Prima Bead - Bead and Button Show Project - Part One!

In early February, I posted about a new project for Cousin which would be our "biggest assignment to date."  I'm super excited and super nervous about being able to create something that will be displayed at such a prestigious event.

While I sorted my supplies, I ran into a problem.  The color of some of the pearls were off.  I had ordered dark blue/navy and what I received was dark teal/green color.  Turns out I had a mislabeled batch.  Oops.... I reached out to one of my contacts there at Cousin/Prima Bead and he quickly sprang into action to make sure the other pearls were labeled correctly for other customers and find me a perfect match for what I wanted.  Within a few days, I received my new goodies.  But the fact I had off colored items didn't stop me from creating a beautiful piece from the pearls.  So now I have two necklaces for Cousin to choose from.  Below are the progression of each necklace from idea conception to finished beauty.

The beginning of the first one:

This was the focal design I came up with and the rest of the necklace flowed around it.  Sterling Silver fancy head pin, filigree heart connector and eye pins were used with a 10x8mm Crystazzi Dark Sapphire teardrop bead, huge 20 mm glass pearl and a 6x8mm Crystazzi Light Sapphire rondelle.

I came up with a pattern using 6mm deep teal, light turquoise, and white glass pearls.  I knew I wanted to use a collar style necklace as the base for this piece to give it a Victorian feel.

I used Beadalon's WildFire Thermally Bonded Bead Weaving Thread in Frost 10 lb., 15mm with a #12 beading needle.

I created a Right Angle Weave using a base ring of four pearls then adding in three at a time until I reached the desired length.  I then went back in and added 4mm round A/B finished Swarovski clear crystals and 4mm bicone Crystazzi Light Sapphire crystals.








I added in dangles along the sides using 10x8mm Crystazzi Dark Sapphire and Clear A/B tear drops accented with 4mm bicone Crystazzi Light Sapphire crystals and 4mm bicone A/B clear crystals. I draped a Sterling Silver link chain from the Elegance Metal line in the design.

Bit by bit, it all came together.  I continued to add in various colored glass pearls, crystals, and even some Jewelry Basics acrylic beads.

 

What Did I Create Today?

Today, I sat down at my worktable with a ton of beads strewn across it trying to find something that sparked my interest.  I started staring at all those very same beads yesterday to no avail.  Something sparked this morning.

I separated the beads that were "speaking" to me.  No, they don't actually talk; and I don't actually hear them either.  I am referring to the beads that just caused my creative wheels to start turning.  Silly.

I set up my bead palette, which needs replacing by the way, with my beads.  I played with different designs trying to find that perfect fit.  I played with an asymmetrical design.  But, that didn't quite work the way I had envisioned.  I finally settled on a very unique design featuring the red square beads in the lower right corner photo (Red Jasper) as the focal area.  These stones are part of the Jewelry Basics line of beads that are available at Jo-Anns as well at PrimaBead.com.

I began the necklace with some of Cousin Corporation's Cord Basics Gold Nylon Coated Flexible Beading Wire.  I strung on a Jewelry Basics gold plated crimp tube on the wire then ran the wire through a jump ring that was attached to a gold plated lobster claw clasp, both of which were from the Jewelry Basics line.   I ran the wire back through the crimp bead and crimped it shut.  I strung one gold plated scroll bead and a gold plated link chain both from the Jewelry Basics line onto the wire along with seven Crystazzi Crystal Pearls in Light Rose Matte. I covered the extra wire from where I crimped with these beads. I then looped the chain back and threaded it onto the jewelry wire on one link.  I added another scroll bead, looped the chain again, and added 7 more pearls.  I repeated this pattern four times (see above photo).

When I reached the desired focal area, I strung one scroll bead, looped the chain and then added another scroll bead. I added one Red Jasper stone and then another scroll bead followed by another stone and scroll bead.  I then threaded the chain back on and added another scroll bead followed by a gemstone and scroll bead.  I, again, threaded the chain back onto the wire to be and followed the pattern of scroll bead, stone bead, scroll bead, stone bead, scroll bead.  The chain was then threaded onto the wire and followed by a scroll bead.  I repeated the pattern of chain, scroll bead, chain, and seven pearls from the other side of the necklace.  The necklace was complete after I strung a crimp tube and jump ring that was attached to a 2.5" extender chain and crimped.  I threaded the extra wire back through the first grouping of beads and trimmed off the extra.  I added a little pearl dangle to the end of the extender chain for added elegance.