Pipiwai

Recently, I decided to play with my clay extruder, which had been sitting unused at the back of my supply cupboard for several years. I blended some soft colors — greens, purples, aqua, melon — and loaded them in. You never know exactly how the extruded clay will look, because the colors blend. Well, the skinny ropes were beautiful! I decided to lay them diagonally on a slab, with some ropes at 90 degrees to the others. The finished beads are a little evocative of a bamboo forest (if you have a good imagination). I once visited a magical bamboo forest on Maui, on the Pipiwai Trail on the back side of Haleakalā National Park. I still remember the music made by the bamboo stalks knocking against each other in the breeze. Mesmerizing. Anyhow, that’s how I came to call this my Pipiwai Collection, fourteen pairs of earrings and one bracelet. I hope you like them.

I also created this same design in a different colorway. If you like sunrise colors, have a look at the Tequila Sunrise Collection.