This evening I finished a couple pieces I'd started yesterday and made a new lanyard and a new bracelet. The first one came about because of a message I got on
Etsy. Someone had seen one of my pieces but wrote to ask if I would be interested in doing it in different colors because she wasn't fond of pink. We wrote back and forth for a bit so I could get a good idea of what she'd like. I finished it and
posted it this evening. Here's a preview shot (I think the ones I do for the Etsy listing are nicer, but I took this one to show the potential buyer how it looked - she liked it so I finished it and put it up):
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_75kYx_N-FAY/SA2WdqpiT1I/AAAAAAAAAIo/zYCET_us794/s200/ambersmokyblackWIP.JPG)
I liked the idea so much I made another one (below), but with only two colors. They are both done with eyepins and chain in antiqued gold tone, faceted smoky quartz colored glass beads, black glass beads, amber colored glass beads (in the first one) and small smoky quartz beads that are actual smoky quartz. I really like that stone, not quite brown, not quite gray. These are definitely great for eyeglass leashes.
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_75kYx_N-FAY/SA2Tm6piTyI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/2EGBZQ17FCQ/s200/blogshotsmokychain.JPG)
Below is the one I made tonight. It uses the same small smoky quartz beads and the larger faceted glass smoky quartz colored bead (it's really amazing how perfectly the color matched). It's made as a badge lanyard necklace, so the center bead would be at the back of the neck when worn with a badge and then later I can turn it around and wear as a necklace.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_75kYx_N-FAY/SA2UPqpiTzI/AAAAAAAAAIY/lI1FDHcR878/s200/blog+shot+smoky+and+silver.JPG)
The next one is one of the reasons I love having lots of beads and tools. I have this light blue sweater I was going to wear today (and did) and I wanted an eyeglass leash that complemented it, so I grabbed my eyepins and chain, nippers and round pliers and made it in about 30 minutes.
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_75kYx_N-FAY/SA2VcKpiT0I/AAAAAAAAAIg/mfwA6ELW-4g/s200/blogshotbluechain.JPG)
Finally, I was looking for inspiration by going through my beads and saw these aqua glass, slightly twisted ovals that I bought a few weeks ago but hadn't decided what to do with them. I had also bought some very pale yellow quartz beads at a local bead shop that I hadn't yet figured out how to use. Here's a bracelet - I'm going to to a lanyard necklace in this design tomorrow night. One of the things you might be able to see better on this design is how I use a "scrimp" bead and a little metal "thimble" to finish off my piece rather than simply crimping. I like using the scrimp, it's always uniform in shape, and holds things together really well. The thimble keeps the wire from rubbing on the clasp and fraying (the stringing wire I use has a nylon coating which eventually can fray).
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_75kYx_N-FAY/SA2X46piT2I/AAAAAAAAAIw/M4TyzE5NWu8/s200/blogshot+aqua+bracelet.JPG)
Well, that's it for tonight. I'm looking forward to making that matching piece tomorrow!
Labels: bead, beaded badge lanyards, beading, beads, bracelet, chain, crafts, Dawno, Etsy, glass beads, jewelry lanyard, scrimp