Revealing!

Reveal day is here and I had a ton of beads to use thanks to my partner My partner is Miranda Ackerley who runs MirandackArts. Miranda’s beads were mostly gemstones. There were a few shell beads, a couple glass and metal. and the yellow focal was ceramic. I used the clasp and the yellow focal in two different necklaces. Oh, and I really got into wire wrapping this time making many many wrapped loops for necklace number one ( below) and making a pearl chain using gold filled wire and the lovely freshwater pearls that Miranda sent (Necklace Two). I had never made a pearl chain before.

Necklace Number One

I used Miranda’s clasp in this necklace and the bit of gunmetal chain she sent. I added brass and copper figaro chains and mixed my metals willy nilly. Miranda included a strand of chicklet-like brown beads with her soup and most of them ended up in this necklace, I had an especially good time assembling the focal and combined the beads in an unconventional way. I like how they look! Besides the chains, I added some seed beads and wire, and the brass, turquoise and red beads which I thought would go well with the brown. This necklace ended up being a lot of work and I had to solve some engineering problems but I had fun and that’s what counts.

Necklace Number Two

Here you see the big yellow focal with one of Miranda’s turquoise beads. The focal frame is an earring I found on the street! Miranda sent a strand of chips which I strung with 0/8 turquoise seed beads. The pearl chain is the second strand and the third strand with the gemstone beads is connected by base metal eye pins that I wrapped with real French bullion gold wire that I’ve had for years. I think it really makes the piece look opulent although I never heard of French bullion being used this way. It’s a bit extravagant but I wanted to try it. I made the toggle clasp from brass (process explained in prior post) and textured it to go with the brass disk Miranda included with the beads. That’s a bullion-wrapped eye pin hanging on the bottom.

Necklace Number Three

The only Miranda beads I used here are a gorgeous Biwa pearl (she sent two; the other one is in the focal of necklace number one) and a brown freshwater pearl. The rest of the necklace is street finds: rusty washers, stripped electrical wire and materials discussed in a prior post.

Earrings

I have a confession to make. When I first saw these wire beads I didn’t like them. They don’t have any holes and Miranda sent three of them. I was stumped until I turned them on their sides, added some of her chips and her purple crystals, and ended up with earrings I will wear!

And I made a pendant with the third wire bead and an enameled bead Miranda sent.

Thank you Lori Anderson for another great Bead Soup Blog Party!!!

To see the rest of the participants, press here.

Here’s a gallery of close ups and detail shots.