Commission Chronicles: Elderberry Chapter (2025)

Back in April, I was commissioned to create a piece that celebrates and welcomes a new chapter in the life of a dear friend and former colleague.

She's playfully calling this next phase of life the "elder-berry" chapter, so with that fun prompt, I began working on the project. 

Do you know what elderberries look like?

I looked at my collection of beads. Thankfully, I had just received a shipment of beads from then Karen & Friends Bead Store. And I found some beads that fit the bill. And my first prototype turned out to be a mess. 

first prototype

I generally like an "effortless" look and style. No matter how many hours I spent and the effort I made, I don't want that to show. In this first attempt, I could see every place that I struggled, and I needed to move forward. 

I decided to go with a different center bead with some "berries" around it.  

2nd attempt

I was getting closer. So I consulted with the best consultant I know, Mama T., and she suggested that I put another row of "berries" above. She even drew on the image I sent to demonstrate, like so:

Mama T's vision

So I tried to do just that

I was getting even closer. 

But compositionally, I needed something more. But to do that, I needed to redo the whole piece. I undid the two rows of "berries" and wrapped them around the Pietersite center piece, allowing me to add more diagonally. 

I'm thrilled with how it turned out, with elderberries holding a pietersite stone at the center. Pietersite is known to be a good stone for spiritual grounding, emotional support, and intuition and connection, which feels appropriate for the journey/chapter ahead.

I gave the finished piece to the intended colleague over a celebratory group dinner back in May, and she loved it. 

How would you name the chapter you're in now, dear reader? Or what chapter are you moving into? What does it look and feel like?