It worked!

The little goal I set for myself this week - to join Bead Table Wednesday and to create something with those beads by the weekend - worked! I've added the link to the BTW flickr group to my side bar.

Anyway, I can't say that it started out easy. All of the beads I bought to go with my new etched peacock shell pendants were shells as well. Working with shell is sometimes difficult for me because quite often it can look like a cheap souvenir necklace from the millions of vendors you might see in a tropical location. Maybe you know what I'm talked about? So the first few stringings I put together were not good. For the lighter colored pendant, I had bought 2 different size shell rounds in the same tone as well as white teardrop shaped shells to mimic the shape of the pendant. I only ended up using the larger of the round beads and then added in some freshwater pearls I already had in colors of white and champagne. It's a simple design but I like it. I liked it so much that I made another one and gifted it to a friend whose birthday was yesterday.
Then I started working with the darker pendants. The shell strands I matched up for these were gray ovals. I pulled out some dark wood beads to put into the mix, and then I ended up using the smaller of my white rounds. Again, a simple design that I have done similarly in the past - I just love separating those elongated wood beads with something smaller.

For my last dark pendant, I wanted to inject some color since the other designs were so matchy matchy to the pendants. I recently bought these carved lucite beads in different shapes and colors and I just loved how they looked together. The dark brown and white beads throughout give the pendant a purpose for being included. I used the smaller white rounds in between again, and then some frilly bead caps on every other bead. I must admit, this design is a repeat of the owl necklace that was in the Fall Stringing issue. That design too, was chunky with bead caps on every other bead. This is my fave among them all! I love the worldly, ethnic feel is has to it.

So, making 4 necklaces after such a long hiatus in the studio was very exciting for me. Even if the designs were not very complicated, and I pulled inspiration from pieces I had already done, that was okay. It was a relaxing way to get back into the swing of things.

By the way.... the last few postings have used pictures taken on the new camera my parents got us for Christmas. I haven't played around with it too much yet (meaning, I haven't read the full instructions - I'm bad about that). I was going to list a few of these on Etsy, but the pictures were too large so I guess that means I'd better read those directions!