I was invited to take part in Artbeads winter blogging program. The theme this time around is Winter Enchantment. While the possibilities with this theme are endless, it said "white, white, white" to me. That's pretty much all I see out my window this time of year.
Artbeads is chock full of of items that suited my needs. I started with a 30 mm (can you say huge?) Swarovski Navette drop, from the Pendant category on their website. I also selected Snow Jade beads in both 4mm and 6mm. These are from the Gemstone category. While I wasn't really sure what my final necklace would look like, some ideas were forming in my mind.
I used lots of 20 gauge sterling silver wire to suspend the pendant. While 20 gauge may seem heavy, the size of this pendant really required a substantial "support" mechanism. It looked completely out of balance with lighter gauge wire.
I created clusters of 4 mm snow jade and 4 mm faceted Czech glass beads (from my stash) to dress up the necklace. I finished with a series of 6 mm snow jade rounds, which lead to lengths of sterling chain. At the very end is a hook clasp (also from my stash) with an extender.
Isn't that pendant striking? Forgive the photos -- I always have the most trouble with white and clear jewelry items. The next photo gives you an idea of the clasp and extender.
And here's Marilyn modeling the necklace for you:
All of these components were a pleasure to work with. Some of the snow jade beads were chipped around the hole, but this is not uncommon with stone beads. The crystal pendant was securely packaged to avoid any damage in the shipping process. Once again, Artbeads has satisfied my beady needs!
Disclosure: Artbeads invited me to join their blogging community. I receive these products free of charge in return for honest reviews. I have not been paid for doing this.
Artbeads is chock full of of items that suited my needs. I started with a 30 mm (can you say huge?) Swarovski Navette drop, from the Pendant category on their website. I also selected Snow Jade beads in both 4mm and 6mm. These are from the Gemstone category. While I wasn't really sure what my final necklace would look like, some ideas were forming in my mind.
I used lots of 20 gauge sterling silver wire to suspend the pendant. While 20 gauge may seem heavy, the size of this pendant really required a substantial "support" mechanism. It looked completely out of balance with lighter gauge wire.
I created clusters of 4 mm snow jade and 4 mm faceted Czech glass beads (from my stash) to dress up the necklace. I finished with a series of 6 mm snow jade rounds, which lead to lengths of sterling chain. At the very end is a hook clasp (also from my stash) with an extender.
Isn't that pendant striking? Forgive the photos -- I always have the most trouble with white and clear jewelry items. The next photo gives you an idea of the clasp and extender.
And here's Marilyn modeling the necklace for you:
All of these components were a pleasure to work with. Some of the snow jade beads were chipped around the hole, but this is not uncommon with stone beads. The crystal pendant was securely packaged to avoid any damage in the shipping process. Once again, Artbeads has satisfied my beady needs!
Disclosure: Artbeads invited me to join their blogging community. I receive these products free of charge in return for honest reviews. I have not been paid for doing this.
