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Description: |
These orchids are definitely a statement piece and were made
in honor of Cliff’s daughter, whose given birth middle name
was Orchid, before adopting and gifting her a new name.
In ancient Greece, orchids were a symbol of virility and
fertility. Due to the flower’s symmetry, in China, they are
considered “Lan Hua” or the epitome of human perfection. In
Victorian England these flowers are considered symbols of
love, which is why Cliff had them as one of his wedding
flowers. The Phalaenopsis orchid has just over 60 varieties
that grow naturally in the wild, which is a small number
compared to the over 35,000 species of orchid varieties that
naturally exist.
To pattern these beaded beauties, Cliff actually used one of
his many orchid plants that he grows and dissected one of
the flowers to ensure it was anatomically correct and true
to the original it is patterned after. For those who are
proficient in peyote stitch, these earrings are a great
exploration of how to shape flower petals using different
peyote techniques. Each flower is made life-sized, true to
scale and can be worn as earrings (as the class is being
taught) or adapted to make a beautiful pendant.
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