Why I Love These Art Beads
It was love at first sight with this handmade pendant and set of charms by Melissa Meman. (You can read more about this design in her earlier blog post.) I like that the striking patterns on them may be interpreted as organic shapes and lines, leaves or petals, or arrows/triangles (so trendy right now). The solid silver color (white copper) means that you can pair them with any colors you wish. But what really caught my attention were all those extra holes. Most pendants and charms have a maximum of two holes, which limits your creativity. But these had 6-11 holes each! You could weave beads or wire through the holes, leave them open, layer them on top of other flat components, or rivet items through them, or ... my head spun with all the possibilities!
When I learned that I'd won these beautiful components from the Art Jewelry Elements website, I was determined to make a special necklace just for me. What a treat! I don't make a lot of jewelry for myself. That might surprise you, unless you, too, are a busy jewelry designer. Most of the jewelry I make I sell or give away for gifts.
How I Made This Necklace
I embellished Melissa's pendant and charms with copper rivets and flowers (a mix of bead caps and flower embellishments with center holes). I did have to drill through the holes to widen them slightly for the rivets. That made me a little nervous (What if I ruined these wonderful components?!), but it worked beautifully. I didn't drill through every hole, just the ones I used for riveting.
To make the small copper disc beads, I used a "ruined" piece of embossed
copper that I'd cut the wrong way for a previous project. (If you look
closely, you may be able to see a dot or two from the embossed polka
dot pattern.) I also made the S-clasp from a heavy piece of sterling
silver wire that I'd flattened some time in the past, thinking that it
was going to become part of a pair of earrings. I found the sterling
silver chain in my stash; I'd been saving it for a special project. The leafy copper chain was leftover from another project; I always save every bit of chain, no matter how small.
When I embellished the pendant, I decided to add a bail to the top hole, as well as a stamped circle on the back. The circle reads "There is only today" as a reminder to live in the moment. If I'd been making this to sell, I would have probably added additional rivets to secure the two circles in several places so that they wouldn't somehow get caught on a scarf or sweater when worn. Since I was planning on keeping this necklace for myself, I decided to skip that step. I toyed with the idea of hanging a tassel or a metal leaf from the
bottom of the pendant, but in the end, I decided to keep
it simple.
I'm pleased with the finished necklace. The silver-and-copper color combination is one of my favorites. It's the kind of pretty piece that I'll be able to wear all the time with all sorts of outfits.
Blog Hop Participants
Thanks to everyone for visiting and for Melissa for creating such innovative components!
Be sure to check out what everyone else did with their handmade goodies at Art Jewelry Elements.
Guest Participants
Michelle Mach - You Are Here