Random Necklace - Finis...?

I want to start off sharing new posts I've seen recently about the Gluable Challenge. They are all such clever crafters!

*melanie* at Earthenwood Studios blog - baby moon faces and re-purposed bracelet turned into a necklace all using beautiful ceramics. I'm saving up for a big purchase from Earthenwood some day, I love their work!

Tammy Powley at Crafty Princess Diaries showed of her fun fish bracelet and a cool quote on the brass frame

And Lisa over at A Bead A Day did this very cool bracelet using scrapbooking brads she modified and glued to the disk and loop bracelet form (reminds me of 60s Op Art Posters)


Now, on to the thrilling conclusion of the Random Necklace Adventure...

I pondered and piddled around with it some more today, and here's the finished* piece, which hangs about 24" from the neckline, so it's about 48" around - weighs in at almost a 1/4 lb (3.8 oz). Here's how it (approximately, since this obviously isn't my neckline...) looks doubled when I tried it on - you may notice my concession to pattern and order with the focal point in the center of the bottom loop:

In this shot I highlight the randomness (but not an ability to focus the camera - it looks focused in that tiny window, but my eyes aren't so good anymore - even with my glasses on, maybe it's time for a new prescription):

And this last shot was just to show it full length (I drug in that branch the other day thinking I might use some of the smaller branches for earring photos...DH just rolled his eyes).

*finished as in I may or may not change my mind, but I did put the finishing hardware on it, but I can always take it apart and try again...someday...maybe or maybe not...don't you love how I'm so definite?

Sticking to a Template

For the most part I don't usually repeat a design many times. Mostly because my supply of a particular kind of bead lends itself to one or two, but not much more that that. Occasionally I will have different colors of the same type of bead and I might do one or two color variations of the same pattern.

That went out the window with the design idea that started with the Chateau Picard badge lanyard necklace. I've now done 14 variations on that theme in different colors. Here's the three latest versions, two in a smoky quartz colored glass (the label says "reconstituted smoky quartz" whatever that means) and one in a lovely chardonnay yellow color. The picture doesn't do them justice as it's a bit blurry and the lamp adds a bit of extra yellow.

The main reason I've made so many of these is that they are going to be the bulk of my 'bargain' necklace lanyard selection on Etsy. They're relatively simple, less expensive, and less time consuming to make than the other necklace lanyards I've done, so I can put them at a very inexpensive price point, $20.00. I'm going to try to get them all listed on or before this weekend.

If you can't wait, and the color you'd like isn't on Etsy yet, feel free to contact me via email and we can work out the arrangements.

Struck by a Particle of Inspiration

I've had this lovely ceramic disk sitting around for some time now. I knew I liked it (and I bought two of them) but I wasn't sure what I'd do with it. Finally got hit by a particle of inspiration or two. The chain on this was made entirely from jump rings. Hope to find time to get better pictures of it and load up on Beadfly and Flickr soon.

I dislike it intensely when I miss a night posting - but last night I was very busy with a number of other things I needed to do and didn't get to either beading or posting.

I tried to practice making wrapped wire loops again - this time with the brass wire and some 'toy' gold-colored painted plastic 4mm beads I dug out, and I can't remember why I bought, but have had for ages - probably some craft thing I did back when I wasn't beading. I really need to get a smaller gauge wire, though, the 20 gauge is too heavy and stiff for wrapping and I'm not getting the kind of practice I need.

I've also completely dis-assembled the rhodonite choker and been playing with some re-working on it...still not sure where I'm going with it.

This evening I decided on a change of pace and am stringing a badge lanyard. I'm using gold colored fresh water cultured pearls, gold faceted square glass beads and gold faceted bicone glass beads with large gold-plated spacer beads between them. It's got a very lush look, I think.

About 8 - 10" to go still, but it's late and I'm going to bed soon - so here's a work in progress shot taken on a beading mat that's lying on the floor:

Lovely Robin's Egg Blue Beads

I've been playing with my new vintage look stampings and beads and bits - I'm not ready to share here yet - still in the experimental stages, working out techniques and kinks (sometimes literal kinks in the wire bending stuff that I need to keep practicing).

I did take a breather and make a necklace lanyard, though, with these lovely robin's egg blue mottled oval ceramic beads I found at Global Beads last weekend.

30" (although it's still unfinished, and the clasps add about an inch to the total end-to-end length), ceramic beads with a bit of an iridescence in the glaze. I thought the combination of large silver tone (no idea if they're plate or what) filigree beads, small oxidized silver filigree beads, and these tiny Czech druk square iridescent beads with very tiny oxidized silver bead caps is delightful.

Here's a picture of it draped - I got replacement bulbs for my photo lights, but it's still not as good as photography in natural light. I don't know why this one came out so dark and orange-y when the one above came out pretty well - perhaps because the one above is a tighter shot? The color above is very much (at least on my computer) truer to the color of the beads.

Well, the Labor Day weekend is begun - I may not post tomorrow, have family coming to town and probably won't get any beading done. Hope to see you Sunday, then!

Where Did It Go?

I've misplaced my favorite screwdriver. This is a bigger deal than it might seem at first. I use "Scrimps" instead of the usual crimp tube or bead at the ends of my necklace lanyards. The Scrimp has a tiny screw in it to clamp down the stringing material (usually Beadalon 19 strand satin bead stringing wire). Scrimp kits contain a mini-screwdriver, but they're short and it's hard to get a good grasp and good torque with them, especially if the screw is a bit stuck - I've ended up with a still stuck screw and a completely deformed screwdriver tip. I've sliced my finger a time or two with them, as well.

So last fall I was in Dallas at a conference and needed to tighten the Scrimp on a lanyard I was wearing and didn't have one of those screwdrivers handy and thought that maybe an eyeglass repair kit would have one that would work. I went to the hotel sundries shop and, sure enough, they had a nice kit with a wonderful screwdriver - the tip was just the right size at the tip and it was longer in length (I think about 4" long in all) with a plastic handle that gave me a good grip. I've tried to take very good care of it and always put it back where it belongs when I'm done with it so I won't lose it.

Well, today I have 5 necklace lanyards that need hardware and was at the point where I was ready to apply a Scrimp to the first one when I looked around for my screwdriver and couldn't find it. I've pretty much combed every inch of my office now to no avail. So I'm back to using the smaller one that came with the Scrimps and not enjoying it one bit.

Here's my latest necklace lanyard, 30" long, made with frosted colorless glass Czech beads, very tiny, copper colored, glass seed beads, two sizes of lightly satin-brushed copper oval beads and copper bead caps. I apologize for the poor picture quality - I'm definitely going to need natural light and experiment with the background color, to do this one justice.

The picture above shows it draped as a necklace. Below is where I show it with a badge to give you an idea about the way I maintain the pattern idea, but make it just a bit more interesting, (at least to me) at the ends.

You may also have noticed that the lanyard attachment isn't a large lobster claw, like on my silver and gold designs, because I hadn't been able to find the large ones in copper. Until recently! In my post a few days ago about vintage -style designs, I mentioned Accessories Susan, and while she didn't have them posted, I emailed her about the possibility of getting some, and she said she'd order them! I am obsessively checking her 'new arrivals' list for them.

I know I said I'd post the shell lanyard today, but since it's still unfinished, and I'm pouting about my screwdriver, it's not going up tonight.