before looking at the necklace. “I think it depends on the person. Some people prefer simple and clean jewellery, but based on what I know so far and the beads you took, I would say can easily do something with more… oomph,” she said with a grin.

Pointing to the crimp encased beads. “What if you did two of each bead with a small drop between each set. It’s an extra construction step if you don’t choose something that slips on easily on its own, but it can look really nice. You can make the drops as long or short as you like too.”

~Leah Hart, NP

“Oh yes. And I forgot the tree medallion for the middle, though I wanted to save that for my final necklace. What does the drop look like? Is it like a tear drop? Do you have any in the jade and turquoise blue?”

Ensign Chandel Sci

“Ummm, hmmm,” she said, tapping the side of her index finger to her lower lip. “Not those exact colours, but I might have something complimentary that might work.”

Leah moved back to her cabinet and pulled out a wooden box, bringing it over to the coffee table. It was made of a dark wood and was intricately carved with a floral and leaf design around the edges that most definitely looked like it had been done by hand. Measuring about 25 centimetres long by fifteen centimetres wide and about the same high, it landed on the table with a small clunk.

Opening the lid, inside the black velvet lined box were small containers of all sizes, some round, some square or rectangular. Most were clear and had an array of stunning beads of all kinds. “Somewhere in here are a set of leaf drops that might work, but I can’t remember the exact shade of green and whether it will go or clash with your other beads. The other option would be to construct them using head pins and create long narrow beaded drops. Or a next level skill would be to freestyle the shape of the drop, but I don’t want to complicate things too soon if you’re uncertain.”

~Leah Hart, NP

“Ohh, I love the sound of the leaf drops, if you can find them!”

Ensign Chandel Sci

“Alright, let’s see if they are in here,” she said with a grin. Leah took a couple more sips of her wine, feeling those first threads of warmth building in her. Setting the glass to the side, she started pulling out clear container after clear container. She held each one up to glance at what was inside and then set it to the side on the table when it didn’t hold her quarry.

“I forget how many I actually have sometimes. It’s been awhile since I’ve pulled them all out. When I was transferred to the Sentinel I was just trying to make sure I had the things I needed. I more or less just tossed all my jewellery making supplies into a case. This is the first time I’ve got to really sit down and do any of this.”

~Leah Hart, NP

Chandel smiled, “Well good thing you offered to tutor me in jewelry making then!”

Ensign Chandel Sci

In a lower tray of small round clear containers, Leah spied the colour she remember. “¡Ajá! ” Leah said, pulling the container out from the treasure trove of beads. She held it out to Chandel. Inside were ten glass leaves with a looped stem that would allow them to hang from the cord. They were a darker green but would compliment the other colours quite nicely. “Go ahead and take what you think you will need.”

“Those, by the way, came from Jablonec, in Czechia on Earth. I went there for a weekend and I came home with far too many beads. I just couldn’t resist!” she said with a laugh.

~Leah Hart, NP