Octopus Neck... Thing?

 Here are some rather horrible pictures of my otherwise pretty cool new neck thing.( I am working on some better ones...)
 Do you ever notice, how artists like to use big words for their work, like neck adornment (and such monikers really have their place with certain, really distinguished artists, who I am not trying to dis by any means) , and some necklaces are also called bibs, or collars?

Well, Dear Reader, let me introduce you to my new invention, the Octopus neck.... thing?

 I mean it's wearable, it's hardly a necklace, definitely not a collar or a bib, and I just can't say it's a neck adornment either.

 The octopus itself was the child of some insomniac night where there were ideas swirling in my head, and I couldn't sleep, because there were too many and I was  afraid of forgetting all by the morning, but the octopus stuck and so I completed it. 

 It was definitely a before falling asleep partially HP Lovecraft inspired idea. 

But then it turned out to be rather friendly and cheerful, not dark and dreary as I first imagined.

It also turned out to be completely impossible to suspend  from any sort of soft necklace, because I wanted it partially offset, not  having the octopus in the middle, so that made it difficult, because the weight of it would have pulled it in the middle if I just made a chain for it.I

t just set in a drawer for a long time. I kept pulling it out, I even got a beautiful clasp for it, but it would still not come together, until a randomly purchased brass cuff ended up on my desk right next to the octopus, and a "Eureka!" moment, an epiphany.

 The neck cuff allows for the octopus to dangle, and stretch out on the chest, may that be human or canine, as modeled by the lovely Samantha Regina here.

The inspiration to pull out this project and finish it was also due to the fact, that the May challenge for the Etsy Beadweaver's is Nautical  themed, and I just HAD TO finish it. (Voting will be between the 9th and 15th of may, here )

 I am happy with the final product, I think it's a worthwhile exercise in taking bead embroidery to new places, where instead of weight, form and negative space rule with unusual shapes and great textures.

 Talking about all that , check out my new plant: it's a Jade called Gollum. I went to a nursery with the intent of purchasing a plant that makes me happy, a plant that's like me. I was thinking ferns maybe, but then I saw this guy. I love how it looks like a coral, but with ears, like it's listening to the world with all those little ears trying to pick up some radio signals from it's home planet.

Then I had to find the perfect vessel for it, and so I tried all the pots on to my new plant, until I found this one that looks like it's a block of cement. And I love it!

Textures and colors and pleasing chaos is also important in food too. So here is a bowl of steaming spring broth with turmeric, fenugreek and cumin, but light and refreshing. Usually these heavy spices are paired with creamier things, like coconut milk or ghee. But I just wanted an orange colored broth with floating spring veggies, like English peas and bell peppers and leek ...

It's easy too: You toast the fenugreek seed and cumin in a pot in a bit of oil, like coconut oil, and then add whatever broth you prefer, I used some veggie stock throw in some turmeric, garlic chopped, leek, then random veggies, cook till it's just right (not mushy) and eat.

Tastes like spring.