A few weeks ago I added a post about the beads that people find and give to me, Beads I get from others. My intention was to do follow up posts showcasing how I’ve used these little gifts to make necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings.

Below are some pictures of a beaded necklace I’ve managed to complete.

My brother bestowed the focal bead to me; a really cool, multi-colored, pressed glass bead. It even has some sparkle in it. I stowed it away for weeks not sure what I wanted to do with it. The bead is a large drop bead, so I knew it had to be a focal piece.

I thought about what colors I should use to help it stand out. Did I want to use light greens to add attention to the darker greens in the bead? No, too much green. Did I want to go avant garde with some vibrant oranges and dark blues? No, the bead also has some rose-colored hues in it, which would pair well with orange, but with the greens and blues might be a little like a drunken clown at your local town fair. Nothing against clowns, folks; just a little scary when they’re drunk is all I’m saying. 

So I decided that I wanted to play up the “rose-colored” hues, probably better known as fuchsia. Once I decided this, my next task was to find complementing colors with beads that wouldn’t steal attention from this queen of a drop bead.

It was time to get to work. I thought a light bead chain that can be worn at the collar or as a lariat would be fun. Oh, it was fun, alright. I sat down and decided that a spiral stitch would be the best way at accomplishing this. And so I got to work, busting my bottom, and what’s this? Shoot, I left out a sequence in my spiral. Was it noticeable to the non-bead weaver’s eye? No. But it taunted me like a drunken clown at the local fair.

I convinced myself that I would get over it once the piece was completed. And so I completed the piece and got over this small mishap. Then I did my usual test of the piece. Does it drape well? Is the closure functional? What about the fit? Aaarg! Not the fit!

You see, I’m what most of you normal sized people call “small”, with a sort-of-petite frame. The necklace fit me fine. Bad things were coming folks.

This piece was done, and redone twice. Am I completely satisfied now? Do I have to answer my own question? Alright, I will, just for Constructive Criticism’s sake.

No. Happy? Yes. But entirely satisfied? No.

I think that the piece came out lovely, with all the right colors and bead sequences. It is more functional as a short piece rather than a lariat. Of course, since I’m two and half inches away from being classified as, well, a really small person, a person with a longer torso would wear this well as a lariat. I may make a few final adjustments before I place this piece for sale on my Etsy site . I also need to photograph this piece as a lariat but I don’t have a dress maker yet, and my 6’ 2” model is photo shooting off the coast of Ibiza . . . until Fall . . . or something. (I’ll just see what I can do.)

And so goes my first attempt at incorporating a bead I received as a gift, into a wearable piece of art?