Contrast Fringe Necklace

Every beader knows that making great bead palettes is more than just combining the right colors - the variety of bead finishes available makes the job even more of a challenge. Some beads really do go with everything - like shiny opaque black - but others are hard to match. When you do find a combination of colors and finishes that clicks, its like magic.

When I started pulling beads for the Egyptian warrior goddess Neith, I had only a basic idea in mind, Neith was a bit of a split-personality goddess - sometimes she was a fierce warrior, and sometimes a gentle mother goddess. She lead armies into battle, and taught the women of Egypt to weave on a loom after using hers to create the world. I wanted to capture this dual nature simply with color, but the design I wanted called for 8/o seed beads, and my choices there are still a little limited (though much better than they’ve ever been).

I finally decided on not just contrasting colors, but finishes as well. For the warrior side, I chose transparent ruby red and rootbeer brown. For the mother side, opaque white and turquoise blue could easily represent linen and water. The four colors worked together perfectly for my necklace rope, and all it needed were the right accents.

Luckily, I had a perfect counterpart for each. Tortoiseshell and ruby luster druks were easy choices. To add a little texture I included some lovely turquoise blue bone beads, and some Shiva Eye coins for a feminine touch.

Copyright 2013 Inspirational Beading
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