Sunday, September 13, 2009

Sun and Sand Necklace

Seabirds Silhouetted Against the Sea in the Glow of the Setting Sun

After creating the “Tide Pool” necklace, I still had quite a few caramel and topaz seed beads leftover. I wanted to put the mixture to good use, and started looking through my bead stash to find something interesting to pair them up with.

The Inspiration:

I started by combining my original sandy mixture with another custom brown mix that I had made a few years ago. It included different shades ranging from an almost white beige to dark opaque brown and black. Once I had stirred them together, the urge to create another sandy project took over.

The Beads:

I have a seemingly endless supply of mother of pearl chips, so they were my first selection for accent beads. I wanted a splash of color, so I also grabbed some deep yellow shell coins. Once these sunny beads were added to the palette, I also threw in some smaller orange shells for a little extra spice. Frosted yellow 11/o seed beads rounded out the palette, drawing the all of the colors together.

Sandy Beach Beads



The Beadwork:

I wanted to do something simple with the seed beads, to really show off the different colors in the sandy mixture, so I started with some flat herringbone weave. Typically, flat beadwork isn’t really suitable for a necklace, because it doesn’t drape well. To correct this, I connected two strips of herringbone with strands of beads. The soft, flexible bead strands allow for a curve in the middle of the necklace, so the herringbone pieces can lay flat across the neck and shoulders.

Sun and San Necklace



I omitted the opaque seed beads, and incorporated the frosted yellow seed beads gradually, then created a semi-random pattern of shells in the middle. Each side of the necklace has a roughly equal amount of accent beads. The necklace is finished with a loop and toggle clasp.

Copyright 2009 Inspirational Beading



6 comments:

  1. That's gorgeous! I love seeing your inspiration for the work too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you! I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I'm pleased whenever I get a chance to use all the mother of pearl chips I picked up! I knew when I bought them all that I would find fun ways to use them one day.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your blog and your work are so inspiring. I really enjoyed reading it.

    The picture you chose of the dusk and your thought process making this wonderful jewelry is commendable.

    I am glad I landed here. Best wishes Dita.
    http://www.bead-z-mommys-business.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your sun and sand necklace is beautiful. The colours are so fresh looking. The herringbone pieces give it a nice effect. I have such fond memories of the many holidays we spent at the beach. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you! I love the way that a simple collection of beads can be transformed into an image that speaks to everyone.

    ReplyDelete

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