Bead Table Wednesday, Issue #2: DBC Does 'Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'

Y'all folks are so kind with the previous - and my first! - BTW post, thank you so much for your comments!  If you enjoy my posts, you ought to check out the Flickr page featuring beaders and jewelry makers from across the world, sharing what's on their bead table every week!

Last week, you loved the Rockslide necklace, which will be available for sale in my Etsy shop very soon with other new designs.  This week is a very unique design concept and thrifted repurposed piece I picked up during a shopping spree at Value Village.  (Oh my, I will have to brag about that stuff in a later post.  Incredible finds!)  Nick has been playing quite a bit of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, an XBOX video game with its setting in 16th century Rome/'present day' 2012, with an epic yet complicated story about an ancient brotherhood called the Assassins and their lineage as they try to protect mankind from the Templars and protect an ancient 'biblical' artifact with the potential of great power to whoever possesses it.  It's a pretty damn cool game.  Eighty-five percent of the game's characters and events are historically accurate accounts of the House of  Borgia's power and influence through 15th and 16th centuries in Italy.  It's a pretty cool game, and he plays it a lot.  He's playing it right now.  (Not just as I type this, but probably as you're reading this a few days from now, too!)

You play as Ezio Auditore, a trained Assassino like his father, hailing proudly from city of Firenze, Italy.  The traditional Assassin costume is white and red, his traditional armour is patterned much like feathers of birds wings.  Nick had been bugging me for a while to make something inspired from the game, and I just happened across the coolest find at Value Village.  This'll be perfect for an Assassin's Creed-inspired piece.

The photos this time were actually taken from my 'television tray' workspace at the time ... kind of.  (I may have cheated, posed some stuff, pushed some stuff outta the way for some shots.)  The thrifted piece is a pendant of two pieces, both somewhat resembling pieces of armour with its intricate detail, hardened texture and wide shapes.  The coin charms have the same fleur-de-lis on one side with the word Firenze below it, and different images of what seems to be ancient buildings, urban landscapes and structures in a European city, very much like the ones you're jumping around on in the game.  I had realized I don't have much red in my collection, at least nothing that I felt suited what I was looking for.  In the meantime, I had grabbed these red agate chips from my stash, and spotted a lone red glass bead in my collection of 'onesies'.  A beautiful black wing charm from a pair of repurposed earrings and plastic skull beads painted in different metallic finishes may be incorporated into these pieces, as well.  Take a look at that first photo to the right, you'll find other cool stuff that made it into the mix, and might make it into the design!

There is one that I had started, you'll see it in that same picture if you're careful, to the left.  Throughout the game, Ezio collects eagle feathers in memory of his family, murdered by the Borgia.  I happen to have a package of brown feathers that are a great match to those in the game.  The chevron-shaped metal piece from the pendant has a small feather and a Firenze coin charm dangling from the centre point.  Suede thongs reach up either side, and might be accompanied with chain, or left as is.  I'll have to take some pictures and get your opinion, unless I make an executive decision myself beforehand. :)

Since taking this picture, I have a few other things that I've found in my stash that I've thrown in this mix.  I'll be sketching some ideas over the next few weeks.  So many possibilities, especially with those pendant pieces!