Every Christmas, my mother hauls out a box of vintage beaded balls made by my grandmother. Each of them is hung from the ceiling with clear fishing line, which gives the impression of several gilt and sparkling orbs floating in our formal living room. Each Christmas I looked forward to that ritual, and when I saw that Dallas artist Peyton Hayslip was creating an altogether more polished and stylish version of these beaded beauties, I was absolutely intrigued.
As it turns out, remembering those 1970s-era beaded ornaments is what inspired Hayslip to create her line of ornaments and tabletop decor.
“My beaded creations began in the mid-90s when my children were small. My mother and I were reminiscing about the little foam and sequin ornaments she’d made when I was a baby, and we both had an ‘AH-HA!’ moment,” Hayslip said. “What if those old-fashioned ornaments could be pumped up? What if they weren’t just made with sequins? What if they were made using my great grandmother’s vintage costume jewelry, and maybe some glass beads for sparkle? I set to work, and loved the results.”
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Truly, the designs from Peyton Hayslip Beadworks will enthrall. She incorporates so much color and texture into her work. Because of the nature of the materials — re-purposed beads, vintage jewelry, and other unique pieces — no two creations by Hayslip are the same. For that reason, Hayslip’s pieces make great gifts for family, friends, and hostesses.
Of course, Hayslip doesn’t keep to the same-old vintage bead-and-sequin ball. She also creates lovely studded trees, skulls inspired from jewel-encrusted relics from Roman catacombs, and ornaments in a variety of shapes and sizes.
“Perhaps the most fantastic treasure in the collection is the jeweled table originally commissioned for the Crystal Charity Ball. This piece is exquisite. It is completely pave with vintage and new brooches, vintage and antique jewels (including some little timepieces with diamond and ruby accents), and millions of glass aurora borealis seed beads,” Hayslip said. “The table base is leafed with white gold, and the table is topped with a 1” thick round acrylic top so that every delicious beaded moment can be enjoyed without being damaged.”
If you want to find your own bit of holiday glitz, pieces from Peyton Hayslip Beadworks can be found locally at Sherry Hayslip Interiors at 2604 Fairmount Street. Hayslip also has an Etsy shop where you can buy her handmade wares from the comfort of your home.
“I don’t know why I find it so fulfilling to spend hours constructing these spiky things,” Hayslip said. “I like to see the colors evolve. I like having a place to put those vintage jewels so they are not forgotten in a drawer somewhere. I like the satisfaction I feel upon completing one of my sculptures.”
And we enjoy looking at them!
